About OCHS
The Orange Community Historical Society (OCHS) was founded in 1973 and serves as the focal point for those interested in the history of Orange and its surrounding area. The OCHS and its members host events, and contribute to many community activities by providing information about our heritage and by supplying written and photographic resources for those wishing to learn more about our legacy.
We welcome everyone! Join us today.
OCHS Events
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Next OCHS Public Event
During this FREE community program hear David-James Gonzales, Assistant Professor of History at Brigham Young University and a native of Southern California, as he discusses his new book “Breaking Down the Walls of Segregation: Mexican American Grassroots Politics and Civil Rights in Orange County, California“.
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Last OCHS Free Program
Members of the community joined us for our Election meeting and Program as we viewed Eric Vogelvang's latest film on The Pacific Electric in Orange! It premiered at the historic Sonlight Christian Center at 172 N. Glassell Street. (Seasoned residents will remember it as The Orange Theater building, finished in the 1920s by Michael Eltiste.)
We had a short meeting to elect our 2026 Board of Directors, enjoyed a little film on the history of the Sonlight church, then moved on to an interesting short film researched and produced by local member Eric Vogelvang. He combines dogged research on the Pacific Electric Big Red Cars in Orange with a little computer generated magic to bring to life this interesting topic.
If you missed the program it can be viewed at https://youtu.be/irhJQuZpNjE
OCHS Mission
The mission of the Orange Community Historical Society is to commemorate the rich heritage of the City of Orange community. Our purpose is to promote research, events, activities and programs celebrating Orange history; sponsor local history endeavors; and remain self-supporting through memberships, donation bequests and special projects while collecting photographs, written materials and related ephemera and making them available to the public.
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Ready to take the next step? You can become a member, and participate in our mission of collecting and preserving history and our area’s rich heritage.