Holiday excitement is in the air. As November arrives we of course recall the famous story of the first Thanksgiving: the 1621 feast of good harvest between the pilgrims and the Wampanoag tribe. But what about the other European explorers who had celebrated their arrival on the Floridian peninsula a century before?
In honor of Veterans Day, The Costa Mesa Historical Society presents its annual salute to our veterans with U.S. Air Force Captain Gary Barnhill on Sunday, November 17, 2019. Captain Gary Barnhill, illustrious Air Force pilot whose missions included hazardous and challenging F-105 missions over North Vietnam in the highest threat air environment of the entire Viet Nam War, will share his presentation “Downtown, everything is waiting for you” from Petula Clark’s 1964 hit song. “Downtown” referred…
In the October 2019 Fairview Register, we look back on the life of Refugio Leon, tell some scary stories, preview the society elections, and look forward to theater legend Tom Titus's opening of this year's Speaker Series.
November is fast approaching and so are our annual elections. This is where you, our members, have the opportunity to become a candidate or nominate another member to serve on our board and help set the direction of the Historical Society.
Society VP Bob Palazzola says: "We knew that the need for volunteers was always an ongoing problem. However, I was surprised to find out that it was even a concern for ghosts of our building."
We get lots of visits from regular Costa Mesans who want to know about the things that go bump in the night. This month we celebrate Halloween by sharing a few of the spooky inquiries we’ve gotten.
History books don’t always mention men like Refugio Leon. But thanks to a 2003 oral history at the Historical Society Museum, his story can be told.
The Costa Mesa Historical Society is pleased to announce that actor/director/theater reviewer Tom Titus will be our speaker on Sunday October 20, 2019 . Tom Titus was born in 1938, in Corry, Pennsylvania, where he was raised as the only child of Warren and Helen Titus and graduated from high school in 1956. Shortly afterward he embarked on a 60+-year career in journalism when he became sports editor of the Corry Evening Journal. After four years on…
In the September 2019 Fairview Register, Cory Smith remembers the Imoto family, and we focus on upcoming events, report on the Heroes' Hall groundbreaking, and say farewell to this year's Concerts in the Park. Fairview Register September 2019
The Costa Mesa Playhouse has been entertaining audiences since 1965. But how did it get started? We look at the fascinating origins of this local institution and the extraordinary women who made it possible.