MILEPOSTS #1064

By Ken Brafman, Image from ROWHS Collection

TITLE: MILLER CANYON AND CEDAR SPRINGS: Miller Canyon is approximately five miles north of Crestline. The area was originally dominated by three big ranches — the Lugo Ranch, the Las Flores Ranch, and the General James Houghton spread. The canyon would probably be considered ‘off the beaten path.’ Its relative obscurity doesn’t diminish its importance over the past 100-plus years. Back in the early 1900s Cedar Springs, located where the canyon meets the west fork of the Mojave River, was a thriving agricultural area. Strawberries were a cash crop, as well as onions, corn, and potatoes. By 1925 the community of Cedar Springs was firmly established, with a school, church, and store. There were ambitious plans for development. A paved road was built by the county in the 1930s that connected the canyon with Crestline, which is present-day Highway 138. Soon the Miller Canyon Public Campground was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Miller Canyon served as the site of a CCC camp, part of Roosevelt’s New Deal. The CCC employed 500,000 young men across the country during the Great Depression. The bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, resulting in the start of World War II, caused a shift in priorities. The majority of those young men went off to war, with the CCC program coming to an end in 1942. Cedar Springs would come to an end, as well. In 1960 voters approved the California Water Act which provided financing for new construction, and the State Water Agency wisely took advantage of it. Life in Cedar Springs was about to end, as the valley was going to be used as a reservoir, and Silverwood Lake was created in 1971. Nowadays hikers enjoy using Miller Canyon Trail. The area is also popular for off-roading. Camping and picnicking abound. Miller Canyon Creek, this week’s image, is periodically stocked with trout.

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