OCHS events
OCHS July “The Histories and Mysteries of Black Star Canyon & Irvine Park”
Take a free guided journey exploring “The Histories and Mysteries of Black Star Canyon & Irvine Park”…all without leaving your seats!
Join OCHS and local historian, speaker and naturalist Joel Robinson (@NaturalistForYou) on July 22nd at the Orange Public Library as he takes us on a unique tour through time from the beginning of the strange and interesting past of the areas that came to be known as Black Star Canyon and its neighboring Irvine Park.
Perfect for the nature lover and history enthusiast alike, this presentation will showcase local history from a local expert!
Raised in West Orange, as a young adult Joel began exploring Black Star Canyon in the late 1990s because “it felt like I was traveling back in time. It was a treat to wander the dusty road where rusty cattle fence, an abandoned corral and the gnarled oak trees offered a glimpse of the county before most of it was replaced with the tract home subdivisions, malls, freeways and theme parks. It was the closest place to home where I could obtain tranquil solitude, tangible evidence of the past and a chance of seeing a bobcat or deer.”
That upbringing led Joel to his present day work in public environmental education and fostered his interest in historical re-enactments while his love of the Black Star Canyon and surrounding area has only grown.
Spending time talking with blacksmiths, homesteaders, Native American storytellers and soldiers in relic settings, including the Ainsworth House in Old Town Orange, Olvera Street in Los Angeles, Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, Wawona in Yosemite, Calico Ghost Town and Irvine Regional Park has given Joel firsthand accounts of many of the local histories and mysteries he’ll share with us!
Whether you're discovering this part of our city for the first time, or have hiked there yourself, we invite you to bring your curiosity, and a friend, to learn more about this fascinating landscape in our own backyard!
📢“The Histories and Mysteries of Black Star Canyon & Irvine Park”
📆 Tuesday, July 22nd, 2025
⏰ 5:30pm to 7:00pm
📍Orange Public Library, Main Branch Community Meeting Room
407 E Chapman Ave, Orange
👩💻 HistoricalOrange.org
OCHS May “Eichler Tracts of Orange” Public Meeting
✨🍊Enter the mid-century modern “Wonderful World of Eichler” with OCHS on May 14th in our next FREE installment of public Orange history programming!
Attics to Archives: a Spring Cleaning Event
Preserve a Slice of Orange History with Us!
It’s time for a “Spring Cleaning” as you give your memories of Orange a new permanent home in the History Center! Join OCHS at the Orange Public Library & History Center Community Room to transfer your pieces of Orange from your home to the archive!
We’re Looking for City of Orange Related Items from ANY Time Period...
Pictures from: Schools, Clubs, Families, Events, Scrapbooks, Yearbooks & more!
Ephemera: Programs, Postcards, Flyers, Menus, Business Cards, Receipts, etc!
Memorabilia: School Rings, Letterman Sweaters/Jackets, Sports, Cheer & Dance Uniforms & more!
?: Show us what you have and see if we can preserve it!
OCHS March General Meeting
Did you realize that the Chase Bank in the Plaza is actually part of one LARGE building all owned by the Masonic Temple? Have you ever wanted to see inside it?!
OCHS is proud to announce our next upcoming OCHS Public Meeting will be held INSIDE the building, upstairs in what used to be the historic Campbell Opera House and YOU’RE invited!
On Wednesday March 26th at 5:30 pm the Orange Community Historical Society will have its FREE public meeting at the Orange Masonic Lodge. Visitors are welcome to join the gathering at 71 Plaza Square for a program that will touch on some history of the 1912 building, once known as Campbell’s Opera House. Former Orange Grove Master Ralph Shelton will also share some background on the Masonic order, as well as talking about some of the early members of Orange Grove Lodge #293 and their place in Orange’s history. Newly installed Master Cesar Bustos will also be on hand to meet attendees.
This will be a special night, with access to the building not usually granted to the public!
Annual OCHS Public Celebration
Join us for a Roaring Twenties Party & Presentation at The Villa in Orange!
You are cordially invited to “dress to impress in 20’s fashion” and attend the Annual Celebration of the Orange Community Historical Society! Enjoy a delicious dinner, entertainment, silent auction and a special presentation.
Historian Chris Jepsen will tell the riveting story of how notorious Chicago gangster Al "Scarface" Capone from 1927 to 1931 secretly tried to take control of the huge Rancho Santa Margarita which included much of South O.C. and all of today's Camp Pendleton, and had an unguarded coastline perfect for landing shiploads of illegal booze. The exciting story includes rancheros, bootlegging, and Capone's face-off with the padres of Mission San Juan Capistrano.
Chris Jepsen is an independent local historian and longtime president of the Orange County Historical Society. He has written for numerous publications, maintains his own O.C. History Roundup blog, and has developed tours and museum exhibits. A graduate of CSUF, Chris' greatest education was five years of daily mentorship as assistant to Southern Californian historian Phil Brigandi.
Thursday, January 23, 2025
The Villa
at 510 E Katella Ave, Orange CA 92867
Ticket purchase link and more details HERE!
For more information you can contact us at info@HistoricalOrange.org or leave a message at (714) 202-7570
OCHS General Meeting
Join us for a free Orange Community Historical Society meeting open to the public as you learn about the lovely Victorian home that sits on the corner of N. Olive and W. Palm! Built about 1895 for Orange pioneer D. C. Pixley, Eric Vogelvang who grew up in the house since Jr. High, will take us on trip back in time, tracing Pixley's influence in Orange, as well as subsequent owners, leading to Chapman College's early years in Orange.
Bring a friend, this will be a very special program!
Tuesday November 19th at 5:30 in the Community Room of the Orange Public Library Main Branch.
General Meeting
Join us as the Orange Community Historical Society welcomes our mayor, Mr. Dan Slater for an informal update on what is new in the City of Orange!
Planned months before our budget crisis, we'll learn about his own history with our city, the latest addition he has made to our Florence Flippen Smiley Archives, and what is on the horizon for Orange in light of our financial challenges. Monday July 22nd at 5:30 in the Community Room of the Orange Public Library Main Branch.
Annual Celebration
Chapman University’s NEW Expanded Hilbert Museum of California Art
Don’t miss this exclusive tour of the newly expanded Hilbert Museum especially arranged for the Orange Community Historical Society! The Hilbert has become one of Orange County’s top museums since its opening in 2016, earning rave reviews on Yelp and Google and a%racting more than 30,000 visitors per year. Enjoy a sumptuous reception and a welcome presentation by museum founder Mark Hilbert and director Mary Pla%, before you set off to explore the North and South Wings of the expanded museum. You’ll enter a portal topped by a spectacular 40-foot-wide glass mosaic by Millard Sheets and then experience the stunning building, designed by architects Johnston Marklee of Los Angeles. Explore the nine opening art exhibitions – including galleries devoted to the history of California art, works by Norman Rockwell, Disney’s Mary Blair, Navajo “eye dazzler” blankets, Modernism in California art and much more.
Mingle in the outdoor Grand Atrium as you enjoy gourmet appetizers and drinks from the no-host bar. Our presentation will be in the Community Room followed by Gallery viewing.
General Meeting
In November of 1923, ceremonies were hosted in Orange, California, forming the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks Lodge number 1475. While the first members were 53 transferees from the Santa Ana lodge, there were 75 local residents waiting in the wings to take the Obligation in a large initiation meeting. Many early members were also leading citizens of our town, with names like Huff, Hirstein, McCandless, Mansur and Muench. The first Exalted Ruler was A L Tomblin.
Meetings were first held in the Ehlen & Smith building (later Friedemann Hall) before moving to the Odd Fellows lodge above Watson's Drug. Later they moved across the street when the Odd Fellows were unable to meet their financial obligations for the lovely new building they built on the North side of Chapman.
OCHS will salute the Elks Lodge with our Saturday, January 27th meeting at the Lodge 211 East Chapman, at 10:00 in the morning. We will start with a simple breakfast in the dining room, (a nominal fee will be collected), followed by a tour and program about the Elks. We will also hold our official annual voting meeting, as per our by laws.
Our speaker will be Leading Knight, J C Cortez, who will also be installed Exalted Ruler in 2024. (J C also served as the first Duke of Orange for the Chamber of Commerce May Parade.)
We hope you can join us for this great opportunity to learn more about this active fraternal lodge and their many ways they support our community.
Please note that free parking is available on Chapman and side streets, the Library and City Hall parking lots. The lot immediately behind the building is a private lot NOT owned by the Elks, and offers parking for a fee.