The city of Poway, CA has always had a unique and fascinating history worth celebrating. In its early days as an unincorporated area of San Diego County, Poway began as a sparsely populated rural community with potential to grow into the city we know and love today.

In the summer of 1964, a group of local citizens, including several descendants of Poway’s early settlers who refer to themselves as Old Timers, banded together to form the Poway Historical and Memorial Society in order to preserve the rich and vibrant history of the town they loved. This group was led by Ray G. Stock, a WWII veteran who came to Poway in 1947, joining the chicken feed business after the war. He would eventually help plan the Poway Municipal Water District, as well as sell homes to the booming Poway population in the coming decades.

Under the leadership of Mr. Stock, the first meeting of the PHMS took place during the Old Timers’ Picnic at Felicita Park in Escondido. It was this gathering where the organization’s constitution and by-laws were adopted, and the following November, Mr. Stock was elected the first President of PHMS. The first board of directors consisted of Ray Stock as the president, vice president Robert McFeron, second vice president Pauline McFeron, Ralph Powers as treasurer, and Mary Van Dam as secretary.

In addition to the board, PHMS started with only 53 members at its founding, and now proudly consists of over 150 members and growing.