Capistrano Trails

Defying all odds, the quaint agrarian town of San Juan Capistrano has succeeded in preserving much of its frontier heritage. It has done so against the modern urbanism of the “new” Orange County, and its siren-like regional neighbor, Los Angeles. How can this be? Fourth generation Californian, historian Donna L. Friess, Ph.D., looks for answers in San Juan Capistrano’s vibrant horse story brought to life in this personally written oral history; traveling from its Ice Age beginnings through the Mission and Rancho periods; to the dynamic horse-friendly community it is today...