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Three solders identified from left to right as "Babe," Mac," and Nello" pose at a Panama City Bar in 1947. The back reads: "Taken in Panama City, Sept 13, 1947" Nello, Mac, Me, My love (Babe).
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Three soldiers sitting on a rock or log near a forest. They are in military dress and are posing for the camera.
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Black and white photograph of an unidentified woman heading to work at Norton Airforce base during the 1940s. Her hair is short with a headband and she wears overalls. During World War II many women entered the workforce especially in the defense industry. While the common image was Rosie the Riveter, women workers were of all races and ethnicities. Due to federal rules against segregation in the defense industry, Mexican American, African American, Asian American and white women worked side by side on production lines.
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A portrait of an unidentified Mexican American naval seaman in military dress taken at a photography studio. The image is also a post card and has written on back "Daniel, Taken 3 months ago at Fresno"
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"The Guzman family home was located on Stuart Street (515) in Redlands. The house was near the family's Blacksmith shop owned by Carlos' father Epimenio. Connie Guzman McFarland recalled, 'My grandmother [Jesusita] was born in Magdalena, Mexico. That's where they have the coffin of San Francisco Javier .... When she came over, she was a little girl, she brought a sapling of a tree. And that tree, they planted it in front of their house. I think I have the picture of that. And that's why my mom and dad had this type of tree. In fact, those trees are planted, would you believe, at what they call the Catholic Hill at Hillside Cemetary.'" (Vasquez and Carpio, 21)
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The Guzman family home was located on Stuart Street (515) in Redlands. The house was near the family's Blacksmith shop owned by Carlos' father Epimenio. Connie Guzman McFarland recalled, "My grandmother [Jesusita] was born in Magdalena, Mexico. That's where they have the coffin of San Francisco Javier... When she came over, she was a little girl, she brought a sapling of a tree. And that tree, they planted it in front of their house. I think I have the picture of that. And that's why my mom and dad had this type of tree. In fact, those trees are planted, would you believe, at what they call the Catholic Hill at Hillside Cemetary."
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Black and white image of Rafael Gonzalez sitting on the lawn with his daughter Melinda on his lap in the early 1950s. Rafael Gonzalez apprenticed as a shoemaker in Mexico before coming to the United States as a Bracero in 1942. Gonzalez dreamed of returning home and establishing a business but was delayed during the war and was among a group of Braceros stranded in San Bernardino without a contract or transportation home. Later, Gonzales met Eunice Romero while working for her father, Jacinto Romero, at Fairbanks Ranch.
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Color image of Eunice and Rafael Gonzalez holding Bianca, their granddaughter, at their home on Ohio Street in the 1970s. Rafael Gonzalez apprenticed as a shoemaker in Mexico before coming to the United States as a Bracero in 1942. Gonzalez dreamed of returning home and establishing a business but was delayed during the war and was among a group of Braceros stranded in San Bernardino without a contract or transportation home. Later, Gonzales met Eunice Romero while working for her father, Jacinto Romero, at Fairbanks Ranch.
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Rafael Gonzalez is pictured here at Cone Camp in 1943. Gonzalez was recruited from Mexico City as part of the United States - Mexico Bracero labor program during World War II. "Coney Camp" as it was known to the local Mexican population, was a former jail and Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) training center located on the banks of the Santa Ana River in East Highlands. Converted to house Mexican laborers, the facility held up to 1,500 men at a time. Despite federal mandates for reasonable living conditions, wages, and medical care many braceros like those living in Cone Camp lived in wooden barracks and sometimes in tents where the men endured severe winter weather and extreme heat in the summer. The Bracero Program officially ended in 1964.
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Black and white postcard with an image of the corner of Orange and Colton in Redlands, California. Sunset Market, Winn's Drug Store, and the Casa Loma Service Station opened at the corner of Colton and Orange, on the site of the former Wyatt Opera House in the early 1930s. Aurelia Ruiz Reyes recalled other businesses that provided goods and services to the Mexican colonia: "Don Sabas we used to call him. Well, that little store [on Colombia street] belonged to that man first. No, no, it belonged to Japanese people, and then he took over. Then when the war came he took his son to Mexico, and that's when Tommy [Martinez] bought it. Tommy had it for a long time, and that was the only little store. This other man had a bakery of Mexican bread right there on Lawton Street in front of the House of Neighborly Service. My brother-in-law used to have a little gasoline station on Stuart Street right across from Sam's Cafe. Oh, there was the Resbalon, a bar where they used to have food, it was a wife's help for their husbands to go."
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A color postcard of Redlands, California, reading "Snow capped San Bernardino Peak as seen from Orange and Colton Avenues." The picture also shows Winn's Drug Store, a fixture in the neighborhood. From its beginnings in the 1930s, the store had a soda fountain and grill that attracted people from all over for its pie, milkshakes, and local gossip. By the time the photograph on the postcard was taken, the freeway had created a permanent barrier between the north and south sides and made the imaginary line separating the town all too concrete and real.
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Lincoln School Choir provides a concert at the Divine Savior Presbyterian Church in Redlands, CA. The performance happened in 1967 or 1968. The black and white photograph shows 4-5-6 grades. The choir was led by Mrs. Kanfmann, Lincoln school teacher, and Mrs. Baker provided accompaniment.
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Black and white photograph of Ronald, Robert, Vicki, Felix, and Nelda Roque in 1955. The back of the photograph lists their ages: Ronald, age 10; Robert. age 8; Vicki, age 5; Felix, age 9 and Nelda, age 14.
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Black and white photograph of brothers Ronald (age 10, center), Felix (age 9, right), and Robert (age 8, left) Roque.
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"Manuel Villegas, standing behind the second row of his Boy Scout troop, was an educator, health, and fitness advocate, and Olympic-class weight lifter. Villegas influenced a generation of young men and women with his determination and courage as he broke color barriers at locally segregated institutions before and after World War II. Known to all as 'Manny,' Villegas was a popular schoolteacher who donated much time to community service." (Vasquez and Carpio, 34) The Boy Scout troop pictured was for Mexican children while Redlands had another troop for white children this example of segregation was one that was seen in public pools, local barbershops, and other places in Redlands.
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Black and white photograph of Joe and Irene Gonzales's wedding at St. Mary's Church Redlands in 1947. The group photograph shows the newlyweds at the alter surrounded by their many attendants, including a ring bearer and flower girls.
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Black and white photograph showing the first service at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Redlands in 1943. In the early days of Redlands, Our Lady of Mercy served as a spiritual home to the growing Mexican community but by the 1930s, it became apparent that the congregation needed a new space. Funds were raised one dollar at a time through donations collected by volunteers. St. Mary's Church opened its doors in 1943.
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"Jose and Irene Gonzales leave St. Mary's after their wedding in 1947." (Vasquez and Carpio, 32) Above the newlyweds, a quote is displayed above an entryway saying, "St. Mary's Church, built to the glory of God by the Mexican people of Redlands under the direction of the Rev. James Gray Pastor. Dedicated to the Virgin Mary by the most Rev. Charles F. Buddy Bishop of San Diego on the feast of Christ the King," and "SILENCE IN THIS HOUSE OF GOD." On the back, it says "From the Studio of William Kingham, WM. Elmer Kingham 5 1/2 and 91/2 E. State St. Redlands, California."
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St. Mary's Church was built in the 1940s when the congregation of Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church grew too large. "Lupe Yglesias reflected on the origins of St. Mary's Church, 'Well, you know, before I forget, I was just thinking, all the Mexican ladies got together. We needed a church. So they would all - Concha Viramontes and some other ladies - would go once a month to collect from every Spanish family. One dollar a month to build the church. So actually, the Mexican people helped come up with that church, then it became St. Mary's.'" (Vasquez and Carpio, 32)
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Black and white photograph of road construction on Central Ave right in front of Palmer Leland "Richey" Richardson's Garage. Across the street is the La Posada Hotel. On the back is written, "Richey's Garage. 17 W Central ave on left, Redlands Calif. looking West. Preparing for Hwy 99 which took off front half of garage. Looking West. Palmer Leland Richardson owner took foto." Highway 99 was once the road that is now Redlands Blvd. Highway 99 was established in 1926 as a route that ran from the Mexican border all the way to Washington state. The road was decommissioned in 1964 after the creation of the 1-10 and I-5 freeways and redesignated as Redlands Blvd.
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Black and white photograph of the interior of Palmer Leland "Richey" Richardson's garage on 17 W. Central Ave in Redlands. On the back reads "Inside Richey's Garage 17 W Central Ave Redlands, Calif. we took in storage of cars for La Posada Hotel. Leland spent many nights at garage. Leland Richardson swept the floor twice a day, that is why it was so clean. Palmer Leland Richardson owner took foto."
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Black and white photograph of the construction of Highway 99 along Central Ave in Redlands California. Written on back "17 W. Central Ave. Redlands Calif. In front of Richey's Garage on left looking west. Digging up st. to put a drainage ditch before putting hwy 99 through town on Central Ave. Looking west. Palmer Leland Richardson owner took foto." Highway 99 was once the road that is now Redlands Blvd. Highway 99 was established in 1926 as a route that ran from the Mexican border all the way to Washington state. The road was decomissioned in 1964 after the creation of the 1-10 and I-5 freeways and redesignated as Redlands Blvd.
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Black and white photograph of the construction of Highway 99 along Central Ave in Redlands, California. The street is dug open with only the sidewalk and a bit of street remaining. On the right you can see Palmer Leland "Richey" Richardson's Garage. Across the street is the La Posada Hotel. Written on back: "1930's Redlands, Ghost Town, Central Ave, Redlands California looking east toward Orange St. Richey's Garage on right at sign on roof looking east toward Orange St. Palmer Leland Richardson, owner. Elton Hotel on Left. Palmer took foto." Highway 99 was once the road that is now Redlands Blvd. Highway 99 was established in 1926 as a route that ran from the Mexican border all the way to Washington state. The road was decommissioned in 1964 after the creation of the 1-10 and I-5 freeways and redesignated as Redlands Blvd.
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Black and white photograph of Palmer Leland "Richey" Richarson's garage, Richey's Garage. His daughter Rita Richardson recalls the garage "Dad's garage was 24 hours. When he wasn't there, my two brothers were there, Mateo Guzman and Leland Richardson. They would kind of let dad have some rest while he went home to eat and sleep, or he slept right there in the garage many times too. But being 24 hours it was miserable. He got all of the accidents from all over the area. He had a great Maxwell touring car that was a tow truck." (Vasquez and Carpio, 40) On the back of the photograph it reads "1930's Looking So. East. Richey's Garage 17 W. Central Ave, Redlands Blvd. Richey was Palmer Leland Richardson born in S. Dakota 1885 April 8, Leland Richardson spent many sleepless nights here taking care of cars coming in from the Posada Hotel, new then."
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Black and white image of Redlands' first Head Start preschool in 1968. From left to right: Carlos Ojeda, Bobby Gonzales, and an unidentified University of Redlands student work together to assemble a playset.