Read more about the article The Costa Mesa Songbook
A detail of the sheet music to Joan Hoadley's "Costa Mesa Plateau", the first song written about Costa Mesa.

The Costa Mesa Songbook

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Did you know that over two dozen songs have name-dropped Costa Mesa? Over ten of them have appeared in the past five years alone. And in a variety of genres, too: rock, reggae, alternative, Christian, electronica, you name it. Everyone loves to sing about our town. Let us know if there's anything we missed!

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Fairview Register for September 2018

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Check out the latest edition of our monthly newsletter: Fairview Register September 2018 Table of Contents Remembering Hank Panian Join us at the 71st Annual Fish Fry Society Welcomes New Intern Archivist Offers Course for Society Volunteers Protecting Costa Mesa’s Native American Heritage A New Mannequin at the Adobe A West Coast Woodstock?

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A New Look at the Adobe

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Thanks to a joint effort of society volunteers, a new mannequin has been added to the Diego Sepulveda Adobe. It’s hoped the mannequin, representing a young woman from around the 1860s, will illustrate period dress, spark conversation, and add a splash of color, craftsmanship, and beauty to the adobe’s Victorian Room. The mannequin was purchased with the personal funds of Art and Mary Ellen Goddard, who then donated it to the society. It replaces a taller mannequin…

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Protecting Costa Mesa’s Native American Heritage

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The Costa Mesa Historical Society preserves several documents written by Dr. Keith Dixon, a leader in the effort to protect the Native American site in Fairview Park (4-ORA-58). Taken together, Dixon’s 1971 draft of the site’s National Register of Historic Places nomination and his proposal to turn the archeological site into an open-air museum present a compelling case both for the preservation of the site’s past as well as a bold, if unrealized, vision for its future.…

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A West Coast Woodstock?

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2018 marks the 50th anniversary of a historic music festival remembered as much for its unpredictably large crowds, last minute venue changes, food and water shortages, challenging weather, and mud-loving concertgoers as it is for its lineup of legends like Eric Burden, the Grateful Dead, and Jefferson Airplane. No, not that festival. We’re talking about the Newport Pop Festival, held right here on the OC Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa August 3-4, 1968. While it’s largely forgotten now,…

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Archivist Offers Course for Society Volunteers

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This September Mary Ellen Goddard, archivist for the historical society, will be offering four free hourlong seminars on archival practice. Topics include ethics, search methods, cataloguing, boxing/storage, preservation, and acquisition criteria. All society volunteers are invited to learn how archivists can help researchers take advantage of our rich collection. To learn more, sign up below or call us at 949-631-5918.

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Society Welcomes New Intern

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Augustin Espinoza is a history and political science major from Vanguard University who will be interning with the historical society over the fall term. Augustin will work on Mondays and Fridays for the next few months for a total of 90 hours, culminating in a letter grade. His primary work will be to develop a finding aid for Nell Murbarger’s non-local photographs. Next time you see him, be sure to say hello!

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Remembering Hank Panian

Historical Society Charter Member Henry S. “Hank” Panian passed from this life on July 14. In addition to his career as a history professor at Orange Coast College and a dedicated family man, Hank made time for community service and your Historical Society. Hank became a charter member of the Historical Society in 1966. Since that time he has: Served with distinction on our board of directors Co-authored the Historical Society Quarterly from 1977-1987 Served as a…

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