• Oral Histories: C. Stanley Chapman

    The following is from a work-in-progress about the history of Fullerton. You can support my ongoing research and writing on Patreon. C. Stanley Chapman, son of Fullerton’s first mayor Charles Chapman, was interviewed in 1976 for the California State University Fullerton Oral History Program by Nita June Busby. Here are some excerpts from that interview, along…

  • Fullerton Tribune Headlines: 1896-97

    Fullerton Tribune Headlines: 1896-97

    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 skimming over the microfilm, year by year, to get…

  • George Esmay (railroad agent/banker/mechanic)

    The following is from a work-in-progress about the history of Fullerton. You can support my ongoing research and writing on Patreon. George Esmay was born in Jackson County, Iowa in 1859. As a young man he worked as a carpenter, then became a railroad operator. In 1883, he married Ettie May Garlick, whose father James had been active…

  • Arthur R. Marsom: Developer/Builder

    The following is from a work-in-progress about the history of Fullerton. You can support my ongoing research and writing on Patreon. Arthur R. Marsom was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1871. As a young man he learned the trade of carriage painter. In 1898, he moved to California and worked as a contractor building houses in…

  • Early Settlers: Harvey B. Royer (railroad machinist/rancher)

    The following is from a work-in-progress about the history of Fullerton. You can support my ongoing research and writing on Patreon. “An expert machinist who has proven himself to be a successful  rancher is Harvey B. Royer,” biographer Samuel Armor wrote in 1921, “one of the dependable employees of the Santa Fe Railroad since 1909 and…

  • Early Settlers: Albert H. Sitton (auto mechanic/dealer)

    The following is from a work-in-progress about the history of Fullerton. You can support my ongoing research and writing on Patreon. “The development of the automobile industry has led to the creation of various related enterprises, among them being that of the modern garage; and these enterprises have called for the  brains, experience and aggressive initiative of thousands…

  • Early Settlers: Edwin Till (rancher)

    The following is from a work-in-progress about the history of Fullerton. You can support my ongoing research and writing on Patreon. Edwin Till was born in London, England in 1856, the son of Edwin and Eliza Till. In 1884 he married Adelaide Wyatt in London. They had two sons: Fredric and James. The family immigrated to the…

  • Oral Histories: Juanita Ferraris on the Bastanchury Family

    The following is from a work-in-progress about the history of Fullerton. You can support my ongoing research and writing on Patreon. Juanita Ferraris’ grandfather was Domingo Bastanchury, a Basque rancher who was one of the first settlers on the land that would become Fullerton. The extensive Bastanchury Ranch was, at its height, one of the largest…

  • Oral Histories: Elma Ames (Librarian)

    The following is from a work-in-progress about the history of Fullerton. You can support my ongoing research and writing on Patreon. Elma Ames, a long time librarian of Fullerton, was interviewed in 1972 by Shirley E. Stephenson for the Community History Project of the CSUF Oral History Program. Here are some excerpts from that interview, along…

  • The Fullerton Tribune: 1895 Edition!

    The following is from a work-in-progress about the history of Fullerton. You can support my ongoing research and writing on Patreon. My latest research has taken me to the microfilm archives at the Local History Room of the Fullerton Public Library, in which I am reading, year by year, the archives of the local newspaper, The…