Modjeska Canyon, California

Last updated

Modjeska Canyon, California
The Arden Helena Modjeska House.jpg
The Modjeska House, a historical landmark in the community
USA California location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Modjeska Canyon, California
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Modjeska Canyon, California
Coordinates: 33°42′39″N117°38′32″W / 33.7108528°N 117.6422719°W / 33.7108528; -117.6422719
Country United States
State California
County Orange
Area
  Total2.004 sq mi (5.19 km2)
  Land2.004 sq mi (5.19 km2)
  Water0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation
[1]
1,312 ft (400 m)
Population
 (2020)
  Total632
  Density320/sq mi (120/km2)
Time zone UTC-8 (PST)
  Summer (DST) UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code
92676
Area code 714
GNIS feature ID2805246 [1]

Modjeska Canyon is an unincorporated community and census designated place (CDP) on the western slope of the Santa Ana Mountains in eastern Orange County, California. It is a suburban community of several hundred residents, with a small park and a volunteer fire station. The ZIP Code is 92676, and the community is inside area code 714.[ citation needed ]

Contents

The canyon is also the location of the Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary. Most of the canyon is bordered by the Cleveland National Forest. The community of Modjeska is very tight knit, hosting several in-canyon events, such as pot lucks, dance lessons, movie nights at the park, Fourth of July parades, as well as Christmas and Halloween parties. [2] The parties are usually held in the Modjeska Community Center and the Fire Station. They also hold events for non-residents to come and enjoy, such as an arts and crafts fair held in early spring at the Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary. [3] [4]

History

Modjeska is named after the 19th-century Polish stage actress, mother of the famous bridge engineer Ralph Modjeski, Helena Modjeska, who settled in the canyon in the late 19th century. [5] Her home from 1888 to 1906, "Arden", is a National Historic Landmark. The house and gardens are private; therefore, reservations are required for a tour of the property. The house is typically open only once or twice a month. [6] [7]

Mary Teegarden Clark, an early resident of nearby Orange, described a late 1800s community picnic in Modjeska in her memoirs, Pioneer Ranch Life in Orange. [8]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
2020 632
U.S. Decennial Census [9]
2020 [10]

For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau first listed Modjeska as a census-designated place (CDP) in the 2020 census. [11]

2020 census

Modjeska, California – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 2020 [10] % 2020
White alone (NH)44971.04%
Black or African American alone (NH)10.16%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)91.42%
Asian alone (NH)203.16%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)10.16%
Other race alone (NH)20.32%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)487.59%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)10216.14%
Total632100.00%

The Brotherhood of Eternal Love was incorporated as a non-profit organization in Modjeska on Oct 26, 1966 — a few months before John Griggs and other founding members relocated to the Woodland Drive neighborhood of Laguna Beach, CA (later known as 'Dodge City'). [12]

Wildfires

The canyon was affected by the Santiago Fire. About 14 homes in Modjeska were destroyed by the fire and another 8 homes were damaged (out of a total of roughly 220 homes in the canyon).[ according to whom? ] Mandatory evacuations were issued prior to President George W. Bush declaring the site an emergency.[ citation needed ]

During the Bond Fire, Modjeska Canyon was one of the first communities to be evacuated due to their proximity to Silverado Canyon, where the wildfire originated. [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anaheim, California</span> City in Orange County, California, U.S.

Anaheim is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States, part of the Greater Los Angeles area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the tenth-most populous city in California, and the 55th-most populous city in the United States. The second most populous city in Orange County in terms of land area, Anaheim is known for being the home of the Disneyland Resort, the Anaheim Convention Center, and two professional sports teams: the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League (NHL). It also served as the home of the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL) from 1980 through 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aliso Viejo, California</span> City in California, United States

Aliso Viejo is a city in the San Joaquin Hills of southern Orange County, California. It had a population of 52,176 as of the 2020 census, up from 47,823 as of the 2010 census. It became Orange County's 34th city on July 1, 2001, the only city in Orange County to be incorporated since 2000. It is bordered by the cities of Laguna Beach on the west and southwest, Laguna Hills on the east, Laguna Niguel on the southeast, and Laguna Woods on the north. It is similarly named to another nearby city, Mission Viejo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coto de Caza, California</span> Place in California, United States

Coto de Caza is a census-designated place (CDP) and guard-gated private community in Orange County, California, United States. The population was 14,710 at the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portola Hills, California</span> District of Lake Forest in California, United States

Portola Hills is a district in the city of Lake Forest, California in Orange County, United States. It was formerly an unincorporated community and census-designated place before it was annexed into Lake Forest in 2000. The population was 6,391 at the 2000 census. Portola Hills lies near Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park and Cleveland National Forest. Foothill Ranch is to the west, Rancho Santa Margarita in the southeast, Mission Viejo in the south, and the unincorporated regions of Silverado and Santiago Canyon to the north and northeast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rancho Santa Margarita, California</span> City in California, United States

Rancho Santa Margarita is a city in Orange County, California, United States. One of Orange County's youngest cities, Rancho Santa Margarita is a master-planned community. The population was 47,853 at the 2010 census, up from 47,214 at the 2000 census. Although it is named for Rancho Santa Margarita y Las Flores, which was in San Diego County, the city limits fall within the borders of Rancho Mission Viejo. At 20 characters long, it is the longest city name in California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Ana Mountains</span> Mountain range in California, United States

The Santa Ana Mountains are a short peninsular mountain range along the coast of Southern California in the United States. They extend for approximately 61 miles (98 km) southeast of the Los Angeles Basin largely along the border between Orange and Riverside counties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trabuco Canyon, California</span> Unincorporated community in California, United States

Trabuco Canyon is a small unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located in the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains in eastern Orange County, California, and lies partly within the Cleveland National Forest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silverado, California</span> Unincorporated community in Orange County, California, United States

Silverado is an unincorporated community in Silverado Canyon, which is located in the Santa Ana Mountains in eastern Orange County, California. Portions of the town sit on a former Mexican land grant Rancho Lomas de Santiago. Silverado is located at the boundaries of Cleveland National Forest. The site is a California Historical Landmark, and is located near the village site of Puhú.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bell Canyon, California</span> Place in California, United States

Bell Canyon is an unincorporated community in eastern Ventura County, California, United States. Bell Canyon is a gated community in the Simi Hills with the main access through the Los Angeles community of West Hills and the western San Fernando Valley. Bell Canyon sits at an elevation of 1,368 feet (417 m). The 2020 census reported Bell Canyon's population was 1,946. For statistical purposes, the Census Bureau has defined Bell Canyon as a census-designated place (CDP). According to a 2016 study, Bell Canyon is the seventh wealthiest community in the state of California with an annual median income of $230,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Theodore Payne</span>

Theodore Payne, was an English horticulturist, gardener, landscape designer, and botanist. His best known work was done over his adult life in Southern California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silverado Resort and Spa</span> Golf, tennis, and spa resort in Napa County, California, United States

The Silverado Resort and Spa is a 1,200-acre (4.9 km2) golf, tennis, and spa resort in Napa County, California, United States. The venue is named after the Silverado Mine, a quicksilver mine near Mount Saint Helena. The resort is the fifth largest employer in Napa County.

Santiago Canyon is a canyon and unincorporated community in South Orange County, California. According to the 2000 census, Santiago Canyon has several hundred residents living within its borders. Trabuco Canyon, Silverado Canyon, Modjeska Canyon and Williams Canyon are tributaries of Santiago Canyon. Santiago Creek flows northwest from the canyon, then west into the Santa Ana River. Neighborhoods in Santiago Canyon include Santiago Canyon Estates and Falcon View Estates. The landmark Cook's Corner motorcycle restaurant is also located within Santiago Canyon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santiago Fire</span> 2007 wildfire in Southern California

The Santiago Fire was a wildfire located near Santiago Canyon in Orange County, California, U.S., and one of thirty California wildfires of October 2007. The fire was intentionally started.

Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary is a non-profit nature reserve owned and operated by the Environmental Nature Center (ENC). It is located at the Santa Ana Mountains in Orange County, California, in the United States near the end of Modjeska Canyon, at the foot of Modjeska Peak, and adjacent to the Cleveland National Forest. Tucker is open to the public Saturday and Sunday from 10am-3pm to enjoy and learn about the local wildlife and natural habitat in the Southern California canyon area. Tucker's facilities include a small natural history museum and interpretive center, a bird observation porch, relaxing patio and picnic areas, a small amphitheatre, hiking trails, a gift shop, restrooms and a visitor parking lot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santiago Creek</span> River in California, United States

Santiago Creek is a major watercourse in Orange County in the U.S. state of California. About 34 miles (55 km) long, it drains most of the northern Santa Ana Mountains and is a tributary to the Santa Ana River. It is one of the longest watercourses entirely within the county. The creek shares its name with Santiago Peak, at 5,687 ft (1,733 m) the highest point in Orange County, on whose slopes its headwaters rise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silverado Canyon</span>

Silverado Canyon is a roughly 2,500-foot-deep gorge in the Santa Ana Mountains, in the U.S. state of California. The small stream it is associated with, Silverado Creek, rises on the north slope of Modjeska Peak at the elevation of 3,980 feet (1,210 m) and flows north and west, past the town of Silverado to join Santiago Creek at 942 feet (287 m) after a journey of just under 5 miles (8.0 km). The main branch, Ladd Canyon, is just over 3 miles (4.8 km) long. Its stream arises on the east flank of Pleasants Peak at about 3,590 feet (1,090 m) and flows southwest into the main stem at about 1,178 feet (359 m) near Silverado. They are part of the Santa Ana River watershed. A hiking trail/fire road runs the entire length of the canyon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silverado Fire</span> 2020 wildfire in Southern California

The Silverado Fire was a wildfire that burned in October and November 2020 in southern Orange County, California northeast of Irvine. The fire started on October 26 around 6:47 AM near Orange County Route S-18 and Silverado Canyon Road, fueled by strong Santa Ana winds gusting up to 80 miles per hour (130 km/h) and low humidity. Orange County Fire Authority Chief Brian Fennessy stated, "The winds were extraordinary even by Santa Ana standards. Fire spread is exceeding more than anything I've seen in my 44 years." The fire initially moved south from Loma Ridge toward the Orchard Hills, Northwood and Portola Springs communities of Irvine before moving southeast through Limestone Canyon and toward the communities of Foothill Ranch and Lake Forest. The fire burned in a path similar to that taken by the 2007 Santiago Fire, mostly through terrain that had not seen significant burning in the 13 years since that fire. 100% containment was announced on November 7, 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bond Fire</span> 2020 wildfire in Southern California

The Bond Fire was a wildfire that burned 6,686 acres (2,706 ha) in the Santiago Canyon area of Orange County, California in December 2020. The fire caused evacuations of 25,000 residents and injured 2 firefighters. The fire was very close to the burn scar of the Silverado Fire, which took place in October 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park</span> Park in Orange County, California

Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park is a public regional park in southern Orange County, California. Whiting Ranch features riparian, oak woodland, grassland, chaparral, and coastal sage scrub environments throughout various canyons and hillscapes. The 2,500-acre park mostly encompasses unincorporated land just outside of Lake Forest. The park is home to over 17 miles of trail spread out over 23 different paths, making the location a popular destination for mountain bikers, hikers, and horseback riders.

Williams Canyon is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in the canyon of the same name in Orange County, California, United States. It is located in eastern Orange County on the western side of the Santa Ana Mountains, south of Silverado and north of Modjeska. Most of the community is within Cleveland National Forest.

References

  1. 1 2 "Modjeska Census Designated Place". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  2. "Upcoming Canyon Events" . Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  3. "Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary" . Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  4. "Modjeska Canyon & Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary" . Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  5. Meyers, Talya (June 18, 2006). "Modjeska Canyon is just as they like it". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  6. "Arden: Helena Modjeska Historic House & Gardens". Orange County, California Parks. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  7. "Arden Mainpage" . Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  8. Clark, Mary Teegarden (2013). Pioneer ranch life in Orange: a Victorian woman in Southern California. Charleston, SC: The History Press. ISBN   9781626190740.
  9. "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decade". US Census Bureau.
  10. 1 2 "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Modjeska CDP, California". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  11. "2020 Geography Changes". United States Census Bureau.
  12. Schou, Nick (2010). Orange Sunshine: the Brotherhood of Eternal Love and its quest to spread peace, love, and acid to the world. New York: Thomas Dunne Books. ISBN   9780312551834.
  13. Cota-Robles, Marc (December 4, 2020). "6,400-acre Bond Fire in OC's Silverado Canyon prompts mandatory evacuations, leaves 2 firefighters injured". ABC 7. Retrieved December 31, 2020.

Further reading

33°42′39″N117°38′29″W / 33.71083°N 117.64139°W / 33.71083; -117.64139