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Once upon a time, there was an idea of a theme park based on the Bible. It was never built and eventually the Epicenter and Victoria Gardens came instead.

Bible Storyland was slated for Rancho Cucamonga in 1960. It was the subject of a David Allen column in 2005. Now it's the subject of a documentary called "Bible Storyland."

A sneak peek of the film will be screened at 2 p.m. Aug. 28 at the Lewis Family Playhouse. A 1955 T-Bird convertible, owned by musician Bobby Troup, will be on display. Troup was best known for the song "Route 66."

Tickets are $7 and proceeds will go to the Rancho Cucamonga Community and Arts Foundation.

For tickets, call the Playhouse box office at 909-477-2752.

The Local History Cultural Arts Night was one of my favorite city events last year. Hosted by the library and Planning Department, it gathered some of the city's more prominent "old timers" who told tales of Rancho Cucamonga from a simpler era.

But if you're learning about the event for the first time through the city's press release this week, expect to be underwhelmed. On top of a list of highlights for the event is "Speeches by local city of Rancho Cucamonga officials." Note to event organizer: Consider offering strong coffee or Red Bull at the event.

At events like these, speeches are usually the introduction. The event is 7 to 9 p.m. on May 20. I'm guessing if you arrive by 7:15 p.m., you're good.

The rest of the evening will include live music, arts and crafts, vintage car display and a wine talk given by a local vintner. The new local history website "Portal to the Past" will also be unveiled. It's free and it all takes place at the Biane Library.

Information: 909-477-2720

If you're interested in getting involved with the John Rains House, the San Bernardino County Museum on 8810 Hemlock Street, you might want to stop by the Rancho Cucamonga Historical Society meeting on Tuesday. It starts at 7 p.m. at the John Rains House, which is also known as the Casa de Rancho Cucamonga.

Also, this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., there will be a free open house at the museum with activities for young children that mimic the activities of early Californian settlers.

Information: 909-938-6230

About every 10 or 20 years, the Inland Valley is greeted with a snow storm. This early 20th century photo shows San Antonio Heights blanketed with snow.
Courtesy of the Model Colony Room at Ontario City Library


One of the perks about living in Rancho is the mountain views, which are especially beautiful when it snows. But what if it snowed down here?

In 1949, it did just that. The entire area was blanketed with snow, which fascinated residents who weren't used to seasons changing.

Catherine Bridge, who managed a citrus farm on Banyan and Carnelian with her husband, remembers it well.

"It was an amazing sight," she said. "You can stand on Banyan Street and see white all the way up."

Bridge recently shared her memories with Library Director Robert Karatsu, who is recording digital oral histories for the library. I tagged along because I was nosy.

The library recently received a two-part grant to record stories about Rancho Cucamonga. The 12 recordings that are already complete can be found here.

Library officials unveiled a new Local History Room and 12 digital stories about Rancho Cucamonga on Friday as part of a digital story project funded by the California State Library.

Some of the people featured in the project include Councilman Dennis Michael, who talks about the Grand Prix Fire while he was the fire chief, and Joe Blackstock, the Daily Bulletin's history columnist, who talks about how the city got its quirky name.

Here's reference librarian Casey Marcarello, who talks about her family moving to Rancho Cucamonga from Virgina after watching a commercial about the Virgina Dare Winery. Click here to watch all 12 of the digital stories.

 

Tonight's meeting was adjourned in honor of Charles West, the mayor pro tem of the first City Council. West died May 22. He was 88.

The City Council and a couple of speakers during the public comment portion of tonight's meeting spoke about West tonight, including former Mayor Jim Frost, who said West is "a tough man to lose."

"He taught me a lot about what it meant to be a public servant," said Mayor Don Kurth. 

Apart from serving on a City Council that basically had to plan a city from scratch, West also served on the water district board, was president of the Rotary Club and taught Sunday school at Cucamonga Methodist Church (now United Methodist Church of Cucamonga.)

Gurutej Khalsa, one of West's three children, was just a young girl when the family moved from Montclair to what is now Rancho Cucamonga. West became a volunteer firefighter back when it was an all-volunteer crew.

"In the middle of the night they would sound off the huge horn and he would pop up, put on his overalls and race down to the fire department," Khalsa remembered. "There used to be races to see who could get there fastest."

The first City Council had the task of crafting policies and standards for a brand new and quickly growing city. Khalsa said it was inevitable that the small and quaint Cucamonga would grow, so her father saw it as an opportunity to help build a healthy, prosperous community where residents could raise a family.

"He believed, 'If we can't stop them coming in, let's make sure it's good,'" Khalsa said.

There were a number of funny stories that Khalsa recalls from her father's City Council days. She said one morning over breakfast, her father talked about a resident's phone call in the middle of the night.

"Some lady called and said, 'It's raining and the water is going down the street too fast, you have to do something about it,' " remembered Khalsa.

West spent the last 15 years living in Desert Hot Springs but visited the city regularly. Khalsa brought him to see the Epicenter and Victoria Gardens, the regional shopping center that was a pipe dream when the first General Plan was written.

"I guess this is the new downtown," West told his daughter when visiting Victoria Gardens for the first time. "I wasn't sure this was a good idea at first but this is cute. It's grown up nice."