Orange County Almanac

Irvine is Orange County’s largest city in terms of land mass.

But the original Irvine Ranch was many times larger.

At the turn of the century, the ranch represented nearly one-third of the entire county.

It covered land from the Pacific Ocean north to Yorba Linda, taking in portions of Newport Beach, Tustin and Orange.

A map of the ranch laid over one of Los Angeles County would show the ranch covering an area equivalent to the distance from the San Fernando Valley to Compton, according to the book “Irvine.”

The ranch was considered one of California’s most productive agricultural centers. In 1886, the estate was valued at $1.2 million.

Today

Laurry Bishop, director of information sciences at Brea-Olinda High School, will lead an adventure on the information superhighway.

Bishop will show how on-line networking has become part of life of teachers and students and will help the public experience the world of cyberspace.

The free meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. in the library at Brea-Olinda High School, 789 Wildcat Way. Participants should park at the top of the hill and look for the American Assn. of University Women signs. Call (714) 529-2645 for more information.