Lovers of local history enjoyed tours of the Diego Sepulveda Adobe, live music by the Sweetwater Creek Band, and plenty of snacks at this year’s Early California Days event in Estancia Park.
A talk by cultural anthropologist Stephen O’Neil highlighted the day. O’Neil began with Spanish accounts of the Portolá expedition, then enriched the narrative with native perspectives. He drew a vivid picture of pre-colonial abundance: of water, trade, and people.
O’Neil also updated the record on Costa Mesa’s native history. Genga was the village in Fairview Park, he said, not Lukup, as was once thought.
