An illustrated history of Southern California : embracing the counties of San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange, and the peninsula of Lower California, from the earliest period of occupancy to the present time; together with glimpses of their prospects; also, full-page portraits of some of their eminent men, and biographical mention of many of their pioneers and of prominent citizens of to-day, Part 70

Author: Lewis Publishing Company
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : The Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1038

USA > California > Los Angeles County > An illustrated history of Southern California : embracing the counties of San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange, and the peninsula of Lower California, from the earliest period of occupancy to the present time; together with glimpses of their prospects; also, full-page portraits of some of their eminent men, and biographical mention of many of their pioneers and of prominent citizens of to-day > Part 70
USA > California > San Diego County > An illustrated history of Southern California : embracing the counties of San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange, and the peninsula of Lower California, from the earliest period of occupancy to the present time; together with glimpses of their prospects; also, full-page portraits of some of their eminent men, and biographical mention of many of their pioneers and of prominent citizens of to-day > Part 70
USA > California > Orange County > An illustrated history of Southern California : embracing the counties of San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange, and the peninsula of Lower California, from the earliest period of occupancy to the present time; together with glimpses of their prospects; also, full-page portraits of some of their eminent men, and biographical mention of many of their pioneers and of prominent citizens of to-day > Part 70
USA > California > San Bernardino County > An illustrated history of Southern California : embracing the counties of San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange, and the peninsula of Lower California, from the earliest period of occupancy to the present time; together with glimpses of their prospects; also, full-page portraits of some of their eminent men, and biographical mention of many of their pioneers and of prominent citizens of to-day > Part 70

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

COUNTY SUMMARY.

San Bernardino County has 541 miles of telegraph lines, including a new line ten miles long between the county seat and Redlands.

There are in the county eighty miles of tele- phone lines, of which fifty-six miles were built in 1888-'89.

The present population of the county is 35,000.

The assessed valuation of all property in the county is $26,250,680. The county is free from debt. The rate of taxation, State and

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HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.

county, is $1.25 outside, and $1 inside, the limits of incorporated towns.

The county ranks first in the State in the amount per child of school property, and fifth in the total valuation of school property.

Of the 1,633,900 boxes of raisins shipped from California in 1889, this county alone sent ont 353,000 boxes.

On May 7, 1890, San Bernardino County's treasury contained a cash sun of $226,983.91.

In 1880 the assessed valuation of property in the county in round numbers was $2,000,- 000; in 1882 it stood as follows:

Real estate.

$1,556,630

Improvements thereon.

500,577

Improvements assessed to others than owners of real estate

8,840

Personal property . 615,838

Money .... 28,947

Franchise Southern Pacific Railroad. 573,300

Total valuation of county property 3,284,132

Additional valuation of city property . 567,650

Grand total.

$3,860,197

Deductions on account of mortgages. 287,507

Value of mortgage interest .. 287,507

This showed a total decrease of $109,000 on the assessment of 1881, which is entirely owing to the decreased valuation of the railroad, pre- scribed by the State Board of Equalization-a decrease of $327,600. The appreciation of other county property was great.

In 1885 it was almost $12,000,000, and in 1889 it was over $20,000,000 These figures are exclusive of the 416 miles of railways which traverse the county.

The growth in wealth of this county, absolute and comparative, for the last ten years, has been marvelous. The entire State only increased ninety per cent., and San Francisco, the me- tropolis of California, only increased nineteen per cent., while many of the northern counties showed still less growth, one falling as low as twelve per cent. In Southern California the gain was remarkable in wealth, as conclusively shown by the assessment records, and San Ber- nardino shows an increase of 803 per cent., a

greater growth than any other county in the State. San Diego County makes a good second, showing an increase of 795 per cent., while Los Angeles County follows with 472 per cent. increase.

The following is the income for- San Bernar- dino County for the year 1889. This includes the orange and lemon crop harvested during the season including 1888-'89, while the other prod. ucts are for the year 1889 only :

310,262 boxes oranges. $744,000

4,250 boxes lemons and limes. 17,000

300,000 boxes raisins. 495,000

120 tons dried grapes. 7,200

850 tons dried fruits. . 143,000

40,000 cases canned fruits. 160,000

90,000 pounds English walnuts and almonds 6,750

300,000 pounds extracted honey 18,000

5,000 pounds beeswax. 1,000

70,000 pounds comb honey.

7,000

230,000 gallons of wine. 57,500

10,000 gallons brandy 4,500

235,000 centals barley.

163,500

Wheat and oats.

27,500

5,000,000 feet of lumber

60,000

250,000 pounds wool.

57,500

Gold and silver. 875,000

Borax, marble, onyx, building stone, brick and

lime.

250,000

Total income .$3,074,450

Beyond this there has been a large income derived from miscellaneons items not given in the above list, part of which are exported, bringing in a revenue of money from the out- side, while a large part is devoted to home con- sumption. For instance, from the one item of alfalfa seed resulted $8,000; potatoes raised here are shipped by the car-load to Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado; hay is raised in large quantities for home consumption and for export; and so with various items, aggregating an important sut.

The earnings of the county for export are be- tween $3.000,000 and $4,000,000, averaging more than $100 to each man, woman and child in the county.

The following is the statement of improve- ments made during the past year (1889), the

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HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.

estimate being made fromn figures carefully col- lected :

3,422 acres orange trees, planted this year, cost, exclusive of land and water. $376,000

64 acres lemon and lime trees. 6,400 1,050 acres planted to other trees and to vines. 42,000

Water, its development, laying pipe, making canals, tunnels, etc .. 550,000

Buildings, business and dwelling houses. 982,000

Total improvements. $1,956,400

The speculative values placed on certain classes of real estate, particularly on lots in ontside towns in San Bernardino County, in common with other portions of Southern California dur- ing " boom times " have given way tu reasonable prices, but the decline in some of the other classes of realty, especially raisin vineyards, has been small, while choice bearing orange groves command as high prices as they ever did, and pay handsome interest on these valuations. All that was good in the boom remains, and much that was evil has disappeared.

The State and county tax for 1888 was $1.25 ontside, and $1 inside, the limits of incorporated towns, which, considering the improvements made, is a reasonable rate of taxation.

SAN BERNARDINO, THE CITY.

The city of San Bernardino lies some six miles sonthi of the mountain range, about four miles north of the Santa Ana river, and three miles from the railway station at Colton. It is 531 miles south of San Francisco, lying on the great thoroughfares that run southeastward, and those which penetrate the desert region of the interior basin. Here converge the roads lead- ing through the Cajon pass to the mining dis- triets of Panamint, Death valley, Hnalapa and the upper Colorado; and those from the other inineral regions of Holcomb valley, and, through the San Gorgonio pass, from La Paz, Prescott, Yuma, and the East.

. The Mormons who surveyed and laid off San Bernardino, displayed as much judgment here as elsewhere in their choice of locality, selecting

a point about the center of the valley, in the midst of the finest farming land; and flowing past it several streams of living water.

The city occupies just a mnile square, and it was laid off on a liberal scale, viewed with re- ference to the demands of 1853. But it has etretched since far beyond its boundaries. The streets run according to the cardinal points of the compass, and each thoroughfare is eighty- two and a half feet wide. Those which run east and west are called by the numerals, and those running north and south, by the letters of the alphabet. Each block contains eight acres. The principal commercial street is Third, be- ginning at C, and running west one mile to the depot; D street between Third and Fourth, and E street between Second and Fourth, also enjoy great business activity, and in these streets trade centers, although it extends beyond these limits.

San Bernardino was incorporated as a munici- pality in 1853, and again in 1886. Since 1885, when the Santa Fé Railway established com- inercial communication between this point and the rest of the great railway system, the prog- ress of the town has been constant, business movement and building being very active, even through what are called dull seasons.

San Bernardino has two pretty sobriquets- the " Fountain City," and the " Garden City," the first from the abundant supply of water, so unusnal in this part of the country. There are 300 artesian wells within the city limits. and their flow is unfailing. Many of the houses have at the top tanks, into which the water for domestic purposes is forced by small steam pumps, run by gas jets. Nearly every dwelling has its own green lawn, and its encircling groups of trees-oranges, peppers, palms, wal- nuts, apples, and other trees of the temperate and semi-tropic zones, -besides countless climb- ing vines and flowering plants.

All the principal streets are traversed by street railways.

The city is illuminated by gas and by elec- tricity. The dynamo which generates the elec-

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HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.

tricity is run by water-power furnished by Warm creek, enough force to produce electricity sufficient to light the whole valley being provided by 3,000 inches of water, withi a fall of forty feet, so that it is expected this system of light- ing will be extended to the neighboring towns.

As has been seen, San Bernardino was laid out as a city by the Mormons in 1853. As first incorporated, it comprehended most of the Mormon settlement. But the ruling powers soon tired of the onerous burden of city govern- ment, and disincorporated in about two years.

In August 16, 1868, San Bernardino was re- incorporated as a town, 60 continuing until May 15, 1886, when it was once more incorporated, as a city, being of the fifth-class.

The city government, as in all cities of the fifth-class, is vested in a board of trustees, five in number, a board of education, also of five mem- bers, a city attorney, city clerk, city marshal, city recorder, city treasurer, and city assessor. There are also, as provided by statute, subordi- nate officers, as follows: city engineer, health officer, street superintendent, pound-master, chief of fire department and four police officers.

The city improved very little until 1885-'86, since which time improvements have been many, rapid, and notable.

Snch public buildings, that is to say, munici- pal and county buildings, as exist are of a remarkably fine style of architecture, handsome, commodious, convenient, and admirably adapted to the purposes for which they are designed.

The postoffice occupies an edifice erected in 1888 expressly for that use, at a cost of $65,000. It has a frontage of 100 feet on E street, and 120 feet on Court street. Its outside finish is of pressed brick, and the famous brown sand- stone from the Sespe (Ventura County) quarries. It is in height three stories, the ground floor be- ing occupied by several stores, besides the post- office quarters, for which the Government is pledged to pay the nominal rental of $1 yearly for the period of five years; the second floor is devoted to offices; the third floor is given up to lodging apartments. The building is fur-

nished throughout with artesian water, forced to roof tanks, with an ample reserve supply in case of fire. Gas, an arched wagon passage, a fire-proof vault, and all the latest improvements for buildings of this kind are here in use.

The postoffice occupies 80 x 26 feet in the sontheastern corner of the ground floor, and it comprises the usual office and passage spaces, with 1,372 boxes and drawers.

The corps is composed of a postmaster, Nel- son S. Gill, and four clerks or assistants, two of whom are ladies. The gross receipts of the last year, as nearly as can be determined at pres- ent, were $12,000.

The new hall of records is to have a frontage of sixty-six feet on Court street. Its exterior finish will be of Colton marble and sandstone from Sespe or Mentone. The style of the architecture is termed "modern Moorish." The interior finislı, tilings, panelings, columns, etc., will be of Colton marble, oak wood, iron, bev- eled plate glass, and cathedral glass. The main entrance will be ten feet wide, with an arch height of sixteen feet; the main entrance hall, twelve by eighteen feet; the treasurer's room, fifteen by thirty feet, with a time-lock, steel- lined vanlt, 4 x 6 x 10 feet, fire and burglar proof, for special and valuable papers; there is also another vault, seven by four feet eight inches, in this room. The auditor's office is to be fourteen by twenty-four by twenty-two feet, with an inner gallery for the use of copyists and for storing books; the recorder's office is four by thirty-nine feet, with a twenty-two foot ceiling, with all needful conveniences and appurtenances. On the upper floor will be the county clerk's room, forty-four feet eight inches by twenty-nine feet six inches by twenty, with all the necessary fittings and appointments: also three large rooms for uses yet to be deter- mined.

One of the most commendable features of this edifice is the precaution which has been observed against fire, in its planning. Every opening in the entire building will be protected by a rolling steel shutter. The roof will be

454

HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.

entirely of iron and terra-cotta, and neither here nor on the outside will there appear a bit of wood. The back part of the building, forty- eight by forty-eight by ten feet, will be of brick twenty inches thick, with an air space in the center, and tied together every four feet with iron anchors. There will also be built in the walls around the entire building above and below each opening, a heavy two-and-a-half- inch iron band, well riveted at each corner and each connection, making the building earth- quake-proof as well as fire-proof. The cost of this building will be $40,000. At present it is in process of construction.

The county court-house was erected in 1878, and up to 1882 it was the finest building in the county. Its cost was some $40,000, but due allowance must he made for the greater cost of building at the time of its construction, for it by no means bears comparison with less costly edifices of later structure. It is, however, a substantial-looking pile, of two stories and a basement, with a cupola. It contains many of the offices of the municipal and county officials, the jail, etc. This building no doubt will be renovated and remodeled, when the completion of the new hall of records shall relieve it from its overcrowded condition.

The opera house is a well-built and well- equipped structure. Its seating capacity is 800. Its cost was some $60,000. It was built in 1882.

The principal public-school building in the city is a brick edifice built in the form of a Latin cross. Its plan was taken from the Langdon model of a school-house which took the premium at the Centennial Exposition. Its peculiarity is in having a common central corri- dor into which all of the fourteen school-rooms open. The furniture is of the latest design of improvement, and the surrounding grounds are well laid out. This institution in aggregation with the other school property of the city reaches a value of $150,000.

Respecting the fifty acres of land for the County Poor Honse :- "This tract of land lies

west of Fabun's Park, on the south side of the street. It contains about eleven acres in alfalfa, 600 peach trees, three artesian wells. Some of the land is wooded, and will afford fuel for years. Lytle creek runs directly through the land. There are two large reservoirs, one of which receives the continual discharge from two artesian wells, while the third well fills the other reservoir." On this tract was built in 1886, at a cost of $16,400, a fine brick building for a county hospital. This is a well-arranged and well-conducted institution, where the sick can be cared for with all proper requisites, while the establishment is conducted on an econom- ical basis. It has some thirty acres of land all told, mostly under cultivation.

The Bank of San Bernardino .- The cus- tom of commerce has made the banks the recognized depositories of the coin and cur- rency of the company, and hence their deposits indicate the working cash capital in the com- munity where they are situated; the daily trans- actions over their counter are the truest index to the state of business in that community and the safest criterion by which to measure its prosperity. Reckoning upon this basis San Bernardino occupies a proud position among the sisterhood of counties in Southern Cali- fornia, for her banks are among the most solid and prosperous of the financial institutions in this part of the State. Of the four banks in the city, the Bank of San Bernardino is the oldest in the county and the one most closely allied with its history and progress. This bank was established as a private banking house, and opened its doors for business in the early part of 1875, with a capital stoek of $50,000. Mr. Lewis Jacobs was its founder, and has since been its president and sole man- ager; throughout its entire existence, the method of management has been conservative and safe, and the Bank of San Bernardino has been the friend and encourager of every worthy enterprise of a public character, thus greatly benefiting and enhancing the prosperity of the connty.

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HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.

The bank has increased its capital stock to $200,000; has paid $30,000 dividends, and has an undivided surplus of $11,000. It does a general commercial banking business, and from the day it opened to the present, although it has passed through a financial crisis that closed the doors of many of the large banks in the State, it has been ready to meet every obligation when dne and presented for payment. The bank building is situated on the south side of Third street between D and E streets, and was built and fitted up with all the requirements of a first- class banking house.

LEWIS JACOBS, President of the Bank of San Bernardino, and one of the oldest residents and most successful business men of Southern Cali- fornia, was born in Prussia, Europe, in 1831; immigrated to America at the age of twenty years, and a year later, in 1852, came to Cal- ifornia, and to what is now San Bernardino County, then a part of Los Angeles County, before the town of San Bernardino was laid off.

Being entirely dependent upon his own re- sources of brain and muscle, he started out to earn a living with a pack on his back, sell- ing goods from door to door. By industry and economy he was soon enabled to establish himself in the mercantile business, as the pro- prietor of a general store in the young town of San Bernardino. The settlers were all struggling to obtain homes, and there was literally no money in the country, and busi- ness had to be carried on entirely by barter and exchange. Mr. Jacobs would sell his customers goods and take their eggs, butter and produce in payment. These he had to haul to Los Angeles, generally with ox-teams, and sell them there for money. As the county and city grew in wealth and population, his business steadily increased in volume and prosperity, until the beginning of 1875, when he sold out his store and opened the first bank in the county, which he has conducted with marked success ever since. While, with the true in- stincts of a banker, Mr Jacobs has carefully guarded the interests of his depositors, pur-

suing a conservative policy in the management of the bank, he has also exhibited a spirit of true loyalty to the county's welfare and prog- ress, by assisting with his money and influence enterprises tending to develop its marvelous resources and demonstrate its wonderful pro- ductive qualities. In the trying days of the Riverside colonists, when the founders of that grandest horticultural experiment and success of modern times needed material aid and encouragement, Mr. Jacobs assisted them with both goods and money until they began to ex- change the golden spheres for golden coin, and were thereby enabled to repay. His assistance, in the way of caslı and credit was a primary factor in the construction of the Bear valley reservoir improvements, which have made the Redlands of to day and the future possible. In each of these cases Mr. Jacobs had the oppor- tunity to make a fortune for himself, but was content in helping others to lay the foundations of fortunes, he receiving but a moderate interest on the moneys he had furnished.

Mr. Jacobs has invested considerable capital in citrus fruit lands and improvements in San Ber- nardino County. On the final settlement with the Riverside company they tendered him four blocks of land of two and a half acres eael, as a contribution in recognition of favors received at his hands, but he declined all but one. This he has highly improved and has been offered $13,000 for it. He also has a fine young orange orchard of twenty-five acres in Redlands, which cannot be bought for $1,000 an acre. The subject of this memoir is a living example of what well-directed energy, industry and economy can accomplish under favorable circumstances.

The Farmers' Exchange Bank, of San Ber- nardino, one of the most important and substan- tial financial institutions of Southern California, was organized as a State bank in May, 1881, and opened its doors for business September 1 of that year, with$20,000 capital stock paid in. The officers were Byron Waters, President, and E. H. Morse, Cashier. The bank was situated next door to its present location on the north side of Third

456

HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.

street between D and E streets. The career of the bank has been progressive and prosperous, and it has played a prominent part in the rapid growth and development of San Bernardino County to its present proud position. January 1, 1884, Mr. Waters resigned and H. L. Drew succeeded him to the presidency, which office he ably fills. January 1, 1888, Mr. Morse retired from the position of cashier and S. F. Zombro took his place. In 1888 the bank erected the elegant building it now occupies, which is one of the finest and most commodious banking houses on the Pacific coast. It is a three-story structure, 45 x 110 feet, built of brick, with brown-stone trimmings and massive, arched doorways of polished Slover mountain marble. It was erected at a cost of $43,000, and the banking offices, which occupy the first floor, are models of convenience in arrangement and artistic beauty of finish. The best indica- tions of the judicions management and steady growth of the business of the bank is furnished in the statements published January 1 of each year, and is here reproduced: January 1, 1883. capital paid up, $21,900; deposits, $152,725. Jannary 1, 1884, capital paid up, $30,000; sur- plus fund, $8,797.72; deposits, $163,037.80. January 1, 1885, capital paid up, 850,000; sur- plus, $12,916.63; deposits, $147,796. . January 1, 1886, capital paid in, $50,000; surplus, $10,- 410; deposits $271,351.63; January 1, 1887, capital paid up, 850.000; reserve, $55,544.62; deposits, 8357,000. January 1, 1888, capital paid up, $50,000; surplus, $87,047; deposits, $688,697. January 1, 1889, capital paid up, $50,000; surplus, $96,000; deposits, $328,587. July 1, 1889, capital paid up, $50,000; surplus, $110,000; deposits, $304,142.50. The shrink- age in the business showing in 1889 as coul- pared with the previous year is due to two causes, namely: the depreciation in value and consequent depression in business resulting from the collapse in the speculative boom of 1887- '88, and the establishing of two new banks in San Bernardino.

Fourteen years previous to his association

with the Farmers' Exchange Bank, Mr. Drew had been engaged in the mercantile business in San Bernardino, and had also been extensively connected with mining interests. He was born in Michigan forty-nine years ago, where his early business life was devoted to lumbering and merchandising. On the breaking out of the war of the Rebellion he entered the Union army as a private in the Third Michigan Cav- alry, served three years and a half, and rose by successive promotions to the rank of Captain before resigning. Suffering from broken health, partly caused by exposure and overwork during the great forest fires in the fall of 1871, on which occasion he worked continuonsly for seven days and seven nights, Mr. Drew came to Cal- ifornia in 1874, and after stopping a short time in Sacramento and in San Diego, arrived in San Bernardino April, 1875, and has resided here ever since.

Being an enterprising, public-spirited gen- tleman, he has taken great interest in the im- provement of San Bernardino city and county. He took an active and prominent part in secur- ing the location and construction of the rail- road lines belonging to the Santa Fé system in this valley, and is now a director in that com- pany. He is also largely interested in the de- velopinent of the citrus fruit industry in the county. He owns a 240-acre ranch devoted to these fruits in Old San Bernardino, and in company with some Pasadena gentlemen is planting somne 160 acres in that vicinity to oranges this year.

The First National Bank of San Bernard- ino was organized in June, 1886, with a capital stock of $100,000; and there being no suitable rooms accessible for its occupancy in the city, the corporation purchased the building on the northwest corner of Third and D streets, and had it fitted up expressly for the use of the bank. A large fire-proof vault was built in which was placed the elegant new burglar-proof safe manufactured to order by the Hall Safe & Lock Company of Cincinnati, Ohio. The bank opened its doors for business on September 10,

N.L. Drew

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HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.

1886, with J. H. Smith as president and W. N. Crandall as cashier. A year after the bank opened Mr. Crandall retired and Joseph Brown, the present cashier, was elected as his successor. The career of the First National Bank has been one of continnous prosperity from the day of its opening, and it is now making as much money for its stockholders, notwithstanding the general depression in business consequent upon the speculative boom of two years ago, as at any time in its history. The bank has regularly paid semi-annual dividends, and has an accumu: lated surplus of $15,000. It does a large do- mestic and foreign exchange business, drawing direct on banks in the principal cities of the United States and Europe. The stockholders are mostly residents of the county, and are among the shrewdest and most successful bnsi- ness men in this part of the State. The bank receives rentals on offices and stores in their building sufficient to pay a liberal interest on the purchase price.

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Author: Lewis Publishing Company Publication date: 1890 Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : The Lewis Publishing Company Number of Pages: 1038

Author: Lewis Publishing Company
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : The Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1038