USA > California > San Bernardino County > Ingersoll's century annals of San Bernadino County, 1769-1904 : prefaced with a brief history of the state of California : supplemented with an encyclopedia of local biography and portraits of many of its representative people > Part 17
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There is no record of any attack having ever been made on this fort. and it really seems rather a pity that this, the most elaborate fortification ever attempted in Southern California, should never have been called into use. It doubtless served its purpose, however, for the Indians seeing the elaborate preparation for protection, made no attempt to raid the valley.
SETTLEMENT.
The colonists lived in the Fort for a year or more. As they felt that the danger from the Indians was past, they began to make improvements on their own holdings, and also to make community improvements for the benefit of the entire colony. Gradually the Fort was taken down and the logs used for other purposes.
Bishop Tenney located in the old Mission buildings and several other families settled in that vicinity. These constructed the Tenney irrigation ditch, and also utilized the water of Mill Creek zanja. Fifty-two one-acre tracts were laid off in 1854, on the north side of Lytle Creek and an irri- gation ditch constructed to water these, which were cultivated as gardens by the Mormons from the town. Other irrigation ditches were made by
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the Mormons, and the foundation of later water systems was laid during these years.
The able-bodied men of the colony, under the direction of Captain Hunt, built a road up West Twin Creek Canon, now known as Waterman Cañon, to reach the timber in the mountains. This road was sixteen miles long, and so well built that it was used for many years for hauling logs and timber down the mountains. Within a few months after the com- pletion of the highway, three sawmills were built. These supplied lumber for the houses of the Mormons, and also furnished a supply for Los Angeles and other points.
GRIST MILL BUILT BY MORMONS IN 1852
In 1852 a large flour mill was built on the site where >electric power house now stands. Lieut. W. P. Blake, who made an exhaustive report to the government upon his explorations and surveys for a Pacific railway route, thus describes the settlement of San Bernardino in November, 1852. "The city consists of a square surrounded by log houses and stout pickets. They are, however, erecting neat adobe buildings in all parts of the valley. and bringing it under cultivation. Messrs. Lyman and Rich, the prominent men of the settlement, have erected a convenient store and postoffice in the center of the square, and we were enabled to procure a fresh stock of provisions, flour, fish, butter, etc. A large flour mill, 25 by 40 feet, with two sets of burr stones and a race way one mile in length, had just been completed : a store house of adobe, 30 by 70, was nearly full of sacks of grain waiting to be ground. A large quantity of good flour is made here and sent to Los Angeles, or to San Pedro for shipment."
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SEGREGATION OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY FROM LOS ANGELES COUNTY. ACT OF APRIL 26, 1853.
When the Mormon colonists purchased the San Bernardino ranch prop- erty in 1851, this section of the state was a portion of Los Angeles County, its boundaries extending eastward to the Colorado River, with the county seat at Los Angeles, sixty miles distant from San Bernardino.
In 1853, Captain Jefferson Hunt, of San Bernardino, was elected one of two members to represent Los Angeles County in the State Legislature. The settlement of San Bernardino was thriving and progressive, but labored under the inconvenience of being far removed from the county seat, where all business pertaining to the courts and the transfer of property must be taken. To obviate this difficulty, Mr. Hunt was instructed to present a petition to the legislature, asking for a division of the County of Los Angeles; the portion segregated therefrom to be known as San Bernardino County ; taking its name from the Rancho de San Bernardino.
Complying with this petition, "An Act for dividing the County of Los Angeles and making a new county therefrom, to be called San Bernardino County," was passed by the legislature, in session at Benecia, April 26, 1853. It provided as follows :
"Section 1. The County of Los Angeles is hereby divided as follows: Beginning at a point where a due south line, drawn from the highest peak of the Sierra de Santiago; thence, running along the summit of said sierra to the Santa Ana River between the ranch of Sierra and the residence of of Bernardo Yorba; thence across the Santa Ana River, along the summit of the range of hills that lie between the Coyotes and Chino (leaving the ranches of Ontiveras and Ybana to the west of this line) ; to the southeast corner of the ranch of San Jose ; thence along the eastern boundaries of said ranch and of San Antonio, and the western and northern boundaries of Cucamonga ranch, to the ravine of Cucamonga; thence up said ravine to its source in the Coast Range; thence dne north to the northern boundary of Los Angeles County ; thence northeast to the State line; thence along the State line to the northern boundary line of San Diego County ; thence west- erly, along the northern boundary of San Diego, to the place of beginning.
Section 2. The eastern part of Los Angeles County, so cut off, shall be called San Bernardino County, and the Seat of Justice thereof shall be at such place as the majority of voters shall determine at the first county election hereinafter provided to be held in said county, and shall remain at the place so designated until changed by the people, as provided by law.
Section 3. During the fourth week of June next, there shall be held an election in said San Bernardino County for the election of the following officers, to-wit .: One County Judge, one County Attorney, one County
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Clerk, who shall also be Recorder; one County Surveyor, one Sheriff, one Coroner, one Treasurer, and one Assessor.
Section 4. The County Judge, chosen under this Act, shall hold office until the first Monday of April, A. D. one thousand, eight hundred and fifty- four, and until his successor shall be elected and qualified. The other officers shall hold their offices until the first Monday of October, one thousand, eight hundred and fifty-three, and until their successors are elected and qualified. The successors of the officers elected under this Act shall be chosen at the general elections established by law, which shall take place next preceding the expiration of their respective terms.
Section 5. Isaac Williams, David Seely, H. G. Sherwood and John Brown, are hereby appointed and constituted a Board of Commissioners, to designate the election precincts in the County of San Bernardino, for the election of officers at the first election, and to appoint the Inspectors of Election at the several precincts designated, to receive the returns of election, and to issue certificates of election.
Section 6. The provisions of "An Act to Regulate Elections" passed March twenty-third, one thousand eight hundred and fifty, shall apply to the county election ordered by this Act, except that the Board of Commis- sioners shall designate the election precincts, appoint the Inspectors of Election at such precincts, receive the returns of election, and issue the several certificates to the persons elected.
Section 7. For the purpose of designating the several precincts in the county, the said Board shall meet two weeks previous to the day of election, and at said meeting shall designate the precincts of the county, and appoint the Inspectors of Election at such precincts. The said Board shall appoint one of their number as President, one as Clerk, and shall keep a record of their proceedings ; two-thirds of the number of said Board shall constitute a quorum to transact business.
Section 8. The said Board shall, immediately after designating the precincts in the county, and appointing the Inspectors thereof, give notice of such precincts and Inspectors, by advertisement in Spanish and English, in the Los Angeles Star, and by notice posted at each of said precincts, in Spanish and English.
Section 9. If precincts be not established according to the provisions of this Act, an election may be held at any place or places where there are not less than thirty resident electors present.
Section 10. Sealed returns from the officers of election may be deliv- ered to any member of the Board. The Board shall meet in the county within five days subsequent to the election, and the returns shall then be opened and read, and under their direction, and in their presence, a tabular statement shall be made out, showing the vote given in each precinct in the county, or if precincts be not established, at each place where polls were
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opened as provided for in the preceding section of this Act, for each person, and for each of the offices to be filled at the election, and for the Seat of Justice of the county, and also the entire vote given in the county for each person. The statement thus made out by such Board shall be signed by the President and the Clerk.
Section II. So .soon as the statements and certificates are made out by the Board, the President shall declare the result, and immediately make out, send or deliver to each person chosen, a certificate of election signed by him as President of the Board of Commissioners, and attested by the Clerk.
Section 12. Each person chosen shall qualify and enter upon the dis- charge of his duties within twenty days after the receipt of his certificate of election. The person elected as County Judge shall qualify before the President of the Board of Commissioners of the County. Persons elected to the other offices may qualify before said President, or before the County Judge.
Section 13. The President of said Board shall transmit, without delay, a copy of the tabular statement prepared as provided in section ten, to the Secretary of State. The election returns of said county, the tabular state- ment, and the record of proceedings of the Board, shall be retained by the President of the said Board until the person elected as Clerk of said County shall have qualified and entered upon his duties, after which they shall be filed in the office of said Clerk.
Section 14. The County of San Bernardino is hereby excepted from the operation of the Supervisor Act, passed May third, A.D., one thousand, eight hundred and fifty-two: shall be attached to the First Judicial District, and shall be entitled to one member of Assembly and Los Angeles County to one member of Assembly, and the two counties jointly shall elect one Senator, until otherwise provided by law.
Section 15. At the first term of the Court of Sessions held in San Ber- nardino County, there shall be appointed two Commissioners, to meet a like number of Commissioners to be appointed by the Board of Supervisors of Los Angeles County, for the purpose of ascertaining proportion of the debt of Los Angeles County that is justly chargeable to San Bernardino County. The said Commissioners shall proceed to ascertain the total in- debtedness of Los Angeles County that shall have accrued up to the time of the organization of San Bernardino County. They shall apportion to the respective counties a portion of said indebtedness, proportioned to the amount of taxable property returned by the Assessor of Los Angeles County for the year of one thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, which is hereby made the basis of apportioning the debt aforesaid. Said Commissioners shall report their apportionment to the Court of Sessions and Board of Super- visors of their respective counties, and if they shall ratify said apportion- ment, it shall be final and binding on the two counties. For the proportion
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of the unfundable debt of Los Angeles County, the Court of Sessions of said county shall draw a warrant in favor of the Treasurer of Los Angeles County, payable out of the treasury of San Bernardino County.
Of the funded debt of Los Angeles County, the amount found justly chargeable to San Bernardino County shall be assumed by said county, and the principal and interest thereof paid at its County Treasury ; Provided, That the holders of said proportion of the debt consent to such assumption and payment.
Section 16. All the provisions of the Act "to fund the debt of Los Angeles County, and provide for the payment thereof," passed March the eighteenth, one thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, shall have the same force, and be obligatory on the same officers in San Bernardino County as in Los Angeles County, and shall continue in full force and obligation until the extinguishment of the said funded debt, and until its proportion of the said funded debt shall be set off to said county as provided for in the pre- ceding section. The Court of Sessions in San Bernardino County shall each year draw a warrant on the Treasurer of said County in favor of the Trea- surer of Los Angeles County, for the total amount of the interest tax of that year, payable out of the first moneys paid into the treasury on the annual assessment of each year, as provided in the Act aforesaid, and shall each and every year draw a warrant for said tax, until the total extinguishment of the debt aforesaid.
It shall be the duty of the Treasurer of Los Angeles County to bring suit against any and every officer of San Bernardino County who may hinder the prompt payment of the interest tax aforesaid into the treasury of Los Angeles County ; and the District Court having jurisdiction in said county, shall have power to issue all necessary writs to enforce the provisions of this Act and the Funding Act aforesaid; and the proportion of the funded debt set off to San Bernardino County shall be paid and liquidated to the holder thereof in a manner provided in the said Funding Act.
Section 17. In case the Assessor of Los Angeles County shall have completed his assessment of the portion of said county that is hereby set off to San Bernardino County, or any part thereof, before the organization of said county, he shall certify to the Court of Sessions of said county, when organized, his assessment of all property and polls in said county, for their action, and such assessment shall be deemed the legal assessment of said county for the previous year, subject to the action of the Board of Equaliz- ation of said county ; and the delinquent list of all property and polls in said county of San Bernardino, for the year one thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, that shall not have been collected on the organization of said county, shall be assigned to said county for its use and benefit.
Section 18. The Associate Justices of the Court of Sessions of said county shall receive as compensation two dollars per diem, for each day's
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actual attendance on the terms of Court. The township officers of the several townships of San Bernardino County, that were elected at the general election of one thousand eight hundred and fifty-two, in Los Angeles County, shall continue in office until their successors, to be elected at the general election of one thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, shall be elected and qualified." Approved April 26, 1853.
On April 2, 1857, a subsequent Act was passed slightly changing the boundaries as set forth in the original Act. '
"Beginning at a point on the boundary line of Los Angeles County, where a due south line, drawn from the highest peak of the Sierra de San- tiago intersects the northern boundary of San Diego County; thence running along the summit of said sierra to the Santa Ana River, between the ranch of Sierra and the residence of Bernardo Yorba : thence across the Santa Ana River, along the summit of the range of hills that lie between the Coyotes and Chino (leaving the ranches of Ontiveras and Ybana to the west of the line), to the southwest corner of the ranch of San Jose; thence along the eastern boundaries of said ranch, and of San Antonio, and the western and northern boundaries of Cucamonga Ranch, to the ravine of Cucamonga ; thence up said ravine to its source in the Coast Range : thence dne north to the northern boundary of Los Angeles County; thence north- east to the State line; thence along the State line to the northern boundary line of San Diego County ; thence westerly, along the northern boundary line of San Diego County, to the place of beginning."
The county thus brought into existence was the largest in the state of California and one of the largest ever created in the United States, having an area equal to about half of the state of New York. It contained 23,472 square miles and was one hundred and fifty miles north and south and averaged about two hundred miles from east to west. It was an inland county, having no sea coast but bounded on the east by the Colorado River. Its position, lying between Nevada and Arizona and the Pacific Coast and the fact that the two great overland routes to the coast converged in the San Bernardino Valley, gave it an especial commercial advantage.
THE FIRST ELECTION.
In accordance with the enabling act, an election was held in January, 1853, 200 votes being cast, and the following officers being chosen: Hon. Jefferson Hunt, who was already a member of the Assembly, representing Los Angeles County, was made representative of San Bernardino County : D. M Thomas was elected County Judge : Robert Clift, Sheriff ; R. R. Hop- kins, Clerk; V. J. Herring, Assessor ; William Stout, District Attorney ; H. G. Sherwood, Surveyor.
These officers with one or two changes, were re-elected at the first
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regular election the following fall, and almost without exception served until the withdrawal of the Mormons. To their credit be it said that they left the county entirely free from debt and with a small balance in the treasury.
The Mormon Council House served as the first Court House for the new county, and was used for several years. The Court House was then transferred to the residence built by Q. S. Sparks, corner of Fifth and E streets. In 1862, the Supervisors purchased the "elegant" residence of Charles Glaser, standing on the grounds now occupied by the Court House, and this was used until 1875.
THE TOWN OF SAN BERNARDINO.
In 1853 the townsite of the City of San Bernardino was laid out in the Babylonian style-a miniature Salt Lake City. The town was one mile square, laid out in blocks containing eight acres, with wide streets running at right angles, each one bor- dered by a zanja, or irrigation ditch. The streets were given good Mormon names as will be seen by the accompanying plat, and these names continued in ET use for many years.
ST
ST.
WEST
2
PUBLIC
PARK
ST
FAR
3 W
The survey of the town site and of the county was made by H. G. Sherwood, who had made the original survey of Salt Lake City.
April 13, 1854, the Legisla- H ture passed a special act incor- A 2 porating the city of San Ber- 5 C TH ST ardino, and another special act of the same legislature author- SEC OND ized the new city to appropriate the waters of the Twin Creeks FIRST for municipal and domestic ORIGINAL TOWN PLAT OF SAN BERNARDINO. purposes. Under this au- thorization a ditch was dug by direction of the municipal authorities and the waters of both creeks were brought into the town in 1855. It was soon found, however, that in winter the works were washed away by each freshet and in summer the waters were lost in the sands before reaching the town limits, and so this ditch was abandoned several years later.
Probably the first public building erected in this county was the Council
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House, built by Lyman and Rich, and intended as the general office of the Mormon interests, both religious and secular. It was used also as the first Court House of the county. It was located on the southeast corner of Third and Grafton (now C) streets and was a two-story adobe build- ing. Judge Rolfe describes it as be- ing 24 ft. by 16 ft., containing one room below and one above, and surrounded by a fence. In settling, the walls of the building cracked badly and braces were set to pre- vent their falling out. Curiously enough, the rocking motion of the MORMON COUNCIL HOUSE earthquake of 1857 caused these braces to press the walls together so that they were again solid and firm. The walls were considerably damaged by the heavy rains of 1862, but the building stood until 1867, when it was demolished to make way for a brick block. The ground is now occu- pied by the James Water's building.
The first school house in the city was the tent pavilion used in the Fort. In 1853 the Superintendent of Common Schools, V. J. Herring, reports an expenditure of $300 for library and apparatus and $291.50 for building or renting and furnishing school house. This was probably for rent. In November, 1855, a committee consisting of the trustees of District No. I. David Seely, James H. Rollin and Theodore Turley, with the County Super- intendent, C. A. Skinner, acting by order of the City Council, selected six lots for school purposes and in 1856 a deed was made by Lyman, Rich and Hanks to the city for these six lots. Two adobe rooms stood on one of these lots, the present site of Fourth street school house, and were used as the city school house for many years. When these buildings were put up and whether they were first erected as school buildings, does not appear. They were known as the Washington and Jefferson buildings, and seem to have been occupied as school rooms until the erection of the brick school house on Fourth street in 1874.
A two-story adobe building was erected by Amasa Lyman as a home for his family, which included. five wives, Maria Tanner, Caroline Partridge, Priscilla Turley, Cornelia Leavitt and Denicia Walker. Priscilla was the mother of the first white child born after the colonists reached San Ber- nardino Valley, Lorenzo Snow Lyman, still residing in this county. Each of the wives with her children had separate apartments, while a common kitchen and dining room was provided, but it is said, was never used by the women-each preferring her own establishment. The house is described
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as having no windows, but lighted from skylights above, and was facetiously named the "steamboat" from some fancied resemblance. It stood next to the Council House on the north. The building was burned down, but a portion of the adobe kitchen is still standing and forms a part of the kitchen at the Wozencraft house.
Another house built to accommodate plural wives was that of Charles C. Rich, which was a long adobe of four or five rooms standing where the residence of Joseph Brown, at the corner of E and First streets, is now placed. Rich had three wives.
THE FIRST FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION.
After the organization of the new county in 1853, some of the citizens felt that there should be a suitable Fourth of July celebration. John Brown, Sr., went to Fort Tejon to procure an American flag, and was presented with a large bunting flag by L. A. Bishop. On his return a liberty pole had been procured from the mountains, a twelve pounder brought from Los Angeles and a platform erected on the ground where Tyler's butcher shop was later built, and here on the Fourth of July, 1853, was held the first cele- bration of our national holiday in San Bernardino city.
Daniel Sexton, however, claims the honor of raising the first American flag in the county. He states that in 1842, while cutting timber for Col. Williams in the San Gorgonio Pass, the Indians asked him if the Americans had no feast days. He told them about our Fourth of July, made an American flag and hoisted it in his camp north of San Gorgonio Pass, and with the Indians celebrated the Fourth of July, 1842. This, if true, must have been the first celebration of the occasion on California soil.
TROUBLES BETWEEN THE MORMONS AND GENTILES.
Attracted by the richness of the valley and the evident prosperity of the colonists, a number of "gentile" settlers had come in. Some of these were disappointed miners from the north, others belated gold seekers who never reached their El Dorado and others immigrants from the east- mostly from the southern states. These newcomers did not understand the sincere religious convictions of the Mormons, and they felt that the Mor- mon control of the city and the county was a "menace to our free institu- tions"-perhaps they desired to share in the "spoils" also. Considerable feeling grew out of these conditions.
The Fourth of July, 1854. was observed only by the reading in the church of an address delivered the previous Fourth of July in Salt Lake City. On the third of July, which was Sunday, Amasa Lyman stated that the next day would be the anniversary of American Independence, then spread out
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a copy of the Deseret News and read the address which was delivered in Salt Lake by an unnaturalized Englishman the previous year. It in sub- stance eulogized the founders of the Republic and Washington, but de- clared that in the latter days the government was being diverted from its original purposes and had become degenerate, etc.
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