The City of Redlands was founded in 1881 and incorporated on November 26, 1888. Redlands is located 63 miles east of Los Angeles and 44 miles west of Palm Springs which makes it an easy drive to reach mountains, beaches, and deserts. Here are some fun facts about this “big town” with a “small town” feel…

#12 Redlands was the first city in the state to require driver’s licenses.

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#11 The University of Redlands started in a small building on Orange Street.

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The U of R, founded in 1907, started in what used to be the restaurant Joe Greensleeves (closed permanently in September 2016).

#10 Hatfield Buick GMC is the oldest operating Buick dealership in the United States.

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The dealership was originally built in 1913, where the Redlands Mall is today. It moved to its current location, 301 E. Redlands Blvd., in 1963.

#9 Early Redlands citrus grove owners could pay for a house in one year.

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When Redlanders were then living on citrus groves, oranges sold for $5.95 a box. A tree gave about 20 boxes. You could put 90 trees on an acre, and the average person had about 10 acres, or 900 trees. “You could pay for your house in a year,” Talley said.

#8 Citrograph Printing, at 127 years old, is the longest-running printing company in the state.

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#7 The Mitten Building is Redlands’ oldest citrus packing house in the city.

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Built in the late 1800’s, the Mitten building was used for packing and sending the citrus out the door into refrigerated railroad cars to begin the trek to the East Coast.

#6 Super Bowl XXXV Winning Coach graduated from Redlands High School

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On January 28, 2001, Brian Billick guided the Baltimore Ravens to a decisive victory over the Giants by the score of 34–7 in Super Bowl XXXV. Billick graduated Redlands High School in 1972.

#5 Redlands High School is the oldest high school in California still operating in its original spot.

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#4 Pizza pub Gay ’90s was the inspiration for the television hit “Cheers.”

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The show’s creators, Glen and Les Charles, went to the University of Redlands, and spent a lot of time in “the place where everybody knows your name.”

#3 American Soccer Star Landon Donovan attended both Redlands and Redlands East Valley High School

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As a sophomore he collected 17 goals, paving the way for league MVP honors. The next year, he scored 16 times. His scoring prowess caught the attention of a larger audience and, in his senior year of high school, Donovan joined the U.S. national soccer program.

#2 The Redlands Bowl, built in 1930, is the longest running venue in the world where no admission is charged.

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#1 The land at Opal Street and Citrus Avenue was leased by the famous Earp family in 1864.

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Behind Redlands East Valley High School, is the site of the Cram estate. Nicholas Earp farmed the land for two years, but his son Wyatt Earp disliked farm life and sought adventure in San Timoteo Canyon with a freighting and stage line that shipped gold bullion — years before he and his older brothers Virgil and Morgan were in the legendary gunfight at the O.K. Corral.

Article sources:

http://www.dailybreeze.com/

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2017

  1. Elizabeth
    December 21, 2016

    You forgot about famous Redlands Highschool graduate, Ms Joan Baez, folk singer and anti-war activists, Joan Baez and husband anti war protests that sent him to jail or prison?

    1. Peggy
      December 23, 2016

      Joan Baez went to the U of R, I have never read that she attended RHS.

      1. Marsha Fulton Ralston
        January 1, 2017

        Yes she did and Pop Showalter was very proud that she had been one of his students. I am Marsha Fulton Ralston class of 68.

        1. Frances Luedeking
          January 30, 2017

          She also attended Redlands Junior High – One of my teachers had a mural she’d drawn. I’m also class of 1968. Frances Luedeking Garner

      2. Phyllis
        January 29, 2017

        My sister graduated in 59 & she was there sometime in those 3 years!!

      3. petie3
        June 14, 2017

        She attended but didn’t graduate RHS; did not go to UofR as far as I know. I went to both.

    2. Sherry Brier Crawford
      January 31, 2017

      Joan Baez attended 1961 or 1962. Did not graduate at RHS. In an interview several years later she was not very complimentary of Redlands at all.

  2. Michael Brandt
    January 2, 2017

    My sons grandmother was an Earp. She knew Wyatt when she was youn and lived in Highland. That makes my son whom was born in Redlands an Earp!

  3. Kirsten
    January 4, 2017

    I had a Mrs. Earp as an elementary teacher at Crafton school in the 70’s.

    1. BenchMark Website Design
      January 19, 2017

      Super cool, thanks for sharing.

    2. Clemencia
      January 29, 2017

      So did my daughter, Andrea! Mrs. EARP Was her kindergarten teacher

  4. Ellen Dollind
    January 26, 2017

    I lived in Redlands for 35 years and loved it.

  5. Nadine
    January 29, 2017

    In the movie ET… The guy in the ET suit was from Redlands, went to RHS. I think he was class of 88. He doesn’t have legs and used to scoot around school on his skateboard.

  6. Alicia Espinoza Foster
    January 29, 2017

    My dad’s father immigrated from Mexico and settle in Redlands as a manager of one of the Orange groves. My mom has pictures still.

  7. Melissa (Hartzell) McCracken
    January 30, 2017

    Morning all, here’s a question for you. In the early to mid-50s there was a “nursery school” located on Orange and possibly the brick building that had become that Joe Greensleeves restaurant.The napping cots were upstairs and there was a playground in the back–swings sandbox etc—and a big big tree. Did anyone else go there? Does anyone recall the nursery school name and location? It was undoubtedly a brick building very similar to looking and on that street.

    1. Marsha Skogsbergh
      November 17, 2023

      It was called Redlands Day Care. I was placed there when my parents went to work for Gil Batteries on Redlands Blvd. which is next to Stater Bros. Mrs. Evans was in charge and yes, the cots were upstairs for naps and there was a play ground in the back with swings and sand boxes. The sand box had a big rock in it and I remember thinking if I dug to the bottom, I would be able to see all the way to China. It was torn down when the freeway was built. Amazing how a person can remember things from so far back. Basically I grew up in Redlands all my life attended Lugonia Elementary , RJHS and RHS (class of 1965) and left in 2005, moving to Oregon.. Still have many fond memories. Marsha (Giese) Rust, Shanteler, currently Skogsbergh.

    2. Marsha Giese Skogsbergh`
      November 17, 2023

      Redlands Day Care. It was torn down when the freeway was built. Mrs. Evans was the person in charge. There was an upstairs with cots and a play ground in the back with swings and a sand box. I attended when my parents went to work at Gil Batters on Redlands Blvd., next to Stater Bros. I attended Lugonia Elementay School, Redlands Jr. High School, RHS (gratuated 1965) and moved away to Oregon in 2005.

  8. January 31, 2017

    A friend in Redlands sent me this link. I love Redlands! I lived there 1957-61 (grades 1-4). I went to Smiley; teachers were: Davis, Read, Knight, Ferguson. My brothers went to Cope and RHS (sr. class pres 1960-61). Then dad was transferred from Norton to McChord in WA. At 65 I still love and miss Redlands. Did anyone reading this go to school in Redlands those years? If so, my brothers or I must have known you! Anyone?

    1. Brian DeRoo
      November 3, 2023

      Linda .. I was born and raised there as was my dad … and his dad .. I was at Kimberly from 1961 for 7 years … then Cope for 3 years and the high school for 3 .. and the UR for another 4 … Returned to Redlands to live during the off season in 1983 while playing pro football … retired in ’85 and lived there until 1992! Since have been in the desert in Indio. So I would say I have a pretty good grasp of the town!

    2. Alan
      November 11, 2023

      My teachers at Smiley were Tucker (kg), Bell, and Knight; then at Kimberly, Bruggman and Young. I was “Stan Porter” then. We moved away in ’59.

  9. Bill Holmes
    June 14, 2017

    Spent many a happy moment or two at Gay’s. You could always find someone who knew your name.

  10. Bobby
    June 17, 2017

    I grew up attended banning high school ’57 went to valley college, used to stop in Redlands McDonald’s after school for a Big Mac 1958/9

  11. Paul Jelley
    June 18, 2017

    Wasn’t the well known play “Our Town” based on life in Redlands?

  12. Ron MacPherson
    June 26, 2017

    Forgot, that “Botts Dots”, the raised dots in the middle of the roadway to delineate the street were invented(first implemented) here. Also the part of American Graffiti where the cop car had his emblem hidden by a blanket came from a cop that did this in Redlands.

  13. November 3, 2023

    My Great Grandfather Dwight Smith had 5 citrus farms one in Redlands, Riverside and who knows in 1906 and my Grandpa Guy Stringer had a Auto mechanics shop behind the service station at the corner of Colton Ave and Eureka St(1st) in 1929 and my Grandma Stringer’s father was my Great Grandpa Smith she worked at the citrus packing house in Redlands. Redlands is a Great town. My Dad graduated at Redlands High School 1938, I did in 1969 and my Children did. Allot of history in Redlands.

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