In 2017 Yorba Linda celebrates two significant anniversaries: 50 years as a city, 100 years for weekly Yorba Linda Star newspaper

Yorba Linda celebrates two significant anniversaries in 2017: The 50^th year of city incorporation and the 100^th year of publication of the Yorba Linda Star newspaper.

The city celebration is scheduled to begin at a May 2 City Council meeting with presentations, recognition of past council and commission members, a photo display and a video slide show highlighting Yorba Linda “then and now.”

The culmination will be the annual “State of the City” address by Mayor Peggy Huang, slated Nov. 2, the actual anniversary of the incorporation date. In-between events include a 5K “fun walk” at the Gun Club Linear Road and history and storytime presentations at the library.

Celebratory activities will be added to the city's other regular, annual events, such as the movies and concerts at Hurless Barton Park, July 4 fireworks show, Sheriff's Department National Night Out and Fire Authority's open house.

Festivities also will include distribution of marketing materials and promotional give-a-ways, according to a report by Management Analyst Allison Estes at a council meeting last month.

Among promotions listed: T-shirts, key chains, pens, 1967-era snacks and 50-year “fun facts.”

Estimated costs are $14,250 for events and $12,750 for materials and supplies.

The long road to cityhood began in 1956 with the formation of a citizens committee to study incorporation. This group was followed by others through the years, as Anaheim, Brea and Placentia all attempted to annex the area.

A vote to annex to Anaheim in 1963 lost 1,062 to 607, despite the Yorba Linda Homeowners Association and Yorba Linda Star supporting annexation. The 1967 vote to incorporate won 1,963 to 638, with the Star and Richard Nixon endorsing the measure.

Sadly, not much is known about the early years of the Yorba Linda Star, except that it was first printed in La Habra sometime in 1917 by A. V. Douglas, who began the La Habra Star in 1916.

I've been unable to locate any Yorba Linda Star issues from 1917, 1918 and 1919, but three libraries – Yorba Linda, Cal-State Fullerton and UC Riverside – list microfilm holdings beginning with Vol. 3, No. 101 (March 22, 1920) under the name “The Star.”

Holdings under the name “Yorba Linda Star” with issues beginning with Vol. 5, No. 145 (July 7, 1922) are available on microfilm at the three libraries, with some missing issues reported.

The UC Riverside library catalog notes the paper was published three times each week for two summer months in 1922, twice weekly from Sept. 1, 1922, and weekly starting July 13, 1923.

Early issues carried a small banner: “Covering Yorba Linda – Atwood – Yorba – Olinda – Santa Ana Canyon Districts – East Coyote Hills – and Richfield-Yorba Linda Oil Fields.”

The last of the individual owner-publisher-editor titles were held by Val Lucas (1946-1961) and Bill Drake (1961-1974), before corporate ownerships began when Drake sold in 1974.