Description
This collection comprises the personal materials, correspondence, writings, and extensive research files of historian and
bibliophile Don Meadows. A small group of files documents the writings of Frances Meadows on Mary Refugio Carpenter Pleasants
and other Orange County historical figures. The bulk of this collection consists of geographically organized archival materials,
largely printed ephemera, dating from the early- to mid-19th through the late 20th centuries relating to Orange County, other
Southern California counties, and Baja California. These materials reflect some of Meadows' historical interests and document
a wide range of cultural, social, political, and economic facets of Southern California history. Principal topics covered
include: agriculture and ranching; businesses; education; government and politics; health care; museums and cultural institutions;
publishing, including newspaper publication; organizations and institutions; prominent people; area promotion, tourism, and
advertising; real estate; recreation and entertainment; religion; transportation; water issues; and weather.
Background
Don Meadows was a prominent Orange County historian and scholar. Meadows was born in Shoals, Indiana on October 20, 1897 and
his family moved to Orange County, California in 1903. He graduated from Pomona College in 1922 and received an M.S. in Ecological
Studies from the University of California, Berkeley in 1931. He worked as a high school biology instructor, which included
a position at Avalon High School on Santa Catalina Island. In addition to his teaching career, he also worked as a field supervisor
for a biological survey of the Channel Islands, and Park Naturalist at the Big Basin Redwoods and Calaveras Big Trees State
Parks.
Extent
89.3 Linear Feet
(150 boxes and 109 oversize folders) and 3.5 unprocessed linear feet
Restrictions
Property rights reside with the University of California. Copyrights are retained by the creators of the records and their
heirs. For permission to reproduce or to publish, please contact the Head of Special Collections and Archives.
Availability
The collection is open for research.