Orange County Is Older Than 1950?

Those of you who live in the east may get a chuckle out of this, but we Orange Countians have some history too!

This is a photo of an area near my home, taken in 1890 (how cool is that?).  For those of you who know the Orange County area, this is a block north of Knott's Berry Farm on Beach (Grand Ave., back then).

The original rancho (at the base of the hills) was built on land granted the Nieto family by the king of Spain in 1783.

There's now a golf course (Los Coyotes Country Club) and some nice homes in the hills (Bellhurst), with strip malls, tract houses, two freeways (5 & 91) and two railroad lines where those old homes once stood.

If you live in the big OC, or have any interest in the history of the area, you'll love this blog (http://ochistorical.blogspot.com/).

I am a fourth-generation Orange Countian, and have six great-grandparents buried here, so you'll have to cut me some slack on this one.

Comments

[George]

Unfortunately, thanks largely to the media, most of our country views California as this big, liberal, bellwether state where the latest and greatest trends in everything from fashion style to medically legalized drugs are set. But this is all underpinned by the descendants of an established, conservative culture who first settled the area as pioneers. Your genealogy of multiple generations confirms this. Hopefully this identity will never fade.

[hb]

Since I grew up in that area, I find it very interesting! It's good to remember the lay of the land in days gone by (and thank the good Lord for indoor plumbing!).

[Craig B]

Thanks, Kim, for the photo, your comments, and the link.

We moved into our house in Anaheim in July, 1955. In September I started 4th grade at Katella Elementary School (s.w. corner of West & Katella).

There was still a lot of semi-rural area for a kid to explore back then. I can't imagine a better time and place to have grown up; lots of fields, orange and walnut groves. Good memories.

[Mark Priestap]

Awesome. I lived by Balboa Pier for a summer (love OC) so I totally get why posted that. :D That whole area looks like it popped up from '50 to '75. Hard to believe it is thousands of years old. :D

[Lloyd Cadle]

Oange county is one of the only sane places in California.

[brent]

Thank you for this post, and for the link to the ochistorical blog. I was raised in the city of Orange, in Orange County, and miss the place (many family members still reside therein). I'll add your blog to my favorites.