ORANGE COUNTY ALMANAC : Hardly a Vintage Year
The grape industry in Anaheim was wiped out in 1886 by what came to be known as Anaheim Disease.
German settlers began growing grapes in 1857, and within a year vines were thriving on more than 1,100 acres. But 28 years later, the disease attacked all varieties, destroying vines down to the roots. The malaise even spread into the hills, killing wild grapes.
Source: “Reflections in Orange” by Warren Morgan
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