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 75

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 75
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 75
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 75
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 75

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).

A year spent in South America satisfied him, and after a short visit to his old home in the East, Mr. Gird returned to California. Upon his return he engaged in surveying until 1861. In that year he located in Arizona, and for several years was engaged in prospecting the mining regions in the vicinity of La Paz on the Colorado river, and also engaged as a surveyor. In 1864 Mr. Gird was authorized by the Terri- torial Legislature to make a map of Arizona. This work was successfully accomplished. The map was the first Territorial map ever issued. Its accuracy and reliability was acknowledged by all, and it became the basis npon which were founded the subsequent military and other maps that were issued in 1866. Mr. Gird returned to California and located in San Francisco. There he established himself in manufacturing mining machinery, engines, etc. He was thus employed until 1872, when he again located in Arizona, and was for years engaged in assaying, superintending the construction of mills, fur- naces, and surveying. In 1878 Mr. Gird was prospecting in the now famous Tombstone district. Himself and the Schieffellin brothers

483

HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.

were the original discoverers of that district, and through the exertions of those three men was laid the foundation of one of the richest mining districts in the world. From the very first Mr. Gird was the leading spirit in develop- ing the mineral wealth of that section. He was one of the original incorporators and snper- intendent of the Tombstone Mill and Mining Company. He designed the first mill ever erected in the district, and turned out the first bullion. He was equally prominent in build- ing up the city of Tombstone, and was the first Postmaster appointed, and the first Mayor elected in that city. In 1881 Mr. Gird sold out his interests in Tombstone, came to San Bernardino County, and purchased the Chino ranch, a description of which is included in this volume. Upon his taking possession of his ranch, Mr. Gird began the extensive opera- tions of developing and building up the Chino valley, that has made the Chino ranch and Richard Gird household words in Southern California.

Mr. Gird is a man of broad views, marked ability and sound business principles. His name is synonymous with honesty and straight- forward dealing with all who know him, and his friends are legion. Aside fromn his enter- prises at Chino, he has been connected with other industries and interests in the county. He is one of the original incorporators of the Farmers' Exchange Bank, of San Bernardino, and is vice-president of the same. He is also a director in the San Bernardino National Bank. He is a strong supporter of churches and schools, and his purse is ever open to any call that advance the interests of either. In politi- cal matters he is a stanch Republican, taking a prominent part in the councils of his party. He has for years been a member of the County Central Committee, and was chairman of the same in 1884. In 1888 he was a member of the State Central Comunittee, and in the same year was elected alternate delegate to the Re- publican National Convention. In 1881 he was married to Miss Nelly McCarty.

THE CUCAMONGA VINEYARD

consists of abont 160 acres of vines that for some years have been in full bearing. It con- tained in 1871 some 150,000 vines. A large acreage further was planted in 1882-'83, botlı by the old vineyard company, and by new set- tlers, many of whom are planting the raisin grape. The soil is quite free from alkali. The vineyard, with the buildings and apparatus appertaining thereto, is owned by Los Angeles capitalists. Within a few mouths, in 1883, applications were made to cover all the public lands in the vicinity-some 4,000 acres. The " center " of the settlement, named Cucamonga, is about two miles north of North Cucamonga, which is on the line of the Santa Fe Railway. Here, besides the old winery, are two stores, a postoffice with daily mail, a church, a school house costing $4,000, blacksmith shop, hotel, express office, etc. The legal name of the post- office and the colony is simply " Cucamonga," in contradistinction from that of the settlement with which it is often confounded, North Cuca- monga, founded in 1887, on the California Cen- tral Railway, seventeen miles west of San Ber- nardino. In December, 1887, a violent wind. storm came near destroying this new born town, but it pluckily rallied from that injury. From the trains at this point are taken the mails for Cucamonga (old office), Etiwanda and Grape- lands. Here are post, express and telegraph offices, a fine railway depot, a general store, and a fine block containing the offices of the Cuca- monga Fruit Land Company and the Cucamonga Water Company (which pipes to the town fromn the base of the mountains a good and abundant supply of spring water, under 100 feet pressure) a liotel, livery stable, etc. The company owned some 12,000 acres of arable land, snitable for citrus and deciduous fruits, and grain, part of the tract having been sold.

NORTH ONTARIO

is a new settlement on the California Central Railway, twenty miles from San Bernardino, and forty miles from Los Angeles. Its elevation is

481

HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.

1,200 feet, and it lies five miles from the base of the mountains. This settlement was laid out in April, 1887, on a tract of 200 aeres bordering the east side of Enelid avenne, which was sub- divided into town lots. A street railway ex- tends hence along the famons Enclid avenne to Ontario, two miles to the southward. North Ontario has a postoffice, telegraph and express offices, church, school, hotel, freight and passen- ger depot, lumber yard, etc. It has abundant pure water, and its elimate, free from fog and dampness, is said to be very beneficial to people with pulmonary troubles.

DAGGETT,

a town of considerable importance, is on the Atlantic & Pacific Railway, about twelve miles east of Barstow, and ninety-three miles from San Bernardino, at an elevation of 2,000 feet. It has a fine passenger and freight depot, and postoffice, telegraph, telephone, and express office (doing the express business of Calico), a large railroad eating- house, reduction works, two quartz mills aggregating twenty-five stamps, schools, churches, and several stores of general merchandise, being a supply depot for mining implements and equipments. Daggett has abont 500 population, and it is growing in inhabitants and importance. The town is well supplied with excellent water, piped throughout.

ORO GRANDE,

the legal postoffice name of which is Halleek, is forty-five miles northeast of San Bernardino on the California Southern Railway. The town contains a postoffice with two daily mails, tele- graph, telephone, and express offices, a weekly newspaper and several stores. The water is pure, good, and plentiful. The mining opera- tions at Oro Grande are probably second in im- portance only to Colton. The character of the ore brought to light here seems to justify the eagerness with which capitalists, speculators, and miners are pouring in from all directions. There are extensive lime and marble quarries in the vicinity, but the all-absorbing interest at

present is the recent rich " strikes " in gold and silver. In the surrounding country are many stock ranchos, producing the finest meat that reaches the city market.

THE RINCON

is the name applied to a tract lying on eitlier side of the Santa Ana river, from ten to twenty miles below Riverside. This is one of the best- watered and richest farming sections of Sonthern California. For miles in extent the valley low- land raises yearly immense crops of corn without irrigation, and the semi-moist lands that lie a little higher, extending at the north through the Chino Rancho nearly to Pomona, produce good crops of small grains, as wheat and barley, much of this land also yielding good corn and other crops. In one place a spring supplies soine 250 inches of water, which is used to run the Chino valley grist-mill, being afterward turned to purposes of irrigation. This stream remains the same summer and winter, " the lay of the land " being such that the rains affect it very little, while the summer dronghts do not diminish the water supply. The station and postoffice of Rincon is on the Santa Ana divi- sion of the California Central (Santa Fé) Rail- way, about twelve miles south of Riverside, and four miles from the Los Angeles County line. There are two daily mails here, a telegraph and express office, hotel, two general stores, etc.

RIALTO.

Rialto, a settlement and town about two years old, is four miles west of San Bernardino, on the California Central Railway. It is at an elevation of 1,200 feet, on a gradual slope from the mountains eight miles to the northward. Rialto has quite a number of business houses, a new hotel of forty-five rooms, telegraph, ex- press and postoffice, school-houses and churches under construction, and a weekly newspaper, the Orange Grower. The plans have been ap proved for a branch school building of the University of Southern California, to be erected here. The water supply is excellent, being taken

485

HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.

from the headwaters of Lytle creek, a mountain stream of perpetual flow. The Semi-Tropic Land and Water Company has here abont 30,- 000 acres of land, suitable for almost every variety of fruit culture.

SOUTH CUCAMONGA

is so ealled in contradistinction from Cuea- monga (the old office) and North Cneamonga, on the California Central Railway. The town- site is named South Cneamonga, but the legal name of the postoffice is Zucker. It is forty- two miles east of Los Angeles, sixteen miles west of Colton, and two miles south of North Cucamonga. There is here a postoffice, a tele- graph and an express office, a hotel, a livery stable, etc., besides a large passenger and freight depot, where the Southern Pacific does consid- erable business derived from the surrounding very fertile agricultural section.

TEMESCAL

is a mining town and postoffice in the Temescal mountains. It is reached by a wagon road throngh the cañon. The nearest railway, tele- graph and express offices are at South Riverside. Temescal is about thirty miles south of the county seat. Near by are the famons Temescal tin mines, also coal mines of good grade and abundant yield.

ULMER

is situated on the California Southern Railway, seventy miles from San Bernardino and fifteen miles from Barstow. It is a new settlement, and a recently established postoffice. The resi- dents of the vicinity make stoek raising their principal industry.

VICTOR

is about forty miles northeast of the county seat, on the California Southern Railway. It is situated in a beautiful valley near the Mohave river, which affords a fine supply of good water. The scenery hereabouts is charming. About 300 is the population of the little town, which contains a postoffice with two daily mails, tele- graph and express offices, a church., a school-

house, two general merchandise stores, black- smith shop, etc. Vietor is famous for its fine marble and granite quarries, which, if properly developed, would prove a sonrce of wealth to the community.

THE NEEDLES,

so called from the peculiar shape of rocks in the neighborhood, is a town of some 150 popnla- tion, on the banks of the Colorado river, at the end of the division of railway from the Mohave and Los Angeles. The town has a postoffice, telegraph and express office, a Roman Catholic church, a hotel, several stores of general merehan- dise, saloons, etc. The climate here is beneficial for consumptives, the air being dry, without fog or dew. The heats of summer are excessive. The Mohave Indians dwell hereabonts.

HESPERIA

is a small town in the Hesperia valley, on the main line of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fé Railway, about twenty-five miles north of the county seat, at an elevation of 2,500 feet. The San Bernardino mountains on the south and the Hesperia mountains on the north, enclose the valley, and the climate is delightful and unri- valed for pulmonary, bronchial, and nasal dis- orders.

HARLEM SPRINGS

are five miles northeast of San Bernardino, on the Base Line road. This resort, to which be- longs a tract of twenty acres, is owned by a syndicate of San Bernardino capitalists, with whom certain parties are negotiating for its purchase, for the establishment of a great sani- tarium. The elevation is 290 feet, with a grad- ual slope sonthward. Within eighteen inehes of each other are found springs almost icy cold, and boiling hot. The postoffice name is Messina.

PROVIDENCE

is a mining camp and postoffice, with tri-weekly mail, about sixteen miles northwest of Fenner station, and 150 miles from San Bernardino, on the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad. Since their discovery, eight years since, the mines here

HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.

486

have yielded large amounts of paying silver ore. The "Bonanza King" mine has yielded an average of $60,000 per month since it was opened.

NANTAN

is a mining camp and postoffice, with weekly mail, sixty miles north of Fenner. There are fine mines here, producing large quantities of paying ore.

IVANPAH,

the oldest inining camp in the county, is about 200 miles northeast of San Bernardino, and seventy miles north of Fenner station, receiving a weekly mail. From this district proceeded some of the richest ore ever mined in the county. Two mills are operated in the district, and they have shipped large quantities of bullion.

GRAPELAND

is a recently established postoffice, at about the center of the old Perdew precinct, five miles east of Etiwanda, in the grape region, near the base of the mountains.

EL CASCO

is a postal station recently established on the Southern Pacific Railroad, in the San Gorgonio pass, some thirteen miles east of Colton. This is in the midst of a rich agricultural section famous for its dairy interests, known as the Yucaipa or San Timoteo district.

SAN TIMOTEO CANON

is a valley ten or fifteen miles long, in some places narrowing to half a mile in width, in others opening out into wide bays occupied by farms and ranchos. At the head of the cañon it widens till it terminates in the plain. From San Bernardino to the head of the cañon it is abont twenty miles. This valley contains many beautiful trees and shrubs. Within its limits is an Indian rancheria whose lands are well fenced and cultivated.

SAN GORGONIO PASS

is not a narrow pass, but a great plain ten to fifteen miles wide-a wide, flat tract, bounded on either side by a lofty range, the great San Gorgonio mountain being on the south. On one side is a low range of sandhills, and be- yond this, a sandy waste, desolate and destitnte of vegetation, called the Whitewater valley.

DEATH VALLEY,

so named from the great number of travelers said to have perished within its limits, is esti- mated to be 300 feet below the sea level. Nat- urally it should be an inland sea or lake, as it receives the drainage from more than 100 miles square; but, owing to the peculiar structure of its basin, the water seeps away, leaving an al- kali sink. The temperature here is excessively high and close.

HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.

487

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. .

UDGE J. W. NORTH, the founder of the Riverside Colony, was one of the most prominent of members of the Southern California Colony Association. He was president of the association from its incorpora- tion in 1870 until 1875, when the lands, water, etc., of the colony were sold to the Riverside Land and Irrigating Company.

The Judge was a real pioneer, and was one of the first to establish his residence upon the then barren plains of the valley; as president and superintendent he surveyed the lands, laid ont the city, projected and built the unsurpassed irrigation system. He built better than he realized; the selection of the lands of the colony, the untiring energy and sound business principles displayed in its management, resulted in a success hardly dreamed of by its most sanguine supporters .. In any truthful history of this most successful colony association of the Pacific coast, the name of Judge North inust ever stand pre-eminent.

Judge North was born in Sand Lake, Rens- selaer County, New York, Jannary 4, 1815; was educated at the Wesleyan University at Middletown, Connecticut, graduating in 1841 with high honor. In his young manhood, and before entering the university, Judge North ardently espoused and advocated the anti-slavery or abolition doctrine, which were contrary to the sentiments of his parents and his church. While in college his earnest advocacy of the

doctrines attracted the attention of the leaders of the Connecticut State Anti-Slavery Society, and after his graduation he was employed by them for more than two years as a lecturer in that State. In 1843 he abandoned the lecture field and located in New York city, and there entered upon law studies in the office of John Jay, and later continued his studies in the office of Benedict & Boardman. Failing health com- pelled a suspension of his study, and he joined his father, who had established his residence in Preble, Cortland County, New York, and upon recovering his health entered the law office of Forbes & Sheldon, of Syracuse. Completing his studies he was adınitted to the bar of the Supreme Court of the State, and there formed a partnership with Hon. Israel S. Spencer of that city. Judge North conducted a successful practice of his profession in Syracuse until 1849; his health then failing, he moved to Minnesota and located at the village of St. Anthony (now the city of Minneapolis), estab- lishing himself as an attorney at law, and from the very first took a leading and prominent part in the political and legislative affairs of the Territory. In 1850 he was elected to the Terri- torial Legislature, and during the session intro- duced and successfully managed the bill founding the Minnesota University. Six years afterward he located at Faribault, that State, purchasing an interest in the town site and conducting the business affairs of the projectors and proprietors

488

HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.

of the city. At length he sold ont his interests there and established the town of Northfield, building at that place saw and flonr mills, dwelling-house, etc. In 1857 he was elected a member of the Constitutional Convention that framed the constitution of Minnesota. He was the acknowledged leader of the Republicans and took a prominent part in the convention. Judge North was ever one of the leaders in public improvements and building np his section. In 1858 he was elected president of the Minneapolis & Cedar Valley Railroad Company, a company of which he was one of the original incorporators; twenty miles of the road was graded and put in operation that year under his able managenient. In 1860 lie was chosen chairman of the Minnesota delegation to the Republican National Convention at Chicago that nominated Abraham Lincoln for President, and was a member of the committee that con- veyed to Mr. Lincoln the notice of his nomina- tion. He became personally acquainted with Mr. Lincoln and also Vice-President Hamlin, and was present at their inauguration in 1861. May 11, 1861, President Lincoln appointed Judge North United States Surveyor General of the Territory of Nevada. He held that office until it was discontinued, and the business merged with that of the Surveyor General's office at San Francisco. He then formed a law partnership with James F. Lewis (afterward Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nevada) and conducted a very successful practice until appointed by President Lincoln Judge of one of the Territorial districts and the Supreme Court of Nevada. His Territorial district embraced Virginia City, where all the richest and most valuable mines were in litigation. The Judge held his judicial position until the organization of the Nevada State Government, retiring from office upon the establishment of the Nevada State courts. During his term on the bench he was elected a member of the first Constitutional Convention of Nevada, and upon the organization of the convention was elected as its president, and presided over its deliberations.

In the autumn of 1865 Judge North closed his business in Nevada and returned East, and the next year (1866) settled in Knoxville, Ten- nessee, where he engaged in the iron business, establishing foundries, machine shops, etc. He remained there until the spring of 1870, laboring under many disadvantages in conduct- ing his business, for men of his prominent views were not popular in the South. Finally he conceived the idea of establishing a model colony in Southern California, and in March of that year issued his first circular from Knox- ville, and in that spring he sold off his property and came to California. After spending months in examining the different localities, and meet- ing obstacles that would have daunted alınost any other mnan, he finally selected the lands of the present Riverside colony and city. Hon. C. N. Felton, of San Francisco, furnished a large proportion of the money with which to purchase these lands and start the enterprise, and was for years its main financial backer; but the Judge was the sonl, the life, the brains that established the enterprise on a footing and foundation that has led to ultimate success. Judge North remained as president and general superintendent of the association until 1875, and then established himself in the practice of his legal profession in Riverside, San Bernard- ino and San Francisco. He subsequently acquired property interests in Fresno, and became a resident of that place. In early life and young manhood he was deeply religious and an earnest supporter of the Methodist Church, in which his father was a minister. Doubting the infallibility, as a moral teacher, of the church which supported human slavery in America, he left it; and, always having been a deep thinker on religious and ethical subjects, he found that he disagreed more and more with the beliefs of the Orthodox Christians, until he has finally come to think the agnosticism of Spencer and Tyndall as the more reasonable ground.

Judge North was twice married. He first inarried, in 1845, Miss Emma Bacon, daughter

ponorth

489

HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.

of Nathaniel Bacon, of Middletown, Connecti- ent. She died in 1847, leaving no children. His second marriage was in, 1848, when he wedded Miss Ann H. Loomis, daughter of Dr. Geo. S. Loomis, of DeWitt, Onondaga County, New York. By this marriage there are six children living, namely: Emma B., George L., John G .. Charles L., Edward and Mary. Judge Nortlı died February 22, 1890, at. Fresno. In accord- ance with his wish his remains were cremated at Los Angeles.

OHN G. NORTH is one of Redlands' mnost prominent and well known citizens. From a lad of fifteen he grew up with Riverside, and the years of his youth and young manhood were spent with his father, Judge North, whose sketch precedes this, establishing, building up and perfecting the system he has long so ably managed.

Mr. North was born at St. Anthony's Falls (now Minneapolis) Minnesota, September 16, 1855. The first six years of Mr. North's life were spent in his native State, and the following year in central New York. He then joined his father, who had prece led the family to Nevada in 1861. His years on the Pacific coast were spent in school in Nevada and at the University of the Pacific in Santa Clara. The family returned East in 1865, and in 1866 located in Knoxville, Tennessee, where the subject of this sketch con- tinned his studies. In 1870, upon the found- ing of the Riverside colony, he joined his father in Riverside, and for the next four years was the assistant secretary of the colony association, and in 1872, a telegraph operator for the West- ern Union Telegraph Company, in Riverside. Even at that age Mr. North displayed those marked business talents, which have since be- come such well-known characteristics. In 1874 he was offered a position in the United States sub-treasury in San Francisco. His acceptance took him to that city. After two years' employ 31

in the Sub-Treasury and mint he entered into mercantile life in San Francisco as cashier and manager in a leading business house. It was not until 1881 that he returned to Riverside with his family. In that year he located on his twenty-acre tract ou Cypress avenue and Nortlı street, and devoted himself to horticultural pur- suits. He did not confine himself to orange- growing entirely, but was called upon to aid in Riverside enterprises. He was one of the incorporators of the Citizens' Water Company, and a director of the same, and also an incor- porator and director of the Riverside Water Company, and from Angust 11, 1885, to June, 1887, was the superintendent of the company. He then resigned the position and accepted the position of land agent for Richard Gird's Chino Ranch, and spent some mouths at Pomona. IIe returned to Riverside in September, 1887, and in March, 1888, was elected president of the Riverside Water Company. He is a successful horticulturist, and his orange groves rank among the finest in the colony. He has also been en- gaged in real-estate dealing in Riverside and other places; was president of the Riverside Improvement Company, but in April, 1890, he became general manager of the Bear Valley Land and Water Company. He now resides in Redlands. Mr. North is a young man of un- bounded energy and sound business talents, prompt in action, and straightforward in deal- ings. well meriting the confidence reposed in him by the community of Riverside. He is a Republican, and takes a leading and working part in the affairs of the party. Has been a delegate in the county conventions since 1881, and in 1886 and 1888 was a delegate in the State conventions. He is not an office-seeker, but is an earnest advocate and worker in secni- ing the best men to fill the offices. He is a member of Masonic Blue Lodge, Chapter and Commandery, of Riverside, and also of Sunny- side Lodge, No. 112. Knights of Pythias.

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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