Highgrove residents and families will have an opportunity to travel back through more than a century of local history during a special presentation featuring early photographs, rare images and video footage of the community.
The free event, titled “Early Historic Pictures of Highgrove,” will be held at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, at the Norton Younglove Community Center, 459 Center Street in Highgrove.
The presentation will be hosted by longtime Highgrove resident and local historian “Barney” Barnett, who has lived in the community for 80 years. Barnett will display the historic photographs on a large screen while sharing the stories and background behind the images.
Barnett has served as the publisher of the Highgrove Happenings newspaper since 1994. Through decades of documenting community issues, neighborhood events and local milestones, he has collected photographs and historical information that preserve Highgrove’s changing landscape and identity.
The presentation will begin with images dating back to the 1800s and will include photographs of Center Street when it was still a dirt road, the planting of Highgrove’s orange trees and the community’s first school.
Guests will also see pictures of two train wrecks that blocked Center Street, the historic Santa Fe Depot and photographs collected during 13 years of “Highgrove Day” celebrations.
Other memorable images will include dinosaurs from Jurassic Park that were once located in Highgrove. Barnett will also show video footage of orange trees being removed as the community transitioned away from its agricultural past.
In addition, Barnett will reveal the location of the first hydroelectric power plant in California, providing attendees with a look at Highgrove’s connection to the state’s early development of electrical power.
The event offers longtime residents a chance to revisit familiar places and memories while giving newer residents and younger generations an opportunity to learn how Highgrove grew and changed over time.
Historical photographs provide more than a visual record. They preserve the stories of early families, businesses, schools, transportation systems and industries that helped create the community residents know today.
Admission is free, and no reservations are required. Community members are encouraged to bring their entire family and enjoy an evening of Highgrove history presented by one of the area’s longest-serving residents.
Event Details
Early Historic Pictures of Highgrove
Tuesday, September 8, 2026
6 p.m.
Norton Younglove Community Center
459 Center Street, Highgrove
Free admission. No reservations are needed.