Historian Revisits New Deal’s Impact in OC

March 5, 2015

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The oil-on-canvas mural “Orange Pickers” commissioned by the Works Progress Administration of artist Paul Julian depicts Fullerton industries including citrus, oil and aviation. This government program provided needy artists with work. It’s one of the example that will be included in the presentation.

History scholar Charles Epting will revisit New Deal era landmarks in Orange County at a free 7:30 p.m. Laguna Beach Historical Society presentation Tuesday, March 10, at Laguna Beach City Hall.

The program will include a visual tour of the buildings, bridges, and other infrastructure

The 1935 sewage treatment plant was built with a Public Works Administration loan and grant funds, combined with local bond funds. Although the plant is no longer used, the distinctive tower remains, used by the police department to store case evidence.

gains — many still in use — that were revitalized by the Works Progress Administration, Civilian Conservation Corps and other Roosevelt administration agencies, with a special emphasis on the programs’ impact on Laguna Beach.

Epting recently graduated from the University of Southern California with a dual degree in history and geology. He intends to pursue a doctoral degree in 20th century U.S. history. His first book, “University Park, Los Angeles,” was released in 2013, followed by “The New Deal in Orange County, Orange County’s Pioneers,” and the forthcoming “Victorian Los Angeles.” He is also a research associate for UC Berkeley’s “Living New Deal.”