Big screen will feature 'History of the Automobile in Fallbrook' at event

FALLBROOK - A unique big screen presentation on the “History of the Automobile in Fallbrook” will be held Sunday, Aug. 19, at the Fallbrook Historical Society, 1730 S. Hill Street, at 2 p.m.

The show will cover the years between 1900 and 2012 and present an impressive sequence of photos depicting the development of the automobile set against the backdrop of the development of Fallbrook. Some of the most intriguing photographs focus on the same spot at Main Street and Alvarado over a long span of time, so comparisons can easily be made of how cars, people, and the town have changed during the last century.

Other views that are sure to please include the Hotel Ellis, the Santa Fe Station, the Pickwick Stages, and shots of Fallbrook’s three historic service stations: the Fallbrook Garage (1910), Steve’s Service Stations (late 1920s) which later became Radmacher’s Service Station (1950-1978), and Mahr’s Auto Supply and Gas Station, first built in 1935, which evolved into service stations run by three generations of Mahrs.

Also included in this special event will be a colorful display of vintage cars throughout the museum grounds and a narration by the Fallbrook Vintage Car Club describing the club’s development and purpose. Fallbrook’s own Dode Martin, famous Dragmaster creator and drag racer, will share anecdotes with the crowd and fire up a special hot rod to thrill spectators with the roar of a racing engine.

After the presentations, tours of the museum buildings will be available, including the famous Pittinger House, the newly refurbished Ford Room with displays of three restored antique Fords and an entire wall of the Vintage Car Show posters, the Rock and Mineral Museum, and the Donald Rivers Interpretive Center (known as The Barn) with its many agriculture-through-the-years displays. The main museum itself will also have tours and special displays set up for the day.

The event, sponsored by both the Fallbrook Vintage Car Club and the Fallbrook Historical Society, will conclude with an old-fashioned ice cream social, featuring both homemade apple pie and homemade ice cream – all free to the general public.