The canyon is also the location of the Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary. Most of the canyon is bordered by the Cleveland National Forest. The community of Modjeska is very tight knit, hosting several in-canyon events, such as pot lucks, dance lessons, movie nights at the park, Fourth of July parades, as well as Christmas and Halloween parties.[2] The parties are usually held in the Modjeska Community Center and the Fire Station. They also hold events for non-residents to come and enjoy, such as an arts and crafts fair held in early spring at the Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary.[3][4]
History
Modjeska is named after the 19th-century Polish stage actress, mother of the famous bridge engineer Ralph Modjeski, Helena Modjeska, who settled in the canyon in the late 19th century.[5] Her home from 1888 to 1906, "Arden", is a National Historic Landmark. The house and gardens are private; therefore, reservations are required for a tour of the property. The house is typically open only once or twice a month.[6][7]
Mary Teegarden Clark, an early resident of nearby Orange, described a late 1800s community picnic in Modjeska in her memoirs, Pioneer Ranch Life in Orange.[8]
Modjeska, California – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
The Brotherhood of Eternal Love was incorporated as a non-profit organization in Modjeska on Oct 26, 1966 — a few months before John Griggs and other founding members relocated to the Woodland Drive neighborhood of Laguna Beach, CA (later known as 'Dodge City').[12]
During the Bond Fire, Modjeska Canyon was one of the first communities to be evacuated due to their proximity to Silverado Canyon, where the wildfire originated.[13]
^Clark, Mary Teegarden (2013). Pioneer ranch life in Orange: a Victorian woman in Southern California. Charleston, SC: The History Press. ISBN9781626190740.
^Schou, Nick (2010). Orange Sunshine: the Brotherhood of Eternal Love and its quest to spread peace, love, and acid to the world. New York: Thomas Dunne Books. ISBN9780312551834.
Payne, Theodore (1962). Life on the Modjeska Ranch in the gay nineties. Los Angeles. LCCN63000170.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)