• Louis Plummer’s History of Fullerton Union High School and Fullerton College: Part I

    The following is from a work-in-progress about the history of Fullerton. You can support my ongoing research and writing on Patreon. In 1949, Louis E. Plummer, former superintendent of Fullerton High School and Fullerton College, published a book entitled A History of the Fullerton Union High School and Fullerton Junior College 1893-1943. His book is packed…

  • Early Settlers: Abe Pritchard

    The following is from a work-in-progress about the history of Fullerton. You can support my ongoing research and writing on Patreon. Abe Pritchard was born in Quebec, Canada in 1865 to James and Eliza Pritchard, farmers who had ten children. After his parents died, he continued with the family farm with his brother Robert until 1900, when…

  • Early Settlers: Danforth C. Cowles (doctor)

    The following is from a work-in-progress about the history of Fullerton. You can support my ongoing research and writing on Patreon. Dr. Danforth C. Cowles was born in Richmond, Virginia in 1875. His father was Dr. Ransom F. Cowles, who served as a surgeon in the Confederate army during the Civil War. In his early years…

  • Early Settlers: O.V. Knowlton

    The following is from a work-in-progress about the history of Fullerton. You can support my ongoing research and writing on Patreon. O.V. Knowlton was born in Pennsylvania in 1848, the son of Charles and Cornelia Knowlton. When he was only three weeks old his father was murdered. In 1851 his mother took him to Illinois. She died…

  • Early Settlers: William Thomas Brown

    The following is from a work-in-progress about the history of Fullerton. You can support my ongoing research and writing on Patreon. William Thomas Brown was the first president of the Fullerton Chamber of Commerce and according to biographer Samuel Armor “an early advocate of the most enthusiastic sort of good roads, able to boast with pride that…

  • Early Settlers: The Porter Family

    The following is from a work-in-progress about the history of Fullerton. You can support my ongoing research and writing on Patreon. Benjamin Franklin Porter was born in Tennessee and grew up in Texas. According to biographer Samuel Armor, “He was a  plantation holder in that commonwealth [Texas], and was therefore always a man of influence.” He migrated…

  • Early Settlers: Alex Henderson (blacksmith)

    The following is from a work-in-progress about the history of Fullerton. You can support my ongoing research and writing on Patreon. Alex Henderson was born in Scotland in 1866. When he was five years old he immigrated with his parents Peter and Margaret to Ontario, Canada. At age 19 he apprenticed to learn the blacksmith trade.  After working…

  • Early Settlers: Andrew Rorden

    The following is from a work-in-progress about the history of Fullerton. You can support my ongoing research and writing on Patreon. Andrew Rorden was born on the Island of Fohr in the former duchy of  Schleswig-Holstein, now a part of Germany. In 1872 he immigrated to America and worked for three years for William McFadden in…

  • Charles Chapman and the Citrus Industry

    The following is from a work-in-progress about the history of Fullerton. You can support my ongoing research and writing on Patreon. Charles C. Chapman was Fullerton’s first mayor, and he has been called “The Father of the Citrus Industry.” He was hugely influential in shaping the early direction of Fullerton. But who was he? Where did…

  • The Roots of Inequality: The Citrus Industry Prospered on the Back of Segregated Immigrant Labor

    The following is from a work-in-progress about the history of Fullerton. You can support my ongoing research and writing on Patreon. It’s no secret that Orange County, including Fullerton, was built on oranges. During the first half of the 20th century, the County became a major producer of citrus for both the United States and the…