Donald Meadows, Orange County Historian and Author, Dies at 97

Donald C. Meadows, scientist, journalist, teacher and Orange County historian, has died at age 97.

Meadows, who lived in Orange County 82 years, authored or co-authored seven books, including “Historic Place Names of Orange County,” which lists more than 650 place names and their origins.

“He had so many different interests,” said his son, Donald Frances Meadows, a retired professor of English and German at Yuba Community College in Yuba City, where Meadows moved in 1985 to be close to his son. “He belonged to almost every historical society in Orange County.”

Meadows’ interest in history began with a 1905 visit to Mission San Juan Capistrano. Friends at the mission allowed him access to mission records and the Mission and Rancho periods of Orange County became his specialty.

Meadows was a reporter for newspapers in San Pedro and Long Beach. Then, from 1936 to 1941, he taught California history in the Long Beach Unified School District.

Meadows’ wide interests also took him into other fields. He worked as an entomologist for the California Department of Agriculture and as a naturalist in several state parks.

Meadows was one of the founders of the Friends of the UC Irvine Library and in 1972 sold a widely sought-after collection of 4,000 books, pamphlets, brochures and railroad timetables to the library.

Longtime friend and fellow historian Jim Sleeper said Meadows “was extremely generous in sharing his material (on Orange County history) and was certainly my mentor.”

Born in Shoals, Ind., Meadows was 6 years old when his family settled in Orange, where he lived until he and his wife Frances moved to Tustin in 1957.

Meadows is survived by his son, two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

He died at his home.

“It is not a sad passing,” Sleeper said. “He is best commemorated by what he wrote and his influence on the younger generation of historians. My personal loss is of a very close friend who shared many hours of good conversation and good-natured kidding.”