Wikangna prospered for thousands of years, thriving off the abundance of the local flora and fauna of the area,[2] including large sprawling oak forest (of which a small part remains) and a small spring.[4]
The arrival of Spanish colonizers in 1771 led to the decline of the village. This similarly occurred with nearby villages in the area.[2] Wikangna was likely abandoned completely during the mission period.[3]
After the missions were secularized by the First Mexican Republic in 1833, some villagers who survived the high death rate of the missions, returned to Wikangna shortly.[3] This was noted by Phil Begue, whose family purchased the land in 1882, recalling that there were a band of "Indians" camped in the area before his family took possession of the land.[3] It is likely they were chased off the land shortly after.[3]