Orange County Almanac
Orange County got its first regional park in 1897 when James Irvine Sr. donated 160 acres of land to the county.
Irvine stipulated that the park remain in a natural setting and that admission be free. He also demanded that the county not harvest any trees on the property.
The park, east of Orange, included a natural lake. Visitors could rent rowboats and navigate on the lake. The county surrounded the land with barbed wire and erected an ornate entry archway proclaiming the site Orange County Park. For a while, the county even operated a seven-room Swiss-style lodge on the site. In 1926, the county changed the park’s name to Irvine Regional Park.
Today
The Buena Park Senior Center is offering free advice concerning wills.
Attorneys at the Wills Clinic will help senior citizens who have estates valued at less than $500,000 prepare their wills. The clinic will continue next month, but all participants must attend today’s introductory session. The clinic is being sponsored by the American Heart Assn. and the Orange County Estate Planning Attorneys. The session runs from 10 a.m. to noon at the Senior Center, 8150 Knott Ave. Registration: (714) 562-3898.
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