This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!
Irvine Ranch Feud Shapes Rail Rivalry and Settlement
A 1887 standoff on the Irvine Ranch pitted locals with shotguns against Southern Pacific workers. Longtime feud between James Irvine and Collis Huntington helped fuel competition as Irvine's brother George struck a deal with Santa Fe, yielding right of way and station rights that eased railroad access.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Southern Pacific Railroad
Irvine
James Irvine
Southern Pacific
Collis P. Huntington
California
San Francisco Bay
Benjamin Flint
Rancho
San Joaquin
Huntington
Ber
Big Four
Central
Santa Fe
Los Angeles
San Diego
Stephen Donaldson
Orange Groves
George
George Irvine
The
Robert Glass Cleland
Cleland
Irvine Ranch
Irvine Historical Museum