Calico Ghost Town, photo courtesy O.C. History Roundup Blogspot by Chris Jepsen
On Saturday, March 22, 2014, OCHS will take a day trip to the fascinating Calico ghost town in San Bernardino County. Our group will be escorted by motorcoach and provided an onboard lecture by Phil Brigandi. Once arriving at our destination, Calico historian Serena Steiner will give us a walking tour of the town. After the tour, we will have free time to wander and explore the town, visit the Lane Museum, and maybe even see Boot Hill.
Lunch is on your own, so be sure to bring additional cash for your meal at the Calico House Restaurant, as well as some optional attractions you may want to check out:
The Maggie Mine – Tour this 1890s mine ($2.00)
Pan for Gold ($2.00)
Mystery Shack – Cousin of Knott’s Haunted Shack ($2.00)
Calico-Odessa Railway – Tour Calico on the type of train that used to haul at the mines ($4.00)
From November 17th through the 23rd, have breakfast, lunch, or dinner at Ruby’s Diner on 1128 W. Lincoln Avenue in Anaheim and 20 percent of your bill will be donated to OCHS when you bring in our Ruby’s Diner flyer.
If you would like to join us, several OCHS members plan to meet for dinner on Friday the 22nd from 6 to 9 p.m.
Happy dining, and thank you in advance for supporting OCHS!
You’re invited to this year’s production of the Pageant of the Masters, the annual festival held by the Festival of Arts! Known for its tableaux vivants or living pictures, classic and contemporary artwork is recreated by a cast who are made to look nearly identical to the original pieces.
This year’s theme, The Big Picture: A Salute to Art that Inspired the Movies, should be great fun on a warm summer evening in the Laguna Bowl. Seats are located in the Director’s Tier Side and normally cost $30, but we are offering them to our members at a discounted cost of $25. Meet up with friends for a picnic dinner, arrive early to wander around the festival art show, and get ready for your close up!
Date: Sunday, July 14, 2013
Curtain: 8:30 p.m.
Cost: $25 OCHS members; $28 non-members
Tickets will be available at OCHS’s general meetings until they’re sold out.
Pacific Electric Railway Car, Santa Ana Line, circa 1943
The Society’s Annual Dinner is Friday, June 21, 2013 at the Santa Ana Ebell Clubhouse (listed in the National Register of Historic Places) on 625 N. French Street in Santa Ana. This year’s topic “The Big Red Cars in Orange County” will be presented by speakers Steve Crise and Michael A. Patris, co-authors of Pacific Electric Railway: Then & Now.
The event commences with Social Hour (including a no-host bar) at 5:30 p.m. and walking tours of an historic Santa Ana neighborhood, courtesy the French Park Neighborhood Association. The buffet dinner at 6:30 includes baron of beef, poached salmon, chicken picatta, butter parsley new potatoes, glazed carrots, baby green beans, bread and rolls, dessert, and a vegetarian entrée (the latter by reservation request).
The program starts at 7:30 p.m. Steve Crise and Michael A. Patris will give a colorful and enlightening presentation on the P.E.’s “Big Red Cars” which were once as much a part of Southern California life as freeways are today. Rare footage of the Red Cars traveling through Orange County will be shown.
Additionally, attendees will enjoy a raffle and great music of the 1920s, courtesy Josh McIntosh and his outstanding historical record collection.
This event is open to OCHS members and non-members alike, so bring your friends.
Reservations are a must, so please RSVP by June 11 to Lynne Yauger. Confirmation will be made by email.
Learn about the early settlers in what is now O’Neill Regional Park. Our guide will be David McIntosh (pictured left in the image—click the image to view it larger), a descendant of one of the old time homestead families. This is an easy one-mile hike.
Afterwards, more adventurous hikers (who can handle steep grades and switchbacks) can join historian Phil Brigandi for a climb to the vista point above the canyon (1½ miles roundtrip).
Date: Sunday, April 14, 2013
Time: 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Parking Fee: $5 per vehicle
This hike is limited to 30 participants. Reservations are a MUST. Additional information about the hike will be provided as part of your confirmation.
Join us on Saturday, November 3, 2012 for a trip along the Arroyo Trabuco to visit the ruins of the Trabuco Adobe, a mission outpost and later rancho headquarters. Historian Phil Brigandi will discuss the history of the adobe and the arroyo along the way. The 1-1/2 to 2 hour hike begins at 8:30 a.m.
This is about a two-mile roundtrip, moderately easy hike, but with one steep grade in and out of Trabuco Creek.
Where: Meet at the Arroyo Vista Trailhead, O’Neill Regional Park, Arroyo Vista and Paraiso in Rancho Santa Margarita. Parking is available on the street.
Reservations are a MUST. Additional information about the hike will be provided as part of your confirmation.
Eric Lynxwiler at OCHS dinner Courtesy Chris Jepsen
The history of Knott’s Berry Farm will be the theme of this year’s Orange County Historical Society annual dinner, to be held at Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant, on Friday, June 15, 2012.
Featured speaker, Eric Lynxwiler, co-author of the book, Knott’s Preserved, will share the Farm’s colorful history and will debunk a number of myths along the way. In addition, the Orange County Archives will present never-before-seen film footage from Knott’s past.
Social hour (with a cash bar) begins at 5:30 p.m., and your choice of Mrs. Knott’s Famous Chicken or vegetarian lasagna, with farm fresh salad, rolls, boysenberry pie, and beverages, will be served at 6:30. Cost is $30 for OCHS members; $35 for non-members.
This dinner is open to OCHS members and non-members alike. Western attire is encouraged but not required. Reservations are a must, so please RSVP by June 5, 2012. We cannot accept walk-ins at the door.
The Anaheim Cemetery, founded in 1866, is the final resting place of thousands of early Orange County settlers, over 500 war veterans, and members of families still living in the area. On Saturday, May 12, 2012, local historian Cynthia Ward will lead a tour of this landmark cemetery, sponsored by the Orange County Historical Society and the Orange County Cemetery District. The tour is free and will begin, rain or shine, at 11:00 a.m. in front of the cemetery’s office at 1400 E. Sycamore St. No reservations are required.
A visit to this 15-acre park-like cemetery is a great way to learn more about Anaheim and Orange County pioneers. Beneath the majestic camphor trees are the oldest mausoleum on the west coast (1914), four private family mausoleums of prominent local families, a Chinese section, and many upright monuments,
Join us for our second hike as we continue to kick off this exciting new public program!
To help expose, educate and connect people to Orange County’s fascinating history, the Orange County Historical Society launched a new program last November: Orange County History Hikes. These hikes will take place at least a couple times per year, and are open to the public. Each hike will showcase an Orange County historical destination, allowing history and hiking enthusiasts to see some of these destinations in a new way. Hikes will vary in distance, topography and difficulty, but will stay within a range that most reasonably fit people can accomplish.
Learn about the cultural history and geological significance of the Olinda Oil Fields in Brea.
Historical Significance
According to Phil Brigandi’s Orange County Place Names A to Z:”The Olinda Tract was laid out in 1887 on several hundred acres north of Yorba Linda and east of Brea.” Brigandi explains that the town of Olinda was established shortly after oil was discovered in 1897 in the Carbon Canyon area of the tract. What is particularly significant about the Museum is that it houses the oldest Orange County oil well in continuous operation.
Directions
Take the 57 Freeway to Exit 10 (Lambert Rd) in Brea. Head east on Lambert Road for 1.8 miles, where it turns into Carbon Canyon Rd. At 0.6 miles, turn left onto Santa Fe Rd. (into a housing tract). Turn right on the second residential street (after Merrifield Dr.). This dead-ends at the parking lot for the Museum.
Hike Instructions and Olinda Oil Museum and Trail Information
Date & Time: Sunday, April 15, 2012 (9am-11:30am)*
9:00am: Parking Gates Open
9:15am: Orientation in front of Field House Museum
9:30am: Docent-led tour of the museum (includes a video) and museum grounds
10:15/10:30am: Interpretive hike
Meeting Spot: Olinda Oil Museum
Location: The Olinda Oil Museum and Trail, 4025 Santa Fe Road, Brea, CA
Distance: 1.94 miles round-trip (very exposed, mostly single-track dirt trail)
Elevation: 390 foot total elevation gain
Event Fee: None (limited to 25 people), but the Museum accepts donations.
Parking Fee: None (but limited to 20 vehicles, so carpooling by 2 or more is necessary).
Special Instructions: Must be 7 years of age or older. People-friendly dogs are permitted, on a leash. Please bring water, sunscreen, a hat and sturdy closed-toe shoes. If your dog is joining us, please bring water and waste bags.
Reservations Required
Please use our online Reservation Form to RSVP for your spot at this event. You may submit one RSVP for your entire party.
Please feel welcome to pack a picnic lunch to enjoy in the picnic area after the hike. There are two covered picnic tables and restrooms available.
If you want to extend your hiking mileage (weather permitting) after the official History Hike is done, you might want to:
Drive down the street to tackle any number of trails at Chino Hills State Park or visit the new Discovery Center (no dogs). Parking is $5 per vehicle or a State Parks Pass.
Join Jeff and Colleen Greene for an additional 3.4 mile (90 foot elevation gain) scenic kid-friendly loop hike through Carbon Canyon Regional Park—right across the street—and a picnic in the redwoods grove (dogs allowed). Parking is $5 cash per car or an OCParks Pass.
