SERVING LAKE ARROWHEAD & ITS NEIGHBORS
BLUE JAY TWIN PEAKS AGUA FRIA RIMFOREST CEDAR GLEN SKYFOREST CREST PARK
NEWS WEATHER INFORMATION UPDATED DAILY
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SERVING LAKE ARROWHEAD & ITS NEIGHBORS BLUE JAY TWIN PEAKS AGUA FRIA RIMFOREST CEDAR GLEN SKYFOREST CREST PARK NEWS WEATHER INFORMATION UPDATED DAILY
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AREA HISTORY
Logging The Mountains of Lake Arrowhead, California In June of 1851, a caravan of 500 Mormons set off from Salt Lake City crossed Cajon Pass and proceeded to set up a small settlement called San Bernardino. The real supply of lumber for this new town was going to have to come from the San Bernardino mountain-tops to Lake Arrowhead California, but there was no economical way to get there. It was decided that a road up Waterman Canyon to the mountain crest would be built. Just about every man in the community was recruited to help hack out the first public road into the Lake Arrowhead. This new road was incredibly steep and dangerous, however, serious logging in the Lake Arrowhead Mountains began in July of 1852. The center of activity for logging in the late 1800's was from Crestline to Little Bear Valley (later to become became "Lake Arrowhead"). By the turn of the century, most of the logging industry had spread east along the mountain tops towards the Running Springs / Green Valley area from Lake Arrowhead. In 1881, the Arrowhead Reservoir Company took over the old Mormon Road. They re-graded the road, and rerouted the last 2 1/2 miles to the crest with switchbacks. It was operated as the waterman Canyon Toll Road until 1905, when the county took it over. Waterman Canyon Road has several of the notorious 13 switchbacks that tested both man and machine traveling into Lake Arrowhead. Travelers on their way to Lake Arrowhead Stop to rest and let their vehicles cool down on one of the many tight corners of the Waterman Canyon Toll Road. The Clark's Grade route ran up Santa Ana Canyon and over the crest (near Snow Summit) to Bear Valley. This road was eventually abandoned in favor of the longer Highway 38 route over the crest near Mt. Onyx. In 1891, Gus Knight and John Metcalf built the Bear Valley Toll Road from Green Valley through Holcomb Valley to Big Bear Lake. It operated from 1892 until it was purchased by the county in 1911 and opened to free public travel. Cars lining up to travel into the mountains at the Santa Ana River control point. The road was only wide enough for one way traffic. So, a three hour up, then a three hour down control was used to handle traffic to and from Lake Arrowhead. Lake Arrowhead Dam In December of 1890, the Arrowhead Reservoir Company was formed. It was capitalized with $1,000,000 and plans to create a mammoth irrigation project on the western part of the San Bernardino Mountains to provide water for a thirsty San Bernardino. In 1891, the new company purchased over 4,000 acres of land in and around Little Bear Valley. They finished construction of a new toll road up Waterman Canyon by March of 1892 to haul heavy equipment and supplies to the new Lake Arrowhead dam site. By 1912, the Lake Arrowhead dam had reached a height of 160 feet. However, all of this came to a halt in 1913. Two years earlier in 1911, landowners from the desert side of the mountains had filled an injunction to stop the Arrowhead Reservoir & Power Company from diverting the natural flow of water. In 1913, the Superior Court in San Bernardino found in favor of the desert landowners. So, after spending $2,791,000 and 22 years of work, the Arrowhead Reservoir's plan to provide water to San Bernardino was dead. In 1921, the Arrowhead Lake Company, a Los Angeles syndicate, purchased the Little Bear Lake and all of its properties from the Arrowhead Reservoir and Power Company. The immediately began work finishing the Lake Arrowhead dam. It was raised to a final height of 184 feet. However, the Arrowhead Lake Company wasn't interested in selling water. It was their plan to build the finest resort in Southern California. The lake was renamed "Lake Arrowhead". Luxury Lodges were built, a golf course was put in, and exclusive tracts were offered for sale. $8,000,000 was invested to demolish the existing Little Bear Resort and start construction on a unique Norman English style village. On June 24, 1922, the new Lake Arrowhead village was officially opened to the public. |
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