Reviews for “Oak Glen and Los Rios Rancho”: Apple of the I.E.'s Eyeby John Weeks - 10/11/2006 San Bernardino County Sun

Adam and Eve wouldn't stand a chance in Oak Glen. The trees are loaded with apples. Tempting apples. Who could resist? Nobody can resist. It's apple season in Oak Glen, a glorious rite of autumn and one of the Inland Empire's showcase events. Oak Glen, with its tree-dappled country roads and hill-hugging shops and restaurants, is a popular getaway year-round. But during the fall the crowds become stupendous, especially on weekends. People know a good thing. People come from all over the world to visit Oak Glen. For us who live here, it's just a hop, skip and a jump up the hill. Go to Yucaipa and you're practically there already. A quick zip up Oak Glen Road and, before you know it, you start seeing orchards and ranches and signs.

A trip to apple country is like a trip to wine country, only you don't need a designated driver. Everyone can enjoy the fun. Instead of wineries, you stop in at roadside barns and apple sheds. Instead of sipping wines and nibbling on little crackers, you sip the most delicious apple cider in the world, fresh-pressed and cold, and munch on free apple samples. Like wines, there are dozens of different varieties to try. Instead of heading home with a case of wine, you head down the hill with a bushel of apples, a jug or two of apple cider, and a fresh-baked apple pie on the back seat. Your car never smelled so good.

This year there's an extra treat for anyone contemplating a visit to Oak Glen. It's a brand-new book, "Oak Glen and Los Rios Rancho," by local historian J.R. Sanders. It's the latest in the popular "Images of America" series published by Arcadia. With almost 200 vintage photos culled from the collections of pioneer Oak Glen families as well as area museums and historical associations, the book tells the whole fascinating story of Oak Glen. You'll learn how the first settlers, in the mid-19th century, planted potatoes, not apples, and the region was first known as Potato Canyon. You'll learn how early ranch families like the Websters, Wilshires, Parrishes and Fords tried their luck at apple growing, and how their luck was so great that the area took a new name, and became famous for a new crop.

For decades, Oak Glen apples were shipped by the ton not only throughout the nation but to markets in Europe and around the world. You'll learn how after World War II, the Oak Glen apple industry evolved from a wholesale shipping operation to a direct-sale tourist attraction, which welcomes thousands of visitors each year. You'll enjoy viewing dozens of rare photos of early-day Oak Glen. And you'll enjoy meeting dozens of interesting characters, including the Rivers brothers, who founded Los Rios Rancho, and Wilson Parker and retired UCLA football coach Edwin C. "Babe" Horrell, who bought into Los Rios Rancho and helped turn it into Oak Glen's top producer. You'll also meet Theresa Law, who became famous for her apple pies, and Oak Glen promoters Emil Wohlgemuth, Guy Bogart and KFI radio host Dick Sinclair, who worked tirelessly to popularize Oak Glen as a tourist destination. You'll meet grower and legendary town character Blackie Wilshire, along with his granddaughter, Susan Anton, who was Oak Glen's Apple Blossom Queen, Miss Yucaipa, Miss Redlands and even Miss California before she went on to become a film and recording star.

"Oak Glen and Los Rios Rancho" is available for $19.99 at area stores or online. Contact Arcadia at http:www.arcadiapublishing.com or (888) 313-2665.

New book is Oak Glen, Los Rios family album by Claire Teeters - 08/24/2006 Yucaipa News Mirror

“Oak Glen and Los Rios Rancho,” a new photo-essay book produced by J.R. Sanders, is inspired by his love affair with Oak Glen and with history.

“When I was shown a box of photos, clippings and other documents dating back to Los Rios Rancho's founding in 1906, my first thought was, ‘these need to be published.' I decided to pursue a book because it was a chance for me to delve into the history behind one of my favorite places and a chance to share the history with others,” Sanders said. He said he thought a history in photographs might just entice people to discover the glen for themselves. “I spent many hours interviewing longtime residents of the Oak Glen area as well as apple farmers and other business people who've made the glen their lives' work,” Sanders said.

“I interviewed the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Oak Glen's founding farmers and they all had stories to tell and they generously shared them, along with many photographs and documents.” “The Yucaipa Valley Historical Society was kind enough to supply many of the book's photographs, too.” He also added that he “devoured” a previous history of the glen's early families written by one of the Wilshire clan. “I combed a hundred years worth of newspaper archives for details and to dig out some of the little-known or long-forgotten incidents on the glen's long history. “ The book, “Oak Glen and Los Rios Rancho” includes over 200 images and sells for $19.99. For more information, visit www.arcadiapublishing.com.