S.M. historical society looking to solve identity crisis

By: ERIKA AYN FINCH - For the North County Times | Sunday, April 11, 2004 9:21 PM PDT ∞

SAN MARCOS ---- The San Marcos Historical Society is in the midst of an identity crisis and needs the help of a few people with good memories.

The society recently unveiled a panel of over 30 black and white photographs of unidentified San Marcos residents ranging from the early 1900s to the 1980s. Wedding photos, a picture of young boys standing in front of an old Ford, class photos from Richland Elementary School, women sitting around a piano and a somber young man on a horse are just a few of the intriguing images.

Beverley Haskins, San Marcos Historical Society museum administrator, said the society has been collecting photos since it was founded in 1963. She said some of the unidentified pictures were donated as early as the 1960s and they have remained in the museums photo archives, along with nearly 5,000 identified photos.

Aside from the pictures on display, the society has a box with more than 30 additional photos that need names, places and dates.

"People just bring in pictures for our files, often after a relative has passed away," Haskins said as she thumbed through the various pictures. "We have just accumulated all of these over the years."

Some of the pictures do have writing on the back but it's hard to identify who is who by the vague captions. One picture of an older man and young boy working on a craft project reads, "Elmer paints wish well made from Popsicle sticks as Mike watches."

"This is part of our history and we need to know who these people are," Haskins said.

In fact, Haskins said the first person who can identify someone in a picture and prove the identification will receive a San Marcos Historical Society T-shirt. So far, no one has been up to the task but Haskins said many people have taken a closer look at the photos, especially when they were on display at the Carnival of Cultures event in March.

As the people are identified, Haskins said captions would be placed below their pictures so people could learn more about the nameless faces.

Haskins actually said some of the people look familiar to her but she can't place their names. Other photos just hold a certain amount of intrigue. She pointed to a picture of a young girl with ringlets and a large bow in her hair.

"She is just so beautiful," Haskins said. "I would just love to know who she is."

Maryanne Cioe, museum librarian, said about three people come to the museum each work to look through photo archives and find information on their family history. She said genealogy is an important aspect of the city that began in 1875 in Twin Oaks Valley.

"People come in and want to document their family," Cioe said.

"Who knows who will come in years from now and want to look for family who are in these pictures. It's very gratifying when we can help them find their information. They are just so excited."

Haskins and Cieo both agreed that learning the identities of the people in the photographs might also shed some new light on the history of the Valley of Discovery. Pictures of Chamber of Commerce events are intermixed with a very interesting picture of a group of cowboys on horses, a smiling military man, an attendant at the William Gas Station on Mission Road, a cheerleader and a young boy intently working on a wood project.

"It's like going through a grab bag," Haskins said. "It's just fascinating."

The San Marcos Historical Society Museum is located at 270 West San Marcos Boulevard. They are open Tuesday through Thursday and Saturday through Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. For further details, call (760) 744-9025.