Arcadia Publishing: 7502 books

Orange County was created in 1889. Soon, wilderness evolved into farmlands and communities supported by a year-round harvest of Valencia oranges, lemons, avocados, walnuts, and more. In the 1950s, aerospace and industry expanded here, and today the county boasts more than three million people. This collection...

Strategically located about 60 miles east of Los Angeles, San Bernardino was colonized in 1851 as an expansion outpost for the Mormon Church. Today, it is the county seat for the largest county in the United States. Captured here in over 200 vintage photographs is the history of this Southern California...

Situated on the westernmost cliffs of the Palos Verdes Peninsula, the city of Palos Verdes Estates continues to fulfill former landowner and developer Frank Vanderlip's vision of the area as the nation's "most fashionable and exclusive residential colony," and it remains one of Los Angeles County's most...

Halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, the historic town of Paso Robles became known for its abundance of hot mineral springs that brought relief from pain�first for the Salinan Indians, then for the Franciscan friars. As word of the springs� healing powers spread, hotels and bathhouses were...

Evolving from a 27,000-acre rancho, to a colony of farmers, and then to a neighborhood subdivision, Long Beach�s Los Cerritos is the story of a fiercely independent community established prior to William Willmore�s vision of a city of Long Beach took hold. Life centered around the historic Rancho...

A resort community surrounded by mountains, Ojai is the gateway to Los Padres National Forest, the Sespe Creek Valley, and Lake Casitas Recreational Area. The setting offers inspiring views of and from Chief Peak and the majestic Topa Topa bluffs. The sleepy, spa reputation of Ojai (pronounced Oh-hi)...

Three emerging communities from the partitioned Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana formed the improbable start for a city that would eventually proclaim itself the �City of the Arts.� These farming communities�Fairview, Paularino, and Harper�attracted families and businesspeople. Community leaders...

Union City was formed by the merging of two communities, Alvarado and Decoto. In the early 1850s, Alvarado was founded as a place to ship local produce to San Francisco. When Alameda County was created in 1853, Alvarado became the county seat and the hub of business activity for the county. The proximity...

Several visionaries shaped the character that defines present-day Mission Hills. First, there was Sarah Miller, stepdaughter of Captain Johnston of the SS Orizaba. She inherited land from him and built a dream home overlooking Old Town and the Pacific Ocean. There was also Kate Sessions, the mother...

Long before the Gold Rush drew settlers from the East, the land that would one day be developed into the town of Moraga was situated on a large rancho owned by the Moraga family. Nestled amongst hills just east of Oakland and Berkeley, the Moraga Valley of the 19th century attracted cattle ranchers...

By 1885, Daniel Freeman owned a successful 25,000-acre ranch along the coastline in Southern California. That year, he sold parcels to J.S. Vosberg, and this became the site of the town of El Segundo. The Standard Oil Company of California purchased 840 acres of dunes in June 1911, and R.J. Hanna...

With a population of more than 48,000, Buckeye is the ninth-fastest growing municipality in the United States. The town�s rapid growth has left many longtime residents wondering what happened to the place where they grew up. Originally an agricultural community, Buckeye has embraced the 21st century,...

Chief Warumbee sold Ten Miles Falls in 1678, and a century later, the first Lisbon settlement was established along the Androscoggin River. The water's mammoth power generated thousands of jobs and shaped a way of life for Lisbon's earliest citizens. Near beautiful cascading waterfalls, European immigrants...

Chino Valley was once part of the immense Rancho Santa Ana del Chino grant conferred in 1841 to Don Antonio Lugo, the former alcalde of Los Angeles. Forty years later, a portion of the rancho was sold to Richard Gird, an American entrepreneur and prospector from Tombstone, Arizona. With characteristic...