Santa Ana, William Spurgeon, Floral Park, etc.

Tomorrow, June 1st, will be the 122nd anniversary of the incorporation of the City of Santa Ana. The town's founder, William H. "Uncle Billy" Spurgeon was the first mayor. Some 17 years earlier, in 1869, Spurgeon purchased 74.2 acres upon which much of downtown Santa Ana now sits. The land was then covered in tall mustard plants, and he had to climb a sycamore tree to inspect the land. A younger sycamore tree (shown above) now stands on the location of that historic event, at what is now the corner of 5th St. and Sycamore St. (Notice also, the Spurgeon Building in the background.)
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In case you missed the home tour of Santa Ana's Floral Park, about a month ago, a video was recently posted to YouTube. It's mostly still images, but it still gives you an idea of the tour.
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Also posted to YouTube, are a series of highlights from the Santa Ana Historic Preservation Society's annual Fairhaven Cemetery Tour. Click on over to watch high school kids pretend to be locally famous dead people: Part 1, Part 2, & Part 3.

Mystery photo, Martin Aviation, John Elliott, etc

Today's Orange County "mystery photo" seems like it should be easy to identify. But all I know is that it hails from November 1964 and that it originally came from the County Planning Dept. Perhaps you'll recognize the spot or at least have some educated guesses.
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The folks at John Wayne Airport tell me that Martin Aviation will open an aviation museum on the west side of the airfield in August. Does anyone out there know more about this?
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The Santa Ana History Room at the Santa Ana Public Library has a new guy at the helm: John Elliott. Actually, he's been in charge of the collection for several months (and has worked at SAPL for much longer), but I only got the chance to meet him today. He seems extremely well-suited to the job, and I think he'll be a great asset to the local historical community. Welcome to the wonderful world of O.C. history, John!
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After 105 years, the Fullerton Women's Club was down to five members, and the youngest was 79 years old. Plans were being made to close up shop. But interest picked up after Dave Lopez of Channel 9 News covered the story, and now they claim they are "going strong again." You can see Lopez' report on YouTube. (Yes, I know I'm reporting this story a little late.)

Orange groves, "Laughing Bill" Nickols, Nixon, etc

Today's image is an early postcard showing a glimpse of the citrus groves of Orange County. On a related note, there was a story in Thursday's Register about an Irvine developer who plans to wipe out the last grove of any notable size in Santa Ana (along with an adjacent 1914 bungalow).
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The Bowers Blog is featuring a look at William S. "Laughing Bill" Nickols (1862-1940) of Santa Ana. Their photo of Nickols was taken by noted local photographer Edward E. Cochems (1874-1935).
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Werner Weiss of Yesterland has put together a retrospective on the Hollywood-Maxwell "Wizard of Bras" exhibit/shop that was an early feature at Disneyland. It's a good recap of one of Disneyland's least likely attractions.
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The Nixon Library Foundation has posted a brief essay on their website entitled, "Richard Nixon's Birthplace: I lived there, too!" by Linda Waldron Bugbee. It's interesting to see this O.C. landmark (and old Yorba Linda) through another set of eyes.

Linbrook Bowl, Googie, petroglyphs & Bolsa Chica

The 50th anniversary of the Linbrook Bowl will serve as the backdrop for the Anaheim Historical Society's annual dinner, June 13, 6:30pm. Jane Newell will give a presentation on "Life in Anaheim in 1958," and everyone is encouraged (but not required) to attend wearing period attire. The dinner will be held in the Linbrook Bowl Banquet Room, 201 S. Brookhurst. Afterward, bowling will be offered at a special discount price. To register for the dinner, send $15 per person to the Anaheim Historical Society, P.O. Box 927, Anaheim, CA 92815.

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When I started photographing Orange County's Googie architecture in the 1990s, the Linbrook was one of the first places I visited. Today, it's one of the few local examples of Googie still standing.

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The Pacific Coast Achaeological Society will hold a field trip on June 14 to see prehistoric rock art (petroglyphs) along the Ortega Highway.The group will meet at 9am in the parking lot of JSerra High School on Junipero Serra Rd, in San Juan Capistrano. Bring a packed lunch, hiking shoes, sunscreen, hat, and $5 for a Forest Service pass. After the petroglyph tour, Steve O’Neil will lead an optional afternoon tour of Mission San Juan Capistrano to see early Native American paintings. (Regular Mission admission costs apply.) To sign up, contact Steve via email or at (949) 548-7934 or . For contact on the day of the field trip, call (714) 290-1845.

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Speaking of pre-historic artifacts,... The fun continues at Bolsa Chica, in Huntington Beach. Some Juaneño and Tognva Indians are protesting "the developer's disrespect toward their ancestors and lack of transparency about archeological findings." Read all about it in the Register.

Memorial Day, MCAS El Toro, Bill Kirkwood, etc

There will be many Memorial Day events throughout Orange County today. The Register has at least a partial list. Today's photo (above) shows two Marines at the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station in 1942, when the base was still under construction.
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On this day, in 1846, the Rancho Lomas de Santiago was granted Teodocio Yorba. This later became the northern end of the Irvine Ranch, including some of the land on which MCAS El Toro was built.
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Bill Kirkwood, WWII Navy veteran and longtime County of Orange employee, passed away May 14th. Among his many accomplishments, he played a leading role in computerizing the Orange County Public Library. He also wrote a history of the County Library. Kirkwood's obituary - with much more information about his life - is available online.

A slice of Disneyland Railroad history

Disneyland's roots go back to the days when top Disney animators, like Ollie Johnston and Ward Kimball, got Walt hooked on the hobby of large-scale model railroads. Soon, Walt had his own backyard railroad, which he dubbed "The Carolwood Pacific." To a large degree, Disneyland was born out of Walt's desire to own a bigger and better train set. At least in the early planning stages, the rest of the park was more or less secondary in importance to the train that ran around it all.

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Last week, I had the pleasure of attending the ribbon-cutting for Ollie Johnston's recently-restored stationhouse at the Carolwood Pacific Historical Society in Griffith Park. This group has preserved the barn and some of the equipment Walt used to work on his backyard railroad. They also work to preserve other parts of the Disney railroad legacy. What's more, they offer rides on similar miniature trains. (You sit on the roofs of the cars!) The route takes you through tunnels, past miniature towns, and across a 200-foot bridge. It's great fun!

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The top photo shows the ribbon-cutting for Ollie Johnston's station. The second photo shows one of Disney's first Imagineers, animator and sculptor Blaine Gibson, telling us about his experiences. To the right is Michael Broggie, who MCed the event and who literally wrote the book on Walt's trains. On the front of the podium is a photo of Johnston.

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After the event, Greg Ottinger (this blog's Phoenix correspondent) and I had the chance to join Gibson, the Myers Family (CPHS members), and early Imagineer Harriet Burns for lunch at Bob's Big Boy in Toluca Lake. (See the third photo in today's post.)

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It was a fascinating group to hang out with. Harriet was working on set designs for the Mickey Mouse Club TV show in 1955, when Walt asked her to spend her free time on Disneyland projects. She was one of three “model shop” employees during Disneyland’s development, and became the first woman Imagineer. She was also - and as far as I can tell, still is - the best-dressed of the Imagineers.

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Harriet helped create such attractions as Storybook Land, Carousel of Progress, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, New Orleans Square and the Haunted Mansion. She even designed the Enchanted Tiki Room birds. She tells me she’s also one of the only people still alive who worked on the original walk-through” inside Sleeping Beauty’s Castle. [Ed - Chris Merritt points out that Bob Gurr also worked on the walk-through.]

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I asked her what the employees thought when Walt said he was building the park in Anaheim. She said that nobody thought it would work, and that it was way out in the middle of nowhere.

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Coming to Disney Studios in 1939, Blaine Gibson was an animator, working on such films as "Fantasia," "Bambi," "Song of the South," "Peter Pan," and "Sleeping Beauty." Walt discovered that Blaine was also a gifted sculptor, and in 1954 he put him to work on Disneyland. You'll find his work in hundreds of sculpted figures (both static and audio-animatronic) throughout Disney’s theme parks. Blaine's work graces such attractions as Pirates of the Caribbean, the Haunted Mansion, and the Tiki Room. He also sculpted Lincoln for Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln at Disneyland and ALL the U.S. Presidents in the Hall of Presidents at Walt Disney World. He is also responsible for the “Partners” statue, of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse, located at “the hub” in Disneyland.

Newport Harbor, preservation & Huntington Beach

Today's photos show Newport Harbor as it looked in 1924 and in 1956. Newport Harbor (in it's modern form) was dedicated 72 years ago today, on May 23, 1936. To mark the event, a yacht parade was launched on a telegraph signal from President Franklin Roosevelt.

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Guy Ball writes, "I saw something on the [National Trust For Historic Preservation] site regarding a 'This Place Matters' project. You register online, print out a sign, and then post a photo on their site with comments. I think it would be a cool idea to embrace and will see what I can do this weekend on a couple locations. Might be something the rest of you want to have fun with as well. ...Wouldn't it be cool if we flooded them with good So Calif. images?"

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This could be a fun way to draw some national attention to local places that should be preserved. I may do a few of these myself.

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Chris Epting writes, "I have a new book coming out on 6/11/08 from Arcadia Publishing. It's called Huntington Beach Then & Now and it's a historic look at the city I live in--the old compared to the new from the exact same angles. Available at local stores, Amazon and ArcadiaPublishing.com." Chris has also posted a short YouTube movie that gives you an idea of the contents of his book. It's pretty cool!

Orange County Archives update

Well, I'm told I won't be getting the Archivist gig after all.

Although I’m disappointed that I didn’t get the job myself, this transition period has been a real eye-opener. I’ve learned just how MANY great friends I have in the historical community, in local government, in archival circles, among our patrons, and among the community in general. With the exception of a few people who I asked to be my references, I didn’t solicit anyone’s support – But BOY did I get it anyway! I’m deeply touched by all of you who have told me that you were pulling for me, praying for me, writing letters of support, etc. You have no idea how much that groundswell of support meant (and means) to me. Thank you!

Brea, postcards, Orange, OTPA and Santa Ana

Today's image is a 1950s postcard from Brea. Probably the best place to find old postcards (locally) is Hal Lutsky's Vintage Paper Fair. This event will return to the Glendale Civic Auditorium, 1401 N. Verdugo Rd, in Glendale on May 31 and June 1.
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The Old Towne Preservation Association (OTPA) in Orange will hold their next meeting tomorrow, May 21, 7pm, at the Orange Public Library, 407 E. Chapman, in Orange. The topic is, "How Our New Main Library Archives & Preservation Online Can Help You." I understand the history room at Orange Public a good collection and staff. But as long as their archives charge an $85-per-photo use fee, their helpfulness will remain somewhat limited.
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The OTPA is also looking to fill positions on their board for 2009. If you're interested, call them at (714) 639-6840.
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The Santa Ana Historic Preservation Society recently posted back issues of their newsletter (1989-2008) to their website.

Twist-Basler, Seal Beach, Dana Pt, Googie & Huell

The historic Twist-Basler House in Santa Ana is finally being moved. The top photo shows what the original Broadway site now looks like, with one part of the house gone, and a second part ready to be moved after midnight tonight. The lower photo shows the first section of the house in it's new home at the Cabrillo Park Tennis Center. If you happen to get photos of any part of the house actually being moved, please let me know – Both I and the Santa Ana Historic Preservation Society would like to post them on our websites.

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Sunday's L.A. Times included an article about SoCal's Googie Architecture. The article was largely based on interviews with Daniel Paul, Alan Hess and myself. I'm not sure how I became "Anaheim-based," (as the article says,) but I can think of worse accusations. (Related note: The same issue of the Times also featured an article on Programmatic Architecture.)

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The Seal Beach Historical Society’s next meeting will be held May 22, 7pm, in the Senior Center at the Mary Wilson Library, 707 Electric Ave. Speakers Joan Stegman and Gordon Shanks will discuss the Society’s early efforts to preserve Pacific Electric “Red Cars,” including the transformation of one car into the Seal Beach Red Car Museum. [The museum (next to the library) will next be open to the public on May 24 and 25.]

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The Dana Point Historical Society’s (DPHS) 7th annual Founders Day event will be held May 28, 7pm, at the Dana Point Tennis Center , 24911 Calle De Tennis. Call (949) 248-8121 for details.

The DPHS will also host a "Romantic Stroll Through Historic Homes & Gardens on the Bluff above Dana Point Harbor" on Oct. 5, 2008. I mention this in case you’re the type who likes to plan ahead.

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Huell Howser’s week-long tribute to Orange County began yesterday on KCET. Episodes will air at 7:30pm and 12:30am each day.

A little more Disneyland history

Today's image shows Walt Disney around 1953, pacing off one of the orange groves that would soon become part of Disneyland. This photo is a still from the 50th anniversary film that is still showing in Disneyland's Main Street Opera House.
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Yesterland recently expanded their coverage on Disneyland's Rocket to the Moon and Mad Tea Party (a.k.a. "the Teacups"), and the Disneyland Railroad's Fantasyland Station. Werner has also added a new section on Seasons of the Vine - an attraction at Disney's California Adventure that recently became history.
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Ever notice the gazebo toward the back of Roger's Gardens in Newport Beach? Well, there's a little story that goes with it, and Daveland is sharing that story with us.
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(Sorry for the double-dose of Disneyland. I post what comes my way -- And this week, a bunch of Disneyland stuff came my way.)

Disneyland 1957 (part 2), and El Toro

Today I'm posting two more video clips of Disneyland in the summer of 1957. (See my May 7th post for others and background info.) The first shows Fantasyland, and the second is a tour of an amazingly primitive Jungle Cruise.
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Heritage Hill Historical Park in El Toro will host the annual Rancho Days Fiesta on Saturday. It includes living history depictions, exhibits, entertainment and children’s crafts.
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CSUF’s Center for Oral & Public History continues to document the history of the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station by collecting oral histories. They are currently concentrating on the WWII and Korean War eras. If you have memories of MCAS El Toro (as a civilian or as military) and would like to participate, call (714) 278-8415, or email coph-eltoro@fullerton.edu.

Mystery shopping center and more Capistrano

I'm posting another mystery image today. I'm stumped, but perhaps you can tell me exactly what (and where) we're looking at here. First a few hints,... This 1961 photo, from Planning Dept records in the Orange County Archives, was probably taken in north or central Orange County. Businesses in the shopping center include a Sprouse-Reitz five-and-dime store, a Shopping Bag supermarket (purchased by Vons in 1966), and a Standard/Chevron gas station. There also appears to be a "Chan's" or perhaps "Chin's" Restaurant on the far right side of the image - but I could be mis-reading that sign. Any light you can shed would be appreciated. [Update: See "comments" for the answer.] . A tour of San Juan Capistrano's historic Los Rios District and the Michael Graves-designed city library (a.k.a. "Casa de Claustrophobia") will be held Saturday, May 17, 11am-3pm. Tickets are $10 and are available through the SJC Library, 31495 El Camino Real, and at City Hall. The 2-hour tour will include historical displays and re-enactments. Proceeds will go to the city's Historic Preservation Fund. . Things are extra busy here this week, so I may miss a few posts. If I do, it's not from lack of interest. I really look forward these nightly blog entries and, more importantly, to your comments and insights. For the record, sometime within the next week I'll be posting more of that 1957 Disneyland footage.

Capistrano, Floyd McLellan, Boeing, veterans, etc

The two images above show parts of San Juan Capistrano in the 1960s. The top image is from 1960, and the second image shows El Adobe Plaza on Camino Capistrano in June 1966. The plaza is named for the adjacent El Adobe Restaurant, which is owned by Richard O’Neill, Steve Nordeck, Tony Moiso, and Gilbert Aguire. The restaurant's northern section is the Miguel Yorba Adobe (1797), and the southern section is the old jail, established in 1812.

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There have been two examples of large-scale adaptive re-use featured in the Register lately. First, Boeing's historic Building 22, off Bolsa Ave in Huntington Beach, has been converted into a test facility for missle guidance and navigation systems. These are the same buildings where Douglas Aircraft built the upper stages of the rockets that sent the Apollo astronauts to the moon.

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Also the IRG development company is planning the conversion of MCAS Tustin's north hangar into an indoor-outdoor park.

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Civil engineer Floyd George McLellan, Jr. (1925-2008) passed away recently. From building inspector to agency director, he served the County's Department of Building & Safety for 37 years. He was instrumental in the development of South Orange County and was known throughout the state for instituting new policies and practices that have since become widespread.
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The Laguna Woods Historical Society is looking for war veterans "and those who held up the home front" to tell their stories for a federal Veterans History Project.

Old O.C. Courthouse, Santa Ana & Capistrano

Until the cupola was removed from the top of the Orange County Courthouse (after the 1933 earthquake), it was common practice for newly married couples to go up to the top of the courthouse for a panoramic view of the surrounding countryside. The photo above shows a view from the cupola in about 1910, looking northeast, toward what is now the intersection of Civic Center Dr and Broadway.
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The movie posted above gives a 360-degree view from the top of the Old Courthouse, intercutting modern video with early views of the same locations. Most of the still images date from around 1910 to around 1923. Phil Brigandi shot the modern footage with my digital camera a few years ago. The fact that the old cupola was slightly higher accounts for the small change in perspective. The music is a 1914 recording of our state song, "I Love You California."
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A panel of speakers will discuss "Celebrating Our History & Our Heritage" at Mission San Juan Capistrano's soldiers' barracks on Monday (tomorrow), 7-8:30pm. This will be the first of a number of events in Capistrano celebrating National Preservation Month.

Costa Mesa, Anaheim, Tustin and motorcycles

On this day, in 1920, the town of Harper offically changed its name to Costa Mesa. The new name was suggested by local resident Alice Plummer, who won a $25 prize for coming up with the best name for the community. (Today's image is from an undated postcard showing Newport Blvd in Costa Mesa.)
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Speaking of Costa Mesa, I recently stumbed across a really strange bit of video relating to "the history" of the Costa Mesa Speedway history. It's an episode of an Old-West-themed webcast called "The Haunted Saloon." I have no idea what cowboys have to do with motorcycle racing.

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The City of Anaheim has decided to move the historic Joseph Fiscus House (1910) out of the bulldozers' path and onto a city-owned lot at 121 Stueckle Ave in the Anaheim Colony Historic District. For details, see the article in the Register.

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Don't forget: The Tustin Area Historical Society's annual home and garden tour will be held May 17.

Beans, Glenn Martin, Fullerton Fire Dept, etc.

Today's image is by noted photographer Dorothea Lange, showing the cultivation of beans near Santa Ana in May 1937. The mules are pulling a four-row cultivator.
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Tomorrow (Saturday) will be the 96th anniversary of the first water-to-water airplane flight. Santa Ana's Glenn L. Martin accomlished this on May 10, 1912, taking off from the waters of Newport Beach and landing in Avalon Bay at Catalina.
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Tomorrow with also mark the 100th anniversary of the Fullerton Fire Department. They will celebrate with an open house, 10am-2pm, at 312 E. Commonweath Ave, including firefighting demonstrations and tours of their headquarters.
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I posted a bunch of photos in the O.C. History group on Flickr today. I posted all the old pier photos for a writer at Coast Magazine, who needed them for an article. Other photos I posted incude shots from last night's Orange County Historical Society meeting, and from the ongoing restoration work on the historic Howe-Waffle House in Santa Ana.
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I thought I'd figured out how to post videos here, but I'm told some people still see black squares where the videos should be. I'm not sure what the problem is, but if you're experiencing technical difficulties with these movies (like the ones I posted Wednesday), please leave a comment or send me an email and let me know.
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Also, I will not be giving up on my traditional photo posts in favor of video. I'd just like to mix things up from time to time.

Disneyland 1957: Tomorrowland & Frontierland

Today I've posted two excerpts from a great 1957 home movie of Disneyland in Anaheim. Our intrepid Phoenix correspondent, Greg Ottinger, found this footage in a thrift shop and mailed me the reel. Today's clips look at Tomorrowland and Frontierland as they appeared very early in the park's history. Both feature many long-extinct attractions. The Tomorrowland segment includes rare color footage of a very short-lived attraction: The Viewliner train. I'll post more segments of this film in the future.
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I added the audio to this footage, which was originally silent. The vacation footage also included trips to Marineland and the Grand Canyon.
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By the way, don't forget tomorrow's Orange County Historical Society meeting in Orange.

Ranchos of Orange County, Modjeska field trip, etc

The map above was taken from The Old Spanish and Mexican Ranchos of Orange County (1955), a booklet produced by the Title Insurance & Trust Co. of Los Angeles. (The map does not appear in all editions.) I trimmed off some of the decorative details and the areas outside O.C., to reduce the file size (allowing it to be hosted on Flickr and still be legible.)
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The Anaheim Historical Society will present a guided tour of Helena Modjeska’s home, "Arden" on May 31. The home of the famous Polish actress was designed by architect Stanford White and is now part of a County historic park. The tour will begin in the morning with a bus trip beginning in Downtown Anaheim. It’s $25 for transportation and $5 for a box lunch (unless you want to bring your own). For further details or to sign up, contact Helen at (714) 774-2077.
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I was a little surprised at the lack of response to the Knott's Berry Farm videos I posted on Friday. Clearly, I'm unable to guess what people will find interesting. Sometimes I'll run out of time and post an image I think is sub-par, only to find a string of 10 comments following up on it. The only predictable thing about my readers is that you're unpredictable. It's a good thing I like surprises!

Walker's Market, Santa Ana, Questers & lifeguards

Fred Walker, long-time owner of Walker's Market in Santa Ana, died recently at age 96. Walker's Market opened in 1951 and closed in the 1980s. You can read more about Fred Walker in the Register's extended obituary.

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Today's photos show Walker's Market as it appeared around 1966. The top image shows just the market, at 1722 N. Tustin Ave. The second image (which I stitched together from two shots) shows an almost 180-degree view of the intersection of Tustin Ave. and 17th St. From left to right we can see Smitty's Pancake House, Bank of America, Kenny's 1/4 lb. Hamburgers (and tacos), a Mobile service station, Walker's Market, Triangle Shops (including a flower shop and a meat market), Security First National Bank, a lumber yard, Armstrong Nursery, another strip mall (featuring a dry cleaner's shop, "Steadman's," and Lemon Heights Realty), and a Richfield service station.

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I noticed a mention in the paper of the "Questers" - a San Juan Capistrano group interested in local history and in restoring historic buildings. Does anyone know more about this group? I can't find a website for them.

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This week, new author Kai Weisser will be selling and signing his history of the Huntington Beach Lifeguards at two events. On Wednesday, he'll be at the Sugar Shack in downtown Huntington Beach, 10am-Noon. On Saturday, he'll be at Barnes & Noble at Huntington Center ("Bella Terra" for those who just arrived on the turnip truck), from 1-3pm. Also, Kai is interested in doing more book signings, so let him know if you'd like to set up an event of your own.

Buena Park au-go-go

If it hadn't closed in 2005, today would have been Movieland Wax Museum's 46th birthday. The top photo shows Mike Tucker and his sister at this Buena Park landmark in 1962, when the paint was barely dry. I took the second photo last year on Movieland's "walk of fame," which is still accessible to the public. It's a who's-who of actors from 1970s and '80 TV and B-movies. The late Herve "Tattoo" Villechaize's inscription is by far the most elaborate.

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Speaking of Buena Park anniversaries, tomorrow (Monday) will be the 117th anniversary of the Buena Park School District.

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Further expanding on our theme,... Saturday marked the 50th anniversary of the opening of Mott's Miniatures in the historic Jeffries Barn at Knott's Berry Farm. Sadly, the Mott's were pushed out in 1992. I knew their amazing collection of miniatures had been auctioned off, but I had no idea where they'd ended up. Until now. Ken at OutsideTheBerm let the cat out of the bag on Friday.

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As "EDGE4194" pointed out in our comments section, I've added some new links to this site, including one to HistoricAerials.com. Old aerial photos fascinate historians the way yarn fascinates kittens.

Orange County street name changes

This is a view looking north on Los Angeles St (now Anaheim Blvd) in Downtown Anaheim, around 1900. Notice the lack of paving.
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Today's post rounds out our series on changing Orange County street names. I'm sure it won't be the last you'll hear on the topic, but the bulk of the information is either here or is linked from here. So, for your reference and amusement, here's another list:

• Alameda (Orange) is now Hewes St.
• Bay Blvd (Seal Beach) is now Seal Beach Blvd.
• Brea Canyon Rd (Fullerton) is now Brea Blvd.
• Bryant (Garden Grove) is now Orangewood Ave.
• Cypress Ave. is now State College Blvd.
• Hansen is now Knott
• Hiatt (La Habra), Nicolas (Fullerton), and Verano are now Euclid Ave.
• Huntington (Garden Grove) is now Nelson St.
• Miller (Buena Park) is now Valley View St.
• Oak St (Westminster) is now Hoover St.
• Old Newport Rd., Berrydale and Greenville St are now Fairview St.
• Palisades Rd. is now Bristol St.
• Pioneer (east of State College) is now Yorba Linda Blvd.
• South Main Extension is now MacArthur Blvd.
• Sugar St and (the old) Fairview St are now McFadden Ave.
• Taylor is now Lakeview Ave (south of Orangethorpe)
• Villa Park Rd and Vista (in the City of Orange) are now Katella Ave.

Previous street-name-change entries on the O.C. History Roundup:

• Anaheim Street Name Changes
• Brea Street Name Changes
• Huntington Beach Street Name Changes
• Irvine Street Name Changes
• Harbor Blvd Name Changes
• Beach Blvd Name Changes

Calico Mine Ride, Bud Hurlbut, RSM, grants, etc.

Today we're taking a look at the Calico Mine Ride, which opened at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park in 1960. This attraction was designed, built and owned by the innovative Mr. Bud Hurlbut, who also gave us such trend-setting attraction as the Timber Mountain Log Ride.
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This is also my first attempt at posting a video to my blog, so please be patient with any technical difficulties. I boiled this footage down from the half-hour long 1960 film, "A Family Builds A Mountain," which we have a copy of at the O.C. Archives. In my edited version here, only small portions of the attraction can be seen.
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A historical society for the City of Rancho Santa Margarita was launched on April 23rd.
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The History Channel is trying to encourage young people to become historical preservationists through their Save Our History grant program. Museums, historic sites, historical societies, preservation organizations and libraries are invited to partner with a local school or youth group and apply for funding to help preserve the history of their communities. Deadline: June 6.

Railroads, Bob Battin, "Fire In The Morning," etc.

The 10th annual Fullerton Railroad Days will be held this weekend at the Fullerton Train Station. If you have any interest in historic, modern, or even model trains, this free event is for you. Highlights include a chance to admire Disneyland's "Fred Gurley" steam engine at close range. Today's photo (above) depicts a railroad crew on a temporary spur at Huntington Beach, circa 1903-1910.

Former Orange County Supervisor Robert W. Battin died Tuesday at age 78. He served on the Board from January 1969 to July 1976. Among other things, he was instrumental in the creation of the Orange County Historical Commission.

The Anaheim Neighborhood Association (ANA) will hold a fundraising progressive dinner (at three of the Anaheim's best historic homes) on June 14, 6-10pm. The cost is $150 per person or $225 per couple, but the money goes to a good cause. The ANA is largely responsible for saving the Anaheim Colony Historic District from death by redevelopment. For details, click on the small image of the event flyer. (Yes, I know "neighborhood associations" usually goose-step for fun, and yes, I know that "progressive" is usually code for "far-left wingnut" - But neither is the case here. Trust me on this one.)

The pictorial exhibit, “Fire in the Morning,” will be on display throughout May at the UC Irvine Student Center (W. Peltason Dr at Pereira Dr). The exhibit features 100 photos depicting Mexican Americans of Orange County, from about 1915 through WWII. (Thanks to the exhibit’s creator, Yolanda Alvarez, for the info.)