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

March 2022 Presentation

Join us on Tuesday, March 8, at 6pm for a presentation on Lake Shasta and Environs by Michael Ballard. We will be sharing photographs from our November 2021 trip to the Lake Shasta area showing the low lake level as well as some additional photos of the surrounding area. Please register for the presentation using … Read more

99 Alert – William S Hart Park in Santa Clarita

One of our members and local historians, Evan Decker of Santa Clarita, has brought to our attention something concerning a park in his area. William S Hart Park, the former home of the silent film actor, is currently a park owned and administered by Los Angeles County. This arrangement is due to the stipulations in … Read more

January 2022 Meeting

Historic US 99W Zoom Presentation  At the January 11th Zoom Meeting, I will be presenting the story of Historic US 99W from Sacramento to Red Bluff. As you know, US 99W no longer exists today by that name, but nearly all of the original route does still exist, some of it was also used by the … Read more