Pictorials category: 9720 books

Evolving from a 27,000-acre rancho, to a colony of farmers, and then to a neighborhood subdivision, Long Beach�s Los Cerritos is the story of a fiercely independent community established prior to William Willmore�s vision of a city of Long Beach took hold. Life centered around the historic Rancho...

A resort community surrounded by mountains, Ojai is the gateway to Los Padres National Forest, the Sespe Creek Valley, and Lake Casitas Recreational Area. The setting offers inspiring views of and from Chief Peak and the majestic Topa Topa bluffs. The sleepy, spa reputation of Ojai (pronounced Oh-hi)...

In 1878, Charles Erskine Scott Wood, builder of the Cats Estate, wrote �Good citizens are the riches of a city.� From its beginning, Los Gatos has suffered no shortage of hardworking, inventive, entrepreneurial, and gifted people. Early orchardists found the land unbelievably productive, but their...

Photography is a wonderful skill that people can learn as long as they put in the effort and hard work. The best way to do this is by making the most out of every opportunity and mastering the skills required. Many people tend to gravitate toward portraits, because they are a great way to capture...

Three emerging communities from the partitioned Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana formed the improbable start for a city that would eventually proclaim itself the �City of the Arts.� These farming communities�Fairview, Paularino, and Harper�attracted families and businesspeople. Community leaders...

Union City was formed by the merging of two communities, Alvarado and Decoto. In the early 1850s, Alvarado was founded as a place to ship local produce to San Francisco. When Alameda County was created in 1853, Alvarado became the county seat and the hub of business activity for the county. The proximity...

Several visionaries shaped the character that defines present-day Mission Hills. First, there was Sarah Miller, stepdaughter of Captain Johnston of the SS Orizaba. She inherited land from him and built a dream home overlooking Old Town and the Pacific Ocean. There was also Kate Sessions, the mother...

Long before the Gold Rush drew settlers from the East, the land that would one day be developed into the town of Moraga was situated on a large rancho owned by the Moraga family. Nestled amongst hills just east of Oakland and Berkeley, the Moraga Valley of the 19th century attracted cattle ranchers...

By 1885, Daniel Freeman owned a successful 25,000-acre ranch along the coastline in Southern California. That year, he sold parcels to J.S. Vosberg, and this became the site of the town of El Segundo. The Standard Oil Company of California purchased 840 acres of dunes in June 1911, and R.J. Hanna...

With a population of more than 48,000, Buckeye is the ninth-fastest growing municipality in the United States. The town�s rapid growth has left many longtime residents wondering what happened to the place where they grew up. Originally an agricultural community, Buckeye has embraced the 21st century,...

Chief Warumbee sold Ten Miles Falls in 1678, and a century later, the first Lisbon settlement was established along the Androscoggin River. The water's mammoth power generated thousands of jobs and shaped a way of life for Lisbon's earliest citizens. Near beautiful cascading waterfalls, European immigrants...

Chino Valley was once part of the immense Rancho Santa Ana del Chino grant conferred in 1841 to Don Antonio Lugo, the former alcalde of Los Angeles. Forty years later, a portion of the rancho was sold to Richard Gird, an American entrepreneur and prospector from Tombstone, Arizona. With characteristic...

Matagorda County is centered in the Texas Coastal Bend at the crossroads of the Colorado River and the Gulf of Mexico. The name Matagorda, Spanish for �thick brush,� was derived from the canebrakes that formerly lined the extensive shoreline. This vast coastal prairie is rich in history and tradition,...

Welcome to Woodstock, a picturesque Victorian town built around a town square. Originally called Centerville, Woodstock was selected as the county seat of McHenry County in 1843 because of its location almost exactly in the center of the county. Over the decades, Woodstock has welcomed those who came...