Another mystery, SAAAB & Orange State College

Yesterday's mystery photo was solved so quickly, I thought I do another mystery post before returning to our regularly scheduled program. The images above also come from the County Planning Dept collection at the Orange County Archives, and both were taken in 1964. Anyone know where? It's even possible that County planners took these photos outside O.C. just to show examples of waterfront development. I'm not even sure if these are different views of the same lake. As always, any light you can shed is appreciated. (As you can see, the second image is a large panorama I cobbled together from several slides.) As always, click the images to enlarge them.

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Regular reader Bulldog24 solved yesterday's photo mystery, identifying the image as the "Orange County Sheriff's Range on Katella Ave east of the Santa Ana River." He also sent me the following items of interest via email,...

"The Range office was a building from the Santa Ana Army Air Base as I recall, located behind where the person taking the photograph was standing. The Range had a nice Commons area with an huge red brick BBQ. ...I think the old range office building ...may be the last remnant of the original range facility standing.

"Speaking of old buildings from the Santa Ana Army Air Base. I was told years ago that the Cal State Fullerton Police building off of State College Blvd was also one of buildings taken from the old base. The buildings housing the CSUF Police Station, child care, and physical plant buildings were all taken from the base. They are on Gymnasium Drive at State College. The new CSUF Police Facility is being built just south of the old station. These are one story long wood frame buildings. I am told these buildings are the LAST of the Original "Orange State College" buildings (classrooms) from when the school began. Don't know if they will save any of these when the PD moves into their new home."

Mystery photo, Rossmoor, Fairhaven, OCHS, etc.

The mystery photo above shows a shooting range in Orange County around 1960. I don't know anything else about the image other than the fact that it was taken by someone in the County Planning Dept. and that it is now part of the Orange County Archives collection. Anyone know more? (I love the snappy hat on the guy on the right!)
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D.D. is looking for older photos of Jack L. Weaver Elementary School in Rossmoor. If you have some to share, please email D.D. (a Weaver alumnus) directly. Appearantly, the school was closed for a while but reopened in 1996.
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Lou Carlson of Fairhaven Cemetery will discuss Fairhaven's historical aspects at the next Orange County Historical Society meeting, Oct. 9, 7:30pm, at Trinity Episcopal Church, 2400 N. Canal St., in Orange. (And many thanks to Trinity Epsicopal for continuing to be such a gracious host!)

Los Alamitos, Irvine, Dana Point, cemetery tours & Waffle babies

Today's photos are from the Los Alamitos Fall Festival Parade, held on Sept. 8, 1951. Not a critical moment in O.C. history, I suppose, but how often do I stumble across cool old photos of Los Alamitos?

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The retired Chief of OC Parks, Eric Jessen, will discuss the history of the Irvine family at a "walk and talk" tour of the Irvine Ranch Historical Park and Katie Wheeler Library in Irvine on Saturday, Oct. 4, at 10am. Parking and admission are free, but reservations are required. Call (949) 669-8753. The tour will begin in the library's garden.

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The Dana Point Historical Society will host their 2008 home tour on Sunday, Oct. 5, 11am-4pm. Details are available on the DPHS website.

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The Santa Ana Historical Preservation Society's annual Cemetery Tour will be held Oct. 18, 10am-3pm, at Fairhaven Memorial Park. This year's theme is "Medical History in Orange County." You'll hear the stories of O.C.'s medical pioneers as you visit their graves and tour the grounds. More information is available on the SAHPS website.

The SAHPS also recently dedicated the Evalene Pulati Santa Ana Room at the Dr. Howe-Waffle House. This exhibit room will be used to display a wide variety of artifacts from Santa Ana's past.

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Speaking of Dr. Willella Howe-Waffle, the SAHPS is compiling an updated list of "Waffle Babies" - children delivered by Dr. Howe-Waffle. If you or anyone you know of is a Waffle Baby, or if you know of one who has moved or passed on, please update the Society at sahps@sahps.org.

Valencias, Judge Harold T. Stone, Fullerton & Knott's

The first grove of Valencia orange trees in California was planted in 1880 by R.H. Gilman on land which then belonged to the Placentia Fruit Company, and which now is part of California State University Fullerton. The Native Daughters of the Golden West placed a historical plaque on the site in 1934, which stated that "the trees are still in flourishing condition." However, it appears that younger Valencia trees have been planted to take their place. The structure in the background is CSUF's Humanities Building.
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What do "Night Court," supercharged engines, magic tricks and County Supervisor Chris Norby have in common? An article in today's Register explains the historical connections and how it all ties into local landmark status for a 1919 Craftsman bungalow in Fullerton.
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Phil Brigandi has updated the history of early Knott's Berry Farm on his website, changing the focus of the piece. "It's so easy to talk about all the things that have changed at Knott's Berry Farm," he writes, "but I thought it would be interesting to talk about some of the things that are still there -- and maybe get people looking around a little more while they're waiting in line for the next 'thrill' ride." Accordingly, Phil also provides links to "before and after" photos of many of Knott's early attractions.

Lion Country Safari

These photos were taken at Lion Country Safari in Laguna Hills/Irvine in 1971. Visitors would drive their cars through enclosures of wild African animals, including lions, elephants, ostriches, zebras, rhinos and many others. Many locals remember the escape of Bubbles the Hippo in 1978. Over time, Lion Country Safari grew to incude a variety of other animal-related attractions and shows, including the Zambezi River Boat Ride. Orange County's Lion Country Safari opened in June 1970, and closed in 1984. The original Lion Country Safari, located in Florida, is still open for business.

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Today's first photo (top) is taken from the latest round of uploads to the Orange County Archives' new Flickr site. Note the man who appears to be hiding behind the elephant.

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Sorry it's been a while since I've posted. It's been a busy week, followed by being down sick for a couple days. Given my choice between sleep and blogging, I've been opting for sleep.

Olive, citrus, Mendez v. Westminster, etc.

Founded in 1812, Olive is a small community just inside the bend of the Santa Ana River in what is now part of the City of Orange. It was long known for its flour mill and for citrus packing. You can learn much more about Olive on Daralee Ota’s great “Olive Through The Ages” website.
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Today’s first image (top) is a “Celeste” brand label from the Olive Heights Citrus Association around the 1930s. According to the Orange Public Library, "The Olive Heights Citrus Association was located by the railroad tracks on Orange-Olive Road, and was incorporated on November 14, 1914. It burned down in 1927 but was rebuilt across the street and when it closed in 1984, it was one of four remaining packing houses in Orange County." The second photo shows Olive as it appeared in 1912. (Click the image to enlarge it.) Note the mill on the far left side of the image

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Yesterday, the Register featured some stories of Ricardo Juan Valverde’s family, which came to Westminster several generations ago. His grandparents were significantly involved in the landmark Mendez v. Westminster school desegregation case, yet never told him about it. “No one in town, to my knowledge, had ever mentioned the case,” he writes. Interestingly, the Mendez family has similar stories about discovering the case by reading about it later in life. Anyone know why this wasn’t discussed among the families or in the community?
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The Register also published a fascinating review of Gustavo Arellano’s new book. I haven’t read the book myself, so I can’t yet comment. But the review makes it sound like his book is very similar to his work elsewhere.

The hovering head of Helena Modjeska

If you thought the two disembodied heads I posted a couple weeks ago were kinda weird, you ain't seen nothing yet. Check out the new addition to to the Helena Modjeska exhibit at the Old O.C. Courthouse Museum! The new artifact, seen in the photo above, is a life mask of Modjeska. (Resting on clear glass, it almost appears to float!) After the initial strangeness wears off, it's interesting to look at an accurate three-dimensional representation of her face -- albeit in somewhat garish colors.
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On Monday, the Register's front page carried a companion piece to Richard Harris' new book about old Orange County theme parks. On Tuesday, they wrote about the preservation of hundreds of oak trees near Cook's Corner.

Old-Orange-County-Courthouse-O-Rama

Today's images are both postcards depicting the Orange County Courthouse. The first (top) is postmarked 1904, but was adapted from a 1901 photo. Note the rather fanciful color scheme. (The building actually has a red roof and red Arizona sandstone walls.) The second card is slightly more color-accurate and is postmarked 1909.

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Speaking of old postcards, The Vintage Postcard and Paper Fair will be held again this weekend in Glendale. See Hal Lutzky's website for details. I'm afraid I'll be missing this one.

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Smithsonian Magazine's Museum Day comes to Orange County on Sept. 27. Numerous museums will be open and free to the public, 10am-4pm that day, including the Old Courthouse Museum, the Orange County Archives, the Pacific Coast Archealogical Society (also in the Old Courthouse), and the Howe-Waffle House.

Light Impressions will present a workshop for do-it-yourself home archivists on Oct. 18, 9am–2:30pm, at the Old Orange County Courthouse. The workshop is called, "Safeguarding Memories and Preserving Our Past," and is co-sponsored by the O.C. Historical Commission and OC Parks.For more information or to register, call Carey at 714-973-6610 or Marshall at 714-973-6607.

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OC Parks will also present two programs featuring Professor Beth Holmgren, author of an upcoming biography on Madame Helena Modjeska, the legendary Shakespearean actress who called Orange County home for more than twenty years. The first of these is “The Lady and the Star: How Modjeska Conquered Late Nineteenth Century America,”Oct. 31, 6-7:30pm, at the Old Courthouse Museum. The second program is “Helena Modjeska and the California Dream,” Nov. 1, 1-3pm, at Modjeska's home. Due to limited capacity at both locations, reservations are required. Call 714-973-6610.

1953 Boy Scout Jamboree, Nixon, Anaheim, etc.

Today's photo shows Vice President Richard Nixon speaking at the 1953 National Boy Scout Jamboree, which was held on the Irvine Ranch in what is now Newport Beach. Nixon has a beard because he spent the night sleeping in a tent at the Jamboree and didn't get a chance to shave. Click on the photo to enlarge it and peer into the background. (The photo again comes from the O.C. Archives' new Flickr account - which should have more additions as the week wears on.)
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Ralph Whitford will discuss "Scouts in Orange County" at the Orange Community Historical Society meeting, Thursday, Sept 25, 7pm, at Trinity Episcopal Church, 2400 N. Canal St., in Orange. Ralph (who ran the Sea Scout base in Newport for 12 years) will discuss the 1953 Jamboree and show a short film from that event.
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The Anaheim Historical Society will hold their annual ice cream social at the Anaheim Tennis Center (the Wagner House, built in 1921), 975 S. State College Blvd., Sept 28, at 2pm. This is a free event. For more information, contact Cynthia Ward at 714-292-0042.
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Mission San Juan Capistrano is planning a gala concert and dinner event under the stars in honor of Father John O'Sullivan. It will mark the start of a new long-term preservation plan for the Mission. For more information, call 949-644-4777.

Disneyland, O.C. Archives, O.C. history class, etc

Today's photos are among the first 39 images uploaded to the Orange County Archives' new Flickr site. Eventually, there will be at least 100 samples from our photo collection posted there. (I'm still resizing and color-adjusting some of the other entries.)

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The first photo above (top) shows Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle in the late 1950s. The photo was taken by the late Santa Ana attorney Carl Cowles. Note the sign board in front of the castle, which promoted such upcoming attractions as the Matterhorn, the Submarine Voyage and the Monorail. The second photo shows the Disneyland parking lot around 1960.
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Diane Ryan is once again offering her class in Orange County history through Coastline Community College. She writes, "Come learn about the early occupants of our area, Spanish and Mexican influences, notable pioneers and the development of some our cities. Trace Orange County from its ranching and farming roots into the sprawling, urban society of today. Included will be a couple fieldtrips to local historical sites. ...Where: Huntington Beach Adult School, 16666 Tunstall Ln., Huntington Beach, Room C5. When: 8 weeks, Wednesdays 1:30-3:30, from Sept. 24 to Nov. 12. Cost: FREE. To register: call 714-847-2873 ex. 219." For more information, email Diane.

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Phil Brigandi’s new book, Images of America: Orange, is now available. I bought my copy at A&P Antiques, just above the Plaza on N. Glassell. I'm sure I'll post more about this book later.

Fountain Valley, Anaheim, Jackie Dooley, etc.

Today's photo is an undated aerial view of the old Lucero ranch at Newhope and Warner in Fountain Valley. I'd guess it's from the late 1940s, but that's only a guess. I believe the house still stands. The photo came to me from Dann Gibb.
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The Anaheim Historical Society will host the 2008 Anaheim Historic Home Tour on Oct. 11 & 12, 10am-4pm. This is always a popular event with some great houses. They are also looking for volunteers - Anyone who works a half-day's shift gets a FREE ticket to the event. To volunteer, contact Annie Kupfrian.
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The Santa Ana Canyon Historical Council will hold its 17th annual Pioneer Family Picnic, 11am-4pm, Oct. 11, at Yorba Regional Park. Please RSVP to 714-499-7975 or 714-579-7945.
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Jackie Dooley, the Head of UCI's Special Collections and Archives, will leave her post as of Nov 1. She'll be working for Research Libraries Group Programs,which is part of Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) Programs and Research. She'll be making recommendations to OCLC about products and services for the archival community. And yes, she'll still be based in Orange County.
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Daveland had a great post yesterday about Progress City, which was part of the late Carousel of Progress attraction at Disneyland.

The Hanging Tree revisited

In response to my earlier post, "The Hanging Tree, continued," Mike Bornia sent the photos above and writes,...

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"I am a Docent for the Irvine Ranch Conservancy, the managing organization for the area where Hangman's Tree is located. I first became aware of this tree and plaque from a guest on one of my hikes this past Saturday. A subsequent online search for information brought me to this great local history blog. This morning Dave, our public programs director, and I went to the Hangman's Tree location. Please note that this is private property and legal access must be through the Irvine Ranch Conservancy.

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"From the access road we hiked down to the plaque. From that location the actual tree is to the left. The stand of sycamores are in a gully, about 20-30 feet below ground level from where I was standing. The area is also overgrown with black mustard and milk thistle which stand about eight feet tall, further obscuring the trees.

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"We hiked down to the bottom of the gully and turned left to view the Hangman's Tree which had some superficial scorch marks from the fire last October. There is also an active bee hive in the tree. I took several pictures of the tree and of the actual branch which I will send to Chris Jepsen. The tree is remarkably in good condition considering its age.

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"We have decided to add this location to our public programs and will also visit the nearby 1965 crash site of a military transport which took off from El Toro in heavy fog and failed to clear Loma Ridge. Seventy-two Marines and 12 crew perished. The location still has aircraft remnants. The hike to these two locations will be available in a few months. Please check our website for information on our hiking, mountain biking, and equestrian outings."
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Thanks, Mike! You've done some great sleuthing and you'll be providing a really great service to those of us who want to see these historically significant sites. Hope I can join you on one of your upcoming hiking tours.

Laguna Beach, Linbrook Bowl, Anaheim, Huell, etc

Today's photo shows the Aliso Auto Camp, south of Laguna Beach, in the 1930s.
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Yesterland recently added a feature on the old Buffalo Ranch in Newport Beach.
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The Linbrook Bowl, (at Brookhurst St at Lincoln in Anaheim) - one of O.C.'s last Googie buildings and a fine bowling establishment - celebrated its 50th anniversary on Saturday.
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On a related note, there will be a Huell-watching party at Linbrook Bowl, Sep 14, at 7pm. Come see the premiere (actually the second showing) of the new Anaheim episode of Huell Howser's California's Gold on a big screen TV. Cheap food and drinks will be available for cash only (no plastic).
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Speaking of Huell,... He was back in O.C. this week for an interview with Gustavo Arrelano. (How's that for an interesting duo?) The interview should appear in the next issue of the OC Weekly.

Rudolph Boysen, newspaper microfilm, blogs, etc.

Late Breaking News: Stephen Faessel and Jane Newell will give an encore of their presentation on Rudolph Boysen tonight at 7pm at the Yorba Linda Community Center, 4501 Casa Loma Ave. Rudy Boysen (seen in the photo above) was the botonist responsible for the development of the Boysenberry. The berry was named and propagated by Walter Knott. In later years, Boysen was in charge of maintaining Anaheim's parks. I hear this program by Jane and Steve is really great!
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Getting at historic newspapers on microfilm may temporarily be difficult at the Santa Ana Public Library. Historian Charles Beal writes, "...The basement area is closed down so you can’t access the microfilm machines. An employee told me the target date of construction completion is November."
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Sharon Clairemont, who's in charge of Content Research at the O.C. Register, now has a blog that may be of interest to some of you. It's called "ASK." Sharon writes, "...the idea is to answer any and all questions that come my way. I don't pretend to be an expert on many topics, only a practiced researcher. Anyway, I thought your blog readers might want to know about this new venture and opportunity to 'Ask Us Anything.'"

Fountain Valley, Sam Armor, etc.

It's "back to school" time! (Pause for collective groan of anguish.) Today's photos show the old Fountain Valley School, which stood at the northwest corner of Talbert Ave and Bushard. The interior shot shows the home economics class in Jan. 1951.

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Carolyn Schoff just pointed out to me that High Seas Trading Co. sells a Hawaiian-style shirt featuring the California Missions. They're also talking about doing a Orange County history shirt at some point in the future. I'll let you know if that happens.

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The always-amazing Internet Archive has now posted Samuel Armor's History of Orange County, California (the 1921 edition). Text versions and full photographic reproductions can be viewed online for free!

Sad Eye Joe, missions, Fr. O'Sullivan, etc.

Remember my Aug. 8th post about woodcarver Andy Anderson? Well, the original head he carved for Knott's Berry Farm's famous "Sad Eye Joe" is in the lower right of today's first photo. Carver Agustin Rodiles has spent the past week carving a duplicate "backup" head for ol' Joe, and the results are impressive. The original Joe was carved in 1940 or 1941.

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As you may have surmised, I'm back from my vacation. I picked up one very cool piece of O.C. history on my trek through Central California, but it really deserves its own post.

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The only other bloggable item I discovered was the black and white photo inset above. A larger version was displayed at the Santa Ines Mission (at the edge of Solvang.) The caption reads,

"Photo of Miss Mamie Goulet [later Mrs. Mamie Goulet Abbott], taken July 30, 1919 by Fr. O'Sullivan of Mission San Juan Capistrano. Miss Goulet came to Old Mission Santa Ines in 1904 from Minnesota responding to a plea for help from her uncle, Fr. Buckler, who had been given the task of Mission restoration. Upon arrival in October 1904, she described the state of the Mission as appalling. But for the next twenty years she worked alongside her uncle to repair and restore the Old Mission..."

Mamie Goulet Abbott later wrote a book, Santa Ines Hermosa: The Journal of the Padre's Niece. I'm not sure if the photo above was taken at Capistrano or Santa Ines, as the columns don't exactly match the photos I have from either.

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It's taking my brain longer than the rest of me to come back from vacation. So it may take me a little while to ramp this blog back up to something resembling full speed. Thanks for your patience.