Our history presentations are the second Monday of every month from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm at the Historic Hemet Theater, 216 E Florida Avenue, Hemet, CA 92543, (951) 658-5950. The doors open at 6:00 pm. The Historic Hemet Theater is located on the northwest corner of Florida Avenue and Carmalita Street. Please drop off guests in front of theatre and find parking on Florida, Harvard, or Carmalita. The events are free and refreshments will be available. Donations are graciously accepted.
Upcoming Presentations
Monday, September 14, 2026
The presentation will be Charles W. Howard, the founder of Howard Rose Company. The presentation will be by his great-granddaughter, Connie Howard-Clark.
Charles W. Howard was the pioneer agricultural entrepreneur who founded the Howard Rose Company in Hemet, California. Through his business—often referred to as “Howards of Hemet”—he built it into one of the largest and most successful wholesale rose-growing operations in the world.
Monday, October 12, 2026
The presentation will be The Spanish Borderlands. The presentation will be by author and President of the Murrieta Valley Historical Society Jeffery Harmon.
A brief history of the Spanish borders in North America (1565–1846).
For the latest information, please see our History Presentations page.
Monday, November 9, 2026
The presentation will be __________. The presentation will be by Bob Chaparro.
Monday, December 14, 2026
Hemet Museum and Hemet Heritage Foundation annual Christmas Party.
Past Presentations
Monday, May 11, 2026
General membership meeting. The presentation will be Remembering When: The Story of Mr. Whittier’s Hemet. The presentation will be by writer, actor, director, and producer Michael Tennant.
The History of Hemet and its founder W.F. Whittier (played by Michael Tennant, based on his play). The 2015 film chronicles the early days of Hemet until Whittier’s death in 1917. The cast includes Bret Cherland, Paola Cifuentes, and Jared Moore. Originally written to celebrate the centennial of Hemet, CA. Audiences will learn about the construction of the Lake Hemet Dam, early Hemet Culture, and the aspirations of the town’s “first citizen” William Franklin Whittier. There will be a Q&A after the film, where Michael will discuss the film and its production process.
Michael Tennant is a writer, actor, director and producer. Michael lives in Southern California and is the owner of Play With Your Food Productions, a dinner theatre in Hemet that prides itself on top quality performances. He is a published playwright and his written over twenty scripts, all of which have been staged. Michael is also the co-host of a theatrical podcast called The Upstaging Gentlemen, which discusses the process of producing a play.
Monday, April 13, 2026
General membership meeting. The presentation will be The Colorful Story of Cabazon’s Incorporation. The presentation will be by local historian Steve Lech.
In the 1950s, gambling interests persuaded the residents of Cabazon to make the tiny hamlet a city, which would allow gambling in the desert. Despite some good reasons and some bad, Cabazon’s cityhood did not work out, and in 1972 it was disincorporated.
Local historian Steve Lech will delve into some of the shenanigans that went on before and during cityhood, and the eventual return of Cabazon to the County of Riverside.
Monday, March 9, 2026
General membership meeting. The presentation will be The Indian Peace Medal Regeneration Project. The presentation will be by Wiggs Mendoza.
Once worn by tribal leaders, the Indian Peace Medal carried weight—of promise, power, and survival—etched in metal, memory, and meaning. Join Wiggs Mendoza for a presentation of the Indian Peace Medal Regeneration Project, led by Wiggs and his team and commissioned by a Native American Museum. History remembered. Stories still speaking.
Monday, February 9, 2026
General membership meeting. The presentation will be The Joy of Collecting, but the Awful Task of Getting Rid of It. The presentation will be by collectors and appraisers Chuck Schoenknect and Ward Paul.
Their presentation will include:
- On-line sales.
- The market, and its ups and downs.
- What’s hot and what’s not in the collecting world, with some examples we can look at.
- Appraisals and appraisers.
- Estate sale business.
- Putting things on consignment.
- Finding institutions (museums, etc.) to take your things.
Chuck Schoenknecht is a retired art teacher, teaching Kindergarten through college levels. He has 40 years in the estate sales business and has been an independent appraiser for the last 30 years.
Ward Paul is a retired special education teacher, and has been in collections, maintenance, and acquisition for collectors and institutions for the last 20 years.
Monday, January 12, 2026
General membership meeting. The presentation will be Hemet Economic Development Through the Decades. The presentation will be by Benigno “Ben” Sandoval, City of Hemet Economic Development Director.
The City of Hemet’s economy has changed a lot over the years. What started out as an agricultural hotspot has grown into a busy suburban community with a little bit of everything. Back in the late 1800s and early 1900s, Hemet’s success was all about water and farming. After Lake Hemet Dam was built in 1895, the city was able to grow high-value crops like citrus, apricots, and eventually potatoes.
Things took a big turn in the early 1960s when Hemet became known as an affordable place to retire. That led to a boom in mobile home parks and lots of new housing being built through the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s. More recently, Hemet has become more of a working-class, family-focused city, with jobs shifting toward industries like retail, health care, social services, and construction to support its growing population.
Today, the city is pushing forward with efforts like the “Hemet RISES” initiative to bring new life to downtown, attract major investments like car dealerships, and expand job opportunities beyond mostly service-based work.
Benigno “Ben” Sandoval’s career spans 20+ years, working in business, economic development, marketing, economics, public relations, and workforce development. He went to California State University, Domínguez Hills, where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a minor in Public Relations, and later picked up a Certified Economic Developer credential from Fresno State University. Over the years, Ben has worked with thousands of businesses, helping them find solutions that support their growth and success, by spotting opportunities, understanding market and labor trends, and figuring out what each business really needs. Today, Ben is the Economic Development Director for the City of Hemet, where he continues using his experience and knowledge to help drive economic growth and support the community.