USA > California > Riverside County > History of San Bernardino and Riverside counties, Volume I > Part 29
USA > California > San Bernardino County > History of San Bernardino and Riverside counties, Volume I > Part 29
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John C. Ralphs was marshal of the day, getting all the guests to and from the pavilion in noticeably good order. Mrs. Thomas Hadden was general chairman, with over 150 willing workers. Mrs. R. C. Har- bison, chairman of decoration ; Mrs. E. D. Roberts, reception, and Mrs. J. William Smith, refreshments; Mr. Al. France, chairman on table supplies. This splendid affair goes down in San Bernardino history as truly worth while.
ELECTRIC SERVICE TO RIVERSIDE. The beginning of the Pacific electric service between San Bernardino and Riverside-connecting the two counties by trolley-was duly celebrated on December 13, 1913, on the county line, near Highgrove. A long string of small white boulders had been laid along the center of the highway to mark the boundary line.
Here an immense table had been constructed in the form of a triangle, one wing of the triangle in Riverside County, the other in San Bernardino County, the base of the triangle extending to and across the boundary. A delegation, headed by President Parker of the Chamber of Commerce, as toastmaster, occupied the table on the San Bernardino side. The Riverside delegation, with Francis Cuttle as toastmaster, occupied the Riverside County side of the table. The Pacific electric officials sat where the two counties met. The banquet was served by the ladies of the Methodist Church at Highgrove.
Those who spoke on the San Bernardino County side were: J. B. Gill, city councilman ; C. W. Boswell, county supervisor ; Samuel Pine, and John Brown, Jr. For Riverside, were: Mayor Peters, County Super- visor Carleton and Frank Miller ; those of the Pacific Electric Company who responded were: President Paul Shoup, Engineer Pillsbury, Super- intendent Annable.
Thus the two counties celebrated the first day's "through trolley service" between the two county seats of the two counties. Just before the dinner, two lines were formed, the men from Riverside in one and the men from San Bernardino in another, and marched on either side of the row of white rocks, joining hands across the boundary county line, then the Pacific men marched between them, taking the hand of River- side with one hand and San Bernardino with the other, singing "Blest Be the Tie That Binds," and thus was wiped out all old grudges about county division.
MAY DAY in the early times was always celebrated with a great com- munity picnic. The first celebration occurred May 1, 1856, with Lois Pratt as queen, and was held at Tippecanoe, on the east side of town. All other picnics took place at Fabun's, Garner's and Jackson's groves, grounds now covered by the Santa Fe round houses. In 1858 Miss Laura Brown was crowned queen by a beautiful young girl by the name of Helen Vice.
These yearly events were hailed with delight, and heralded with joy and gladness, not only by the children, for whom it was planned, but by the grownups, as well. It was a day when the whole country "came to town," and there were flowers everywhere-flowers and wreaths and music. Joseph Hancock-now in his 99th year-was always there with his fife, and R. T. Roberts and M. W. Vale with their violins. There were maids of honor, flower girls with their pantalettes, full skirts, short sleeves, low necks and curls-girls had to have curls in those days. On May Day, 1870, the first steam whistle was heard-it was introduced into a lumber sawmill. That helped in the program-it was one of the "knocks" of progress on its arrival in town.
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When the schools gave up the custom the Pioneer Society took up the celebration, electing their queens-queens who in the years past had been flower girls. Among those who were schoolgirl queens are: Lois Pratt, Laura Brown, Hannah Huston, Cynthia Lunceford, Isabelle Rable, Deborah Woodworth, Susan Boren, Adaline Davidson, Eunice Whaley, Maggie Kier, Bettie Aldridge, Martha McCreary, Manette Parish, Bertha Johnson, Lucina Hancock, Sylvia Brown, Ella Grimes, May Manning, Myra Daley, Susan Clark and Beulah Kendall.
These May Day celebrations, fifty and more years ago, were the picture shows, automobile rides, bridge parties of "the yesterday." In later years the pioneers adopted the custom of crowning as May queens al! those over seventy years of age as a marked tribute of admiration before they passed on to their heavenly home. Among those beloved
LOG CABIN, LUGO PARK, SAN BERNARDINO
numbers were mothers Crafts, Daley, Kelting, Glenn, Bottoms, Kissee, Crandall, Alexander, Hunter, Roberts, Rathbun, Mayfield, Case, Cox, Wood, Carter.
AN HISTORICAL DOCUMENT. A document of great historical value to this city and valley in possession of John Andreson, Jr., in the shape of the deed to the Rancho San Bernardino, as confirmed by the Board of United States Land Commissioners in 1853, transferring the title of thou- sands of acres of the finest land in this valley and a portion of Yucaipa, from Amasa Lyman, Charles C. Rich and Ebenezer Hanks and his wife Jane, to William A. Conn. George L. Tucker and Richard G. Allen, in 1858.
The deed is accompanied by two maps, one of the Rancho San Ber- nardino and the other of the original city of San Bernardino and laid out under the Lyman, Rich and Hanks ownership. The latter plat shows the square bounded by Fifth, Sixth, E and F streets as being a site for the Catholic church, with the sketch of a church in the center. Later the north five acres of this square was deeded to the city for park pur- poses, by the presiding bishop of the Catholic church.
The most interesting documents were found by Mr. Andreson among the papers of the Steinbreuner estate, of which he is administrator. These
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documents will find place in the museum of the new Municipal Audi- torium.
It is interesting to note that the many thousands of acres included in this rancho and city of San Bernardino brought the sum of $18,000. The consideration is interesting in view of present-day values. The deed was received for record on February 15, 1858, by A. J. King, deputy to County Recorder E. K. Dunlap. The fourteen pages of the document are held together by silk ribbon of old rose color. The deed is carefully written on robin-egg blue foolscap paper, having been penned by D. W. Davis, who was one of the first school teachers to whom John Brown, Jr., and many others of that period went to school. Davis was a splendid penman and the deed is a work of art. Marcus Katz, father of M. D. and E. E. Katz, was the notary before whom the acknowledgements were taken.
Lyman, Rich and Hanks who sold the rancho, through this deed to Messrs. Conn, Tucker and Allen, were the purchasers of the land from the Lugos in 1852, at the time of the establishment of the Mormon Colony in the valley.
OLD DOCUMENTS AND ITEMS. Once in a while some curious docu- ments are discovered in the archives of the county, where they have been allowed to moulder and turn yellow from age. Among the most interest- ing was one unearthed on December 17, 1904.
It is an old auditor's warrant and a grand jury call. The warrant was issued in September, 1862, and directed the country treasurer, Hardin Yager, to pay the sum of $51.50 to F. C. Mckinney for his month's service as clerk of the Board of Supervisors. Those were close times for the county, and money did not bulge from the vaults, and probably for this reason Mr. Mckinney had to wait nine years for his pay-that is the date of payment.
The other paper is a call for jury duty and a return for the same, dated June 25, 1861. There were no blanks in those days. The judge presiding over the county court, called at that time "Court of Sessions," was A. D. Boren, and it is his signature that is attached to the call. The nineteen good men and true, who composed the jury that year-1861- were as follows: Charles Glaolt, Henry Garner, E. Snider, H. Hareman, John T. Case, William M. Bateford, J. S. Waite, John Brown, A. V. Parker, G. Ayers, John Little, Newton Case, Harry Green, H. B. Benson, Robert Baldwin. These men constituted San Bernardino County's second grand jury, summoned by Anson Van Leuvan, sheriff.
The two acres on the southwest corner of Seventh and F streets has an interesting history. In the winter of '53 and '54, it was bought by a Southern man by the name of Bretton, who paid $250 for the quarter of a block (two acres). Thereon he built a three-room house with some of the first lumber brought from the mountains. There were three deaths in the house, one was that of Mr. Rollins, the first school teacher, who died May 2, 1864. He was called the "righteous man." Finally the property passed into the possession of the Aldridge family. The house was sold for $1,800, the lumber being so good the purchaser realized $100 on the deal. Late in 1902, part of the land was sold to Richard McIndry for $2,000. At the time the first house was built, lumber from the mountains was worth $70 per 1,000 feet.
An interesting letter has been handed in in regard to beginnings of printing of an early date.
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Office of Guardian Corner Fourth and Utah (E) Streets
San Bernardino, November 16, 1875.
Mr. A. Hunt,
Dear Sir: I have had very flattering offers to establish a branch office of the Guardian in Riverside. To do so, all that will be needed will be to move the little printing press, which is useless here, to Riverside. Of course your mortgage remains on it anywhere in the country. Besides the printers, whom I send there, hereby attest the same.
Of course I would not move in the matter without informing you, although even if I had, your mortgage covered the little press in River- side, as well as here.
Very truly, ARTHUR KEARNEY.
From the San Bernardino Sun, May 17, 1914: Next Wednesday completes 104 years since the first Franciscans, gazing on the sky line that guards the valley, celebrated mass on the hills of Politana. The exact spot of that service, as the sun sank behind what we know as Cucamonga Peak, is now marked by a mission bell, on the knoll, southwest of Urbita. If we do nothing more, might not the city declare it a holiday at sunset a week hence, and with some ceremony repair to the spot where 104 years before the first word of Christian prayer rose from lips of that first Franciscan.
AN OLD VINEYARD. Mission grapes grown on the old vineyard, just west of Cucamonga, brought a very high price, probably the highest in the county. Five carloads at $152.50 a ton and three carloads at $160 per ton, when sold in October. This old vineyard was set out by the Spaniards in 1829, according to H. H. Thomas, the owner, who has been tracing its history.
One of the most delightful reunions was held on March 1, 1906, at the home of Mrs. Samuel Rolph, on E Street, where a number of life- long friends and schoolmates met for the afternoon. They were all babies together, and have seen San Bernardino's gradual growth from its very commencement. Those present were: Mrs. Aurelia Stoddard Sleppy, Mrs. Hattie Stoddard Merritt, Mrs. Louisa Brown Waters, Mrs. Nettie Daley Bright, Mrs. Eunice Whaley Chenall, Mrs. Margaret Keir Corcoran, Mrs. Florence Woodman Rolph. The only member of the unique group absent was Mrs. Laura McDonald Haile.
January 4, 5, 6, 7, 1913, were the cold days that went down in history as the coldest on record. Fear lay hold of orange growers' hearts as to the outcome, with a more or less general business depression prevailing among all classes of industry for the time.
On July 16, 1904, the carpenters in making an addition to the school- house on Mount Vernon and Seventh, had to open the cornerstone and found papers and other records placed there in 1886 in good condition. The box contained the San Bernardino, Riverside and Colton papers, and a copy of the Calico Hour, a paper published at Daggett. But the most interesting was a list of the teachers from the time the school was opened in 1855 to 1886, which is as follows: 1855, John P. Lee; 1856, E. Burras; 1857, E. W. Pugh; 1859, A. Newman; 1861, D. W. Davis ; 1863, Joseph Skidmore ; 1864, Henry Green ; 1865, Harriett Fuller ; 1866, Thomas J. Ellis ; 1867, W. S. Ragsdale ; 1868, J. H. Wagner ; 1870, Henry Goodcell; 1871, Edith Martin; 1874, Mary Shoup; 1878, Henry C.
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Brook; 1881, R. H. Curtis; 1882, Maggie M. Mosean; 1886, Elida M. Wagner.
Sunday morning, January 8, 1911, San Bernardino saw its first airship. Out of the west it came and skimmed gracefully over the southern part of the town in the direction of Association Park. Five long blasts of the big siren of the San Bernardino Gas & Electric Company became an ally in record breaking aviation enterprise to tell the news of its near approach. Manager Merrihew, of the Valley Traction Company, notified C. M. Grow, of the gas company, when the ship left Pomona, and instantly the big siren filled the city and valley with its thrilling notes. The fact that this was the first time in the world's history that the airship had made a commercial venture gave the undertaking an historic impor- tance, and put San Bernardino on the world-map of aviation. Its cargo was a package of Los Angeles Times. A Frenchman, by the name of Masson, was the aviator and the actual flying time was one hour and twenty minutes. He was welcomed by Mayor S. W. McNabb in behalf of the city, and by W. W. Brison for the Chamber of Commerce, and J. Harold Barnum on behalf of the Merchant's Association. It was the first aerial newspaper undertaking. The airship carried a letter from Frank Wiggins, of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, to W. W. Brison, president of the San Bernardino Chamber of Commerce, which read: "The Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce sends greetings to your organization through the first aeroplane route."
CHAPTER XVI REDLANDS
That truth is stranger than fiction has been demonstrated too many times to make the fact necessary of repetition, yet such a thought comes to mind when the historian considers the wonderful growth and devel- opment of Redlands. The history of this community, which is one of substantial fact, in some cases reads like the work of a highly imagina- tive mind.
Along the foothills of the southern rise of the San Bernardino Range, sheltered by the mountains from the north winds of the passes and the heat of the desert, high enough to escape damaging frosts and beyond the reach of the fogs that roll inland from the coast, there lay in 1881 a stretch of bare, reddish mesa and upland. In 1880 Frank E. Brown and E. G. Judson, already somewhat familiar with the possibilities of the East San Bernardino Valley, had become impressed with the advantages of this particular area, if water could be secured. It had been neglected because there was a well-established idea that it was situated too high to be reached by water from the Santa Ana, while the Mill Creek waters, otherwise available, were being utilized to the last drop. Messrs. Brown and Judson, however, determined to test their theory that water could be put upon this ground, Mr. Judson taking a Government claim and the two together purchasing tracts from the Southern Pacific and from individual parties who owned land here. After they had secured some 4,000 acres, they planned to establish a settlement, choosing the name of Redlands because, as pointed out by Mr. Judson, the name was suggestive of the character of the soil. Following this, they began the organization of the Redlands Water Company, with a capital of $1,500,000, which was incorporated October 27, 1881. This company purchased fifty shares of stock from the South Fork ditch owners and at once began work upon a canal six miles in length to carry water from the opening of the Santa Ana Canon to a small reservoir at the mouth of the Yucaipe Valley, and on a tunnel into the bed of the Santa Ana River to secure additional water. The land was divided into tracts of two and one-half, five and ten acres, with water rights ; wide avenues and cross streets were laid off, with shade trees planted along the thoroughfares, and a town site, with a plaza, was laid out in the center of the tract. Residence Tract, along the southern border, was divided into lots, the sale of which began in December, 1881, and the first deeds being made on the 6th to C. A. Smith and J. G. Cockshutt. The first contract was made December 17th, with R. B. Morton and F. F. Kious, Mr. Morton having already moved onto his property as the first resident of the new settlement.
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The first habitation within the present city limits was the hut of a sheep herder. In 1877 Orson Van Leuven moved a small house to a claim which he had located on the south side of the zanja and placed it at a point which later became West Olive Street. The first house built in the new colony was that of J. G. Cockshutt, located on the south side of Palm Avenue, near Cajon Street. The first deciduous orchard was set on what was later known as the L. Jacobs place, on Olive and Fern avenues, east of Cajon Street, while the first orange orchards were set out by E. J. Waite, one on the Sinclair property on the northeast corner of Cypress and Reservoir streets and one on Center Street and North Place.
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In April, 1882, Simeon Cook opened a boarding house in a building owned by Messrs. Judson and Brown, but this house, on the Heights, was later remodeled. and November 26th was opened by Mrs. E. B. Seymour, as the Prospect House, the first hotel in this part of the valley. to which it was necessary to haul water. In the same year the Redlands Telegraph & Telephone Company, a private corporation, had been com- pleted and service was established in the residence of F. E. Brown, the first plastered building of the community, located on the south side of West Cypress Avenue, near Center Street, which was completed in June.
While their capital had been small, Messrs. Judson and Brown had planned wisely and well, and had successfully carried out the settlement of Redlands and provided sufficient water for the early needs. It imme- diately became evident, however, that owing to the rapidity with which the land was taken and the large acreage being put to fruit, the water supply must be increased immediately, and in 1883 Mr. Brown became the prime mover in the construction of the Bear Valley dam and reservoir, annotated in another chapter of this work. In the fall of 1884 the dam was completed and in 1885 the water was first used for irrigation, Red- lands thus becoming assured of an abundant water supply.
The Redlands school district was set off from Crafton and Lugonia February 5, 1884, and A. G. Saunders, Philo R. Brown and Orson Van Leuven were named as trustees. The school was opened May 14, in the Cockshutt House, and Miss Rosa Belle Robbins (later Mrs. Canter- bury) was the first teacher, her class being composed of fourteen pupils. The people were not satisfied with the school arrangements, however, and March 21, 1885, $1,000 bonds were voted for the erection of a school building. A lot at Cypress and Cajon streets was purchased and a school building was put up, but this was soon found inadequate, and Septemher 18, 1887, $15,000 was voted for another building, the front portion of the Kingsbury School, which was ready for occupancy in the fall of 1888.
The first business building of Redlands was built in July, 1885, a brick structure put up by Robert Chestnut, a brick manufacturer, for the use of Tipton & Carter as a butcher shop, being first occupied July 28th. The brick used was made on Burns' ranch, at Crafton. It was razed in 1898.
At this time, an important contributing factor to the growth of Red- lands was the location of what was known as the Chicago Colony, in the eastern part of the community. In February, 1886, the Chicago- California Colonization Company was formed at Chicago, and after investigating various settlements throughout Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Ventura and Tulare counties, the committee appointed by this company reported favorably on Redlands, where the company purchased what was known as the Somers tract upon which water was then being piped from Bear Valley Reservoir. The Illinoisans thus brought to Redlands proved a most valuable acquisition to the population and at once took an active part in the life of the community.
The rail rate war and the subsequent boom served to increase Red- land's population in 1886 and the new community decided that it must have a railway. Accordingly negotiations were opened with the Cali- fornia Southern road, which demanded, before making a move, that a clear right of way be provided between San Bernardino and Redlands. Unprecedented public spirit served to meet the railway's demands and the right of way was secured in 1887, but the company did not start its line immediately and it was not completed to Redlands until Feb- ruary, 1888. In the meantime, the Southern Pacific had put in a siding at Brookside, about three miles from the business part of the settlement.
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In January, 1887, the Redlands, Lugonia & Crafton Domestic Water Company was formed with a capital stock of $125,000, and at once began preparations to deliver water for domestic purposes.
THE TOWN OF REDLANDS. On March 10, 1887, the plat of the Town of Redlands was filed and within a short time after the first auction of lots, March 30, 200 had been disposed of at $200 each and 200 more at $250 each. Realizing the value of newspaper publicity, one of the first steps of the promoters of the town had been the formation of a news- paper publishing company. The first issue of the Citrograph, the publi- cation of this company, edited by Scipio Craig, appeared July 16, 1887, and in this issue is found the following: "Today, three months after the town-site was a bare plain just as nature made it, there are two- story brick buildings erected and in course of construction as follows: The Union Bank of Redlands, northeast corner State and Orange; the R. J. Waters Building, northwest corner State and Orange; the Shepherd Building, southeast corner State and Orange; the J. F. Drake Building ; the Shepherd Building on State Street; the Solner & Darling Build- ing, corner State and Fifth ; the J. F. Welch Building, on State Street, west of Orange; the Y. M. C. A. Building, on State Street, east of Orange; the Citrograph Building, southwest corner State and Fifth; and the Stimmel & Lissenden Building, on State Street. west of Orange. This is what has been done in three months. It sounds like a page from Arabian Nights' entertainment, but it is not anything very strange in South California. The rush to this favored clime is something unprecedented and from all that can be learned, the rush will be quad- rupled this fall. This is no ephemeral boom, but simply a hegira of cyclone-stricken, frost-bitten denizens of the East who desire to spend the remainder of their days in peace, prosperity and quietude. They can get here what the balance of the world cannot offer: an incomparable climate, the purest of water, good society and schools, and all the elements of civilization, beside nothing ephemeral about our growth but a solid sub-stratum of producing prosperity. And it will be years before there will be any change except from good to better and from better to best. There have also been a number of frame buildings erected, not in, but adjoining the main business portion of the town. There is now in the hands of the architects and to be erected as soon as the material can be gotten together a three-story hotel on State Street, west of Orange, and we hear of several other business blocks soon to be erected."
In December, the Citrograph states further: "There are five res- taurants in the town-all doing a rushing business. Doctor Sloan is putting up a $20,000 hotel. * *
* The Masons have made plans for a handsome Masonic Hall. They have already bought the land and will rush their plans on to completion. In the residence portion of the town. seven new dwellings were completed last week and there are a number of others just completed. There are now two brickyards running to their fullest capacity to keep up with the demand."
The foregoing will give some idea of how the town was growing, a growth that led in 1887 to the discussion of the question of incorpora- tion, for which many good reasons were urged, the question probably being precipitated by the discovery of scale in one orange grove. It was pro- posed that Redlands, Lugonia, Brookside and a part, at least, of Crafton should unite and form a city of the first class, but for a time it seemed that the proposition would fall through because of the seemingly incon- sequential argument over the choice of a name. However, January 18, 1888, the first incorporation meeting was held and a committee of nine
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II. NTERING REDLANDS. Graceful Palms give charm to the Roadways.
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