History Of California. Summary: California, also known as the Golden State, is the third largest of all the states in the United States. It was named by Spanish explorers who first sailed along the coast in the 1500's. They called the land California after the name of a treasure island in a popular Spanish tale. Pages: 1 Bibliography: 0 source(s) listed Filename: 18868 History of California.doc Price: 8.95