photo courtesy of Chris Jepsen
Historian Chris Jepsen will present “The Killing of Frank Wilson by Alfred Wolff at San Juan-by-the-Sea” at the next meeting of the Orange County Historical Society, May 8, 2025, 7:30 p.m., at Trinity Episcopal Church, 2400 N. Canal St., in Orange. The public is welcome!
photo courtesy of Chris Jepsen
This is a colorful 1880s Wild West story that took place in what’s now Dana Point. This tale of ornery varmints and frontier justice includes a look at the Railroad Boom and one of the “lost” towns it briefly spawned.
Courtesy First American Corp
On May 23, 1888, a strange “family” drove a wagon into the Santa Fe Railroad’s tiny beach resort town of San Juan-by-the-Sea, armed and looking to settle “unfinished business” with local fisherman and boozehound Frank Wilson. Leading the group was hot-tempered former graverobber Alfred R. H. Wolff. With Wolff was his wife, his wife’s lover (a wild-looking Swede), and a baby. After searching the saloons, they found Wilson in front of the Pioneer Hotel, where Wolff gunned him down in cold blood.
Photo Courtesy of Santa Ana Public Library
Jepsen will discuss not only the details of the crime, but also what led up to event (including earlier crimes), the unusual characters on both sides of the law, the now-forgotten “ghost town” in which it all occurred, the context of the fading “Wild West,” and the fates of the involved parties afterward.
Orange County historian Chris Jepsen is the longtime president of the O.C. Historical Society and has been involved in local history work for about 35 years. He’s a frequent lecturer; has created museum exhibits and historical tours; and writes for historical journals, magazines, and his own blog: The O.C. History Roundup.
Join us on May 8th, 7:30 p.m., at Trinity Episcopal Church, 2400 N. Canal St.