By Jim Tortolano We had a drought most of the year and dire warnings of a shriveled-up, parched land. Then come the predictions of an El Nino winter and much too much […]
Floods, drought helped define OC
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 […]
‘Son of Red Car’ coming in 2019?
By Jim Tortolano It’s been said that if you wait long enough, everything comes back into style. If all goes according to plan – and how often does that happen? – in […]
Today’s history smells pretty bad
A three-way collision in Huntington Beach. And no, that’s not the story of a car crash. This smashup involves efforts at historical preservation, environmental concerns and public education. Geographically, it occurs in […]
A ‘new’ city from historic roots
By Jim Tortolano Some critics of South Orange County communities use this mantra: “Cookie-cutter tracts with no history.” Architectural criticisms aside, although some south county cities seem to have planted last week, […]
Brea: From tar to oranges to malls
By Jim Tortolano When people think of Orange County’s past, the image of long rows of citrus trees is most likely to come to mind. But another important aspect of the county’s […]
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 […]
