Los Banos is blessed with many dedicated volunteers. Among the most dedicated are those who donate their time with the Milliken Museum Society.
The society is a group of volunteers who share their passion about the history of Los Banos and the Westside of the Central Valley. They put in many hours at the museum, located in Los Banos’ Pacheco Park at 905 Pacheco Boulevard, but also many hours in solitude at their computers researching and exploring local history. In addition, they put on several events each year, including two coming up soon.
On Wednesday, Feb. 25, from 5:30 to 7:30 the society will present “Wartime Tales of a Small Town” at the Ted Falasco Arts Center (1105 Fifth St.) as part of its annual Charles Sawyer Lecture Series. The series is in memory of Sawyer, a longtime volunteer who spent many hours of his life dedicated to Los Banos history and the museum.
The presentation will feature photographs and memories of Los Banos’ involvement with the military during war years dating back more than a century ago. As society volunteer Tim McNally said, “The forum is also a tribute to local veterans.”
The event is open to the public, with a $10 donation requested at the door. Students are free with student body cards.
Members of the Milliken Museum Society make their events interactive and sociable. The Feb. 25 event will open with a wine and cheese reception at 5:30 p.m., during which time people can walk around the arts center and look at historic World War I and II posters as well as photos and artifacts from the wars that have been preserved at the museum.
At 6:30 the program starts, featuring several speakers providing accounts of life in Los Banos during the war years. Leading off the program will Los Banos native Paul Loeffler, who has produced a series of radio programs called “Hometown Heroes,” in which he interviews Central Valley veterans who served during wartime.
Loeffler, who also has coordinated the Central Valley Honor Flights (which takes veterans to Washington D.C.) will share memories of his grandfather, Dr. Bob Loeffler, a World War II veteran, as well as talking about the importance of the honor flight.
Other speakers include Mike Hughes, former Los Banos police chief who served in the Air Force in Vietnam and was a member of a recent Honor Flight; Air Force Colonel Paul Setnor, a retired combat fighter pilot who also worked in the Pentagon during the 9/11 attack; and Tim McNally, a Merced College history professor and retired high school teacher, whose students wrote firsthand accounts of local veterans’ experiences in several wars.
Nine days later, on Friday, March 6, the society will host its annual Arbor Day Breakfast at the Los Banos Community Center from 7 to 10 a.m. The breakfast includes scrambled eggs, ham, pancakes, and a choice of coffee or orange juice for $10, with all proceeds going to the society and the museum it operates.
I appreciate the hours the members of the society put into sponsoring events and operating the museum. Anyone who has visited the museum knows what an interesting collection of Los Banos and Westside memorabilia it holds, with volunteers who can explain to visitors the background and context of the items.
The society has a dedicated volunteer board, including Sally Arambel, Dan Ribiero, Larry Marques, Javier Powell, Mike Keyes, Daniel Cervantes, Chris White, Candace Sigmond, Gerry Giesel, Geraldine Chambers, Steve Penney and Dan Nelson.
If you have never been to the museum, I encourage a visit, but I need to warn you, it’s crowded. There is so much stuff crowded into a small space.
But there’s hope for the future. Plans have been under way for some time to move into a larger space, although for a while they seem to have stalled. But, according to Nelson, “Moving into a larger space is still a real possibility. We’re still working with the city in getting a preferred parcel. That includes a bunch of red tape and legwork, but Mayor Michael Amabile and other members of the Los Banos City Council have been very supportive.”
I hope the plans become reality. What a treat it would be to look at the many items in the museum in a space that makes it easy to walk around and observe.
The Milliken Museum Society, as Nelson said, “relies on annual memberships and donations to restore and preserve Los Banos history archives and to keep the museum doors open.” Its 2026 Membership Drive is now underway.
Memberships are inexpensive, $25 for an individual, $30 for a family and $10 for seniors and students, and memberships are crucial for the society. As pointed out on its Facebook page, the Milliken Museum is entirely funded by memberships and donations with zero funding from the local, state or federal government. Without its members, the society couldn’t preserve, publish and chronicle the history of the Westside.
Interested individuals can sign up for memberships by going to the society’s Facebook page or by coming to the museum and filling out the application there. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. Its phone number is 209.826.5505.
One last suggestion: While you’re at the museum, for a fascinating story, ask a volunteer to tell you about Ralph Milliken, the man for whom the museum was named. Milliken came to Los Banos in 1910 and worked as an accountant for Henry Miller and Charles Lux, but his passion until he died in 1970 was exploring and recording local history.
John Spevak’s email is john.spevak@gmail.com
