As part of my research of Fullerton history, I will often read books about California history more broadly, to help give context for local events. Such a book is Pio Pico: The Last Governor of Mexican California by Carlos Manuel Salomon. Pio Pico is often not given his just place in California history, and this…

The following is from a work-in-progress about the history of Fullerton. You can support my ongoing research and writing on Patreon. Any history of a human settlement must begin with “first families.” In the history of Fullerton, this “first family” is often considered to be the Ameriges, the brothers George and Edward, two commodities merchants from…

The following is from a work-in-progress about the history of Fullerton. You can support my ongoing research and writing on Patreon. In fourth grade I, like every other kid who attends public school in California, had to build a model of a mission. The state-sponsored curriculum taught me that these were sites where kindly Spanish padres…

The following is from a work-in-progress about the history of Fullerton. You can support my ongoing research and writing on Patreon. For thousands of years, the native Americans who inhabited the Los Angeles basin and North Orange County, including Fullerton, (called the Gabrieleno Band of Mission Indians Kizh Nation, or just Kizh) had no documented interactions…

The following is from a work-in-progress about the history of Fullerton. You can support my ongoing research and writing on Patreon. The area which the Kizh (Fullerton’s first inhabitants) inhabited was vast (encompassing the LA basin and North Orange County), and there is archaeological evidence of their habitation and presence in Fullerton. In Fullerton: a Pictorial…

The following is from a work-in-progress about the history of Fullerton. You can support my ongoing research and writing on Patreon. The source for the following information is an excellent book called The First Angelinos by William McCawley. The Kizh homeland, McCawley explains, “offered an environment rich in natural resources. This wealth of resources, coupled with an effective…

The following is from a work-in-progress about the history of Fullerton. You can support my ongoing research and writing on Patreon. Tribal Leadership (The Tomyaar) The source for the following information is an excellent book called The First Angelinos by William McCawley. Prior to European contact, the total Kizh population is estimated to be around 5,000…

The following is from a work-in-progress about the history of Fullerton. You can support my ongoing research and writing on Patreon. We learned From Fullerton College geology professor Rick Lozinsky about the geologic history of Fullerton. Next, I would like to discuss some of the natural history of this area–its early plant and animal life.…

The following is from a work-in-progress about the history of Fullerton. You can support my ongoing research and writing on Patreon. The tribe that originally occupied North Orange County and Los Angeles has been called different names over the years. Historians often refer to them as Gabrielenos or Gabrielinos, because that’s what the Spanish missionaries…

The following is from a work-in-progress about the history of Fullerton. You can support my ongoing research and writing on Patreon. Professor Richard (Rick) Lozinsky has taught geology at Fullerton College for the past 30 years. He recently published the third edition of his book Our Backyard Geology, which is about the geology of Orange County…