Information and photos for people interested in the history of Orange County, California.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Moonshine, a fish parade, and a happy new year
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This photo, from the Jan 7, 1932 Huntington Beach News was captioned, "Photograph taken at police station... showing bootlegging equipment confiscated at the warehouse at 708 Huntington avenue, [between Geneva Ave. and Hartford Ave.] alleged to belong the Steve Stimatz whose trial for possession will be heard Friday. In the picture from left to right are: Officers Robidoux and Shafer; Councilman E. B. Stevens and Chief of Police L. F. Keller..."
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These days, the City approves almost anyone downtown who requests a liquor license.
E. B. Stevens, by the way, is best remembered as the father of the short-lived Huntington Beach Fish Parade. In 1926, the entire fishing-themed parade, from bathing beauties to dignitaries to jazz bands, wound its way from Huntington Beach along a route more than 85 miles in length, taking in communities as distant as Olive, La Habra and Norwalk. The event was not repeated in 1927.
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Anyway, have a happy new year and enjoy the (merely) 5 1/2-mile long Rose Parade. But take it easy with the bathtub gin.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
More Claim Jumper history: Nik's and Nick's
"...Meanwhile my son, Nick Nickoloff, who is a fourth generation restaurateur has opened two restaurants in Orange County serving lunch and dinner, 'Nick's Laguna' and 'Nick's San Clemente', both restaurants are doing great and he is planning on expanding in the near future, I am very proud.I had the chance to have dinner at Nick's San Clemente last night. (See photo at the top of today's post.) The food was very good, and the place was packed. Expect prices that are a bit steeper than Claim Jumper. The vibe is "nice casual." My Hawaiian shirt was fine, but I felt a bit under-dressed in the jeans and sneakers I'd been wearing to walk around town that afternoon. Also, be warned that one of their salads is almost a meal by itself.
"My daughter and son-in-law have opened a small sandwich shop in San Clemente on Pico Blvd next to the high school named 'Humphry's', they are doing great, the sandwiches are excellent."
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Toward the back of the establishment were a number of framed menus and photos from the old Nik's Coffee Shop in Long Beach. I snapped photos (below) so I could share them here on the blog.
Monday, December 27, 2010
President Harrison visits Santa Ana
Friday, December 24, 2010
Merry Christmas, from Santa, Whittles, and me
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Santa, Mission Viejo, the Evangeline Hotel, etc.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Christmas in Irvine
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Knott's Merry Farm, Christmas vampires, etc.
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On this day in 1888, the Orange News was founded. Also on this day, in 1929, the Seal Beach Volunteer Fire Department was organized.
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Tomorrow (Monday) will mark the 114th annivesary of the discovery and slaughter of a remarkably "enormous vampire bat" on the San Joaquin (Irvine) Ranch. (Really!) Thus began the annual Irvine tradition of heralding the arrival of Christmas with the slaying of a vampire. (Not really. But maybe they should.)
Thursday, December 16, 2010
A quick jog through historic Santa Ana
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The photo above shows Dave at the Yost Theatre (1912). The image below was taken at 4th and Sycamore, and shows a variety of historic buildings, including the tall First National Bank Building and the ornate Orange County Title Company Building (with a modernized lower half). Before the strip malls and shopping centers of the 1950s and the malls of the 1970s, 4th St. was the most important shopping and business district in Orange County. Much of the street's historic infrastructure can still be seen between misguided attempts at updating and improving the buildings.
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Some of the coolest buildings here are the old theaters, with the West End Theatre (1915), shown below, being a prime example. The West Coast Theatre on Main St. (not depicted here) is also a beauty.
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I'm not sure what the story is on the building shown below, at Broadway and 4th, but I like it. The upper floors have loads of character, while the first floor suffers from a half-baked art-deco overlay.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Christmas in Stanton
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Seal Beach postcards, racism tours, and UCI
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Yes folks, you are now reading the special "Seal Beach's Least Inviting Postcards" edition of O.C. History Roundup. All three of today's images are postcards you could purchase and mail to friends and family to share the wonders of Seal Beach.
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Don't get me wrong. I've always really liked Seal Beach and I still do. Unlike many other cities I could name, it's retained its beach-town charm. That just makes the existence of these postcards all the more puzzling.
The second postcard shows Southern California Edison's Alamitos Generating Station (power plant). You can tell it's Christmastime because of the twinkle-light "trees" running up the side of this industrial monstrosity. Boy, when I think of escaping to the beach, I always think of giant ugly Erector Sets with smokestacks belching crud into the sky.
Tuesday, December 07, 2010
Irvine Ranch, postcards, El Toro, OCHS, gifts
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Thursday, December 02, 2010
Orange County flag and a Tustin blimp hangar
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The photo above shows O.C. Supervisor Alton Allen (wearing a tie and glasses) with a county flag that would soon be taken to the 1969 Boy Scout Jamboree. Note the decorative carousel horses at the South Coast Plaza parking lot in the background.
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There's good news for the historic North Blimp Hangar at the old MCAS Tustin. According to O.C. Supervisor Bill Campbell,...
"The Board [of Supervisors] directed OC Parks to prepare a concept plan to establish a regional park at the former Marine Corps Air Station Tustin and to preserve the North Blimp Hangar. In conjunction with the concept plan, a number of analyses will be completed, including:
- A re-evaluation of the requirements necessary for the public to access the hangar and the costs to satisfy those requirements.
- A recreation demand and market evaluation of potential uses for the park, including the hangar.
- An assessment of the costs to develop park uses adjacent to the hangar.
- Exploration of the financing options available to OC Parks and the County to develop, operate, and maintain the regional park.
Wednesday, December 01, 2010
Saved. Not Paved.
The land was given to OC Parks (still known to many as Orange County Harbors Beaches & Parks). Mike also took the photos you see in today's post. In the image above, County Supervisor Bill Campbell signs the document, accepting the land while Donald Bren, OC Parks Director Mark Denny and Supervisors Nelson, Bates, Moorlach and Nguyen look on. In the image below, Bren addresses the crowd.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Orange Countiana returns!
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A couple years ago, I started encouraging the Orange County Historical Society (OCHS) to get back to the business of publishing substantive local history. Thanks to the Society's board and our editor, Phil Brigandi, the long-dormant Orange Countiana was brought back to life -- this time as an annual publication. (The previous five issues were published somewhat randomly over the course of more than 35 years.)
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I'm now on the editorial board -- But honestly, between our great contributors and an excellent editor, there wasn't much for me to tweak. Here are the major articles you'll find inside:
- Eighty Five Years In the Old Courthouse - Lecil Slaback
- Albert Barnes Clark: A Pioneer Community Leader - Paul R. Clark
- The Birth of Orange County - Phil Brigandi
- Orange County's Meandering Boundary: Coyote Creek - Esther Ridgway Cramer
- The Long Arms of the Octopus: Southern Pacific Politics in Early Orange County - Stan Oftelie
- Prohibiton Distills New Business on the South County Coast, Then Depression Pulls the Cork on the Good Life - Doris I. Walker
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All OCHS members receive a free copy of Orange Countiana. Additional copies, or copies for non-members are available for $20 each. (Hint: Individual membership in OCHS is $20 a year, so you might just want to join!) If you can't attend the meeting and are not a member, feel free to contact me about purchasing a copy.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Joe McCarthy in Orange County
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McCarthy grew up in rural Wisconsin and earned his law degree at Marquette University in Milwaukee. In 1935 he was admitted to the State Bar, and only four years later was elected as a Circuit Judge in the 10th District.
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In 1942, he volunteered for the U.S. Marine Corps, even though being a judge exempted him from the draft. But his judicial position offered him automatic officer status.
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Sunday, November 28, 2010
"The weather's fine"
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Christmas at MCAS El Toro, 1945
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Does anyone else wonder why the reindeer has a spear sticking out of him? It seems fairly non-jolly and un-festive.
I cleaned up the back panel a bit in Photoshop and it still looks bad. It was damaged by one of those sticky "magnetic" or "magic pages" scrapbooks.
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Folks,... PLEASE don't use those things. However, if you already have family photos and momentos in one of those books, just leave them there for a couple decades until the glue dries up and they fall out. Otherwise, you're likely to damage the contents during the attempt to peel them off the pages.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Thanksgiving at MCAS El Toro, 1945
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Heritage Museum of O.C., California Heritage Day
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Anyway, I thought I'd share some of the photos I took that day. The image above shows Ernie Perez Tautimes Salas of the Tongva people, performing a traditional blessing during the day's opening ceremony. Below is a fellow dressed as the Franciscan padres did during the Mission era.
All these photos -- plus images of many other historical events and locations I visit (and a whole lotta other random stuff) -- are posted on my Flickr site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/traderchris/. Feel free to stop by and visit whenever. Note especially the photo sets marked "Orange County History," "Knott's Berry Farm," "Tiki & Polynesian Pop," and so forth.