Historian Eric Plunkett presented “Early Tales and Trails of the Santa Ana Mountains” at the April 11, 2024 meeting of the Orange County Historical Society. The Santa Ana Mountains stretch to the north and south of the double peaks of Old Saddleback, forming Orange County’s rugged eastern border. While much of the mountains’ history has been told by county historians Terry Stephenson, Jim Sleeper and Phil Brigandi, their early indigenous history and story throughout the Spanish and Mexican eras (1769-1848) has remained obscure. In this talk, historian Eric Plunkett will tell of the mountains’ indigenous trails and villages, exploration by Spanish missionaries and soldiers, the so-called Black Star Canyon Massacre of the people of Puhú by American trappers, and the first recorded ascent of the county’s high point, Santiago Peak, by a posse pursuing thieves. Saddle up and ride along and learn how early Orange County was a part of the great story of the American West. Eric Plunkett is the author of St. Junípero Serra and the Founders of Mission San Juan Capistrano and Orange County and many scholarly articles and is co-author (with Phil Brigandi) of the OCHS publication, The Portola Expedition in Orange County. Plunkett teaches in the Placentia Yorba-Linda Unified School District. A native of Placentia, he graduated with a degree in history from CSU Fullerton. He has led numerous OCHS tours and History Hikes (including OCHS’ upcoming Flores Peak hike) and has addressed OCHS on numerous occasions. He blogs about the early history of Orange County at www.visionsofcalifornia.blogspot.com.