A Brief History of San Bernardino

San Bernardino is in the center of it all! Visitors will experience being in the heart of it all, whether looking for wineries, mountain resorts, apple orchards, historic theatres, the solitude of the desert or the scenic drive to ocean beaches.

City Hall Value and hospitality is why San Bernardino is known as the “Friendly City.” And, let’s not forget the year-round sunshine in our centrally located Southern California city, in the foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains, resting at 1,049 ft. elevation.

Easily accessible via major freeways, rail and air, San Bernardino is in the perfect location, just a short jaunt to beaches, deserts and mountains. LA-Ontario International Airport (ONT), a short 20-minute drive west on the I-10 freeway, serves the San Bernardino area with all major airlines offering daily flight throughout the country as well as internationally.

The San Bernardino Valley recently celebrated its Bicentennial. We invite you to explore and discover San Bernardino just as the pioneers did. There are many hidden “gold-en” treasures in our city and hills where films are made and theatre is alive!

Explore the following topics:

	Indian Settlements		Gold!
	The Arrowhead		Rail Roads
	The Missionary Period		Route 66
	The Ranchero Era		Stater Bros.
	The Mormons

For more information contact the Bureau at:
For more information contact the Bureau at:
San Bernardino Convention & Visitors Bureau
1955 Hunts Lane
San Bernardino, California 92408
Phone: (909) 891-1151
Email to cwc@san-bernardino.org

Indian Settlements - Indians originally occupied the San Bernardino Valley. In the early 1800’s the two tribes documented were the Serranos and the Cahuilla Indians.

Evidence indicates that Indian tribes may have dwelled in the San Bernardino Valley for more than 4,000 years. It is still possible to hike the Lake Arrowhead area and explore the Indian encampments at a site called Rock Camp.

The Arrowhead – A natural landmark and one of the most famous attractions in the Inland Valley is the Arrowhead. It is easily seen at the base of the San Bernardino Mountains. The Arrowhead is 1,115 feet in length and 396 feet wide. The outline of the Arrowhead is so perfect it looks to be man-made or artificial. In fact, it is natural, and there are many legends about its existence. The most ancient legend is handed down from the Indians. As told by the Indians, the Great Spirit had an arrow, which like the Israelite’s Pillar of Fire, was to guide them to the spot where they were to live. The Great Spirit, to show them the place, fixed the arrow to mark it forever.

The Missionary Period (1819-1821) - The San Bernardino area was an outpost for the San Gabriel Mission. Missionaries established a rancho, and later an Asistencia Mission where local Indian tribes were invited to learn how to plant and irrigate crops. Today, a reconstructed version of the original Asistencia is located on Barton Road in Redlands.

The Ranchero Era (1842-1851) - Indian vaqueros inhabited the San Bernardino Valley during the Ranchero Era. Life on the rancheros revolved around raising cattle. The hospitality of the people is accounted by many with their fiestas and rodeos.

The Mormons (1851-1857) - Five hundred Mormons settled in San Bernardino three years before the city was officially incorporated. When officially incorporated, Mormons comprised 75% of the population. In 1857, Brigham Young called approximately 60% of the Mormons back to Utah.

Gold! (1860s) - In 1860 William F. Holcomb filed five gold claims in an area now known as Holcomb Valley. This resulted in a major gold rush with miners pouring into the mountains through San Bernardino in search of their fortunes. Belleville, a mining town in Holcomb Valley was at one point the largest city in Southern California with over 10,000 residents. The main gold “vein” has yet to be discovered, and “weekend miners” are still finding small amounts of gold with their pans and equipment.

Rail Roads (1880s) - With the arrival of the railroads, San Bernardino became a vibrant enterprising city. The first passenger train came into San Bernardino in September of 1883 and by 1885 San Bernardino was a major hub on the railroad map.

SB Depot A key to San Bernardino’s success with the railroad was to get a route through the Cajon Pass. Two other railroads’ attempts were not successful, but the Santa Fe had faith in their engineer Fred Perris who had discovered a new route through the pass that was lower and required fewer tunnels than previous surveys.

On November 15, 1885 the rail line was completed through the Cajon Pass from San Bernardino to Barstow (then called Waterman). San Bernardino residents turned out with fireworks and bands to welcome their first transcontinental train.

By the 1890’s San Bernardino was known as a railroad town and import trade center. In 1918 Santa Fe built a beautiful depot, which has been restored to its original mission revival style. The railroad continues to serve business, visitors and commuters with Metrolink routes to Los Angeles, Orange County and the beaches.

Route 66 (1926 - present) - In 1926 a major highway was completed connecting Chicago and Santa Monica – US Route 66. Covering 2,448 miles and passing through 8 states, Route 66 was the major route for vehicle travel from populated areas of the Midwest to Southern California.

The Route still exists and passes through San Bernardino on its way to Santa Monica. San Bernardino was quite famous for being on the “Mother Road” and was the destination to “get your kicks on Route 66.” In celebration of this, the third weekend each September the Stater Bros. Route 66 Rendezvous holds a four-day car show where 1,700 classic cars cruise the downtown streets, including Route 66, drawing ½ million spectators to experience the festivities, music, food and family fun.

Wigwans

The Wigwam Motel remains as one of San Bernardino’s “must-see-and-stay” locations. Originally built in 1949 along the legendary Historic Route 66, the motel has been newly renovated. The amazing 30-ft. tall teepees tower the ground, standing bold as they continue to draw attention.

For more information visit www.route-66.org

Stater Bros. (1936 - present) - Founded in 1936 Stater Bros. Markets is the largest Supermarket chain in the Inland Empire and the largest private employer. Stater Bros. currently operates 167 full-service supermarkets, and there are over 18,000 members of the Stater Bros. Supermarket family.
For more information visit www.staterbros.com