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Local History

About Mission Viejo and its History

Browse through the following selection of articles for an overview of the history and progress of Mission Viejo as a community.

Mission Viejo Historic Videos

On the City of Mission Viejo YouTube page, the videos are available at https://www.youtube.com/user/MissionViejoCA/featured. From the local history collection of the Mission Viejo Library and Mission Viejo Heritage Committee, they cover news stories, community events, sports highlights and other Mission Viejo milestones that have helped to shape this pristine South County city. 

Mission Viejo Timelines

Take a look at this handy timeline of early Mission Viejo milestones.

Enjoy our visual timeline of historic images from Mission Viejo's past.

Saddleback Valley News

The original weekly newspaper for the area was the News-Advertiser, which ran for two years from 1967 and 1968. We do not have copies of these. But in 1969, the News-Advertiser changed its name to Saddleback News with the same publisher, Birchall. Smith and Weiner, Inc. In June of 1971, the name changed to Saddleback Valley. Golden West Publishers, Corp. took over the Publication on June of 1973. 

We will be adding issues from oldest to newest starting with 1969.
The chronological list of issues are here.

Mission Viejo Reporters from 1966 to 1981

The Mission Viejo Reporter was the newsletter published by the Mission Viejo Company. It was used to keep residents informed of all the events and people in the community. For all things Mission Viejo, this is a great source to visit. The chronological list of issues are here.

Oral History Interviews and Transcripts

Video recordings of interviews from Mission Viejo Company employees can be found on our Oral History Page.

Images from the Early Days of Mission Viejo

Take a visual tour of the creation of Mission Viejo from its earliest days to the incorporation of the City of Mission Viejo! Over 400 images from community activities,Mission Viejo Company brochures, and more have been digitized from the original archival items.

Browse or search the Heritage Committee Local History Digital Collection through the Calisphere (University of California) site.

Special Recognition of Hall of Fame golfer Mark O'Meara

Golfer Mark O'Meara, who grew up and trained in Mission Viejo, talks about his early experience and life on these videos.

Contact Us With Your Local History Questions

Have a question about the history of Mission Viejo, or need help with some research? Contact us via email at localhistory@cityofmissionviejo.org or give us a call at (949) 452-8345.

A special thanks to all the members of the City of Mission Viejo Heritage Committee for their input, research, and cooperation.

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MV Life

The MV Life app has been updated!  Keep your finger on the pulse of Mission Viejo.

Get timely information about news, events, and recreation so you can savor the good life in Mission Viejo.

Don’t delay in downloading this app today to take advantage of all this great community has to offer.

 
Download App https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.missionviejo
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