Orange County Almanac
The “Placentia Grass Hopper Eaters” is the name newspapers gave to a religious colony that lived in the city from 1876 to 1922.
That group was led by George Risdale Hinde. The colonists lived on 24 acres off Placentia Avenue in what they called the Societas Fraternia.
The group shunned all outside contact and adhered to a strict diet, according to the book “Historic Place Names in Orange County.” No one knows if they really ate grasshoppers.
When colonists died, their bodies were burned on the compound--a fact that raised concern on the part of local officials. The group generated much outside curiosity.
The last of the colonists died in 1922.
Today
The Brea Gallery will offer a puppet-making workshop as part of the “International Puppets and Marionettes” exhibition.
The show, which will continue through March 17, features about 200 rare puppets and marionettes from Asia, Africa, South America and Europe.
The puppet-making workshop at the gallery is for 5- to 12-year-olds and will be repeated Feb. 25. The gallery is on the plaza level of the Brea Civic & Cultural Center at 1 Civic Center Circle.
Information: (714) 990-7730.
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