Boy Scout Jamboree of 1953

Irvine History Today  Wednesday, March 16 2016

In the summer of 1953, more than 50,000 boy scouts from all over the country gathered on the Irvine Ranch for the Boy Scout Jamboree. Not only was this a momentous moment in the lives of those who attended, it also marked a changing point in the development of the Irvine area. Most of the infrastructure built for the Jamboree laid the groundwork for future communities in Newport Beach and in Irvine.

This week, OC Historian and author Phil Brigandi discusses the Jamboree and its impact on Orange County.

Listen to the Podcast Here...


Click here to see a 1953 documentary about the Jamboree, produced by Cecil B DeMille.

For more work by OC Historian Phil Brigandi...I recommend his website... So Cal Historyland
and  his books Orange County Place Names A to Z...... and Orange County Chronicles

Barton Massacre Part II

Irvine History Today   Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Paul Spitzzeri, Assistant Director at the Homestead Museum, continues his discussion of the Barton Massacre of 1857. This week, the topic expands to the aftermath of the event and how it exacerbated racial tension in Los Angeles County.

Paul Spitzzeri's award-winning book about the Workman and Temple families is available here...

Listen to this week's podcast Here...

The Barton Massacre of 1857

Irvine History Today  Wednesday, March 2, 2016

It's hard to imagine that Irvine, the safest city in the U.S., was the setting of an infamous historical event known as The Barton Massacre. On this week's program, Paul Spitzzeri of the Homestead Museum will discuss what led up to the violence in 1857, as well as the racial repercussions that followed.

If you'd like to learn more about this event and others from this period of southern California history, check out Paul Spitzzeri's excellent blog; Trembling on The Brink: Crime and Justice in Los Angeles 1850-1875

Listen to the podcast here....