Urashima, Mary Adams

Historic Wintersburg in Huntington Beach

Wintersburg Village’s uniquehistory is representative of the Japanese pioneer experience on the West Coast.Japan’s post-Meiji period ended the feudal system, creating in the late 1800ssocial changes that prompted Japanese immigration to America. Many who settledin the Wintersburg countryside were of samurai ancestry, bringing anenterprising spirit to Orange County’s businesses and farms. The village’shistory encompasses early aviation, archaeological discoveries, the county’soldest Japanese church, goldfish farming and overcoming discrimination toachieve civil liberties. Forcibly evacuated and confined during World War II, Japanesepioneers left an indelible mark on Southern California. Absorbed by the City ofHuntington Beach, Wintersburg remains mostly a memory. Join historian Mary F.Adams Urashima as she resurrects a vanishing chapter of Orange County.