McPherson, raisins, Orange, the Fair, etc.

Here's the McPherson Brothers' raisin packing house in lovely McPherson, California, circa 1886. Did you know Orange County briefly had a raisin industry? Did you know we had a town called McPherson here once? Raisin grape growers Robert and Stephen McPherson created the town for their employees, near what is now the intersection of McPherson Rd. and Chapman Ave. in Orange. A blight wiped out the town's grapes, nearby El Modena siphoned off some of their other business, and soon there wasn't much left of McPherson.
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However, some reminders of the community lingered for a while. As Armor wrote in 1921, "...The place is surrounded by fine orchards and maintains an excellent packing house, extensive nurseries, a blacksmith shop and other conveniences for a rural community.".
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(Photo above courtesy First American Corp.)
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A 1916 tombstone, found under a porch in Downtown Orange, led to an interesting article in the O.C. Register.
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Unless the California Latino Legislative Caucus finds a way to defeat the will of the people and the Governor, it looks like Orange County will continue to have a fair after all. See this Register article for details. We've had dedicated fairgrounds since the late 1940s and it would be a shame to see that end because of petty politics and the usual Sacramento stupidity.