This series contains documents relating to the history of Orange County ranchos. The bulk of the materials consists of two types of materials: (1) negative photostats of diseños (maps) and title proofs submitted to the Commission for Ascertaining and Settling Private Land Claims in California [also known as the Public Land Commission, or the California Board of Land Commissioners], now in the United States National Archives, Record Group 49.3.4, Records of the General Land Office, Division "D" (Private Land Claims Division); and (2) positive blueprints of materials prepared in the course of WPA Orange County Historical Research Project #3105 (1936-1939). The files, in particular for Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana, also contain a number of original records, such as abstracts of title and tax receipts; there is also correspondence to and from McPherson, and to and from Don Meadows, who shared McPherson's interest in the history of Orange County ranchos. Many files, in particular those on Rancho Santiago de Santiago and San Juan Capistrano, in which the two men shared a special interest, show evidence of considerable comingling of the two men's papers after Meadows was given custody of McPherson's papers in 1961.