Discover the History of Oak Park in New Book

May 21, 2012 - PRLog -- New to Arcadia Publishing’s popular Images of America series is Oak Park by local authors Harvey Kern, David E. Ross, Derek Ross and Harry Medved. This pictorial history boasts more than 200 vintage images and provides readers with a unique opportunity to reconnect with the history that shaped their community.

Ventura County’s largest unincorporated community was born in the mid-1960s on pastoral ranchland previously owned by the radio comedy team of Fibber McGee and Molly in the 1950s and by William Randolph Hearst from the mid-1920s through the 1930s. Originally a Native American site, Oak Park was designed by its builder as a “community in the country” capturing “the scenic grandeur of early California, west of the San Fernando Valley.”

Today, it is still widely known for its award-winning schools, beautiful parks, creekside bike paths and nature trails, and a diverse, well-educated population. Many of its nearly 15,000 residents commute to and from Los Angeles. These historic images demonstrate why Oak Park has become one of the most desirable places to live in Southern California.

Author proceeds from the sale of this book will benefit non-profit Oak Park organizations.

Highlights of Oak Park include:
•   This Land Was Their Land: Dwellers, Settlers,
and Builders
•   From the Ground Up: Early Development
•   School Days: The Birth of a District
•   The Hills Are Alive: Parks, Recreation, and Trails
•   Hollywood West: Movies Filmed in Oak Park
and Environs

Available at area bookstores, independent retailers, and online retailers, or through Arcadia Publishing at (888)-313-2665 or online.

Arcadia Publishing is the leading publisher of local and regional history in the United States.  Our mission is to make history accessible and meaningful through the publication of books on the heritage of America’s people and places.  Have we done a book on your town? Visit arcadiapublishing.com.