By Jim Tortolano When you think of the pioneers of the theme park business, the first names that come to mind are Disneyland and Walt Disney. But to be technically accurate, you […]
Walter was first, Walt was second
OC Tribune Staff
The biblical waters of Gospel Swamp
By Jim Tortolano Orange County is known for a lot of things, including some famous houses of worship. But some of the most colorful religious communities in the county were more like […]
Orange Co.’s earth-shaking terror of ’33
By Jim Tortolano September is the national Disaster Awareness Month, and in California the mishap we fear most is the earthquake. Out-of-staters are especially terrified of the prospect, which is understandable. Hurricanes, […]
Rise and fall of the KKK in Anaheim
By Jim Tortolano If you think of Anaheim today, it’s likely that the images come to mind might be Mickey Mouse or the Angels baseball team. But almost a century ago, it […]
Life and death of Japanese Deer Park
By Jim Tortolano Orange County is Ground Zero of themed amusement parks. The first one in the nation, arguably, was Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park. The first major park was Anaheim’s […]
“Legally Blonde” met legally historic
By Pete Zarustica Walking into the old Orange County Courthouse in downtown Santa Ana is more than a trip up a flight of concrete steps; it’s a journey back in time. Many […]
Ladies and gents, your Long Beach Angels!
By Jim Tortolano The slower pace of summer often gives way to reflection. One of my favorite mental pastimes is the premise of “What If?” In the context of this website, some […]
A citrus ‘war’ in the OC
By Jim Tortolano The County of Orange was not named after the golden fruit, but in the time before the great post-war boom, it might as well have been. Oranges, along with […]
Dark shadows at the Greenbrier Inn
By Jim Tortolano If you drive up Harbor Boulevard in Garden Grove you’ll see a skyline rising of hotels, with more on the way. It’s the newly-named Grove District of the Anaheim […]
Fatty’s big, tragic career
By Jim Tortolano Orange County has produced its share of movie stars and celebrities, ranging from Diane Keaton to Kevin Costner, but none have had the impact and tragic life of our […]
