In a city where Victorian homes, historic citrus landmarks, and century-old institutions remain part of everyday life, understanding the past is more than an academic exercise. It is a way of understanding the community itself.
This October, A.K. Smiley Public Library is continuing one of Redlands' longest-running educational traditions with the 56th edition of its local history course, bringing together three historians whose combined experience spans generations of community research and preservation.
The fall class begins Tuesday, October 13, and continues weekly through November 17. Sessions will take place from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the library's Assembly Room at 125 West Vine Street. The course will explore the history of Redlands and the San Bernardino Valley, giving participants an opportunity to understand how the region developed and how its past continues to influence the present.
The instructors are familiar names to many residents interested in local history.
Larry Burgess, director emeritus of A.K. Smiley Public Library, began teaching the history course in 1971. As the library's founding archivist, Burgess helped establish an enduring foundation for preserving and interpreting the community's documentary history. He has written books about Redlands and delivered hundreds of historical presentations.
Tom Atchley joined Burgess three years later. A longtime educator who taught history in Redlands schools for four decades, primarily at Redlands High School, Atchley brings a classroom perspective shaped by years of introducing students to the region's past. He is also known for historical tours and his extensive collection of photographs.
Nathan Gonzales joined the instructional team in 2022. Having worked in the library's Heritage Room since 1999 and served as archivist since 2013, Gonzales specializes in interpreting local history through photographs, films, documents, and historical objects.
Together, the three instructors represent an unusually deep collection of local knowledge.
The history of Redlands offers an especially rich subject for such a course.
Founded during Southern California's agricultural expansion, Redlands became a center of citrus production, attracting investors, workers, merchants, and families who helped transform the area into a prosperous community.
The citrus economy supported construction, transportation, education, and civic institutions. Over time, the city developed a distinctive architectural identity and an active cultural life.
Yet the community's history extends far beyond its most recognizable buildings and orange groves. It includes the experiences of workers, entrepreneurs, educators, immigrants, families, and organizations whose contributions shaped the city's neighborhoods and institutions.
Understanding those stories can change the way residents experience familiar places.
A street that appears ordinary today may once have been connected to a major agricultural enterprise. A surviving building may reveal changes in transportation, commerce, or family life. Historical photographs can show how entire neighborhoods evolved.
The library's course provides an opportunity to place these details into a larger regional context.
The program also supports preservation in a practical way. Registration costs $30 per person, with proceeds benefiting the Heritage Room Endowment Fund, which supports the library's Archives and Special Collections.
Those collections include photographs, maps, oral histories, documents, films, and objects that help preserve Redlands' past for researchers and future generations.
The connection between education and preservation is especially important as the city continues to grow.
New development, changing neighborhoods, and shifting economic conditions can gradually alter the physical landscape. Historical knowledge helps residents understand which features of their community are distinctive and why preservation decisions matter.
The course is also an opportunity for newcomers to develop a stronger connection to Redlands. Learning about the people and events that shaped a city can transform a place of residence into a place of belonging.
The library reports that space is extremely limited. Interested participants may contact the library at 909-798-7565 or email admin@akspl.org for registration information.
As Redlands prepares to welcome visitors to its new history museum later this month, the return of the library's longstanding history class provides a complementary opportunity to explore the city's heritage.
Buildings preserve the physical evidence of earlier generations. Archives preserve their records. Education helps keep their stories alive.
For Redlands, the value of remembering the past lies not simply in celebrating what once existed, but in understanding how yesterday's decisions continue shaping tomorrow's community.
Event information: Tuesdays, October 13 through November 17, 2026, 7 to 8:30 p.m. A.K. Smiley Public Library Assembly Room, 125 West Vine Street. Registration: $30 per person. Contact 909-798-7565