By Bill Pumford, Image from the ROWHS Collection
TITLE: LAKESIDE TRAILER PARK IN LAKE ARROWHEAD: One of the most popular pastimes during the early occupation of the San Bernardino Mountains was camping. After World War II the interest in camping – in particular trailer camping – skyrocketed. In the early 1950s Fred and Lois Newport established the Lakeside Cottages and Trailer Park. Fred and Lois married in 1947 where Fred worked at Lakeview Point for the Highway Department and Lois worked for Camp Ono, an Army facility. The trailer park was open to people that wanted to bring their trailers to a beautiful lake and scenic mountains. The trailer park was located alongside Little Bear Creek as it entered Lake Arrowhead through Paradise Bay which is part of Blue Jay Bay. In 1955 trailer sites rented for $2.50 per day, $50 per month, and $250 for the entire season. This week’s image shows the trailer park next to Little Bear Creek. By this time “Cottages” had been deleted from the title of the property and it was now called simply Lakeside Trailer Park. In 1960 Jules Berman and others purchased Lake Arrowhead and what followed was a very gradual transition from campers in a trailer park to a mobile home (manufactured home) community. The bridge in the background of the photo was thought to have been built by the Arrowhead Reservoir and Power Company for use by a railroad. The railway never took place but since then the bridge has provided a footpath as well as a transit for a water main. The bridge was covered with heavy chain link to discourage Carol Van Sickle (later Banner) and her friends from jumping off the bridge. By 1990 the Lakeside Trailer Park was being managed by Lester Jacobson, and one of the manufactured homes sold for $7500 in 1991.