Stories of Borrego

Preserving Borrego’s Legacy Through Story and Structure

Things are happening at 707 Christmas Circle. The reclamation and restoration of the building itself, the establishing of the oral history archive function of the museum and the museum itself. All three are big undertakings and take some time in order to serve them right. As they are all representative of US, they deserve to be given that proper time and care. 

The restoration of the building is moving along and I will post that update next week. For now, I want help clarify Stories of Borrego and Museum of Borrego. 

A museum and oral history are distinct, yet complementary, ways of preserving and presenting the past. A museum primarily focuses on collecting, preserving, and exhibiting tangible objects and artifacts, offering a physical representation of history. Oral history, on the other hand, involves collecting and preserving the lived experiences and narratives of individuals through recorded interviews, providing a primarily verbal and subjective account of the past. 

Oral history supplements and enriches museum narratives, adding layers of understanding and context to objects and exhibitions. Oral histories provide a more personal and nuanced perspective on events, bringing life to artifacts and making history more relatable. For example, a museum exhibit on World War II could incorporate oral histories from soldiers, civilians, or those who experienced the war firsthand. 

In essence, museums offer a tangible, curated view of history, while oral history provides a verbal, subjective, and often diverse perspective, offering a more complete and nuanced understanding of the past. 

707 is the home to Stories of Borrego (oral history) and the future home of Museum of Borrego (museum). Production is in the intense planning phase and gearing up for Stories of Borrego and we look forward to presenting our first presentations in late fall of this year. As the building is still under construction, and there is a large archive that has to be sorted, cataloged, curated and digitized; it is going to take a bit longer for the museum to be ready. It will be worth the wait! 

The Stories of Borrego logo is now on one of the doors! It honors the Borrego Sun newspaper and its long history of being custodian to our town’s history. Stories of Borrego is about the community telling its story. 

Stories of Borrego Logo Installed

A nod to the Borrego Sun and a new chapter in preserving our community’s voice

The Stories of Borrego logo is now on one of the doors! It honors the Borrego Sun newspaper and its long history of being custodian to our town’s history. Stories of Borrego is about the community telling its story.

Updates From the Desk

To stay up to date on the Stories of Borrego oral history project, like and follow us on social media. Keep an eye on the forthcoming website — and sign up for the newsletter for exclusive updates, event notices, and restoration progress.