Past Speakers and Events
2014 Events:
Highland Area Historical Society meetingThursday January 23rd, 2014
7:00pm at the
Highland Senior Center
3102 Highland Ave. at the entrance to Patton.
Program: Mark Landis “The Tail of the Kite” and how it influenced the area that becomes known as Highland.
Well known historian and author Mark Landis gave an outstanding presentation on “The Tail of the Kite” and how it influenced the area that becomes known as Highland.
Mark had copy's of his books Touring The Eastern Loop of The Kite-Shaped Track and Arrowhead Springs, California's Ideal Resort available at the meeting.
For more information on Mark and his books go to his web site: Landis Publications2013 Events:
The 17th Annual Highland Citrus Harvest Festival was be
held on
Saturday, March 30th, 2013
The theme for our booth was
the "History of Highland Schools".
Historical
educational items and photographs were displayed in the booth.
We were honored to win a First place for best Historical Display!
Highland Area Historical Society meeting
Thursday, March 28th 2013 7:00pm at the
Highland Senior Center
3102 Highland Ave. at the entrance to Patton.
PRESENTATION DESCRIPTION -
The program was presented by Nancy Alexander on “An Overview of the History of Highland Schools”. It included a PowerPoint presentation on Highland schools, including Warm Springs, Cram and Arroyo Verde, and their histories.
January 27, 2013 - 30th Annual Highland Family Run
We staffed one of the water stations and cheered on the runners at the 30th Annual Highland Family Run
Highland Area Historical Society meeting
Thursday,
January 24th 2013 7:00pm at the
Highland Senior Center
3102 Highland Ave. at the entrance to Patton.
PRESENTATION DESCRIPTION
Our first meeting of 2013 was a potluck dinner and installation of the officers and board members for 2013-14.
For entertainment, a slide show was presented featuring
highlights from the City of Highlands first 25 years.
Good food and comradely was enjoyed by those in attendance .
2012 Events:
Highland Area Historical Society meeting
Thursday, December 6th, 2012 7:00pm at the
Highland Senior Center
3102 Highland Ave. at the entrance to Patton.
The December 6th presentation was "The Harris Company," by Arcadia Publishing Author Aimmee Rodriguez
"The Harris Company," was an overview of the business from its
early beginnings to its merger with Gottschalks in the late 1990s.
Aimmee discussed the company's growth from a small store
front in San Bernardino, California to the Inland Empire's premier
department store. Harris' during the Christmas season, and memories of
what made the Harris Company a beloved business, was also addressed.
Aimmee's book was available for sale for
$20. She had a book signing afterwards.
The Highland Area Historical Society was at the
Discover Highland
Night Sat. October 27, 2012 (3-7 pm) in the Lowes parking lot.
The booth
was donated by the
Hampton Inn & Suites Highland, and we thank them very
much!
Highland Area Historical Society meeting
Thursday, Sept. 27th, 2012 7:00pm at the
Highland Senior Center
3102 Highland Ave. at the entrance to Patton.
The September 27th program was a power point presentation entitled
"Highland, The Journey to Cityhood". It included the beginnings of
incorporation and some of Highland's "Firsts". Also included were the changes
from an agricultural township to a modern city.
Highland Area Historical Society meeting
Thursday, May 24th, 2012 7:00pm
Anne Viricel posted a great recap of the May 24th meeting:
Highland city founders reminisce
Founding Highlanders Jim Rissmiller, Jody Scott, Ross Jones, and Dennis Johnson comprised the ‘Roundtable of Founders’ panel that met at the Highland Historical Society May 24.
Turbulent times preceded incorporation
By Anne Viricel
Published: Friday, May 25, 2012 4:25 PM PDT
Highland Area Historical Society meeting
Thursday, May 24th, 2012 7:00pm at the
Highland Senior Center
3102 Highland Ave. at the entrance to Patton.
May 24th meeting -
Roundtable of founders including:
Ross Jones, Dennis Johnson, Jim Rissmiller and Jody Scott.
As part of our celebration of the 25th Anniversary of the incorporation of the City of Highland, we held a roundtable discussion with some of the people that made the dream of Highland Cityhood become a reality. The round table was an excellent opportunity to hear “straight from the horse’s mouth” about the inception of the idea for cityhood, the reasons people felt so strongly for and against the idea and the preparations put in place to make the new City succeed.
Highland Citrus Harvest Festival
Saturday, March 31, 2012 from 10:00 am to 3:30 pm.
The City celebrated its 16th Annual Citrus Harvest Festival. The Historic District
was filled with crafters, delicious food, antique and classic cars and lots of area residents.
There was fun for everyone including live entertainment, kids games and rides, an historic home tour, shopping and much more. For further details, please contact Stater Kim at:
(909) 864-8732, extension 204.
Highland Area Historical Society meeting
Thursday, March 22nd, 2012 7:00pm at the Highland Senior Center 3102 Highland Ave. at the entrance to Patton.
The March 22nd program will be:
A Racy History of Highland
Don Harkey presented a “lively” and “spirited” program on the
history auto racing,
racers and race tracks in the Highland area. He
covered topics from the “Ashcan Derby”
to the National Orange
Show Raceways, and a lot in between.
Some of the items covered
are:
1) A bit about Don’s racing career
2) Inland Empire Speedways
Ash Can (Kan) Derby which was on 3rd St. in Highland (1945-1948)
Orange Empire Speedway (1938-1942)
Orange Show Stadium / Speedway (1941-2011?)
Riverside International Raceway (1957-1989)
Ontario Motor Speedway (1970-1980)
3) Highland's Racing Champions (OSS)
4) Notable Highland drivers (including Swede Savage)
5) A viewing of, a short Super 8 mm film titled "Orange Show Speedway '71
Highland Area Historical Society meeting
Thursday, January 26, 2012 7:00pm at the
Highland Senior Center 3102 Highland Ave. at the entrance to Patton.
Marilyn Cram Donahue, daughter of Fred Cram and Nellie Carter Cram; widow of Robert Donahue (son of Leo Donahue) and prolific author shared her memories of Highland in the 1930's and 1940*s, concentrating on the downtown area; the two grocery stores, the drugstore, Hambly's dry goods store, etc. and some of the social activities, including the Women's Club and the Knitting Club. She also talked about the Canteen that operated during the war years. Marilyn also shared her memories of orange ranching and what it was really like.
Pioneer recipes and some of the "snake oil" curatives, street games and songs and dances were part of the treasure trove of memories that Mrs. Donahue will shared.
The public was invited to share their memories of this time.
Marilyn has a new book coming out soon (hopefully). It takes place in a town called Messina in 1939. The story is fiction, but the setting is factual.
For those of you who read her first novel, Sutter's Sands (1971) and any of her young adult books, Straight Along a Crooked Road, The Valley in Between or any of her books, you won't want to miss this opportunity to meet the author and hear her share her personal memories of early Highland.
As Always the programs are open to the public. Light refreshments are provided after the program.
2011 Events:
Highland Area Historical Society meeting
Thursday, December 1, 2011 7:00pm at the
Highland Senior Center 3102 Highland Ave. at the entrance to Patton.
(Don’t forget, because of Thanksgiving the November meeting will held
the First Thursday of December.)
PRESENTATION DESCRIPTION:
Tom Hooker on "From Highland To Hollywood"
The presentation began with a little Hooker family history. Tom told about his Grandfather who had a plumbing business in Highland from about 1906 to about 1920 and owned a building in town. Tom’s Grandfather also had an orange grove on Atlantic Ave at Church Ave (now the Valencia Lea Mobile Home Park). Tom gave a history of the grove and of the buildings that were on it. That led into the main presentation about a little known Highland family from 1902 to about 1911. Mention of things that happened from as early as 1876 and as late as 2011 were made. Photos taken from 1904 to 2006 with an emphasis of 1909-1911 were shown. The connection with Hollywood become apparent. A discovery of new information about two well known Highland photos were also a part of this presentation.Tom Hooker was born in 1946 in San Bernardino as that was where the hospital was located. His father was Robert E. Hooker who lived most of his 80 years of life in Highland and His mother was Elva V. Hooker who lived a good portion of her life in Highland. Tom was raised on the orange grove in Highland on Atlantic at Church in his Grandfather’s house. He attended Highland Cypress School, Highland Pacific Elementary, Highland Jr High School and Pacific High School where He graduated in 1964. He went on to San Bernardino Valley College, and then Cal Poly at San Luis Obispo where he graduated with a BS degree in Chemistry. Tom then went on to San Diego State where he graduated with an MA in Chemistry. After San Diego State, he Joined VISTA and they sent him to Williams, Arizona for one year of service. After VISTA he got a job with Kaibab National Forest and spent the next 34 years working for the US Forest Service. After Tom retired from the Forest Service four plus years ago, he decided to put together a family history. While doing so, Tom made contact with Howard Ingham, a grandson of the man who had planted the Hooker orange grove in 1884. They talked and decided to do a history of the Inghams and Hookers in Highland. Howard died a couple of years later and the history project grew to include much more. Tom is still working on the project today. The title of the book that Tom hopes to publish will be "A Pioneer History of Highland California and the North Fork Ditch." Most of the book will deal with the time period of 1852 to 1900. However, a little of the book will go past 1900.
Dont forget meetings have been changed to the FOURTH Thursday of Jan., Mar., May and September. Because of Thanksgiving the November meeting will held the First Thursday of December.
Highland Area Historical Society meeting
Thursday, Sept 22, 2011 7:00pm at the Highland Senior Center 3102 Highland Ave. at the entrance to Patton.
PRESENTATION DESCRIPTION:
Tom Atchley On Lugonia and Highland Connections.Tom Atchley, historian, retired teacher, tour guide, researcher, Past President of the Redlands Area Historical Society, and director of the Junior Historical Society has immersed himself in history. With A.K. Smiley Public Library Director Larry Burgess, he teaches a popular ten-week-long evening course about the history of Redlands and the local area. He recently published "A Driving Tour of the Mill Creek Zanja."
As Always the programs are open to the public. Light refreshments are provided after the program.
Highland Area Historical Society meeting
Thursday,
May 26, 2011 7:00pm at the Highland Senior Center
PRESENTATION DESCRIPTION:
History of Water in the Inland Empire
by Suzie Earp
Suzie Earp, historian - archivist for the Water Resources Institute at California State University, San Bernardino, presented a lecture about the early history of water use and water development in the Highland and Inland Empire areas.
Earp, who has been employed at WRI for more than seven years, is enthusiastic about the work she does. In 2009, she and Joyce Hanson, professor of history at CSUSB, published the book, "The History of San Bernardino Community Hospital."
Some of the topics Earp will cover during the lecture are recreational water use, bottled water, the Clean Water Act and the State Water Project.
The lecture is free and open to the public.
15th Annual Highland Citrus Harvest
Festival
Saturday March 26, 2011. Time: 10:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Location: Historic Highland Address: Main St. and Palm Ave
The Highland Area Historical Society had a display focusing on the history of citrus in Highland, at the north East corner of Palm Avenue and Main Street.
View of the area of the Highland Citrus Harvest Festival in a Google map.
View Highland Citrus Harvest Festival in a larger map
Highland Area Historical Society meeting
Thursday, January 27th (remember our meeting dates have changed to the fourth Thursday) 2011, 7:00pm at the Highland Senior Center
PRESENTATION DESCRIPTION
Installation "pot-luck" dinner.
the Highland Area Historical Society held its first meeting of 2011. The event was a potluck dinner and installation of the officers and board members for 2011-12.
For entertainment, a slide show was presented featuring highlights from the Society's last 30 years.
This included photos of some of the charter members, program highlights, National Orange Show displays, Fourth of July parades, and of course, the Citrus Harvest Festival. This year’s Citrus Harvest Festival will be held March 26. Be sure to save the date!
Also included in the slide show were “Now and Then†photos of places in Highland. While some places have changed dramatically, others remain virtually unchanged.
The Historical Society has changed its meeting from the first to the fourth Thursday of January, March, May and September. The November meeting will be held Dec. 1 because of Thanksgiving. Business meeting of the Officers and Board members will be held on the alternate months, so that the regular meetings will be for programs only.
2010 Events:
Highland Area Historical Society meeting
Thursday, November 4, 2010 7:00pm at the Highland Senior Center
PRESENTATION DESCRIPTION
David Harkey presented our November program. Dave spoke on the Vapor-Kool Engine Cooler that was invented and marketed by long time Highland resident Jerry Duns. It was a simple device that sprayed water on a car's radiator to keep the car from overheating especially while towing a trailer......."It stops overheating with the pull of a switch" was the slogan.
Highland Area Historical Society meeting
Thursday, September 2, 2010 7:00pm at the Highland Senior Center
PRESENTATION DESCRIPTION
Britt W. Wilson gave a presentation on Indians of the Highland-Redlands-Yucaipa area, including a site he has recently been working on in the Santa Ana river canyon above Highland.
Britt W. Wilson BIO
Mr. Wilson is an archaeological technician conducting surveys throughout southern California and Nevada. He has a deep interest in native cultures particularly the Apache, Cahuilla and Serrano people. Previous to working as an archaeological technician, he was the Cultural Resources Coordinator for the Morongo Band of Mission Indians.
Britt is also a volunteer archaeological surveyor for the Bureau of Land Management. As a volunteer, he has recorded close to 300 new sites throughout the southern California region including village sites, rock art sites, rock shelters, milling sites, etc. He has worked in Anza Borrego State Park, the San Bernardino National Forest, and BLM lands across southern California in addition to his work on Indian reservations.
Mr. Wilson has a master’s degree in Public Administration and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration but clearly loves archaeology. He is a member of the San Bernardino County Museum Association, the Society for California Archaeology, the Coachella Valley Archaeological Society, the Malki Museum, the Dorothy Ramon Learning Center, the Mayflower Society and the Sons of the Revolution.
The City of Highland Community Trails Day
Please join the Community Trails Committee on Saturday, June 5, 2010 at 8:00 a.m. for our 16th Annual Community Trails Day event. Free guided trail tours, lead by our Community Trails Committee members, start at 8 a.m. and run until 9:15 a.m.. Tours leave every fifteen minutes for a total of five groups. The last group will set out at 9:15 a.m.. The tour lasts approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour
View City of Highland Trails Day 2010 in a larger map
This years event will be staged at the eastern terminus of Base Line.
The City of Highland's Community Trails Committee (CTC) invites participants to hike, or ride horses on the City's newest trails. The Route is approximately 1.6 miles in length. The Route will follow unimproved dirt trails. Participants should wear appropriate clothing and shoes or boots.
- 2010 PDF map of the Trails Day route
- PDF Points of Interest
Saturday and Sunday May 8th
& 9th
2010 from 9am to 5pm.
The Highland Area Historical
Society will
have a display at the
San Bernardino History & Railroad Museum
Railroad
Days
and
Bicentennial Celebration event.
For our members and guests we are inviting you to take a “field trip” to this event which will be replacing our regular May meeting.
The event will have antique cars and trucks, a demonstration from a steam-powered fire engine, a new state-of-the-art locomotive from the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, bands playing festive music, model railroads from multiple railroad clubs, and a display of “Women in Railroading.†There will be food vendors, but you may want to order something from one of the Harvey Girls, waitresses from the famous Fred Harvey restaurants that sprung up along the Santa Fe lines going West.
Steven Shaw, president of the City of San Bernardino Historical & Pioneer Society, is chairing this event. “There will be a large tent in one of the parking lots filled with at least six model railroad clubs trains, an old Omnitrans restored bus, a popcorn truck and so much more,†said Shaw. “The San Bernardino Train Depot was built in 1918, and we felt it was a great venue to celebrate the city’s bicentennial.†The Depot is located at 1170 W. 3rd Street, San Bernardino, CA 92410.
S.B. History and Railroad Museum
#3751 Stream Train Trip
May 8th
& 9th
This is a rare opportunity to ride a historic steam train:
On Saturday May 8th, Metrolink connections will depart from San Bernardino to Los Angeles at 7:30am and 8:00am, in time for the #3751 Stream Train which departs from Los Angeles to San Bernardino at 11:00am.
Train leaves San Bernardino May 9th at 3:00pm and the Metrolink connections will depart back to San Bernardino at 5:00pm and 6:30pm.
Cars in the train include Tioga Pass, Salisbury Beach, Overland Trail, Silver Splendor and Pony Express.
Ticket prices include Metrolink connections for round trip:
Tioga Pass |
$105.00 |
Silver Splendor Dome |
$105.00 |
Overland Trail |
$85.00 |
Silver Splendor Lounge |
$85.00 |
Pony Express |
$85.00 |
Salisbury Beach |
No Passengers |
Some bookings have already taken place. Reservations can be made by telephone. Please call Allen Bone at (909) 260-5745. Checks can be made payable to S.B. History and Railroad Museum. Questions may also be emailed to allenbone@verizon.net.
On display at the Depot will be the new BNSF Engine and new Metrolink cab car.
April 17, 2010
The Highland Area Historical Society celebrated its 30th Anniversary with an open house from 11am to 4pm at the Rock House.
The Highland Area Historical Society celebrated its 30th Anniversary with an open house from 11am to 4pm at the Rock House.
We were pleased to be able to have this 30th Anniversary celebration in the place where it started.
Tom Atchley, Redlands Area Historical Society president and historian, who spoke at our first meeting, November 13, 1980, returned to speak on James S. Edwards and the East Highlands Orange Company and how it became the East Highland Ranch development.
Also speaking was Nick Cataldo author of: The Earp Clan: The Southern California Years. Nick devoted nearly 20 years of research prior to publishing this book. He spoke on Wyatt Earp’s connection to Highland and the Highland area. Copies of Nick’s book were available for purchase at the meeting.
There were displays, photos and artifacts tracing the history of the Ranch and the Historical Society and light refreshments will be provided.
The "Rock House." or "Stone House" is at 7151 Club View Drive ( North of Baseline Rd )Highland, CA 92346
Saturday April 3rd, 2010 from 1pm to 4pm
the
Highland Area Historical Society had a display at the Inland Orange Conservancy Celebrate Citrus event
Taste unique varieties of locally grown citrus, tour a decades-old orange grove and enjoy jazz music at Celebrate Citrus in Redlands.
Sponsored by the Inland Orange Conservancy, the event will take place at the Prospect Park grove, corner of Highland Avenue and Cajon Street.
Other activities include a citrus-themed art show by members of the Redlands Art Association and other local artists, musical entertainment by the John Meyer Sound Works jazz band and free citrus to take home.
More activities for children will be featured this year including an interactive music program at 2:30 p.m. and an art project throughout the afternoon.
Visitors will also have the opportunity to learn how they can play a vital role in saving local orange groves through the programs of the Inland Orange Conservancy. By purchasing a "share of the crop" each week during the growing season members receive 10 pounds of citrus at one of 20 pickup locations throughout San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
The Inland Orange Conservancy procures these oranges from local growers and pays them many times more than the global market. This makes the groves financially sustainable, and at least some part of the area's open space and heritage are preserved.
The Inland Orange Conservancy is a non-profit 501c3 project focusing on citrus in the Inland Empire
To learn more go to :
http://www.inlandorange.org/
P.O. Box 188
Mentone, CA 92359
909-794-4484 * inlandorange@hotmail.com
Saturday, April 10, was a Route 66 presentation and car show at Cal State San Bernardino. Click flyer for more info.
Highland Area Historical Society meeting
Thursday March 4, 2010 at 7PM
Sue Morse Serves Up A Delightful Program
By Nancy Alexander
Today, meals have become a grab and run affair. Think about it. You don't even need utensils to eat most of today's fast food. No knives, no forks, no spoons. We eat with our hands.
In Victorian times, however, there was a utensil for EVERYTHING!
Thursday, March 4, the Highland Area Historical Society members were fascinated by the program presented by Sue Morse. Sue brought samples of serving utensils used during the Victorian period (1837-1901). This was a very ornate period featuring birds, flowers, spiders, vines, etc. The craftsmanship is extraordinary, with even the smallest piece covered on all surfaces.
One interesting bit of information came as somewhat of a surprise. Sue displayed some examples of napkin holders, very ornate, and explained that these item would not likely be found in a well-to-do household, but in a household of more moderate means. The napkin holder had the name or some other identifier specific to each family member...and the napkin was replaced in the napkin holder after each meal and was washed once a week. Sue further explained that this custom is still used in many European countries. This was verified by my daughter, who lived in England for three years and saw this first hand.
Every serving piece had a specific use and was never used for anything else! The number of different kinds of forks was amazing. There were pickle forks, lettuce forks, olive forks and strawberry forks. I'm sure these were just a few.
Butter was served from the butter dish with a master butter knife and place on a butter "pat", a small shallow dish. To place the butter on your plate or food, a small butter pick was used to transfer the butter from the pat. This is similar to a nut pick, but again the two were not interchangeable.
Sue brought a lovely nautilus shell shaped device that held hot water to warm serving spoons. Teaspoons were very tiny with a short curved handle, very different from what we call a teaspoon today.
There were a variety of other spoons; citrus spoons, tomato spoons, olive spoons, jam spoons, and a tiny little spoon accompanied the salt cellar (a very small bowl) that went with each place setting. Salt was sprinkled, not shaken.
Other interesting items included a sugar shaker, a condiment caster, a pickle caster, and a biscuit warmer.
Several of the members brought unusual items for appraisal. One was an American Dresden milk pitcher. Sue mentioned these usually came in threes, the other two for hot water and cream. The next item was an oval shaped bowl that appeared to have a large piece missing on one side. This turned out to be a barber bowl. The notch in the lip of the bowl was placed next to the neck. The last item was a mug with curious little tubes or holes around the lip. Sue identified this as a "puzzle mug". Trying to drink from this mug may leave you drenched until you discover which hole covered by your finger will allow you to drink spill-free.
Sue
Morse owned Emma's Trunk Antique Mall for 14 years. Since the
mall's closure, Sue has operated Emma's
Antique Repairs, & Restorations and Apraisals.
http://www.emmasantiques.com
www.emmasantiques.com
Highland Area Historical Society meeting
Thursday January 7, 2010 at 7PM
Historical Society inaugurates 2010
The New Orleans Mint, 1907 |
By Nancy Alexander
Or, as some say, life is what happens when you make plans.
The Highland area Historical Society held its first meeting of 2010. We were confronted, first, with an unexpected change in our meeting room. However, Penny Lilburn went out of her way to make up for it by providing coffee and cookies for us.
The most crucial change, however, was the last minute cancellation of our speaker Sue Morse. Due to a family emergency Morse was unable to be present. Many guests, who came specifically to see her, were disappointed, as were we all. But, take heart, and watch the paper and/or our Web site, for she will try to attend the March meeting.
We did not lack for a program, however. After our business meeting, during which we discussed plans for the Society’s 30th anniversary (March 10) and the Citrus Harvest Festival (March 27), Minute Man, Bill Calvert, gave a very interesting talk on three subjects. There was much participation from the members which made the evening even more interesting.
Bill’s first subject was a “Did you know?†about the Federal Republic of Central America.
His second topic centered around a more local topic … post offices and early postmarks. He brought with him the San Bernardino Museum Quarterly on the subject by Lewis Garrett. (1992)
This quarterly contains information about the establishment of post offices in San Bernardino County, name changes, closures, and the names of the Postmasters. Of course, included are the dates for Messina and Highland. The quarterly also contains photos of some rare postmarks. Check the San Bernardino County Museum gift Shop for a copy … it’s full of interesting information.
Last, but not least, was a discussion of early coins. Do you know how many mints the United States has had? Most of us probably know Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco. Did you know there were four others?
The Philadelphia Mint was established March 3, 1791. The Dahlonega, Georgia Mint was established March 3, 1835 and minted its first coins in 1838. Coinage was suspended during the Civil War and never resumed. The same history applies to the Mint in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The New Orleans, Louisiana Mint was also established in 1835, suspended during the Civil War, but resumed coinage from 1870 to 1909.
San Francisco was established as a Mint July 3, 1852 and coinage operations were suspended in 1855, but continued as a “assay officeâ€.
Last was the Carson City Mint, March 3, 1863. Coinage operations were from 1870 to 1893. It then changed to an assay office, and that was closed in 1933.
All in all it was a very interesting evening! Remember that Kay Beattie’s book of A Look Back columns is now available. See our Web site www.highlandhistory.org or call Nancy Alexander (909) 862-7868 for more information.
2009 Events:
Highland Area Historical Society meeting
Thursday, November 5, 2009 7PM
William Marion Bristol
John Hockaday, author of "The Man Who Built Camp Cajon" A biography of Highland resident William Marion Bristol (1859 - 1941).
Bristol was a poet, orange grower, artisan, dreamer, seer and inventor.
Come and hear John Hockaday tell about the interesting life of a truly unique Highland Pioneer. www.buckthornpublishing.com www.buckthornpublishing.com
Highland Area Historical Society meeting
Thursday, September 3, 2009 7PM
Mark Landis on The Kite-Shaped Track
This program revisited the glory days of the Santa Fe Railroad's famous tourist excursion through Southern California from 1892 to 1917, focusing on the "eastern loop" of the tour through the San Bernardino Valley. The photo journey took us back to simpler time when orange groves, farms and fledgling communities began filling Southern California's vast open spaces following the great land boom of the 1880's.
The Kite-Shaped Track excursion was named for a popular figure-eight or kite-shaped horse racing track that was popular during the era. The figure-eight shaped rail excursion laid horizontally across Southern California, with the smaller end of the "8" encircling the San Bernardino Valley.
The program presented historic photos from the era as well as advertisements and memorabilia used by Santa Fe to promote the route. The cities of San Bernardino, Redlands, Mentone, Highland, and Patton were highlighted on the tour.
About The Presenter:
Mark Landis is a freelance correspondent for the San Bernardino
County Sun newspaper who has been writing local history articles since
2001. He is a member of the San Bernardino Historical and Pioneer
Society and an avid collector of local historic photos and memorabilia.
Mark had copies of his book "Touring The Eastern Loop Of The Kiet Shaped Track"
The printed version with color photos, maps etc. is available from Mark.
Contact him at by his email:
.
I am sure you will enjoy his book.
Highland Independence Day Parade
and Celebration in the Park
Wednesday, July 4, 2009 9AM
Nancy Alexander, Highland Area Historical Society President rode in member Dave Harkey’s Classic Mercury.
The parade started as usual from St. Adelaide Catholic Church on Base Line at 9 a.m. The procession continued west on Base Line, turned south at Central Avenue, and concluded at the Highland Community Park, 7793 Central Ave for Highland’s 4th of July Celebration.
The Chamber partnered with the Highland Family YMCA, which hosted the Celebration after the parade. The 4th of July Celebration planning committee, chaired by YMCA Board Member Rose Narcisse, mapped out the Highland Community Park to include games and activities, food vendors, an entertainment stage, a chill zone and picnic area.
Click to view photos:
2009 Highland Independence Day Parade and Celebration in the Park
Highland Area Historical Society meeting
Thursday, May 7, 2009 7PM
"Collecting and digging antique bottles and related items."
Dwayne Anthony shared his 22 years of hands-on knowledge, as well as some intriguing experiences that he has encountered while collecting old bottles and related artifacts, most having been dug from old outhouse pits. Many examples from his collection and outhouse digs were on hand to view, along with some of the key tools of the trade.
Highland Citrus Harvest Festival
Saturday, March 28th 2009 - 10AM to 3:30PM
Highland Area Historical Society meeting
Thursday, March 5, 2009 7PM
Scott Klemm, gave a presentation on ancient locks.
Have you ever thought about where everyday things you use originated? What about the key you push into a lock to open the door of your house or start your car? It may surprise you to learn that the basic principle used in your modern lock was invented in ancient times. Of course, the ancient locks were made of wood instead of metal, and were much larger than today’s. This explains the Bible passage, “I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David†(Isaiah 22:22). If you saw one of these keys, would you recognize it is as a key? You definitely would not recognize the first key used in ancient Egypt.
Scott Klemm, a retired history teacher and collector of antique locks, gave a presentation on ancient locks at our March 5 meeting. The talk was illustrated with pictures and some actual specimens from Roman times. Scott also signed copies of his book, Ancient Locks. The Evolutionary Development of the Lock and Key, which is a limited edition. The price was $25.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Happy Holidays!
As you know New Year’s Day fell on our regular meeting date and we agree to meet the following Thursday, January 8. The time was the same, 7:00 pm
We also agreed to do something different this year and we arranged an Installation Dinner at the Hampton Inn & Suites in the San Manuel Village on Boulder and Highland Avenue. The dinner was catered by Leonard’s Catering. The menu was Prime Rib, Baked Potato, Mixed Vegetables, and for dessert, assorted Cheesecakes. It was great! The event was paid out of Society funds, however donations were welcome.
Officers and Board Members for 2009-2010 were installed.
Nancy Alexander gave a brief talk on the history of hotels in Highland.
Please remember that dues for 2009 are due and payable in January.
Dues are $10 a year for individuals and families.
Dues may be mailed to:
Highland Area Historical Society
Attn. Membership
P.O. Box 353
Highland, CA 92345-3353
2008 Events:
Thursday, November 6th 2008
We held elections during our business meeting.
The program was presented by Bill Calvert, who presented a slide show on the history of Highland.
A Pictorial History of Highland, by Bill Calvert
Bill Calvert has been collecting Highland photos and artifacts for 25 years. An idea began to take shape to chronicle the history of Highland from its early days, when it was known as Messina, to 1987 when Highland was incorporated as a city, through the use of photographs.
The late Kay Beattie, who wrote the Looking Back articles for the Highland Community News, was to collaborate with Bill on this project, but it became too much for her. With her encouragement, Bill pressed on with the project.
The Historical Society offered to “self-publish†this one-of-a-kind book consisting of 207 pages of photos and historical narrative.
Copies are available by contacting Bill Calvert at (909)862-5492, or writing to the Highland Area Historical Society: P.O. Box 353, Highland, CA 92346-0353.
Thursday, September 4th 2008
Nick Cataldo highlighted his recent book: The Earp Clan: The Southern California Years . Nick devoted nearly 20 years of research prior to publishing this book. Copies were available for purchase at the meeting.
Nick Cataldo Vidio on "The Earp Clan: The Southern California Years"
http://video.aol.com/video-detail/the-earp-clan-the-southern-california-years-by-nick-cataldo/2182087404
Thursday, May 1st 2008
The speaker was:
Nola Houle did a presentation on the Cram house that once stood near the corner of Palm and Baseline and has since been moved twice. She discussed a little of the early history on the house, then covered the many adventures of the two moves. Larry and Nola Houle are the current owners of the home, which now stands at the corner of Highland Ave & Church Street.
Thursday, March 6th 2008
Gena Philibert Ortega gave her presentation on "Preserving your Heirlooms for the Next 100 years". She discussed preserving heirlooms including textiles and paper documents. Her bio is at her website which is http://www.yourfamilyhistoryresearch.com/
Thursday, January 3rd 2008
John Hockaday, author of "Trails and Tails of the Cajon Pass".
Information: 909-823-0227, www.buckthornpublishing.com
Meet the expert on the Cajon Pass
By MARK MUCKENFUSS The Press-Enterprise
2007
Thursday, November 1st 2007
The Speaker was Tom Spellman of Upland, CA who is a leading authority on citrus and deciduous fruit growing and has appeared on many garden TV programs, talk radio shows and has written for garden magazines. He will cover a little of the history on citrus growing in the area, then discuss the newer varieties now available.
Thursday, September 6th 2007
For the September meeting, our program was presented by long time and noted packing label collector, Floyd Mcdonald. He showed a slide presentation on citrus labels entitled "Beauty on the Box"
Meetings are held at 7PM at the Highland Senior Center, 3102 E. Highland Ave. Patton, CA 92369 Phone:(909)862-8104
Directions:
Highland Avenue to Patton Ave (the only signal light between Palm Ave, and Victoria). Go North on Patton Ave onto the grounds of the hospital, the first building on the right (East) is the Highland Senior Center, 3102 E. Highland Avenue. Go into the first driveway on the right (East) to the back of the building for parking and enter the building on the North side, up the ramp. We use the meeting room on the left after you enter.