The Irvine Legend

(The Tale of One City)

The man’s name was James Irvine,
Blessed with great inspiration,
And a cowboy like dream
With a real estate destination-
So he took his horse, on a 24 hour ride,
To stake out his own, worldly creation.

For this “Spanish Land Grant” they told him,
Ride with all of your might, both day and night
And all of the land will be yours
That’s within your eyes sight.
He rode like the wind because here was his chance
To create for himself, one mighty fine ranch.

When he had finished his long ride
He found it very hard to believe
All of the miles he had traveled
Between the mountains and sea.
Such a beautiful bounty for all to behold,
That the legend of James Irvine, just had to be told.

Now, the whole Irvine Family
Respected his views and his visions
And thru the decades that followed
Made many excellent decisions.
To preserve the majesty of his domain,
Was the theme that did echo again and again.

Orchards, ranches, and farm-lands
Are still visible this day
But to build his beautiful city
Some of them had to give way
And the world’s “Great Park” so magnificently grand,
Has now made its home on the James Irvine Land.

William Grant Burns, Poet Laureate