• Fullerton Tribune: 1905 Headlines

    The following is from a work-in-progress about the history of Fullerton. You can support my ongoing research and writing on Patreon. The Local History Room of the Fullerton Public Library has microfilm from the Fullerton Tribune newspaper stretching back to 1893. I am in the process of reading over the microfilm, year by year, to get…

  • Orange County Vietnam Veterans Against the War

    The following is from a work-in-progress about the history of Fullerton. You can support my ongoing research and writing on Patreon. Orange County has long had a well-deserved reputation as a bastian of right-wing conservatism. In the 1960s and early 1970s, the John Birch Society had a strong influence in shaping the consensus of the county.…

  • Kids of the Black Hole: Punk in Southern California

    The following is from a work-in-progress about the history of Fullerton. You can support my ongoing research and writing on Patreon. In the book Kids of the Black Hole: Punk Rock in Postsuburban California, Dewar Macleod writes, “For those whose eyes and ears were open, who were waiting for something to happen in a world where…

  • God Save The Beard!: Part 2

    The following is from a work-in-progress about the history of Fullerton. You can support my ongoing research and writing on Patreon. Here is part two of a story about an obscenity trial held in Fullerton City Hall in 1967. Part 1 introduces this fascinating episode in local history in which ultra-conservative politicians like John Schmitz (a…

  • God Save The Beard! (part 1)

    The following is from a work-in-progress about the history of Fullerton. You can support my ongoing research and writing on Patreon. In 1967, amid the turmoil of the Civil Rights movement, the anti-war movement, and all the other social and cultural turbulence facing America, a battle for academic freedom was waged in Fullerton City Hall. The…

  • Free Lecture: News Stories of Early Fullerton!

    I’ll be giving a free lecture this Friday, May 5 at ModelMania during the Downtown Fullerton Art Walk. The subject of my talk will be “News Stories of Early Fullerton.” The Local History Room of the Fullerton Public Library has microfilm from the Fullerton Tribune newspaper stretching back to 1893. I am in the process of reading…

  • Fullerton Tribune Headlines: 1904

    The following is from a work-in-progress about the history of Fullerton. You can support my ongoing research and writing on Patreon. The Local History Room of the Fullerton Public Library has microfilm from the Fullerton Tribune newspaper stretching back to 1893. I am in the process of reading over the microfilm, year by year, to get…

  • Remembering the 1970 Student Strike at CSUF

    Remembering the 1970 Student Strike at CSUF

    The following is from a work-in-progress about the history of Fullerton. You can support my ongoing research and writing on Patreon. In the Spring semester of 1970, in the midst of the Vietnam War and growing student movements across the country, a minor revolution happened locally involving thousands of student protesters, riot police, violence, the takeover…

  • Oral Histories: Jewel Plummer Cobb

    Oral Histories: Jewel Plummer Cobb

    The following is from a work-in-progress about the history of Fullerton. You can support my ongoing research and writing on Patreon. “Be kind, everyone is fighting a hard battle.” –Jewel Plummer Cobb In an age when young people tend to idolize celebrities, and ignore those making real contributions to the world, it is refreshing to hear…

  • Oral Histories: George Mickle

    The following is from a work-in-progress about the history of Fullerton. You can support my ongoing research and writing on Patreon. In 1978, George Mickle was interviewed by Anne Riley for the Fullerton College Oral History Program. Mickle was a groundskeeper for Fullerton Union High School and Fullerton College from 1926 until 1941. Here are some…