O.C. Q&A: Street History Edition

Orange crate label from Charles C. Chapman's Old Mission brand.

Q:  Why are there two major avenues named for Mr. Chapman in Orange County?

A:  They are named for two different Chapmans. Chapman Avenue in Fullerton is named for Charles C. Chapman, a pioneering Valencia orange grower who also made a fortune in oil and real estate and became the first mayor of Fullerton.

Chapman Avenue in Orange is named for L.A. Attorney Alfred B. Chapman, who, along with his partner, Andrew Glassell, founded the town of Orange (which they originally called Richland) in 1871. 

If that clears things up, allow me re-confuse you: Chapman University, not far from Chapman Avenue in Orange, is actually named for Fullerton's Charles C. Chapman.

Q:  Why do streets change direction from straight to diagonal when crossing Newport Avenue in Tustin and Costa Mesa?

A:  Blame the Mexican Governors of early California. The shift in angle is based on the alignment of the Irvine Ranch. Newport Avenue/Boulevard essentially runs along the western edge of the old Irvine Ranch. The ranch boundary, in turn, paralleled the western boundaries of the Mexican Ranchos that once occupied the same land, beginning in the late 1830s and '40s: Rancho San Joaquin and Rancho Lomas de Santiago. Land grabs shifted the boundaries a bit over the centuries, but the principle remains the same: Everything's cockeyed on the Irvine Ranch. 

Q:  How did the Imperial Highway get its name?

A:  It doesn’t seem all that magnificently imperial, does it? Actually, the Imperial Highway once followed the old Butterfield Stage route from the Imperial Valley to Los Angeles. The valley, in turn, was named for the Imperial Land Co., which had developed much of the desert there into a productive agricultural region. Highway construction began in 1930 and – with a Great Depression and a war intervening – ended in 1961. The Orange County section was completed in 1937. Today, the highway is largely superseded by freeways and only retains its "Imperial" name from regal El Segundo through majestic Yorba Linda. 

Q:  Does Lake Forest have its own Muppet-filled Sesame Street?

A:  Sort of. The Kimberly Gardens mobile home park, on Muirlands Blvd, near El Toro Park, includes the following streets: Kermit Drive, Big Bird Lane, Muppet Way, Sesame Street, Grover Lane, Oscar Way and Cookie Monster Lane. Disappointingly, it looks just like any other trailer park. Sesame Street debuted on PBS in late 1969 and was almost immediately popular. Kimberly Gardens was carved out of the orange groves in early 1972. Sadly, the character Mr. Snuffleupagus was only just being introduced, or we could have had one of the all-time greatest Orange County street names!

As themes go, Muppets are good. By contrast, the Moore Homes tract – laid out in 1960 along Warner Ave. in Huntington Beach – has cigarette brands as street names, including Viceroy, Camel, Kent and Salem. Even in the smoking-friendly 1960s, it garnered a few raised eyebrows and the nickname "Tobacco Row."