Happy 4th of July!

Where is it Wednesday? This one might be too easy for locals. It is a current photo of a beloved place that looks much like it did when it opened in 1961. Where is it and what do you know about it? Share some old photos if you have them. #WhereIsItWednesday #historylovers

50 Facts about the La Mesa History Center #22: The McKinney House Pine Tree

The history of the pine tree on the McKinney family lot is a long one. In its 103 year life, the tree grew to truly majestic heights. By late 2018, the tree had fallen victim to a beetle infestation. While the original tree is gone, it is not forgotten. A bench made from the trunk sits facing its original location. A replacement tree did not survive. However, a third tree, financed by a generous anonymous donor, is standing tall.

50 Facts about the La Mesa History Center #21: Ice Cream Socials

The La Mesa Historical Society sponsored a variety of fund-raisers and member gatherings over the years, but one of the earliest and longest lasting was the Ice Cream Social. The first Ice Cream Social occurred in 1976. The tradition of an annual meeting and summer social gathering still continues although the focus on ice cream was dropped in the early 2000's. For many years the La Mesa Quilters group would have quilts and other items available for sale or for raffle. And some Socials included raffles for big-ticket items such as a 1959 Chrysler Imperial sedan! In 2023, the La Mesa History Center brought in an ice cream truck to the annual meeting and picnic as an homage to the earlier Ice Cream Socials.

What is it Wednesday? This object is found in the kitchen of the McKinney House Museum. Any guesses what it is? #cookingathome

50 Facts about the La Mesa History Center #20 - McKinney Garage/Archives Storage Building

Hiding off to the side or in the corner of various pictures of the McKinney House and yard is another building: the family’s garage. The building was 18' x 20' with an unfinished interior. When a Building Committee was formed in February, 1987, one of its goals was to “Create a safe storage area for the Society’s collections, which include photographs from the 1880s to the present, La Mesa Scout newspapers from 1916 to 1985, costumes, and maps. Committee member and architect James Hart oversaw the conversion of the garage for storage of the archival collection. The original plans for converting the structure to a storage building included replacing the sliding garage doors with double-door entry and installing insulation, dry wall, a heating/air conditioning unit for climate control, and security and fire protection systems. The plan also included moving the building to its current location in far back corner of the L-shaped lot, behind what would become the Palermo Building. In early 2025, the storage building received a new coat of paint and some refurbishments to its exterior.

Where is it Wednesday follow-up...this was a tough one but the photo here should give you a clue to its use. The item in yesterday's post is a wax cylinder - originally patented 1910. Wax cylinders were the earliest commercially available form of sound recording, invented by Thomas Edison in 1877. These cylinders were made of a wax material and used to record and play back sound by way of a rotating stylus that etched grooves into the wax. You can see ours in use here.

What is it Wednesday? We gave you a bit of a hint with the object on the right which is the housing for the object on the left. Guesses? This lives in the McKinney House Museum dining room. #WhatIsItWednesday #lookclosely👀

50 Facts about the La Mesa History Center #19: The Memorial Rose Garden
In 1986, Society Board member and volunteer Ed Blackburn had the idea to start a rose garden on the site. Volunteers Carol Lockwood and Hal Doerr designed an outdoor plaque that names could be attached. Community members could buy a spot on the plaque to commemorate a living or deceased relative or friend who had made contributions to the Society or the history of La Mesa. The initial cost of a plaque was $25.00, with the cost eventually rising to $100 by the end of the program. In 2016, the Sociey decided to discontinue adding new names to the Memorial Rose Garden plaque. At that time, the plaque had 90 entries. A new rose garden and commemorative plaque were incorporated as part of the current landscape renovation project begun in 2019. The new plaque was installed in 2023.