A Little History: Remembering Who We Are and Understanding What We Might Become
All work and no play makes us all dull boys and girls. Likewise, all numbers…well, you get the idea.
With that in mind, at times, I am going to forget about the housing numbers, statistics, and development news. Instead, I am going to focus on a little of our history.
Our past has a lot to do with who we are as people, and this also is true for cities. Therefore, remembering the past is important to understanding who we are and what we might become.
For this reason, at times, I will write about the history of Orange County, Irvine, and Costa Mesa. Most likely, I will start with Irvine, because I live in Irvine and, therefore, know more about it. But I will get around to Costa Mesa and Orange County in the future.
If any history buffs out there have information that they want to send over here to the Sweet Orange, please do. I am particularly interested in learning more about Costa Mesa. So calling all interested parties: The Costa Mesa Historical Society, The Orange County Historical Society, The Irvine Historical Society, history buffs. Any input?
Note: The photo of the interior of the old Orange County Courthouse is courtesy OC Parks. The courthouse was built in 1901 and is a California State Historic Landmark and a National Register Historic Place. For a look at the exterior of this building, which is one of Orange County’s most interesting and historic buildings, see Rudy M Photography’s photo on Flickr.
Some influential cases decided at the old courthouse:
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In 1933, People v Termo Corporation: The court ruled that the State of California is entitled to easements for off-shore oil drilling.
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In 1941, Irvine Company v California Employment Commission: The court ruled that employees of a large agricultural farm were still agricultural workers and, therefore, were not entitled to unemployment insurance.
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In 1947, People of California v Gollum and Overell: Although the defendants were acquitted, the circumstances of the case lead to new regulations for the sale and purchase of explosives. This trial generated much public attention in its day.
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In 1965, Chimel v California: New rules for search and arrest were enacted. This case was eventually heard by the U.S. Supreme Court.
That’s it for this week’s posts.
Monday (unless I change my mind, which is always possible): a little history about one of Orange County’s edge cities—Irvine, California