‘OC History Hunters’ track down big game throughout the county’s legendary past
Tracking down locations, people and artifacts that played a significant role in shaping Orange County’s rich and storied past isn’t difficult, if you know where to look.
Two local history buffs, and co-hosts of the new and locally produced television show “OC History Hunters,” have combined their talents and interests, honed over decades of scholarly research and experience, to bag the big game for a regional audience.
Former Orange County Supervisor and state Sen. John Moorlach, a Costa Mesa resident, recently teamed up with former Los Angeles Times columnist, author and Huntington Beach historian Chris Epting to create the show’s initial episodes, which take viewers on a series of adventures designed to entertain and edify.
The first 27-minute episode — ”OC Baseball’s Hidden Gems” — explored local venues that, unbeknownst to many, hosted baseball greats such as Babe Ruth, Satchel Paige and Joe DiMaggio. The segment premiered Nov. 6 on PBS SoCal’s KLCS-TV.
A second installment in January showcased the untold rock ‘n’ roll history of Orange County, the birthplace of iconic bands like No Doubt and the Runaways. It featured a taping in Anaheim, on the former site of the Harmony Park Ballroom, where American songwriter Richard Berry penned hit “Louie, Louie” in 1955.
Sort of a cross between a traditional documentary and a history-hopping road trip not dissimilar to Huell Howser’s “California’s Gold,” the show is crafted to give Orange County its due as a place where history, art and culture converge.
“Orange County, to me, has never really been taken as seriously as Los Angeles County, in terms of cultural touch points,” Epting said Monday, during a busy production day in Silverado Canyon. “There’s a lot of history that people don’t realize happened here.”
“The list is infinite of what you can do here,” agreed Moorlach.
The co-hosting producers convened with a small film crew outside Arden, the famous Santiago Creekside retreat of 19th-century Shakespearean actress Helena Modjeska, which today serves as a historic house and museum.
In an introductory scene, they offered hints at some of what that episode would reveal, including the spot of the last recorded sighting of a grizzly bear in California and a talk with Farmers & Merchant Bank Chief Executive Daniel Walker, whose family owned the Modjeska House from 1923 until 1986.
Nearby, during a deadly 1857 ambush led by the outlaw Juan Flores, Los Angeles County Sheriff James Barton was killed.
The episode is Moorlach and Epting’s fourth historical venture together; aside from the two that already premiered, a third is in the editing stages.
Their styles are not so much opposite as complementary — Moorlach brings an almost native fascination with the area and its historical landmarks, while Epting, who grew up on the East Coast and worked in advertising before moving to Southern California in the ’80s, lends what he describes as more of an outsider’s perspective.
“John grew up here, and I didn’t,” he explained. “So he’s the homegrown, deeply rooted historian, and I tend to bring those little-known nuggets that make good conversation. From that comes this good thing.”
Though the two historians, brought together by their mutual interests and involvements, have been friends for years, their partnership on camera has been fostered under the direction of Scott Hays, executive producer of production company OC World.
Moorlach recounted Hays reaching out to him last summer and describing the concept behind “OC History Hunters.”
“He said, ‘We’re thinking of doing a history program. Would you be interested?’” he recalled. “I said I would jump on that. Then I told him, ‘You’ve got to meet Chris Epting.’”
Hays, who co-produced the PBS SoCal public affairs program “Inside OC” with award-winning journalist Rick Reiff, recalled teaming up with former UC Irvine Vice Chancellor Manuel Gómez to develop a nonprofit multimedia company that would focus on stories relevant to an Orange County audience.
The result was OC World, whose public affairs news and features segments air on PBS SoCal affiliate station KLCS-TV and are archived on the team’s YouTube channel.
“I decided there was this gap in coverage here in Orange County, and I was immediately attracted to [Gomez],” Hays said. “He’s one of those individuals who is highly respected in his field and, beyond that, he’s a very respectful person.”
The pair launched the production company just as the COVID-19 pandemic was beginning to shut down studios but managed to release a few documentary shorts. As restrictions began to ease, the workflow picked back up and hasn’t stopped as episodes feature sit-down interviews with industry and agency leaders from throughout the county.
From the outset, Hays said he envisioned “OC History Hunters” as its own standalone program with a decidedly different feel.
“It weaves together in kind of a quirky way. But, quite honestly, I like it, because it’s interesting and it’s different,” he said. “We’re open to all sorts of stories. For me, it’s all about the storytelling. Does it tell a good, compelling story? If it does, I’m in.”
For more information on “OC History Hunters,” visit ochistoryhunters.com. Find OC World’s full lineup of programs online at youtube.com/@ocworldtv.
All the latest on Orange County from Orange County.
Get our free TimesOC newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Daily Pilot.
