Meeting Delayed – Pushed to 5/17/2022

Our meeting and presentation on the Historic Ridge Route, originally scheduled for May 10, has been delayed one week and will be held on Tuesday, May 17, 2022 at 6 pm. I apologize for the delay and shift as I will be unable to attend on the original day. You may get a notice from … Read more

May – June 2022 Newsletter

Memories of US Route 99Red Bluff’s Chinatownby Jessica Casas After gold was discovered in Coloma in 1848, thousands of people including Chinese arrived in California to seek work in the mining industry. Red Bluff was the furthest point north and the last ferry stop on the steamboat.  The ferry stop would eventually create Pine Street … Read more

May 2022 Presentation

Join us on Tuesday, May 10, 2022 at 6 pm for a presentation on the Historic Ridge Route by Michael F Ballard. The road will be covered from Castaic to Gorman. Learn about the current status of the roadway and the Ridge Route Preservation Organization that is working to reopen the roadway. Please register for … Read more

Presentation in Beaumont, CA

On Thursday, April 14, 2022, I will be giving a presentation on the history of US 99 through the San Gorgonio Pass to the San Gorgonio Pass Historical Society. Their meeting will be held at the Cherry Valley Grange at 10478 Beaumont Ave, Beaumont, CA (corner of Cherry Valley Blvd and Beaumont Ave). Presentation starts … Read more

March – April 2022 Newsletter

A Brief History of Grapevine Canyonin Kern County and US Highway 99 – Part 1byMichael F Ballard 1914 – 1933 Grapevine Canyon, or Canada De Las Uvas, was named for the wild grapes that grow on its slopes by Spaniards in the 1700′s. The town of Grapevine has been a major stop along this highway … Read more