The Highland Area Historical Society
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The Highland Area Historical Society was formed in 1980 to foster an awareness of the history in the Highland/East Highland area of San Bernardino County in Southern California, which includes the area bounded by Victoria Ave. on the west, the Santa Ana River Canyon on the east, the National Forest boundary on the north, and the Santa Ana River on the south.
The Society also endeavors to expand the involvement of the public in collecting artifacts and preserving local history. The Society takes an active part in the Highland Citrus Harvest Festival in March.
Established in 1980,the Highland Area Historical Society was originally named The East Highlands Historical Society. It was formed after serveral Cram School reunions, but specifically the 110th reunion.
On April 16, 1980, meeting in the historic Rock House on the East Highlands Ranch (formerly the East Highlands Orange Company) a group of fifty residents dedicated to preserving the area's history, formed the East Highalnds Historical Society. Carol Hamilton was the first president.
When Highalnd became an incorporated city in 1987, the name of the society was changed to the Highland-East Highlands Historical Society. The name has since changed to The Highland Area Historical Society.
The meeting place has also changed over the years. The first was the historic Rock House, then the historic Knights of Pythias Hall, and it currently meets at the Highland Senior Center.
SAVE THE DATE! April 17, 2010
The Highland Area Historical Society will be celebrating its 30th Anniversary with an open house at the Rock House.
The Highland Area Historical Society will be celebrating its 30th Anniversary with an open house at the Rock House.
We are so pleased to be able to have this 30th Anniversary celebration in the place where it started. Plans are still in progress, but Tom Atchley, Redlands historian, who spoke at the first meeting, November 13, 1980, will be returning to speak at the open house. Also speaking will be Nick Cataldo who will speak on the Earp Clan including Adelia who lived in East Highlands.
There will be displays, photos and artifacts tracing the history of the Ranch and the Historical Society and light refreshments will be provided.
Please plan to attend the 30th anniversary and open house of the highland Area Historical Society.
Announcing the publication of the first volume of Kay Beattie's A Look Back columns, (originally published in the Highland Community News), as part of a fund raising project.
Kay spent many, many hours pouring over old newspapers, visiting the Highland Library, the Smiley Library in Redlands, the San Bernardino Feldhym Library and the San Bernardino Historic Archives, as well as her father-in-law's, George W. Beattie, work, to find information for her "stories".
This body of work is an invaluable resource for the history of Highland and the surrounding area, and is deserving of being preserved in enduring and readily available format. It would be impossible to include all her columns in a single volume, so they have been divided into several.
The collection was compiled, edited and indexed by Nancy Alexander, President of the Highland Area Historical Society and City Historian.
The first volume is available now and will make great gift for anyone who is interested in Highland's rich history.
The cost is $40 and can be ordered by contacting Nancy Alexander at
Highland Community News
photo by Charles Roberts
Library addition
Alexander compiled the Beattie stories from copies of the Highland Community News, and added an index for reference purposes. Beattie wrote weekly Highland history articles for the Highland Community News for many years.
Upcoming Meetings And Events
Highland Area Historical Society meetings are held on the First Thursday of
January, March, May, September, and November at 7:00 PM at the
Highland Senior Center, 3102 E. Highland Ave. Patton, CA 92369
Phone:(909)862-8104
The public is always welcome.
Directions:
Highland Avenue to Patton Ave (the only signal light between Orange St. 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.
The next Highland Area Historical Society meeting will be
Thursday, January 7, 2010 at 7PM
For January 7, 2010 we have Sue Morse speaking on "Victorian Era Table Settings". Sue Morse is a noted authority on antiques, with her expertise being in the field of Victorian era items.
During her presentation she will display and discuss the various utensils that were found on a formal dinner table during the Victorian period. Interestingly enough, it seems a different utensil was designed for each serving purpose--some were simple, while others were quite fascinating.
A free appraisal session will conclude the presentation, so bring along your Victorian era treasures for Sue to identify and/or appraise.
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.
Highland Area Historical Society Blog:
http://www.blog.highlandhistory.org/
Officers and Board Members
President: Nancy Alexander
909-862-7868
Vice President: Dwayne Anthony
Secretary: Pam Beachtel Bible
Treasurer: Open (Nancy Alexander acting treasurer)
Board Members: Robert Moore, Jose Tacal and Charles Kiel
Contact Information
Highland Area Historical SocietyP.O. Box P.O. Box 353
Highland, CA 92346-0353
www.HighlandHistory.org
Email Webmaster
Meetings:
1st. Thursday
of Jan, March, May, Sept, Nov. at 7:00 PM
Meetings are held at the Highland Senior Center, 3102 E. Highland Avenue.
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Tired of seeing all of the orange groves
disappearing?
Support the Inland Orange Conservancy
in saving groves in our neighborhood.
To learn more
go to :
http://www.inlandorange.org/
P.O. Box 188
Mentone, CA 92359
909-794-4484 * inlandorange@hotmail.com
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