Business
Highland Area Historical Society marks 30 years
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| Highland Community News photo by Charles Roberts - Now and Then - Nancy Alexander, left, president of the Highland Area Historical Society, is pictured with Carol Hamilton at the 30th anniversary of the Society. Hamilton was the first president of the Society in 1980. |
By Charles Roberts, Editor, Highland Community News
The 30th anniversary of the Highland Historical Society was marked by a small but enthusiastic crowd at the Rock House, former meeting place for the Society.
Many of the first members were in attendance, including the first president, Carol Hamilton, who now lives in Yucaipa.
The first speaker at that initial meeting 30 years ago was historian Tom Ashley, who reported on pioneer J.S. Edwards.
Ashley said Edwards came here in 1881 at age 21 for his health and developed an orange empire that included water supply, groves, packing houses, recycling for citrus refuse and cooling for picked oranges.
He met Frank Brown and together they built the North Fork to bring irrigation to local crops.
He bought 10 acres from Brown in Redlands and for the first time, became a land owner. That is now the home of Plymouth Village, so named for Edwards’ home town of Plymouth, Mass.
When Brown built his home, he had to bring in boarders to help make the payments on the $10,000 Victorian. In 1885 he added Highland property to his holdings.
In 1886 he planted 5,000 citrus trees, but shipped his first crop (celery) from East Highlands because vegetable crops were a quick profit and it took about five years for the citrus trees to mature and become profitable.
In 1887, he decided to pick navels in December when most of the country had no fresh fruit. He also pioneered cooling the oranges.
In 1893, he founded the Gold Buckle name; gold because of its value and buckle because buckle holds things together.
He paid his workers on Monday because he figured if he paid them on Friday, they would get drunk and spend all their money and come back to work wasted on Monday. If he paid them on Monday, they would be broke by the weekend and couldn’t go out and party all weekend.
He first worked Native Americans until they were confined to the reservation. In 1893, he hired Chinese workers until they were deported; in 1909, Japanese workers were available until they were excluded by federal law. It was Filipinos who worked in the 1930s until World War II when he was instrumental in forming the bracero program.
The first schools were Arroyo Verde for Hispanic children and Cram Elementary for whites.
He built houses for his workers, a big incentive, and he was considered a good boss. He also made significant donations, including to Pomona College, and in 1933, donated half of his money to charity.
Edwards ran for state and federal offices on a prohibition platform, but never won. He was a Congregationalist, and attended a church in Redlands on what became Church Street, which stretched across the Santa Ana River into Highland and what is still Church Street in both Redlands and Highland today.
He also built Hillside Cemetery in Redlands, and that’s where he is buried.
The Edwards Mansion was moved to an orange grove on the west side of Redlands where it serves as a specialty restaurant.
Many of the first members were in attendance, including the first president, Carol Hamilton, who now lives in Yucaipa.
The first speaker at that initial meeting 30 years ago was historian Tom Ashley, who reported on pioneer J.S. Edwards.
Ashley said Edwards came here in 1881 at age 21 for his health and developed an orange empire that included water supply, groves, packing houses, recycling for citrus refuse and cooling for picked oranges.
He met Frank Brown and together they built the North Fork to bring irrigation to local crops.
He bought 10 acres from Brown in Redlands and for the first time, became a land owner. That is now the home of Plymouth Village, so named for Edwards’ home town of Plymouth, Mass.
When Brown built his home, he had to bring in boarders to help make the payments on the $10,000 Victorian. In 1885 he added Highland property to his holdings.
In 1886 he planted 5,000 citrus trees, but shipped his first crop (celery) from East Highlands because vegetable crops were a quick profit and it took about five years for the citrus trees to mature and become profitable.
In 1887, he decided to pick navels in December when most of the country had no fresh fruit. He also pioneered cooling the oranges.
In 1893, he founded the Gold Buckle name; gold because of its value and buckle because buckle holds things together.
He paid his workers on Monday because he figured if he paid them on Friday, they would get drunk and spend all their money and come back to work wasted on Monday. If he paid them on Monday, they would be broke by the weekend and couldn’t go out and party all weekend.
He first worked Native Americans until they were confined to the reservation. In 1893, he hired Chinese workers until they were deported; in 1909, Japanese workers were available until they were excluded by federal law. It was Filipinos who worked in the 1930s until World War II when he was instrumental in forming the bracero program.
The first schools were Arroyo Verde for Hispanic children and Cram Elementary for whites.
He built houses for his workers, a big incentive, and he was considered a good boss. He also made significant donations, including to Pomona College, and in 1933, donated half of his money to charity.
Edwards ran for state and federal offices on a prohibition platform, but never won. He was a Congregationalist, and attended a church in Redlands on what became Church Street, which stretched across the Santa Ana River into Highland and what is still Church Street in both Redlands and Highland today.
He also built Hillside Cemetery in Redlands, and that’s where he is buried.
The Edwards Mansion was moved to an orange grove on the west side of Redlands where it serves as a specialty restaurant.
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