Try our other website www.illustratedredlands.com our online version of the rare book published in Redlands in 1897.

Copies were sent all over the country to encourage Redlands’ growth.  The book includes 300 articles, 400 pictures, and references 800 people.  Only a few copies of the book now remain and are hard to find.  This project’s goal is to preserve and make available to the public the unique historical information found in “Illustrated Redlands.”

You may also enjoy other Redlands websites:

Redlands History

Redlands Electric History

RedlandsWeb.com

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         Dr. James A. Sandos will be the featured speaker at the Redlands Area Historical Society meeting September 22.  His latest book, “Converting California: Indians and Franciscans in the Missions” was published by Yale University Press.

     Sandos is a University of Redlands Farquhar Professor of the Southwest.  He is an eminent authority on the American West.  The book traces the history of the Franciscan missions from the founding of Mission San Diego in 1769 to their final demise in 1836.  His scholarship addresses the theology of the Fransican order and especially Father Junipero Serra.  

     Sandos discusses the historical California Mission two major fields of thought.  One group of historians has nothing but praise for the mission efforts in California and applauds the padres as architectural wizards, economic stewards of efficient fiefdoms, and protectors of the Native Americans.  This group of historians contends that Father Serra and the mission system he founded was superior to the English wars of extermination conducted on the East Coast of America.   Native Americans following this line of history became good Catholics, citizens of Spain, artisans, vaqueros, farmers and loved the founding padres for their benevolent gifts of civilization. 

     The other group of historians condemns the Mission System as nothing more than “slavery” under a clever disguise.  They quickly note the dismal record of Indian deaths at the hands of the padres.  Most of the civil authorities in Spain and later Mexico found the Franciscans like the former Jesuits controlling and anything but enlightenment thinkers.  Bashing Catholic theology and concluding the complete failure of the California Missions is foremost in their work

     Dr. Sandos discusses these two fields of historiography but adds an additional scholarship missing in the previous histories.  Sandos delves into the mission Native American point of view and with balance discovers new primary source evidence to reach a refreshingly well-supported conclusion concerning the California Missions. 

     Dr. Santos and Dr. Larry Burgess wrote “The Hunt for Willie Boy,” in 1994.  This historical account also incorporates Native American perspectives in the 1909 sensational killing here in Southern California. 

     Dr. Santos is also the author of “Rebellion in the Borderlands: Anarchism and the Plan of San Diego, 1904-1923.”

     Dr. Santos will have copies of his latest book on Converting California at the 7:00 p.m. Redlands Area Historical Society meeting on September 22 at A.K. Smiley Public Library Assembly Room.   

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     March is Women’s History Month and what better way to celebrate the month dedicated to women’s history than have Carole Beswick, Redlands’ first female mayor to present “her history” to the Redlands Area Historical Society March 23rd.

     Beswick a previous “Woman of the year” of Redlands has many accomplishments in her long civic history.  She epitomizes the creative spirit of Redlands with her early involvement in the Redlands Bicycle Classic. (This March marks the events’ 25th year.)

     Carole Beswick was especially concerned about saving historic downtown Redlands.  Under her leadership the Redevelopment Agency tackled the refurbishing of infrastructure on State Street and Orange Street.  Sewer and water connections had not been replaced since 1888, when the city first incorporated. 

     Challenged by critics that the paving of downtown with bricks in the 1980’s would be unwise, Beswick’s leadership brought a new renaissance to downtown Redlands.  New shops, revised business block facades and streets ornamented with red bricks soon appeared.  Redlanders happily purchased $25 bricks to record their family names and become part of the revival of downtown.  Market night and strolling the downtown became a Thursday event in Redlands.

     The City Counsel hired a historic planner and then hired a firm, Aegis, from Claremont to research the downtown history and formulate a tour guidebook.  The tour guide-book has been sold out for years.  Some businesses restored their 1890 facades and placed historic markers to indicate proudly their construction dates.

     Controversy was ever on the heels of Carole Beswick and the City Counsel in the 1980’s.  Her efforts revised the downtown and left Redlands with the ever-popular Redlands Bicycle Classic.  She is identified as a “mover and shaker” within the community.  Her singing talents match the previous mayor, Chuck DeMirjyn’s band performances. 

      Carole Beswick left Redlands with improved architecture and landscape design guidelines.   Under her leadership the first “Historic Districts” passed.

      Her presentation for the Historical Society will be recorded for posterity.

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We appreciate your comments, stories and updates. Thank you.

However, if you have a question please do not expect an answer from the Historical Society. Please email us directly if you have specific needs. The public may respond to your questions in the comment sections, but we may miss them.

You may email Tom Ashley for historical questions.

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Tom Atchey served as master of ceremonies for th 34th Annual Redlands Area Historical Society Heritage Awards, Wednesday June 10th , 2009.

Virgil R. Barker House 1892
1262 Sylvan Blvd.
University of Redlands

Willis G. & Alice Craig Jr. House 1904
855 Cedar Ave.
Jim and Sara Blauth

Marshall A. & Mary E. Rugg House 1911
812 College Ave.
Ian Hay & Laura Tracey

Adaptive Reuse 1920
503 Brookside Ave
Redlands Dentistry
Dr. Frederick L. Hoffer, DDS

C.T. Hales House 1930
707 South Buena Vista
Jim & Barbara Garcia

Elizabeth Marshall House - 1904
921 Center Street
Shawn Forrester and Brenda Taege

Special Recognition

Redlands Procellis 1930
Community Music Association
City of Redlands

Look for the full details to be posted on this website. See awards back to 2000 under the menu “Heritage Awards”.

Special thanks to Chariman Walker Price and Marie Reynolds, Susan Keith, Marsha Vegia, Janet Cosgrove Sandie Gree, Kathleen Beall an Karen Flippin for research and presentations.

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Join us at the Prospect Park Carriage House for the annual Heritage Awards and Ice Cream Social
Wednesday, June 10th at 6:30.

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The first tours of the Zanja sold out, but you can still sign up for the final tour!

Redlands Area Historical Society still has spaces open for the Historic Mill Creek Zanja Tour May 23rd at 9:00 a.m. for $25. The tour begins at Stater Brothers Market on the corner of Lugonia and Wabash Avenue. The three-hour tour is in a air-conditioned bus that is only three weeks old. Tom Atchley, president of the historical society, has done a great deal of research and brings the history of this 190 year old irrigation ditch to life. The construction of the ditch was completed by Native Americans in 1819. The oldest settlements in the East San Bernardino Valley grew up along it’s banks. Greenspot, Mentone, Crafton, Redlands, Barton, Old San Bernardino and Loma Linda all trace their history from this first irrigation ditch. For tour information call 307-6060. Only the 9:00 a.m. tour on May 23 has space still open.

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Dr. Stanley D. Korfmacher  delivered a paper to the Society which was originally written and given at the Redlands Fortnightly Club last January.  This paper is an update of  “Some Redland’s Firsts and Almost Firsts compiled by Dr Larry Burgess in 1982.  There are additions, revisions and deletions as additional facts have surfaced, and some interesting tales to tell about some of them.  The list has grown from fourteen to forty-four, and  have been grouped  in several categories.

Dr. Korfmacher thanks are due Nathan Gonzales in the Smiley Library Heritage Room and to Tom Atchley current and past president of RAHS, and the treasure trove of Redlands memorabilia in his home.

You can find his full paper online at http://www.redlandsfortnightly.org/papers/korf_08.htm

Firsts in Redlands include:

1. Water
2. Oranges
3. Electricity
4. Automobilia
5. Streets and Parks
6. Organizations and Events
7. Museums and Historic Buildings
8. Architecture
9. Redlands High School
10. The Pledge
11. Business
12. Miscellaneous

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