Orange County Almanac
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Just north of Irvine Lake stands tree-shrouded Fremont Canyon.
Contrary to popular belief, the canyon was not named after 1850s presidential candidate John C. Fremont. The picturesque area got its name from a farmer named Smith, who grazed his sheep in the upper canyon area in the 1870s.
Smith campaigned for Fremont and “talked so much of his old boss that he was given the nickname ‘Fremont,’ ” according to the book “Historic Place Names in Orange County.”
The name stuck.
Before Smith arrived on the scene, the canyon was named “Canon de la Horca,” or Canyon of the Choked, because of its narrow entrance.
Today
Tonight is the 10th annual Imagination Celebration of Orange County.
Festivities in the rotunda of Crystal Court in Costa Mesa include entertainment by the Pacific Chorale children’s chorus, Coast Ballet Theatre, the Quiet Zone Theatre and the Woodbridge High School swing band.
Artworks by Orange County students will be displayed, along with a giant dinosaur from Dinamation International Corp. The show begins at 7 p.m. Information: (714) 833-8500.
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