Saturday, April 09, 2005 - 6:25:45 PM PST
-- From staff reports
COMMERCE -- The Public Library will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the founding of Simons Brick Company Plant No. 3 with a tribute event from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Friday at the Central Library, 5655 Jillson St.
More than 270 former employees and residents of Simons Brick Yard and their family members have confirmed they will attend the landmark event.
The program will feature a photo exhibit, authors Alejandro Morales ("The Brick People') and William Deverell (Whitewashed Adobe), as well as historian Raymond Ramirez.
Established in Commerce and Montebello at the turn of the 20th century, Simons was Commerce's first residential community and at one point was the largest brick manufacturer in the world.
During the program, participants will learn what life was like for those living at the plant and how the families who lived there helped to shape the communities that grew up around it.
The Simons Brick Yard t ribute is part of California Stories Uncovered, a series of statewide programs that explore the story of California today. The programs's goal is to uncover unique California stories that emphasize what it means to be a Californian and where Californians have come from. The project is part of the statewide California Stories Uncovered campaign of the California Council for the Humanities (CCH), conducted in partnership with the Califa Group. It is supported in part by CCH through a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
The free event will include food and refreshments, to be served at 5:30 p.m. The public is invited to attend with an RSVP.
For reservations or more information, call Betty Uyeda at (323) 722-6660, Ext. 2204,
or e-mail bettyl@ci.com merce.ca.us.
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