Fallbrook Historical Society

01/19/2020

Map showing Fallbrook Train Station in California Southern Railroad route.
From San Diego to Barstow.

Learn more about Fallbrook by visiting Fallbrook Historical Society Museum today.

Open Sunday and Thursday from 1pm to 4 pm.

Please also visit FHS page for interesting stories about Fallbrook.
When you are there please click on the like button.

12/22/2019

Origin of the Name of De Luz

By: Tom Frew - Historian FHS.

Long before American settlers came to this area, there was a small adobe house, about 12 square feet, on the point of a hill near a stream. Cattle from the adjoining Rancho used to range over this area because Pio Pico and later Don Juan Forster, believed that the valley between the Santa Margarita and the Santa Rosa Mountains were part of Rancho Santa Margarita. Vaqueros said a Spaniard or Californian by the name of Jose de Luz had built a corral and kept stock in there at one time. An American settler, A.J. Foss, said there were still a few stubs of posts of a corral visible around the adobe in 1877. This place was known as Corral de Jose de Luz.
The earliest known documentation of the name De Luz locally was on a map dated 1878 of Rancho Santa Margarita (today’s Camp Pendleton) that designated this stream as the Arroyo Corral de la Luz.
Downstream, where the arroyo emptied into the Santa Margarita River, the California Southern railroad built a station in 1882, shortening the name to De Luz. A post office was contained in the station. Following the establishment of the De Luz Post office here, settler homestead records of the 1880s were signed and dated as being in De Luz.
For many years an unsubstantiated story has persisted that De Luz was named after an Englishman named Luce who kept a string of horses in a corral at Judson’s hotel near the hot springs in the canyon, as reported in the 1983 History of San Bernardino and San Diego Counties This report cannot be true. The first problem is Luce is not De Luz. Most importantly, this place was known by Californios as the Corral de Jose de Luz and documented by Americans as De Luz many years before Mr. Luce visited the hotel that Mr. Lemon Judson built in the 1880s.

Albert J. Foss, was the son of a pre-1870 settler in San Luis Rey. Albert Foss’ family grew up as neighbors to Jose Antonio Pico and his family. Jose Antonio was a brother to the former California governor and the original owner of Rancho Santa Margarita Pio Pico . A.J. married Harriet Neff of West Fallbrook. The Neff who kept sheep and camped at the old adobe in the 1870s was Millard Neff, A.J’s brother in law. Also, Orlando Stewart, the American who first homesteaded this spot and planted a vineyard here, had married A.J’s older sister Florence, so he was another brother in law. A.J. Foss had family in this place, he knew the people, and he spoke with Forster’s vaqueros. We ought to trust his report.
A Californio named Jose de la Luz. The name Jose de la Luz was not uncommon. We looked at several Jose de la Luz’s, but only one fits the time and place. We do not have proof, but a California born Spanish soldier of mixed blood, who traveled around Southern California from Monterey, to San Diego to San Gabriel, uniquely meets the vaqueros’ description of a “Spaniard or Californian” who could have built this corral before 1850. His name was Jose de la Luz Linares. He was born at the Mission San Antonio de Padua, a short distance from Monterey on the El Camino Real on 20 January 1800. When he became of age, Jose de la Luz Linares followed in the footsteps of his father, Salvador Linares, to become a leatherjacket soldier (soledado cuero). Attached is a picture of a leather jacket soldier.
Jose de la Luz Linares married Maria de Jesus Bruno Garcia at the Presidio in San Diego on 19 July 1819 where he was stationed. Soon thereafter, in 1821, Mexico became independent from Spain. Although a soldier of Spain, Jose de la Luz Linares naturally chose to remain in California where he had always lived, and become a Mexican citizen.

We do not know what Jose de la Luz did immediately following his release from military service (about 1829?). Perhaps he tried his hand at ranching in the 1830s along the Santa Margarita River. We do know that in 1840, as part of the secularization movement to distribute Spanish church lands, Governor Juan Alvarado deeded to Jose de la Luz Linares 4,340 acres, presumably as a reward for his military service, and possibly for his support for Mexican Independence. With his new property, Jose de la Luz Linares founded the Rancho Los Nogales, just 70 miles from today’s De Luz. The City of Diamond Bar is located on that site today. Life was hard and short in those days. Jose de la Luz Linares died at Mission San Gabriel in September 1846.

12/12/2019

RENT Reche School House!

For Holidays Events, weddings, reunions, business meetings and social events.

The Reche School house in Fallbrook is the first school built. This is one of the oldest buildings in Fallbrook.

Completely renovated in 2016, the Reche School House preserves the history and traditions of the early development of the Fallbrook community.

Fallbrook Students Historical timeline.
1893: 20 students
1934–1938: 160 students
1950: 244 students
1953: 539 students
1958: 750 students
1978: 1875 students
1994: 2300 students
2007: more than 3000
2015–2016: 2071 students

Reche School House is OPEN to the Public! Admission is Free!

2nd Saturday of each month from 1-4PM

For Event reservations please email

[email protected]

or Call 760-723-4125.

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Please donate at https://www.gofundme.com/f/campaign-for-fallbrook-historical-society?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet

12/02/2019

Dear Historical Society Member,

This past year The Historical Society continued its mission to preserve Fallbrook history and to educate the public on its past.

We held an open house in June, a Reche School open house in September, a barn sale in October and will have an old-fashioned Christmas open house this coming week.

We showed the classic Buster Keaton film, “The General” at the historic Mission Theater and worked with the Fallbrook Village Association in providing docents for the 5500 people that visited the historic train caboose in the heart of downtown.

As with any non-profit, particularly one that oversees the historic Pittenger House, the historic Reche School house as well as the Heritage Center Museum and Barn, our expenses for maintenance and repairs are great.

We hope that you will continue to support the Historical Society by renewing your membership (form is attached) or if you are able a (tax deductible) donation of any amount would be appreciated.

Your support will go a long way to helping us continue in preserving our rich heritage.

With the best wishes for the holiday season,

Roy Moosa
President

The Historical Society is a 501c/3 non-profit.
“The Fallbrook Historical Society’s mission is to bring History to Life
by educating the community and others about Fallbrook’s rich heritage.”
Federal tax ID 51-019676

11/28/2019

Benefit from nutritious turkey even after Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all
From Fallbrook Historical Society!

Some great info about Turkey meal from article published in our Village News:

https://www.villagenews.com/story/2018/11/22/lifestyles/benefit-from-nutritious-turkey-even-after-thanksgiving/54667.html

FALLBROOK – If turkey is not normally on your lunch or dinner menu, come the holiday season it's bound to show up in abundance. As soon as the weather cools and the crispness of late autumn is in the air, thoughts turn to more hearty meals, and of course, the fall pièce de résistance: Thanksgivi...

11/03/2019

Fallbrook: Pioneer town is now known for gems, minerals — and avocados

Fallbrook History:
This home to many an oak, olive and avocado tree took root from a 160-acre parcel west of Pala settled in 1869 by homesteaders Vital and Amelia Reche. A store and hotel were built in 1885, and Fallbrook Union High School was established eight years later. Olive trees were a major cash crop beginning in the 1920s, with avocados and the floral industry taking over after World War II. Many of the wooden buildings on Main Street are historic, and with some 50,000 residents spread out over 127 square miles, the city retains its original pioneering charm.

How it got its name:
The Reches named it after Fall Brook, the Pennsylvania coal-mining town where Amelia had family and business connections.

Did you know?
Fallbrook High School is the second-oldest public high school in San Diego County, right behind San Diego High School.

Notable locals:
Famous Fallbrook residents include two Grammy winners: Singer Rita Coolidge and Megadeth leader Dave Mustaine.

Places to go:
The Fallbrook Historical Society Museum has everything from antique cars and a model train to a fine collection of rocks and minerals and scale models of early Fallbrook buildings. There are more jewels at the Fallbrook Gem & Mineral Society. Got stress? Head for the Myrtle Creek Botanical Gardens and Nursery, where its wild birds, butterfly garden and cafe will have you decompressing in no time.

Open today: Free Admission
1-4 pm.
260 Rocky Crest Rd, Fallbrook, CA 92028

Credit: Article in San Diego Union Tribune:
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/almanac/north-county-inland/fallbrook/sd-me-almanac-fallbrook-20170423-story.html

History: This home to many an oak, olive and avocado tree took root from a 160-acre parcel west of Pala settled in 1869 by homesteaders Vital and Amelia Reche.

10/25/2019

Research from our Historian: Tom Frew

Genealogy Resources at the Fallbrook Historical Society

The Fallbrook Historical Society museum has a variety of resources for anyone researching their family history in Fallbrook.
Fallbrook newspapers, with obituaries and notices, going back to 1911 are digitized and saved on our computers.
The Historical Society has recently added greater Fallbrook census records arranged alphabetically for the years 1900 and 1930 to tell us about recent generations with their names, age, occupations and family members. Going even further back in time, census records from the years 1860, 1870, 1880, list the names of inhabitants, arranged alphabetically who resided in this area many years before there was even a town named Fallbrook.
Fallbrook cemetery records can be accessed On-Line. Fallbrook Masonic Cemetery Directory & Fallbrook Oddfellows Cemetery Directory. Burial records usually provide the birth and death years. Family groups are often found listed nearby in the same plot. Exact dates help us cross-reference and find additional information.

The Historical Society has telephone books going back to 1950. Older books did not have exact addresses, but families can be traced through these records.
An index of Fallbrook High School alumni starts in 1895 and goes to 2008. FUHS yearbooks with some gaps, also go back to 1912. FUHS newsletters with gaps, are available from 1936 to 2003. A more recent collection of Potter Junior High School yearbooks starting in 1959 go to 2008 with some gaps are available for research.
Biographies of some historical Fallbrook residents may be in our files. We are working to expand our biographies through ongoing research. For a small donation to the Fallbrook Historical Society, a historian can help with some basic research.
The Fallbrook Historical Society can be contacted at [email protected]

09/21/2019

GoFundme campaign.
Please donate at
https://www.gofundme.com/f/campaign-for-fallbrook-historical-society

Please share this on your page and help us raise funds to maintain our historical buildings.

Dear Fallbrook Historical Society members and supporters.

Our facilities are in need of maintenance and we need your help to cover the costs. A modest donation from everyone will help restore and maintain our Historical Society Heritage Center.

1. Our immediate need is for $6700 to replace our ancient broken air conditioner at the Heritage Center.

We also have other critical maintenance projects that will receive only partial funding later this year

The other items we need funds for are:

2. A new roof at the Heritage Center
3. Termite fumigating and damage repair for all our wooden buildings
4. Parking lot repair
5. Drainage issue outside Ford Room
6. New entrance gate at the Heritage Center

More information about Fallbrook Historical Society:
The Fallbrook Historical Society’s mission is to bring history to life by educating the community and others about Fallbrook’s rich heritage.

08/16/2019

Who was William Pittenger?

By Tom Frew

He was one of the first soldiers to win the U.S. Medal of Honor, William Pittenger, is buried in the historic Fallbrook Odd Fellows cemetery at the junction of Clemmens Lane and Alturas Street.
In the Civil War, Pettinger enlisted as a private in the Ohio Infantry. He was at the 1st battle of Bull Run in 1861. Later promoted to sergeant, Pittenger volunteered for a dangerous mission behind enemy lines that has later been re-told in movies as the Great Locomotive Chase. After the war Pettinger became a Methodist Episcopal minister and the pastor of the Fallbrook Church in 1893.

A movie of Sgt Pittenger’s exploits will be shown at the Mission Theater this Friday, August 23rd 6pm.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Please like our page and come watch the movie to help raise funds for Fallbrook Historical Society.

Friday, August 23, 2019 at 6 pm.

Please share and spread the word and be part of Fallbrook History.

07/27/2019

Can you solve the Quilt mystery?

Some clues by Tom Frew:

A 120-year-old Signature Quilt hanging in the Historical Society museum presents some genealogical mysteries.
There are 24 signatures embroidered on this quilt. All of them lived in the town of West Fallbrook in the years 1899 and 1900. The women The quilters likely created their own quilt squares at home, with embroidered signatures representing their spouses or children, then getting together whenever they could, to socialize and assemble the whole quilt.
14 of the 24 signatures on the quilt are positively identified by the Historical Society, using the census and other records of the time, as people who lived and died in Fallbrook at the beginning of the last century. Many of them were prominent Fallbrook citizens who each have a fascinating story that we can tell. Many of these people are buried in the historical Odd Fellows Cemetery.
10 of the people are yet to be identified. One woman’ signature is Aunt Lib. Who’s aunt? What is Lib short for? Another woman merely signs hers as “Me”. Smart aleck. Another signature says Mamie, Apr ’99. Maybe this is a child who was born that month? Or died? There are Mrs. Jones and Alice Jones signatures. Mother and daughter? Why can’t we find them? And Emma Graham. Who was she? We’ve spent hours and hours studying Fallbrook genealogy records for clues on these folks. There’s a Mrs Stennard and a Mrs. Anderson signatures, but these people are not yet found in our Fallbrook records. Perhaps we are reading the signature incorrectly?
The biggest mystery is how this 120 year old quilt was found carefully preserved in a hope chest hundreds of miles from Fallbrook. The grandmother who owned this quilt lived most of her life in San Diego and Vista, but does not appear to have a family tie to anyone on the quilt. As far as we know yet.

Please share and like our Facebook book page.

Come and see the quilt tomorrow between 1 pm and 4 pm.
Fallbrook Historical Museum.
1730 Hill Ave
Fallbrook, CA. 92028

Be part of Fallbrook history by becoming a member.
https://www.fallbrookhistoricalsociety.com/about/membership-levels/

07/25/2019

Historical Timeline for Fallbrook, CA

Historical Timeline for Fallbrook.

To learn more and experience the amazing art, craft and old photos. Please visit Fallbrook Museums.

FREE Admission:
1 pm -4 pm every
Thursday and Sunday.

Please like our page and share.

http://tchester.org/znet/fallbrook/history/timeline.html

Most of this information comes from the wonderful columns in the NCT and Ent by Elizabeth Yamaguchi (NCT 6/8/97, B1, B6), and Tom Cooper (NCT 6/22/97, B1, B4), among other articles by them, as well as Fallbrook 1869-1977, published by the Fallbrook Historical Society. Other sources: VN 10/22/98, 6,7...

06/29/2019

History of Fallbrook in 3 Photos:

Loma Olive Oil Company to Cal Brook Avocado Company.

Two pictures, same spot, 103 years apart. This is looking west on Fallbrook Street near Mission Rd. This 1st photo shows Loma Olive Oil Company employees in the winter of 1916-1917. The only person identified in this photo is Eric Hindorff, the tallest man standing in the back. Hindorff was a well-known Fallbrook pioneer & resident who once worked at the Loma Olive Oil Company. It must have been a cold day in Fallbrook, as many of the women are wearing sweaters or coats. Fallbrook Street is on the left. Large tree root balls are lying along the side of the dirt street.

Fallbrook Fertilizer is at this location today. The 2nd attached picture is the same view today. In both pictures you can see the building’s unusual roof and how Fallbrook Street goes uphill slightly. In 1916, South Mission Road was called Hill Ave.

The Fallbrook Loma Olive Oil Company ranch was a major producer of high-grade olive oil, bottling about 15,000 gallons annually from 1895 until 1919. Before this newer building was constructed about 1916, the original olive press was at the old Loma ranch down on Alturas Street. The Loma label was shipped as far as New York. After WWI ended the domestic market for olive products diminished as the supply from Italy resumed.

With the decline of olives, the building was temporarily leased by the Fallbrook Citrus Association (FCA) as a packing house until their own facilities were completed on College Street. We don’t have the exact dates, but for many years during the 1950s and 1960s, this building was used as the Green Goddess Avocado packing house. At one point it was called the Cal Brook Avocado Company (see 3rd photo). A railroad siding served the packing houses in this building from 1919 until 1982.

If anyone out there was around and remembers the exact years this building was the Green Goddess Avocado Packing house, we would appreciate to hearing your information.

- Written by Tom Frew, Historian, FHS.

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Please visit.
Fallbrook Historical Museum open on Sunday and Thursday from 1 to 4 pm.

Enjoy!