Past Speakers and Events


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.

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.

Link to Route 66 flyer.

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.

William Bristol
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
Published: Thursday, January 14, 2010 5:54 PM CST
Now and Then things don’t go as planned. It just goes to show how uncertain life really is.

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 office”.

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.




Highland Area Historical Society meeting
Thursday, November 5, 2009 7PM

William Bristol
William Bristol

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 The Man Who Built Camp Cajon 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:



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.