Dana Point Historical Society Newsletter for Spring 2026
DPHS May 6 Program to Feature Native Wines Owner
and Mission Indian Chris A. Lobo
Join us Wednesday, May 6, in City Hall Council Chambers at 6 p.m. where our featured speaker will be Chris A. Lobo, a 9th-generation Mission Indian, with ancestral ties to three Mission Tribes: Juaneño, Luiseno and Diegueño. As one of the core families of San Juan Capistrano, his lineage can be traced through Mission sacramental records to at least eight village sites. Currently, he is an active citizen of the Juaneño Band of Mission Indians. His family has been intimately involved in tribal affairs since the early 1900s. His great-grandparents, grandparents, aunts and uncles were fierce advocates for Indian rights, serving in leadership roles within the Mission Indian Federation and Tribe. Notably, Chris’s uncle, Clarence H. Lobo, served as Chief of the Juaneños for 39 years, advocating for federal acknowledgment of their people and ancestral territory.
Professionally, Chris’s beverage experience spans more than 38 years, beginning as an opening team member at the Ritz Carlton in Dana Point and culminating in a 15-year tenure as Beverage Director of Operations, which he completed in 1999. In 2002, he founded his own wine company, Native Wines, focusing on sales and marketing. During this time, he collaborated with many iconic brands and some of the finest restaurants and retailers in the region.
Chris will discuss his Native American heritage as well as his years of experience with crafting wine selections. A reception follows the presentation at our museum where Chris will allow us to sample his various vintages. Please join us for a very special evening.
President’s Message
We invite everyone to join us for the Dana Point Historical Society meeting on Wednesady, May 6, featuring Chris Lobo. This is a wonderful opportunity to connect with others who share an interest in our community’s history and in local Native American culture.
Additionally, we are excited to announce a special scholarship fundraiser featuring signed posters created by artist David Milton. These posters beautifully depict the iconic landmarks of Dana Point. You can purchase one for a minimum donation of $25 but greater contributions are warmly welcomed. Our scholarships are such a worthwhile contribution to our future generations and their education. Sale proceeds support our scholarship program, which will be awarding $1,000 scholarships to two deserving high school seniors from Dana Point living in ZIP codes 92629 or 92624. Please encourage any eligible seniors to apply --- the deadline is April 17.
Thanks go out to our Festival of Whales volunteers who represented DPHS in the Saturday parade. Thanks especially to board vice president Gary Macrides, who coordinated the event. We also want to give a big shout-out to founding board member Elizabeth Bamattre and her husband Bill, who braved two days of heat to lead nearly 100 people on our very popular history walk of Dana Point.
We look forward to greeting you at our May meeting!
Marsha LaRusso
Membership Reminder
Welcome new members Norma Banda, Nancy Blackburn, Ida Chavez and Robert Chavez! We would like to remind our members that the Society is still looking for several of our members to renew their memberships for 2026. If you haven’t renewed, now is a good time! We also welcome anyone insterested in joining the Society to enjoy our very reasonable rates. Membership perks include receiving our newsletters, advance announcements regarding upcoming programs, special event invitations and 10% off of all merchandise purchases. Categories are:
Individual $25 annual
Family $30 annual
Business $50 annual
Patron $100 annual
Life $500 lifetime
Please remit your dues via mail at P.O. Box 544, Dana Point, 92629; at our museum Tuesdays, Thursdays or Saturdays, 1-3 p.m.; at one of our scheduled meetings, or at events when our outreach booth is present. All contributions are tax deductible as the Historical Society is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. Questions? Contact Membership Chair Jeff Lander at: Jeff.Lander@danapointhistorical.org, 630-240-9266
Scholarships
A reminder that the Dana Point Historical Society will be awarding two $1,000 scholarships to two high school students honoring prominent women in the history of our community. The deadline for submittal is fast approaching!
Our scholarships are named for Doris I. Walker, a historian and the author of many books about local history as well as a founding member of the Dana Point Historical Society and Barbara F. Johannes, President Emeritus and Historian of the Dana Point Historical Society.
ALL graduating High School students who live in the City of Dana Point (92629 or 92624) and are planning to attend community college, university or trade school are eligible. The award is based on need, interest in history and community service.
The deadline for submitting applications is April 17, 2026. Please include a transcript and 1-2 letters of recommendation.
The application can be filled out electronically here and will be sent to DPHS: Scholarships
Interested students can also contact their school guidance counselor for an application.
Doris Walker Tribute Vandalized
It was discovered that the Doris Walker tribute statue in Heritage Park was vandalized in March. It appeared that vandals sought to remove the statue by cutting through metal brackets on the back. Al Jacobo, Dana Point Parks Superintendent, stepped in quickly and had the entire statue removed for safekeeping. Because it needed regular maintenance and spot repair, he is keeping it in storage until that can be completed. He expects the statue to be reinstalled within a few weeks. The tribute statue, created by artist Christopher Pecharka, was originally installed in the park in 2013.
May 3 Redo Market on Del Prado
Join us at our outreach booth on Sunday, May 3, at the Redo Market on Del Prado from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Board vice-president and Outreach Booth Chair Gary Macrides will have a large variety of merchandise for sale including our historic photos, local history books, Dana Point Hawaiian shirts, collectible ornaments, Dana Point Afghans, T-shirts, caps and a variety of other items. Tile Wall Chair Randy Roberts will also have a full setup of blank ceramic tiles and paints for you to create your one-of-a-kind plaque to be later installed on the seawall at Baby Beach. Join us for a fun day of vintage shopping as well as celebrating the history of Dana Point!
Pictured from top left: Our cotton afghan featuring the sites of Dana Point; Our newest ornament showing R.H. Dana; Our Hawaiian shirt featuring the sites of Dana Point; Our “Last Day of Killer Dana” T-Shirt; Paperback of the history of Dana Point by Doris I. Walker; Hardback edition of Home Port for Romance (the history of Dana Point) by Doris I. Walker.
Festival of Whales 2026
DPHS participated in the 56th annual Festival of Whales on March 5, 6 and 7.
Several members of the Historical Society rode in the Festival of Whales in March. Teen volunteers from local Rotary Clubs’ Interact Clubs decorated our trolley, provided by the the City of Dana Point, and carried our sign for the parade. Board member Gary Macrides made our parade arrangements and is pictured with two Interact volunteers.
Our founding board member, Elizabeth Bamattre, along with husband Bill, led our Festival of Whales tour groups on Saturday and Sunday, March 7 & 8. Despite warm temperatures, nearly 100 people braved the heat to take the Society’s historic walking tour of downtown Dana Point,
which includes homes and businesses built during the original development of the city in the 1920s and other cultural landmarks, as well. Elizabeth can be seen in the pink hat speaking to the tour guests.
Photos by Michael Jiang and Bill Bamattre.
Social Media Volunteer Needed
The Society is looking for a volunteer to manage our social media sites. Ideally, the position would involve 2-4 hours per week posting and editing content on our Facebook and Instagram pages and could include increasing our presence on other sites. If you have experience working with social media and would like to volunteer, please contact Gary Macrides at museum@danapointhistorical.org or call 949-248-8121.