The history of the town of Olive will be the topic of the Orange County Historical Society’s general meeting on Thursday, March 8, 2012. Speaker and OCHS board member Daralee Ota will discuss the area’s early pastoral days; the rancho lifestyle of the Yorbas; the bustling, boomtown era when Olive boasted a lucrative flour mill; the citrus era; and Olive’s development into a modern residential community. Daralee’s program will be based, in part, on her Web site, “Olive Through the Ages,” (http://dragoon1st.tripod.com/olive/). The program will begin at 7:30 p.m. at Trinity Episcopal Church, 2400 N. Canal St. in Orange, and is free to the public.
In the 1800s, the area below the bend of the Santa Ana River (what is now a part of northern Orange), was known by several names, including Yorbas, Santa Ana (before the modern community of Santa Ana was founded), Old Santa Ana, Burruel Point, Olive Ranch, and eventually Olive. Although Olive never became its own city, many still identify themselves as Olive residents.
Daralee launched her Olive Web site when she found very little information about the community online. Having grown up near the area and wondering about this town that faded away over the decades, Daralee began researching Olive in 2004, amazed to discover its rich and vast history.
A few years ago, she added “The Living Branch” section to her Web site to share even more information about Olive’s history, including stories, maps, and images contributed by individuals with a personal interest or connection to Olive. Submissions of photos and other relevant content are welcomed for possible inclusion in this portion of the Web site.
