By Ken Brafman, Image from ROWHS

TITLE: TURN OF THE CENTURY PROGRESS – Part I: Around the turn of the last century the mountains had a small population that was scattered along the rim, with few roads and very few conveniences. Travel was difficult, and many families avoided the harsh winter weather by retreating to the valley. Factors like weather and economic conditions had a great effect on peoples’ lives. Soon businessmen down the hill and well as interested investors back east began to realize the benefits and profits to be gained by developing mountain resources. The decisions they made would determine whether men who worked in the region’s forests and mines could earn enough to support their families. The year 1890 opened with torrential rains accompanied by landslides and washouts. The total single-day rainfall in San Bernardino on January 20 was 18.39 inches, with 70 inches at Seeley Flat. The rainfall was a shot in the arm to mine owners, who needed ample water to process ore. The summer season was in full swing by June. Knight and Metcalf Hotel on Big Bear Lake was booked to its full capacity at 50 guests. With sailboat and rowboat rentals and spectacular trout fishing, games on the lawn and parties around the campfire, one newspaper editor predicted that the resort was destined to become the most famous on the Pacific coast. The lumbering industry was booming, providing construction material for the growing population in the valley, as well as packing crates for citrus growers. In October the Tyler Mill in Grass Valley caught fire. Without modern firefighting equipment the blaze turned into a disaster, with the mill burning to the ground, dealing a setback to the local industry. This week’s image depicts a lumber wagon from the Joseph B. Tyler Mill in 1872. In addition to work in the lumbering and mining industries, by 1891 there was new employment becoming available with a burgeoning enterprise called the Arrowhead Reservoir Company, which had plans to change the way water would be distributed. This story will be continued next week.