The National Orange Show collection (SC 013) was processed by student intern Ning Zhang in Spring 2023.
The National Orange Show is an annual event held in San Bernardino, California to promote the citrus industry. From its development in 1889 to present day, it has a long and storied past that is integral to the history of San Bernardino and the greater Inland Empire. The first San Bernardino "Orange Show," a seven day event held in 1889, was well received by the community and deemed a financial success. In 1890, it was extended to eleven days and in 1911 it became the "National Orange Show" in 1911 held at Fourth and D streets in San Bernardino. A permanent location for the event was selected in 1923 and construction on the exhibit hall began the following year. Held annually for more than a century, the National Orange Show continues to be held each year.
This collection contains documents, memorabilia, newspaper clippings and other material pertaining to the National Orange Show held annually in San Bernardino, CA. Includes newspaper clippings about the National Orange Show from the San Bernardino Sun and other local newspapers, photographs featuring event attendees and spaces from Lyman S. Rich, Jr. (the former assistant manager of the National Orange Show), and pinback buttons, prize ribbons, and other souvenirs distributed at the event.
The Nancy E. Smith papers (SC 006) were processed by student intern Conor Farrell in Fall 2023.
Nancy E. Smith was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on October 1st, 1912, and was raised by her grandparents Will and Della DeSalyard Deshon. Following her marriage to C. Lowell Smith in 1944, Nancy Smith moved to San Bernardino, California in 1948 where her husband found success in real estate and she began her political career. In 1956 Nancy Smith was elected to the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors to represent the 5th district and in 1962 was elected as the county's first woman chair of the board. She served until 1964 and then again from 1973-1975. Smith also served on the California State University, San Bernardino Advisory Board from 1968-1978. Among her most notable accomplishments, Smith was selected by former United States President Lyndon B. Johnson to serve on the Public Land Law Review Commission from 1965-1970. Nancy E. Smith retired from politics in 1976 and lived with her family in Oregon until her death on November 10th, 2000.
This collection includes correspondence, documents, newspaper clippings, and other materials pertaining to the professional life of Nancy E. Smith, the first female Chair of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors, member of the Public Land Law Review Commission, and a major figure in San Bernardino County politics during the 1960s-1970s.
The Ratibu Shadidi Jacocks papers (SC 020) were processed by student intern Nathaniel Saavedra in Fall 2024.
Ratibu Shadidi Jacocks was born William Henry Jacocks in 1943. He was a longtime resident and fixture in the Inland Empire's African American community and was an advocate for underrepresented communities in this region. Jacocks married Wilmer Amina Carter in 1984, and this marriage led to a powerful partnership that would be the driving force for supporting underrepresented businesses through their organization Creative Business Services (CBS). Jacocks served as the president of Westside Action Group (WAG), a group dedicated to the betterment of the African American community in San Bernardino, CA, and co-founded the Inland Area Kwanzaa Group to highlight Kwanzaa and Black/Pan African culture. Ratibu's commitment to the community has been impactful and resulted in positive changes within the Inland Empire.
This collection documents critical elements of Ratibu Jacocks' life, ranging from his cultural identity and community activism to family history. Includes correspondence, documents, vertical files, and other materials pertaining to Jacocks' involvement with Creative Business Services, Westside Action Group, Inland Area Kwanzaa Group, Inland Area Black Political Action Group, and other community-based organizations. Materials related to Jacocks' family and proofs of his memoir titled "Memoirs of Ratibu Shadidi Incidents, Struggles, and Divine Intervention" are also included.
The Collection of Citrus Labels (SC 008) was processed by student intern Raquel Rodriguez in Spring 2025.
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, paper labels were glued on wooden crates by companies to advertise and identify the grower, packing association, and fruit variety. Labels often included the company name, brand, city/state origin, logo, and other imagery. They were created using a printing method called lithography, a time-consuming process which resulted in bright and detailed designs. Due to a combination of factors including the end of World War II, the beginning of the Korean War, and rising costs for materials the wooden crates were eventually replaced with cardboard boxes featuring integrated label designs that replaced the paper labels. A lot of unused crate labels remained, and despite many being discarded, people began to collect, preserve, and display them for their unique and decorative designs.
This collection contains citrus crate labels from the early 1900s through 1950s with an emphasis on growers in the Inland Empire region of Southern California including cities such as Redlands, Corona, Riverside, East Highland, Rialto, and others. The labels in this collection are primarily citrus (oranges, lemons, and grapefruit), but labels for other fruit and vegetable varieties are also present. Please note that some labels in this collection contain offensive, harmful, or otherwise outdated imagery/language pertaining to race and gender.
