“An Apple A Day: Medical History In Orange County” will be held on Saturday, October 18, 2008. This guided historical tour of Fairhaven Memorial Park and Santa Ana Cemetery features costumed actors portraying historic figures who share stories of medical practitioners from Orange County’s past.

Included in the post-Civil War migration to California were many involved in the healing arts. Doctors, dentists, nurses, pharmacists, and even “snake oil” salesmen came to ensure the health and well being of the people of the Santa Ana Valley. Orange County’s population thrived because of (and sometimes in spite of!) the medical professions. The multi-generational physicians of the Ball family; the pioneering nursing school at turn-of-the-century Santa Ana Hospital; E.R “Painless” Parker’s traveling circus and dental clinic; come hear costumed actors reveal touching, inspirational, and sometimes amusing personal stories of the Orange County residents who cared for the health of their community.

Docents will guide visitors through these and other scenes that played important roles in the history of the county, culminating in a presentation in Fairhaven’s beautiful 1916 mausoleum. Comfortable shoes are recommended for the hour-and-a-half long walking tour.

The event is presented by the Santa Ana Historical Preservation Society and will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Fairhaven Memorial Park, 1702 Fairhaven Ave., Santa Ana. Tickets are shown below.  (Children 9 and under are free.)

In 2007 the Cemetery Tour won a prestigious California State Governor’s Award for Historic Preservation. This is the Society’s 11th annual Living History tour, with proceeds benefiting the organization’s museum and educational programs. The event is produced in partnership with local writers, and actors from the Thespian Club at Orange County High School of the Arts. The tour is co-sponsored by Fairhaven Memorial Park.