Orange County

The Golden Promise

An Illustrated History

By Pamela Hallan-Gibson
American Historical Press, 2002, hard cover, 440 pgs. Includes index. 500 illustrations

The author brings the county's colorful past to life. From the book jacket, "We meet the friars who first turned arid bottomland into productive fields, the proud rancheros who lived like feudal lords, early American settlers who planted new crops and planned new communities, and later German immigrants who planted vineyards near where Disneyland stands today. Along with the enthusiastic land speculators who triggered the land booms of the late nineteenth century, and oilmen who found opportunity in the wells of Brea Canyon, those who shaped the future of Orange County are vividly portrayed."

The subjects of drought, depression, disease, railroad monopolies, water rights and the people who fought these obstacles are all depicted. Part Three of the books covers World War II and the changes it brought, the 1950s boom, impacts of growth, new immigrants and new opportunties. The controversies over airports and toll roads, the now-infamous bankruptcy of Orange County, are brought up-to-date. A special chapter, "Chronicles of Leadership," highlights the business, organizations and industry leaders who face the challenges of Orange County today. An illustrated timeline of significant events enhances the text, and gives an overview of county history, putting it all in perspective.

While this books is not listed as a reprint it does include all the material from the author's first book by this title published in1986 and now out of print. So if you have been looking for Orange County The Golden Promise, here it is.