Roundup: March 9, 2016

Almansor Court – 700 S. Almansor, Alhambra, CA
Social Hour: 5:00 PM
Dinner: 6:00 PM

Our Speaker: Paul F. Clark
His Subject: “The Yale Grove: A Pioneer Citrus Ranch in Southern California”

Southern California left behind cattle ranches to become a citrus empire in the late 19th Century. The Yale Grove, from its 1875 establishment by Albert B. Clark, epitomized this changeover.  Clark operated his successful orange ranch in the community of Orange and was a pioneer irrigationist and citrus marketer. Albert’s life was cut short in 1883, but his widow, Mary Teegarden Clark, remembered his accomplishments in her writings, which were illustrated by the celebrated California photographer, Carleton Watkins. Paul Clark’s presentation explores unique aspects of the Yale Grove Citrus Ranch, and showcases Watkins outstanding photographs. 

Paul Clark grew up in Orange County, witnessing its conversion from citrus groves to housing tracts. He received his B.A and M.A. degrees in history from California State University, Fullerton, then worked for the Riverside County Planning Department for nearly 30 years, until retiring in 2009.  Much of  Paul’s career was spent in the Coachella Valley, where he still resides in Palm Desert. He is a member (and past president) of the Orange Community Historical Society, a member of the Orange County Historical Society, of the American Institute of Certified Planners, and, of course, the Los Angeles Corral of Westerners. Paul writes for regional historical journals, including the Branding Iron, and was proud to edit (2013) the memoirs of his great-grandmother, Mary Teegarden Clark, Pioneer Ranch Life in Orange: A Victorian Woman in Southern California, the work upon which his March, 2016, presentation is largely based.

Brian Dervin Dillon
Deputy Sheriff