Katie Wheeler Public Library

Vintage Orange      Wednesday, June 29 2016

Built in 1876, a large, white, Georgian mansion was home to the Irvine family for many decades.
It was demolished after a fire in the late 1960's. Today, a replica of that same house is now the Katie Wheeler branch of the Orange County Library.

Senior Branch Manager Richard Serrato discusses the building's unique history as well as the stories of the family that once lived there.

Listen to the podcast here. 

History of Orange County's Music Scene

Vintage Orange      Wednesday, June 22 2016

A lot of great sounds came out of Orange County. There were the classic, coastal music venues like the Golden Bear in Huntington Beach or the Blue Beet in Newport Beach. Radio Repairman Leo Fender invented the first, mass-produced, solid-body electric guitar in his Fullerton workshop.
And in 1970, Laguna Canyon was the site of The Happening; Orange County's version of  a free music, free love festival.

OC native and author Jim Washburn talks about Orange County's musical heritage and the unique sounds that were born here.

Jim Washburn has written about music and popular culture for the Los Angeles Times, the OC Register, the OC Weekly (of which he was founding executive editor) and other publications, ranging from Rolling Stone to Reader’s Digest, as well as the MSN and fourstory.org websites. He co-authored the 1998 book Martin Guitars, an Illustrated Celebration and the 2000 John Crean autobiography, The Wheel and I.

He has curated four exhibits at the Fullerton Museum Center, with two specifically on Orange County’s popular culture history: The Orange Groove, Orange County’s Rock Music History in 2004 and Lay Down the Boogie: OC in the Disco Era in 2012. In 2012, he was a guest lecturer at the Segerstrom Center for the Performing Arts Chautauqua! engagement.

Listen to the Podcast Here

Knott's Berry Farm Ghost Town Celebrates 75 Years

Vintage Orange      Wednesday, June 15 2016

In 1941, Walter Knott welcomed visitors to his Ghost Town attraction, the little western village that he had created behind the family's restaurant and berry stand. It was a quaint little collection of old buildings and vintage shacks where diners could spend a little time while they waited for one of Mrs. Knott's famous chicken dinners.

Orange County historian and author, Phil Brigandi, discusses the humble beginnings of Knott's Berry Farm and its Ghost Town attraction, which is celebrating its 75th Anniversary this summer.



For more information about the history of Knott's Berry Farm, click on these links:

Phil Brigandi's Knott's Berry Farm History - SoCal Historyland

Orange County Register Video: A Brief and Delightful History of Knott's Berry Farm

"Knott's Preserved" By Christopher Merritt


Listen to the Podcast here.

Woodbridge Village Turns 40

Vintage Orange      Wednesday, June 8 2016


The year was 1976. The American economy was turning around and the southern California housing market was on the rise. It was the perfect time to launch the Village of Woodbridge; the capstone community of the Irvine Company's Master Plan.

Woodbridge was created to be the ultimate recreational village, where residents wouldn't have to walk more than 5 minutes to reach a park or a pool. From the very beginning, recreational activities offered by the Woodbridge Homeowners Association have been the key to this community's success.

This week, Bob Figiera, former Executive Director of the Woodbridge HOA, talks about the early days of the village as well as the philosophy that is still part of the community 40 years later.

Listen to the Podcast Here