- Video shows "Images of America: Arvin, Lamont and Weedpatch," a book written by Ruth Leon Barba.
- Barba described the book as a "labor of love" dedicated to her parents and the communities that watched her grow up.
- Through pictures and captions, this book informs readers about people and establishments from the past and present.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Three communities with rich history are all covered in "Images of America: Arvin, Lamont and Weedpatch," a historical piece written by Ruth Leon Barba, who grew up in Arvin.
"History of these three communities told through pictures and through captions. These are pictures and documents that I got from various sources," said Barba.
She added that she worked closely with people and organizations to gather archives, including Mary Louise Durham—President of the Arvin Historical Society and Dr. James "Fizzer" Young—a life long resident of Arvin.
"I wanted people like myself who grew up here in the 90's and to be able to identify with these histories and know them, know why the streets are named the way they are, after these pioneers and people who came here before us," explained Barba.
Though many of the establishments mentioned in the book no longer exist, one that is still present and that helped shape who she is today is Arvin High School.
"My favorite program that I was part of is the 'We the People' program," said Barba. "After that I decided to study government and now I'm a civics teacher."
Barba added that this book is a "labor of love" dedicated to her parents—who migrated to Arvin in the 90's—and to the communities' and their residents.
"This is my community, I'm always going to consider Arvin home and it was a gift that I wanted to give my community. A tangible gift that I could leave behind that is going to outlive me."
"Images of America: Arvin, Lamont and Weedpatch," can be purchased in local businesses or by reaching out to Barba directly by email, RLeonBarba@gmail.com.
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