By Jim Tortolano Everybody knows the South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa was the first enclosed mall in Orange County, and one of the first in all of California. What few know […]
How G. Grove almost got malled
How Anaheim begat Westminster
Anaheim has been called “The Mother Colony,” and in addition to being Orange County’s first town, has helped hatch – somewhat inadvertently – two other communities. The better-known story is that in […]
Sid Goldstein, World War II hero
One of the jewels of the Westminster Civic Center area is the Sid Goldstein Freedom Park, with which is mated the Vietnam War Memorial. Many patriotic events and rallies are held there […]
It went from tin cans to toney
By Jim Tortolano Just before my family moved from the Wilmington district of Los Angeles in 1960 to Orange County, we explored some popular locations of our new domain. One of the […]
He was OC’s first man in space
To our readers: The Tribune is starting a new weekly feature of photos of notable people and places from and about our coverage areas of Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Stanton and Westminster. […]
The glass houses of Philip Johnson
By Jim Tortolano Among the most magnificent buildings anywhere in Orange County is the Christ (originally Crystal) Cathedral in Garden Grove, a gleaming edifice of glass and steel that is at once […]
The ghosts of military posts in OC
By Jim Tortolano The pivotal factor in Orange County’s transition from an agricultural region into a sprawling suburban metropolis was the effect of World War II and its aftermath. The great conflict […]
Serra: Saint or sinner or both?
By Jim Tortolano Anyone who grew up in California got the story: Junipero Serra was one of the founding fathers of California. The Franciscan friar was a hero for establishing a chain […]
Ole Hanson’s haven by the sea
By Jim Tortolano At the far southeast edge of Orange County lies San Clemente, a city conceived and originally developed by a man from the far northwest of the United States. Once isolated from […]
Cows pave the path to prosperity
By Jim Tortolano The humble cow has had a big role in the history of Orange County. One former “cow town” that stubbornly fought to maintain its bovine heritage lost the battle […]
