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 73

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 73
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 73
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 73
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 73

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).

Riverside fruits have repeatedly taken first prizes at State and district California fairs.

470

HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.

Some idea of the rapid development and the present extent of orange-growing as an indus- try may be had by a comparison of the amounts of annual shipments. From twenty car-loads during the season of 1880-'81, the exportation had grown to 760 car-loads in 1887-'88, and to 1,049 car-loads, or 310,262 boxes, in 1888-'89. This export brought into the county some $720,- 000 in cash. This shipment, 925 car-loads, or 263,879 boxes, were from the groves of River side, whence in 1880-'81 were shipped but 15 car-loads, or 4,290 boxes.

Raisin culture as an industry of Riverside may be said to have begun in 1879 with the be- ginning of regular shipments of raisins, tlie total output in that year being reckoned at 30,000 boxes. It has steadily increased from year to year. Since 1879 the average annual yield per acre lias been 206} boxes per acre, which, it must be remembered, compreliends also the very light crops of those years when the vineyards were first coming into bearing. At present the average yield is 274 boxes per acre.

The shipments of rasins in 1887 footed up 180,000 boxes; in 1888, 215,000 boxes, and in 1889, 225,000 boxes. Thus this staple netted to the producers of Riverside over $350,000 this season, so that the proceeds on raisins for several years past will be seen to range fromn $150 to $250 net per acre, oftener the latter.

The income of Riverside from only three items: oranges, lemons and raisins, exceeds $1,000,- 000 annually. The total income of Riverside planters for the year 1889 was over $1,100,000, or $350 to each man, woman and child engaged in agricultural pursnits. The crop for 1890 will exceed in value last year's harvests, and the average per capita will be greater. The decid- nous fruits also are grown in considerable quanti . ties, and with profit, but their importance is not to be compared with that of citrous fruits.

OTHER POINTS IN THE COUNTY. COLTON,

founded in 1874, is an incorporated city, the third in the county in point of population. It

is at an elevation of some 900 feet, lying fifty- eight miles from Los Angeles, on the through line of the Southern Pacific Railway, by which line it was founded, being named after one of the deceased directors of this company. The climate is warm and dry, no frost nor fog being known here. It is three miles from the county seat, with which it is connected by a motor line and by the Santa Fé line, which crosses the Southern Pacific at Colton. The town's location at the intersection of these two transcontinental roads, gives it an importance at once apparent. Some sixty trains pass Colton daily. Thus the town is the commercial entrepot or distributing point, through the ramifications of these lines, for goods and wares over a very large extent of territory, as well as being the depot of output for all the products of that same territory. Lying in the very heart of the citrus region, Colton ranks first in the State as a shipping point for oranges, and for total shipments it stands third on the list. During 1889 there were forwarded from Colton by the Southern Pacific alone, 22,060,606 pounds of freight, and 38,788,805 pounds were received during the same period. For the first five months of 1889 the number of pounds forwarded was 13,777,- 887; received, 17,073,125. For the corre- sponding five months of 1890, the number of pounds forwarded were 22,250,701; received, 19,389,953. There were 551 car-loads of oranges shipped from Colton during 1889; up to May 20, 1890, there were forwarded 750 car-loads, and probably fifty more will go ont before the end of the season. The foregoing figures relate ex- cinsively to the business of the Southern Pacific.

It has been impossible to secure a statement of the traffic by the Santa Fé, and it can only be guessed at, taking into consideration the nn- merous branches hereabonts of this system.

The Colton City Water Company derives its domestic supply from artesian wells two miles north of the city, piping in seventy-five inches under 150 feet pressure. The irrigation supply, also artesiau water, is conveyed by three separate companies, through pipes and cement ditches.

471

HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.

The greatest and most important enterprise of Colton is undoubtedly the marble and lime industry on Slover mountain, fully described elsewhere. Next to this probably comes the Colton Packing Company, with their fine plant, covering two acres of land, their side track to the cannery from the S. P. Railway, and their extensive operations. This cannery employs during the season, some 300 men, women and children, its pay-roll amounting to $1,500 or $2,000 weekly. The work usually begins about the middle of June, and continues for about four months on green fruit, and two months longer on raisins. The fruit canned consists of berries, grapes, apricots, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums, and prunes. The cannery receives not only a vast quantity of home-grown fruit, but it also draws largely upon the territory from Redlands to Pomona, and even from a greater distance. During the last season this company handled 1,000 tons of green fruit, packed 1,000,- 000 cans. prepared forty tons of dried fruit, and put up 40,000 boxes of raisins.

The Colton Rolling Mills had in 1889 an output of one ton daily of rolled barley.

The soil of Colton is wonderfully fertile, pro- ducing cereals and root-crops, as well as a great variety of fruits, both citrus and decidnous. The oranges of Colton Terrace are considered especially fine; it is from this growth that Leland Stanford chooses the supply for his own table.

Colton has a planing mill, employing about eighty hands; a bank with a paid-up capital of $100,000; two weekly newspapers, the Chronicle and the News; and two hotels, with several restaurants and eating-houses, besides the usual complement of stores, shops, etc. There are six practicing physicians and two lawyers.

The principal school-house, containing eight rooms, was built some two years since, costing $18,500 cash. There is also another school building, and the force consists of a principal or superintendent and six assistant teachers.

There are Methodist, Presbyterian, Episco- palian, and Baptist church congregations, the two first named owning church buildings.

Among the various fraternal societies repre- sented are: the Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, Ancient Order of Foresters, United Workmen, Grand Army of the Republic, Young Men's Christian Association, Young Women's Christ- ian Temperance Union, Women's Christian Temperance Union, Independent Order of Good Templare and Loyal Legion.

The city officials are: five trustees, clerk, treasurer, marshal, engineer, attorney, re- corder, health officer, street superintendent, two constables, and two justices of the peace.

Colton's burying-ground is near the eastern base of Slover mountain.

SOUTH RIVERSIDE.

Twenty-five miles southwest of San Bernard- ino, on the Santa Ana branch of the Santa Fé system, is a town something over two years old, close to which will run the railway from Elsi- nore to Pomona. This young town, known as the Queen colony, has a population of about 400, with two daily mails, post, telegraph and express offices, a bank with $100,000 capital, good school and church facilities, etc. It is the center of a large and fertile agricultural district, rapidly settling up. The building improve- ments here in 1888 amounted to over $125,000. Within five miles is a large deposit of lignite coal.

East Riverside and West Riverside are prac- tically suburbs of the large colony.

THE COLONY OF ETIWANDA

was founded in 1881 by W. B. Chaffey and George Chaffey, Jr., brothers from the province of Ontario, Canada. They purchased from Captain Garcia a tract comprising 3,000 acres, putting the land on the market the following year. The water right gave exclusive control of the water of East and Day canons to the north of the tract, and about seventeen miles of pipe were laid.

The Santa Fé system has a station on the tract, at some four miles distance from the town proper.

473

HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.

There is here a hotel, a school-house which cost $3,500, and a store of general merchandise. The tract comprised some 3,000 acres, of which abont 1,500 acres are now under cultivation. These lands were sold at $150 to $200 per acre, and planted to vines: they have yielded quite that much per acre as revenue since the fourth year. The soil is a chocolate-colored loam, suited to the cultivation of the orange, the lemon, and the raisin grape, the last named being the chief product. This settlement in fact is noted for the excellence of its raisins. In 1889 it shipped some seventy-five ear-loads of raisins, which sold for five and three-fourths cents per pound, and there is always a keen coinpetition for the Etiwanda crop among the packers. This section also ships to Eastern markets some fine lemons and oranges. A large acreage will be planted to divers fruits during the coming season. Water is conducted hither from the cañons by several miles of flume, being distributed, after reaching the settlement, to the highest corner of each ten acres of land by means of cement pipes. Water is furnished to the settlers on a basis of an inch steady flow to nine acres of land, or thirty- seven and a half inches for twenty-four hours once a month to each ten acres.

ONTARIO,

founded by the Chaffey brothers, is the inost western town in San Bernardino County, and the lands extend to within four miles of the county line. It is thirty-eight miles east of Los Angeles, and twenty-four miles west of San Bernardino and Colton. Cucamonga is the nearest place on the east, Pomona on the west, and Chino on the south. At the town the elevation is 980 feet, with a gradual rise to 2.000 feet at the base of the mountains, six miles away. The slope is gradual from the Cucamonga mountains, 6,000 feet high, and the mouth of San Antonio cañion, running back to "Old Baldy," 10,000 feet high, toward the Santa Ana river, which runs about eight miles

south of the colony. The tract is level and free from brush. The soil is a deep, rich loam. There are about 12,000 acres in the tract, which is seven miles long from north to sonthi, and from one to three miles from east to west. Through the colony runs Euclid avenue, seven miles long and 200 feet wide, a double drive with a tram-car line in the middle, the divisions separated by lines of gum and pepper, cypress, Grevillea and palm trees. About the depot of the Southern Pacific Railway clusters the inain town, consisting of some 250 acres in town lots, surrounded by villa lots of from one to two and one-half acres. At the Santa Fé station is North Ontario, containing some 200 acres in town lots. The rest of the land is laid out 'in ten acre lots, with streets running east and west, and avennes north and south, so that each lot has a street frontage.

Water is taken from the San Antonio creek, draining one of the largest mountain districts in Southern California. Ontario has half the surplus flow, owning exclusively a tunnel 2,000 feet long that taps the subterranean flow. The water is conveyed in iron pressure pipes to the town, and in cement pipes to the acreage prop- erty. Stock in the San Antonio Water Com- pany is sold with the land, a share to an acre, ten shares being issued on an inch of water. Unimproved land here ranges from $200 to $300 an acre; improved, from $300 to $1,000, according to location and variety of planting. Bearing orange groves command the highest price.

The Southern Pacific and the Santa Fé trunk lines cross the colony from east to west, about two iniles apart. The Chino narrow-gauge is completed from the Southern Pacific to Chino, five miles away, and this line is to be extended to the coast. Along the entire length of Euclid avenue and over San Antonio the On- tario Land Company has built a standard-gauge steel railway, the motive power to be electricity, pending the application of which power mule traction is used, the return trip from the head of the slope being by gravity, the animals

473

HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.

being conveyed on the cars by a very ingenious arrangement.

The soil is a sandy, gravelly loamn, very simi- lar to portions of Pasadena, San Gabriel, Duarte, Pomona and Cucamonga, all of which places are situated at the foot of the same range of mountains, and in the same zone of first-class fruit land that extends along that mountain chain for sixty miles, from Pasadena on the west, to the lands northeast of San Bernardino on the east.

The water-right in San Antonio canon, owned by the Chaffey brothers, the founders of On- tario, is sufficient to irrigate 5,000 or 6,000 acres of land. The requirements of the section and the best systeins have been studied by the management.

Ontario's exhibit at the State Citrus Fair in March, 1890, took the third premium for best exhibit of citrus fruit from any locality. At the County Citrus Fair at Riverside this year, Ontario's lemons took first prize.

During 1886 Ontario had sixty-nine new buildings, whose cost aggregated $79,875; in 1887, 110 buildings, costing $204,875; in 1888, 100 buildings, at a cost of $267,100. Thus the whole increase for these three years was 279 buildings, costing $551,850.

The increase in population may be estimated from the following list of the number of census children during five succeeding years: There were forty-four children in 1884; forty-nine in 1885; 126 in 1886; 195 in 1887, and 345 in 1888.

The growth in assessed valuation of property has been as follows: $250,000 for 1885; $359,- 180 for 1886; $1,043,660 for 1887, and $1,- 388,685 for 1888.

In 1886-'87 Ontario set 210 acres to oranges, and eighty to deciduous fruits and grapes,-in all 290 acres. In 1887-'88 this colony set 220 acres to oranges, and twenty-five acres to mixed fruits; total, 245. In 1889 there were set 450 acres, practically all oranges; in 1890, 500 acres; the acreage set in " these piping times of peace " being nearly double that of either of the 80

"boom" years. The total of acreage now under cultivation at Ontario is 2,183 acres, of which 1,350 are in citrus fruits, the rest in grapes, as- sorted fruits, pampas grass, etc.

Ontario does not claim special pre-eminence as a raisin district, the soil being deemed better adapted to citrus fruits, so that no new vine- yards have been set for two years, while many of those now existing are being replaced by oranges. The raisin crop last year was much damaged by early rains, but it nevertheless reached the figure of 10,970 boxes, or ten car- loads, and sold for about $8,000. There were made some 4,000 gallons of wine, which, with the green grapes sold, brings the total product of Ontario's vineyards to upwards of $10,000.

The output of oranges for the season of 1889-'90 was forty car-loads, and that of lemons was twelve car-loads. The total money pro- ceeds therefrom was $38,500.

A fruit evaporator is in process of erection at North Ontario, at a cost of $3,000.

There are five grocery stores, three dry-goods stores, two drug stores, one shoe store, a furni- ture store, three hardware stores, six real-estate offices, two barber shops, three restaurants, six hotels, two meat markets, a harness shop, two livery stables, a jewelry store, the best planing mill in the county, a surveyor, an architect, and a good quota of physicians.

With a population of less than 2,000, Ontario has five church organizations, with an aggre- gate membership of nearly 300, and four church buildings, with a seating capacity of over 1,500.

The Methodists, whose pastor is Rev. J. B. Green, have just completed an addition to their church.

The pastor of the Congregationalist Church is Rev. A. E. Tracy.

The pulpit of the Episcopalian Church is supplied by Rev. W. B. Burrows, of Pomona.

Rev. D. V. Bowen, of Los Angeles, officiates at the services of the New Church.

Rev. John McGill is the pastor of the Presby- terian Church.

474

HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.

There are here two weekly newspapers, the Record and the Observer.

The Record is the leading journal. It is a bright, newsy and reliable paper, well known for its editorial ability and typographical excel- lence. Its first issue was given to the public December 16, 1885, by the Clarke Brothers, and since that date it has ranked among the leading country journals of the county. It is independent and fearless in its policy touching the leading questions of the day, and has made a specialty of inducing Eastern immigration from the Eastern States, by the publication of judicions matter upon the resources and development of the country. It is not only well patronized and supported locally, but has a large circulation on the Pacific coast and in the Eastern States.

E. P. Clarke is the senior member of the tirin of Clarke Brothers, publishers of the On- tario Record, and is also the editor of the paper. He is a native of the State of Maine and reared and educated in that State, closing his educa- tional career in Kent's Hill (Maine) Seminary and the Wesleyan University, Middletown, Con- neetieut, graduating at the latter institution with high honors in 1885. He then was engaged for some months on the United States geological survey in Maine and New Hamp- sliire. In October, 1885, he came to California and located at Ontario, and in December of the same year established the journal he has since so successfully edited and conducted. Mr. Clarke is one of the progressive men of On- tario, to whom much of its prosperity is due, and has ever taken an active part in all enter- prises tending to advance the interests of his cliosen city. He is a member of the San Ber- nardino County Board of Education, and secre- tary of the Board of Regents of the Chaffey College, and during 1888-'89 filled the chair of Latin and English literature in that institu- tion. He is a member of the Republican County Central Committee and has been secretary of the same. Mr. Clarke is a contributor to the Overland Monthly and Pacific Monthly, and lectures occasionally with acceptance.

A. F. Clarke, of the firm of Clarke Brothers, proprietors of the Ontario Record, is a printer by trade, and to him is due much of the credit which has been gained by that journal for its typo- graphical beauty and neatness. He is a native of Maine, in which State he received his education and learned his trade. He came to California in 1883 and located at Pasadena, where he was connected with the Pasadena Union. In De- cember, 1885, le located at Ontario and assisted in establishing the Record. He is fully identi- fied with Ontario and its progress and is a strong believer in its future prosperity.

Ontario is well supplied with fraternal socie- ties, to whose list three have been added within the past year. The pioneer lodge, the A. O. U. W., owns a handsome brick block, with a fine public hall. The Odd Fellows and the Masons are fitting up a handsome leased hall for a lodge room. The Masons have taken the preliminary steps for organization, and will start with a very strong lodge. The following is a list of the societies: Ontario Lodge, A. O. U. W., organ- ized March 12, 1885; Ontario Post, G. A. R., organized May 29, 1886; Ontario Lodge, I. O. O. F., organized July 14, 1888; W. R. C., or- ganized November 23, 1889; Ontario Court of Foresters, organized January 16, 1890.

Ontario has a public library association with over 100 members. There is a well-selected library of abont 500 volumes, and additions are made continually. The collection is very cred- itable to a town of this size. Mr. A. Pidding- ton is the very efficient librarian.

At the founding of Ontario, its founders set apart half of the town and villa lots as an en- dowment for a college of agriculture, which was made a department of the University of Southern California. In March, 1883, the cor- ner-stone of the college building was formally laid, its site then being amidst sage-bush and cactus wastes. In 1885 was completed a brick building costing about $20,000, and for a year a school was conducted in a small way. The endowment being insufficient, no school was maintained in 1886, but in 1887 it was re-

475

HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.

opened. The present endowment of the school consists of $40,000 cash on interest, and $60,- 000 in deferred payments on land, bearing in- terest at eight per cent. The total value of the original gift of the Chaffey brothers will reach about $175,000.

There are some sixty-five pupils in attendance at present, under the supervision of a corps of seven instructors. No attempt has been made as yet to carry out the original plan of agricult- ural work, which necessitates costly equipments, the present work being limited to the college preparatory and seminary departments.

On March 3, 1883, Ontario's first school was opened in a loft over a carpenter shop, witlı an enrollment of fourteen pupils. There are now nearly 300 pupils in the public schools, and there are four school buildings, built and furnished at a cost of some $15,000, requiring the supervision of eight teachers. The build. ings are among the finest in the county, and their surrounding grounds add to their attrac- tions and value. The corps of teachers are able and of good record, and the school facilities are considered to compare favorably with those provided in Eastern cities of 5,000 to 10,000 population.

LUGONIA,

so called from the Lugos, the old Mexican fam- ily who formerly owned this territory, is that portion of San Bernardino County lying be- tween old San Bernardino and Crafton, having the Santa Ana river for its northern bound- ary, and for its southern the foothills north of. San Timoteo cañon. The soil here is greatly diversified, ranging from the lightest sandy loam to the heaviest adobe. This is one of the finest frnit sections, being almost frostless, and watered from a stream that never fails. The tract is delightfully situated, commanding a view of the San Bernardino mountains, that extend for forty miles, and rise over 4,000 feet high on the north; on the east the peaks of San Bernardino and Grayback; and on the west an almost level plane, stretching nearly seventy miles to Los Angeles and the ocean.

This small settlement on the north side of the Mill creek zanja offered lands with water right for from $25 to $50 per acre, up to 1881, Lugonia being but a school district at that time.

About 1881-'82 Judson & Brown secured 1,500 acres of land on the sloping hillside south of Lugonia and the Mill creek zanja, surveyed and platted same into five, ten and twenty-acre lots, with wide avenues and streets traversing the whole plat.

This enterprise was regarded as an experi- . ment, from the fact that the red soil of this slope had never been tested as to its adapt- ability to horticultural pursuits.

With plenty of water and good cultivation the doubt as to the value of the land was soon removed and the success of the colony enter- prise was assured. Thus encouraged the pro- jectors enlarged their possessions by additional purchases, until they had between 3,000 and 4,000 acres in their colony, which, on account of the peculiar color of the soil, they namned

REDLANDS.

In 1886 commissioners sent ont to Southern California by an association formed in Chi- cago. for the purpose of finding the best place in this State for a colony, after looking the State all over, purchased 440 acres of land lying between Redlands and Crafton.

This land was divided up into lots averag- ing about eleven acres each, and forty deeds inade and executed, this being the number of purchasers and members of the association. This tract was given the name of the Chicago colony.

In 1887 a syndicate of Riverside business men and capitalists bought 500 acres west of Redlands and extending to San Timoteo cañon, through which the Southern Pacific Railroad passes, and in which the Brookside station is located, laid it out so as to extend the main avennes of Redlands through the same and gave it the name of Terracina, now called West Redlands.

476

HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.

Southeast of Redlands lies the fertile valley of Yucaipa, with thousands of acres of grain and grazing land, with herds of cattle, large dairies, flocks of sheep, and orchards producing immense quantities of the finest apples and cherries.

Northeast lies Mentone, the terminus of the Valley railroad, embracing 3,000 acres.

Westward is the tract known as Williams, from the owner's name, embracing 1,500 acres, and with a railroad station named Gladysta.

It has seemed well to make brief mention of Crafton, Lugonia, Terracina, Yncaipa, Old San Bernardino, Mentone and Williams, because they surround Redlands on every side, are im- mediately adjacent and are tributary to it. Three of these settlements were flourishing and pros- perous with decidnons and citrus orchards and vineyards bearing years before there was a brick laid of the forty business blocks of Redlands. Not one of these settlements has a place of business of its own; all depend on Redlands for their mail and supplies. It is this rich and populous outlying country that has forced the growth of Redlands, and insures the continued advance of the city in trade and importance. There is no other town among those that have recently sprung up in Sonthern California, that has so large and valuable a territory depending upon it and contributing to it.

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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