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 74

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 74
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 74
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 74
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 74

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Redlands is the fourth city incorporated within the connty of San Bernardino, its incor- poration dating from November 26, 1888. The population at present (May, 1890.) is about 2,500. Owing to the very rapid increase of population, there are many adult residents and heads of families, who have not been here long enonglı to become voters. ៛

Redlands lies at the eastern end of the great valley of the Upper Santa Ana, sometimes called the East San Bernardino valley. It stretches from the banks of the Santa Ana river, the largest stream in Southern California, on the north, to the hills on the sonth. The boundaries of the city incorporation include seventeen square miles of the richest and best

soil in the State for orange growing. Perfect drainage is secured by the natural slope of the land and the character of the soil. It is nine iniles directly east of San Bernardino, the county seat; thirteen miles northeast from Riverside; sixty miles directly east of Los Angeles, and one hundred miles north of San Diego, air-line distances.

The Southern Pacific overland railroad enters the valley on the south through the San Gor- gonio pass. Brookside station on this road is two miles southwest of the business center of Redlands. The Southern California, a branch of the Santa Fe, enters the valley from the north through the Cajon pass, and makes San Bernardino its central point. Redlands has direct railroad communication with Los Angeles over the San Bernardino Valley Railroad (the Santa Fé system) three times a day ; with River - side the same; with San Bernardino and Colton six times each day. The mail is received and sent from the Redlands postoffice three times daily.

In addition the San Bernardino and Redlands narrow-gange (called the Motor Road) makes ten trips between Redlands and San Bernardino each day, connecting with the Rapid Transit road which tuns to Colton and Riverside. Red- lands has already built and in operation three miles of street railroad, connecting the stations of both wide and narrow-gange railroads with different residence portions of the city.

The Southern Pacific company has surveyed a line for a road between Los Angeles and Red- lands and annonnced its intention to build in the near future. Local capital, interested in the great cedar and pine forests on the moun- tain ranges east and north of the city, is also surveying routes for railroads to these vast lumber districts. The vast importance of the lumber area of Bear valley and adjacent terri- tory, as well as the growing importance of that most beautiful mountain summer resort, will compel the building of a narrow-gauge railroad at no very far distant day. The route is practi- cable and the grade not at all difficult, while

477

HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.

the passenger travel in summer will be very heavy.

On the area occupied by the business portion of this city thirty months ago, there was not a single building. To-day there are forty snb- stantial brick business buildings, none less than two stories high, all occupied by the various branches of trade and manufacturing. Among the business establishments are three large gen- eral and grocery houses, dry goods store, a national bank, a State bank, three agricultural implement and hardware houses, three drug stores, two furniture stores, two meat markets, two bakeries, three large commercial hotels, three restaurants, two tin and plumbing estab- lishments, two lumber yards, three blacksmithı and repairing shops, three vegetable and fruit stores, two harness shops, a livery stable, car- riage repository, clothing store, jewelry store, sash and door factory, planing mill, boot and shoe store photograph gallery, two paint shops, two barber shops, a book store, two wood and coal yards, an art store, a ladies' bazaar, three boarding houses, two manufactories of cement pipe, a roller feed mill, three fruit-packing houses, numerous real-estate and insurance offices, lawyers, doctors, and a first-class job printing and newspaper office, the Citrogruph.

The several school districts in Redlands and adjoining, made the following gains in valuation during the year 1888;

DISTRICTS.

Assessed 1887.

Valuation. |Percent. of 1888. increase.

Redlands. .

$329,055

$792,860

140

Lugonia

358,500

610,165

Crafton

139,840

339,080

142

Assessed valuation of the three school dis- tricts in 1889 was about $2,500,000.

Within the city limits are three fine schools, in the Redlands, Lugonia and Crafton distriets, with a daily average attendance of upwards of 300. The three school-lionses cost over $26,000. In addition, the Bellevne Acad- emy, under the management of Prof. H. A. Brown, teaches the higher branches of learning preparatory to college.

The Congregationalists, Episcopalians, Bap- tists and Presbyterians have commodious church buildings; the Methodists are about to build, and all five hold regular services every Sunday.

A strong Young Men's Christian Association occupies its own hall, with public lectures and a free reading room.

The Masons, Odd Fellowa, Good Templars and Knights of Pythias all have organizations and hold regular meetings.

Fruit culture is the leading industry of this compact cluster of colonies. The fruits pro- duced are chiefly oranges and the raisin grape; also berries of various kinds, peaches, apricots, nectarines, olives, limes and lemons.

The deciduous-fruit orchards were mostly planted before it was known that the soil and climate were so perfectly adapted to the citrus fruits, and nearly all the late plantings are of the latter class. The orchards of all kinds are quite young, and but a small per cent. of the citrus orchards are in bearing, For example the Brockton company give the following de- tailed statement:

" Whole number of acres in orchard. 268

Acres in apricots. 162

Acres in peaches. .96

Acres in raisin grapes. .6

Acres in pears. .4

Pounds fresh apricots gathered. 102,989

Pounds peaches gathered . 386,438

Pounds nectarines gathered. .10,749

Boxes raisins made 3,917

" The apricot orchard bore its first crop the past season and the bulk of the crop was gath- ered from twelve acres of the oldest trees."

The whole number of acres planted in and about Redlands to fruits of all kinds is about 6.000, about 3,000 of this total acreage is in oranges.

Of the 3,000 acres in decidnous fruits, about 2,000 acres are in bearing; but many of the or- chards bore the first crop the past season.

At the beginning of the fruit season of the summer of 1888 there were two drying estab- lishments inaugurated. The results of their sea

478

HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.

son's work are stated in their own language as follows:

Messrs. Cook & Langley say:

" We have purchased green fruit as follows: 315,655 pounds of apricots; 203,183 pounds of peaches; 30,869 pounds of nectarines.

" Figuring on the basis of 20,000 pounds to the car-load, would make total shipment of about twenty-two and a half cars of dried fruit from Redlands and immediate vicinity.

" Of raisins we purchased 443,386 pounds at Redlands and immediate vicinity; 120,818 at outside points.

" We have shipped of our own pack 27,559 boxes of raisins and 34,697 pounds loose raisins in sacks, making a total of thirty car-loads of raisins shipped from one Redlands packing- house this season."

The statement of A. M. Aplin's drying es- tablishment is as follows: " 1,040,000 pounds of peaches and apricots purchased and dried; eighty- two tons dried fruit shipped to Chicago."

Producers have heretofore, in the absence of public drying establishments, been in the habit of drying and disposing of their own crops. Then large quantities were this season sold to the cannery at Colton and the drying establish- ment at San Bernardino. It is estimated that the quantity thus disposed of at least equals that shown in the above statements; thus making the total product of dried peaches, apricots and nectarines 2,980,000 pounds, or 149 car-loads of 20,000 pounds each.

The orange crop of 1889 was about 100 car- loads.

Millions of trees are being grown in the nur- series this season where thousands have been grown heretofore. Many ranch owners in the valley started seed beds last year and are abont to put in more, so that yonng trees will soon be comparatively cheap.

Almost incredible profits have been made on orchards in full bearing and exceptionally well cared for. Some orchards in this valley in fa- vorable seasons have given per acre net profits of over $1,000 per annum. The orchards at

Old San Bernardino, nearly all seedlings, and not as well cultivated as they should be, have as a whole, for years past, averaged their owners net profits of over $250 per acre per annumn. Some of the best seedling orchards have, during the same period, netted $1,000 per acre. The old seedling orange orchards at Crafton, planted by M. H. Crafts before Riverside had an orange tree in it, have averaged a net profit of $260 per acre for the past eight years. Some of the old seedling orchards have averaged better than this for years past. These old orchards have been qnoted because they have shown these results through a series of years, and are safe guides for careful business calculations. Younger budded orchards have made as high an average as $500 per year, and promise to considerably increase this average as they become older and larger.

Within the district surrounding the city of Redlands and naturally tributary to it as a busi- ness center, there is over 25,000 acres of good fruit land. Over 15,000 acres of this is good orange land. Reckoning in the Yucaipa, Po- tato, Bear and numerous other small valleys opening out into these and the East San Ber- nardino, there are 10,000 additional acres of fertile soil, a large portion of which is excellent for deciduons fruits, but too elevated for orange culture on account of temperature. In these high mountain valleys the finest small fruits, potatoes and apples are raised, yielding profits to the acre equal in many instances to the profits of orange culture.

To make fruit culture in all the section under discussion successful, or even possible, irriga- tion is a necessity. The supply of water for full irrigation of 25,000 acres in the valley is abundant. The sources of supply are the high ranges of mountains walling in the valley on the north and east. These ranges obtain at points an elevation of nearly 12,000 feet above sea level, and their summits are in the regions of perpetual ice and snow. The Santa Ana river, Mill creek, Plunge creek and other smaller streams conduct the water from nature's de-

479

HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.

posite to the valley. Formerly, as in other portions of the State, the great supply of the winter rains ran through these channels to the sea and was lost forever. A great natural lake formerly existed high up on the San Bernardino range. Probably an earthquake or some other convulsion broke the rim of the lake, and the accumulated waters made their escape through the Santa Ana river. This broken rim has been repaired by ingennity, energy and capital, and the greatest stored supply of water for irriga- gation in the world -- BEAR VALLEY RESERVOIR -is the result.

THE ARROWHEAD HOT SPRINGS.

The Arrowhead Hot Springs are on the mesa, a bench of the San Bernardino range, about ten miles from Colton, on the Southern Pacific Railway, and six miles northeast of San Ber- nardino, than which town they have some 1,000 feet more altitude, being over 2,000 feet above the sea level. The name is derived from a pe- culiar appearance on the mountain side above the springs and pointing to them-the repre- sentation of an Indian arrowhead, white on a dark background, so perfect in shape that many people believe it was designed there. The soil which forms this mark is composed mostly of disintegrated white quartz and light gray gran- ite, on which grow weeds and a short, white grass, while the soil around it is of a different formation, sustaining a shrub of a dark color, which covers the rest of the face of the moun- tain. The arrowhead is 1,115 feet long and 396 feet wide. The native Indians have a legend reciting how, long, long ago, the peaceful Ca- huilla tribe, who inhabited tlie San Bernardino valley when it was first settled by whites, then lived eastward, far over the mountains, near some warlike tribes, who presently drove them out of this their native country. As they wan- dered, the Great Spirit discharged an arrow be- fore them, which dart, after the manner of the pillar of fire of the Israelites, moved on before them until it rested on this mountain side, pointing down into the valley, which they thus

knew they were to occupy-as they did, until the invading white men came to wrest it from them.

There are other legends connected with this symbol, but all perhaps less poetical than this one.

Here are about twenty-five springs, whose temperature ranges from 140° to 193° Fahren- heit, the solid constituents being of great efficacy in the cure of rheumatism, blood-poisoning, skin diseases, etc.

There is no village at this leading health re- sort of the county but a fine three-story hotel, containing 100 rooms, owned by a syndicate of capitalists. This hotel has the usual conveni- ences, and its own system of electric lights, the power for which is supplied by the fall of the mountain water. There is a resident physician here, and regularly established postoffice. Coaclies run twice a day to and from San Ber- nardino.

ALESSANDRO

is a small town site or station, with a postoffice, on the line of the California Southern (Santa Fé), in Perris valley, near the San Diego County line. There are two daily mails. The inhabi- tants of the valley are mainly engaged in stock- raising. This is regarded as the destined center of the colony of Dunkards who are shortly .to immigrate to Southern California .. Their man- aging agent, M. M. Eshelman, bought the hotel at Lordsburg, and purposes to settle them in San Jacinto valley. In this irrigation district is to be completed shortly a canal to water the valley, to convey 15,000 inches of water from the Bear valley reservoir.

BANNING

was laid out in 1884-'85, by a syndicate of Nevada capitalists who purchased about 3,000 acres of land here, and laid ont about the rail- way station a small town plat, whose lots sold for from $50 to $275. The remainder of the land laid out in acre tracts sells at $125 to $200 per acre. The water supply here is per- haps the best between Colton and Ynma. A

480

HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.

cement ditch eight miles long, leads up into Moore's cañon, having a capacity of from 1,500 to 2,500 inches. About 1,000 inches of wa- ter can be furnished in the dryest season. Ten miles of first-class iron piping, with flumes and ditches, distribnte all over the colony this water supply, abundant and reliable. This " mountain colony" is one of the most pic- turesque settlements in the county, and its mountain scenery is beautiful. The elevation is 2,317 feet. From this point is the nearest approach to Mount San Bernardino, Monnt San Jacinto and Grayback, the three highest peaks in Southern California. The mountains contain a vast amount of timber of superior quality.

The capacity of the Banning soil is very wide. Lands in this section, not subject to irrigation, have raised grain crops without a single failure for the last ten years. Barley has been the main reliance, but wheat is snc- cessfully raised also. The experiment of citrus fruit growing has not been thoroughly tested, but decidnous fruits thrive marvelously well, cherries in particular, which are always highly and profitably marketable, are especially a fa- vorite of the soil, and the peaches of Banning are declared to be unequaled. Berries are extremely luxuriant, and many tons are shipped hence yearly.

The population of Banning is about 300. The town has post, express and telegraph offices; a notary public; a Government school for Indians; a hotel; a $3,500 school-house, with an average attendance of fifty pupils; one (Baptist) church edifice, with several other denominations represented; several stores of general merchandise, and one live weekly news- paper, the Banning Herald. Improvements in building, and the planting of vines and trees, are constantly in progress. Banning is thirty miles east of Colton, and eighty-eight miles from Los Angeles, on the line of the Southern Pacific Railway.

BARSTOW

is situated at the junction of the California Southern and the A. &. P. Railway, eighty-two

miles from San Bernardino and twelve miles from Daggett. It has an elevation of 1,900 feet. The population is abont 300. The town is comparatively new. The climate is dry and clear with no fogs or dampness. There is a postoffice, telegraph, telephone and express offices, and daily stage for Calico, connecting with trains, as well as several stores carrying general merchandise, and a large railroad liotel. A silver mine and mill are to be found just north of this place.

BEAUMONT,

formerly San Gorgonio, is an attractive little town at the head of the San Gorgonio cañon. It is sometimes designated as " the eummit," being located on the " divide," 2,500 feet above the sea level. It is on the Yuma division of the S. P. Railroad, twenty miles east of Colton, and twenty-five miles from San Bernardino. It has a postoffice, telegraph, telephone and express offices and stage connection with San Jacinto. It has a weekly newspaper, the Sentinel, a pub- lie school-house which cost $3,500, with an average attendance of 100; a Presbyterian church; three hotels, one of which cost $25,000, and several stores of general merchandise. The population is abont 400.

CALICO,

the old and famous mining town, is about seven miles from Daggett on the sonthi, with which point it has stage connections, as well as with Barstow. It has an elevation of 2,600 feet. The name is derived from the variegated colors of the mountains to the northward. The town lies on the south side of the mountain, and thus has no need of a system of sewerage. Good water is to be had from a water company sup- plying the town. There are here a postoffice, a telegraph and an express office, also a school house, a hotel, and several general stores. There are several quartz-mills in operation, and the yield is good and constant. The statistics of these mines are given elsewhere. In addition to the gold and silver mines, there are extensive

481

HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.

borax mines which pay well, worked by capital- ists of San Francisco.

The Calico Print, devoted to the mining interests of the region, was started here in 1882, but it has suspended publication lately. The climate of Calico is dry and healthful. The population is abont 800.

THE CHINO RANCH

is located wholly in San Bernardino County, thirty-five miles easterly from Los Angeles city, and about twenty-five miles southwesterly from the city of San Bernardino. It adjoins Ontario and Pomona and is about fifteen miles from Riv- erside. Depots on the Southern Pacific and Atchi- ison, Topeka & Santa Fé railroads are near it, and the Pomona, Elsinore and Southern Pacific rail- road companies have made surveys through its center. It is composed of two Mexican grants, respectively named " Santa Ana del Chino" and " Addition to Santa Ana del Chino," the former containing 22,234 and the latter 13,366 acres. The Chino was granted to Antonio M. Lugo, a Mexican of distinction and an alcalde, March 26, 1841, and was patented by the United States, February 16, 1869; the Addition was granted to Iaaac Williams (Señor Lugo's son-in-law), April 1, 1843, and patented by the United States, April 29, 1869. At that early day these shrewd men selected the Chino lands in preference to hundreds of other rich and vacant tracts, and after carefully inspecting all the other large grants in Southern California with a view to good investment and a permanent home. Mr. Richard Gird, the present owner, bought the " Chino " and the "Addition " in 1881, and has since increased his acreage by the purchase of adjoining land, until at this writing (1889) he is the owner of nearly 47,000 acres, truly a principality in extent. He resides upon the ranch and is improving its former good reputation for blooded horses and cattle-there being now 800 head of finely bred horses and 6,000 cattle on it. The ranch is producing soine of the most valuable thoroughbred trot- ting and draft-horses to be found in Southern

California. Among the cattle, which are Dur- ham and Holstein stock, is a dairy of 200 milch cows. The product of this dairy, butter, ranks among the finest in this State.

The ranch is rich in historical events. There the early emigrants to California by the south- ern route found accommodations to rest and re- croit themselves and animals. Mr. Gird has a large book containing autographic accounts of the tedious and dangerous trip, circumstances ot fights with the Indians, etc. This ranch was the scene of Indian attacks, and of fights be- tween Americans and Mexicans when California was acquired. Many old Mexicans believe mnuch gold treasure was buried upon it, and every year some of them ask permission to dig for it. Passing over many incidents of great interest, it is a widely known fact that during the drouth year of 1864 the Chino was the only ranch that carried all its cattle, and it sustained 5,000 head that memorable season, proving its superiority for water and pasturage. Twenty- three thousand acres have been surveyed into ten-acre tracts, with streets fronting all. All the land is valuable,-no gulches, no rocks, no brush,-in fact, all is ready for the plow. It has a uniform slope of fron twenty to forty feet to the mile, just right for the best drainage without washing. The most experienced culti- vators in the State have testified and practically proven that every ten acres of such land will amply support a family. Many thousands of acres are moist land, not needing irrigation, a fact of the greatest valne, iusuring the largest crops at the least cost; and the great depth of the soil renders fertilizing unnecessary for inany years, if ever. Fully 10,000 acres are specially adapted to the growth of oranges, and 3,000 or more to raisin grapes. Ten thousand acres will grow any fruit or crop without any irrigation, and the vast size of the ranch enables buyers to choose tracts exactly suited to vegetables and alfalfa; to oranges, lemons and limes; to olives, grapes, pears, prunes, plums, peaches, apples and small fruits, and to walnuts and other nuts.

The water supply is abundant and never-

482

HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.

failing; the Chino creek, a tributary of the Santa Ana river, passes through the ranch. The average rise of the land to the mountains on the north is sixty feet to the mile. These mountains carry snow nine months in the year, and have an annual rainfall of from forty to sixty inches -- say an average of forty-five. This mountain catchinent, tributary to Chino valley, about 400 miles in extent, is enough to make a large and rapidly flowing river the whole year, and all of it, except what is absorbed by the in- tervening lands and taken up by evaporation, must find its way underground to Chino valley (for there is no other to receive it), giving the ranch an unfailing supply of pure, soft water, at from six to eighteen feet from the surface, and 100 to 400 for artesian wells. With an average rainfall in the valley of nearly twenty inches, and this vast catchment, both surface and artesian supply is assnred beyond a doubt. For the fifty or more years this ranch has been inhabited, there has never been any lack of water, or of thrifty crops and pasturage. Ar- tesian wells, with large flows, at from 100 to 400 feet, have been bored in different parts of the tract, and more are in progress.

THE TOWN OF CHINO

is eligibly and centrally located on the tract. The lots are large, with broad streets and alleys to all. Suitable blocks are reserved for spacious parks. Pure, soft water is abundantly obtained on all parts of the tract and town site, at from fifteen to thirty-five feet, and artesian water has been piped from lands northeast of Pomona, to a reservoir located north of the town site, and thence distributed through the town under pressure which is sufficient for all desired pur- poses.

RICHARD GIRD is the well-known owner of the Chino ranch, San Bernardino County. The few facts obtained in regard to his life and suc- cessful career form an interesting chapter in this Memorial History. Mr. Gird was born in Herkimer County, New York, in 1836. His father, John Gird, was a native of New Jersey,

a farmer by occupation, and to that calling he reared his son, giving him the benefits of such an education as conld be procured in the com- mon schools. The subject of this sketch was of studious habits and disposition, and made the best of his advantages. He devoted consider- able attention to the study of mechanics and other scientific studies. Of an ambitious dis- position and desirons of a more extended field of operations, he sought the far West, and when less than seventeen years of age, in 1852, he came by steamer to California. Soon after his arrival he went to mining in El Dorado County. After somne months in that caliing he located on the Russian river in Sonoma County, and engaged in farming and stock-raising. In 1858 he embarked for South America, and upon his arrival there was for several months engaged in prospecting for mineral wealth, after which he engaged in railroad building, under the old California pioneer, Harry Meigs.

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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