Today's "before and after" photos come from Chris Epting's new book, Then & Now: Huntington Beach, published by Arcadia. It features about 90 scenes of old H.B., followed by modern photos from the same sites. .
In reference to the photos above, Epting writes, "Ms. Billie Kennedy grew up in Huntington Beach and in the 1930s she lived in this house, located at 905 England Avenue. She told me all about what is was like to live here back then, when the area was more open and the local baseball team played just behind where the house sits today. Billie lives in the area still, and from time to time drives past the old house to relive, even just for a moment, a wonderous childhood spent by the beach."
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Much like Doris Walker's Orange County Then & Now, (published a couple years ago in a very different format,) Epting's new book is fascinating to spend time with.
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You can catch up with some of Chris Epting's other local adventures in the following KOCE historical segments with Maria Hall-Brown:
- Disneyland Treehouse model (Ficus in Anaheim)
- The Rendezvous Ballroom, Balboa
- Bolsa Chica Gun Club, Huntington Beach
- Babe Ruth & Walter Johnson play ball in Brea
- The Buffalo Ranch, Newport Beach
- Roadside Buena Park (alligator farm, deer park, etc)
- O.C. rock & roll history (Golden Bear, Fender guitars, No Doubt)