The Maidu Indians, only a 150 years ago, once inhabited the rolling, Oak Tree covered hills of what is now Orangevale.
Having lived there as a very small child, I have fond memories of the long graveled, dirt driveway that winded up from Walnut Avenue to our old white, clapboard house. The tiny house sat on a few acres and even though my parents were only renting it, I had a backyard that was often filled with cattle and horses.
While Orangevale is all grown up now, it remains the one area in these neck of the woods that is still "country." New homes and modern shopping prevail, this is true, but along Main Street some reminders of a time gone by can still be found. Additionally, many of the older homes still are "ranch ready" or might even be ranches. So yes, most parts of Orangevale are zoned for horses. The old feedstore is still standing and my mom tells me that she and her dad used to go there and get hay for their horses (my grandparents lived in Orangevale way back when).
The Orangevale Chamber of Commerce has a lot of information on this strongly-rooted country community.
Here's a little piece of history, as provided from the Orangevale Chamber Commerce:
Orangevale Pow Wow Days celebration started out in 1963 as "Chuck Wagon Days". In 1964 the name was changed to "Fiesta Days" and again in 1965 to its present title, "Pow Wow Days". Beginning in 1963 as a "neighborhood" parade the route was originally on Central Avenue, ending at the Orangevale Youth Center on Hazel Ave. A small carnival, and sometimes a Bar-B-Que dinner filled the one day celebration with fun for all. As the community grew, the parade was moved to Greenback Lane, and the festivities expanded to fill four days and nights.
And while there are plenty of ranches, horses and community events that center around the cowboy flair, there are ample numbers of businesses in place to support the community. In fact, real estate at this time is a pretty darn good investment in Orangevale, and it happens to be a community that holds its value, so even more reason to consider packing your possie up, hitting the dusty trail and purchasing a lovely peice of land in Orangevale.
Ta ta for Now!
Tamara
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