davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The herald., 1897-04-25

ness, but after a run Of about three
weeks it closed again, never to be re-
opened. and the depositors got absolute
iy nothinS- out of the wreck. Both the
other banks opened up again stronger
than ever.
Early in 1875, after the successful op-
erations Of the land company at Arte-
sia. the same company purchased a
large tract of land of Louis Phillips
and laid out the town of Pomona, but
before much land could be sold the
financial panic put an end to further op-
erations, and the speculative people of
this county took rest.
Several years of prosperity led up to
Southern California's first real estate
boom in 1874-75
Railroad building was evidently at the
bottom of these prosperous times and
this speculative period. Up to 1874
Southern California had but one rail-
road-the short line from Los Angeles
to Wilmington. The Southern Pacific
company had, however. headed this way
from San Francisco, and was well UP
the San Joaquin valley when they Sc
cured the road from Los Angeles to
Wilmington, built the road northward
to the San Fernando tunnel. and COM
menced work on that tunnel. The COM
pany also built the Anaheim branch as
far ae Anaheim, and started to build
eastward toward Yuma.
This work had all been completed and
The herald., 1897-04-25

tors Of the soil, although, perhaps. their
business might not be quite as aesthet-
ic as that of raising oranges.
Sixth-They had demonstrated the
fact that in some localities they could
raise Boston's ante of beans. and raise
more beans than Boston and all her
neighbors east of the mountains could
eat, and do so at good margin Of profit.
Seventh-They had demonstrated the
fact that the raisin, the olive, the Eng
lush walnut, the almond and many other
products were developed very prof1tably
under the conditions which we find here.
Eighth-They had demonstrated the
fact that large oil territory could be
tapped here with profit not only to the
owners of the wells, but also to those
who needed the oil in developing other
industries.
Ninth-They had demonstrated the
fact that our mountains and deserts
were full Of gold, silver and other valu-
able metals, and that time would event.
ually show that these worthless deserts
and mountains had value.
Tenth and finally-They had demon
strated the fact that the climate of
Southern California was superior to the
climate of Southern France. that our
skies were brighter and more beautiful
than the skies OF sunny Italy and that
AZ sanitarium and health resort the
world had not a. yet produced it, equal.
The herald., 1897-04-25
POMONA 1875

experimenting and finding out what could
sunshine and climate.
Several propositions had been firmly
established:
First-The water resources Of South
ern California could be materially in
creased by means of artesian wells, by
saving the waters in the streams that
had hitherto gone to waste: by under
ground development of percolating wa
ters and by reservoirs Those who had
carefully studied the question fully DEM
| onstrated the fact that eventually
enough water would be conserved by
| these means to irrigate nearly every acre
of arabic land between the mountains
and the sea.
Second-Orchardists had introduced
budded varieties of the orange until they
had finally secured the Washington ma
vel--an orange that was grown nowhere
else in the world, and an orange that was
superior to any other variety grown any
where in the world. The full value of this
variety has not been appreciated until
| within the past few years.
Third-They had demonstrated the
fact that budded varieties of lemons
could be grown here as successfully as
elsewhere in the world and that South
ern California could eventually supply
the lemon markets of the United States
without the aid or assistance of any
other nation.
Fourth-They had also demonstrated
the fact that nearly all varieties of de-
ciduous fruits could be successfully and
profitable grown south of Tehachepi
pass. This list included the apple, the
peach, the pear, the apricot and the
prune as standard varieties, to say
nothing of many other varieties that
would do we'll on a smaller scale.
Fifth-They had demonstrated the fact
that as an alfalfa country it stood prac-
tically at the head of the list; that our
alfalfa lands with water would grow
from five to seven crops a year. ranging
from one to three tons per acre each
crop; that taking a total of these crops
alfalfa would grow to the height of
twenty feet in single season, and that
an alfalfa field as basis for raising cat
tie, horses, hogs and chickens was a
mOney-maker, and that the alfalfa
farmers as a rule had better bank ac.
counts than any other class of cultiva-
The herald., 1897-04-25

ducing fruit, and these were of the
Seeding variety and were not success
from a commercial standpoint.
There were few old mission olive
trees, some Of the fruit from which was
picked, but both pickles and olive oil
were produced only on very limited
scale for home production.
The wine grape-mostly mission vari-
ety--had been quite extensively planted
in the San Gabriel valley and around
the city of Los Angeles, also at Anaheim
and at Cucamonga in San Bernardino
county. Wineries did good business.
and there were many Of them-only a
few, however, being built on a large
scale.
Raisin vineyards were unknown.
A few deciduous fruit orchards had
been planted, but these fruits were
mostly planted for home use and not as
a business. The same was true OF the
English walnut.
The plains below Los Angeles from
the hills to the sea and from Old Santa
Monica canyon to San Juan Capistrano
were one vast sheep and cattle range,
with here and there settler who was
experimenting with fruits, small grains
and alfalfa. with some hog and hominy
mixed in by way OF variety.
All the flowing streams of Southern
California worth diversion had been
taken up and appropriated. At least 90
The herald., 1897-04-25
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY

There were no railroads in San Ber-
nardino county until 1875, when the
Southern Pacific company built the line
eastwards from Los Angeles, heading
for New Orleans, reaching Cotton in the
fall of 1875 and Yuma in SEPTEMBER, 1877.
PRIMITIVE TRAVELLING.
The Corcord coach, or some other less
rretentious vehicle, was used not only
for reaching the interior, but for visit
ing various points while there.
San Bernardino was one of those in
terror towns thus reached-sixty miles
distant from Los Angeles-requiring an
all-day ride through country that was
very sparsely settled-a country that
also gave few evidences of future i'm
provement. The route lay through Ell
Monte across the Puente ranch up San
Jose creek to Spadra. thence across the
arid waste to Cucamonga, a little settle
ment around the only wine vineyard in
that section of the country, and then
across another arid waste to Lytle creek.
across which was found the Mormon
Mexican town of San Bernardino. This
The herald., 1897-04-25

the celebrated Duarte settlement close
at hand to assist in accumulating wealth
Monrovia has one newspaper. the Mes
senger, published by j. H. Harvey. Hs
has published the Messenger ever since
Monrovia sprang into existence.
Just to the east of Azusa the town of
Glendora is the railroad town for not
very large but flourishing settlement of
fruit growers.
To the south of Azusa Is the town OF
Covina, on branch of the Southern Pa
c.fic railroad, but recently built. This
whole section is but one vast orchard,
which is marketing some of the finest
fruits grown in this fine fruit country.
Covina has newspaper, the Argus. pub
lished by ]. l.. Matthews.
Around Pasadena are number of
business centers which are like suburbs
to large city. There are Sierra Madre
and Lamanda Park to the east, South
Pasadena to the south and Altadena to
the north. Then there is Garvanza just
across the Arroyo Seco, and south on the
Southern Pacific branch is Alhambra
town and settlement.
Just to the west of Lordsburg is the
business center of San Dimas. which is
surrounded by very fine fruit country
now being developed.
This much for the great San Gabriel
valley and it's extension to the eastward
through what was known years ago as
Mud Springs valley.
There has also been a great develop
ment between the hills and the coast.
Downey was one of the first towns
built when the Anaheim branch of the
Southern Pacific was constructed in
1873. This is the business center for that
rich valley lying between San Gabriel
and New San Gabriel rivers. This val
ley is well watered. The lower portion
of it is devoted largely to dairying busi-
ness and general farming, while the up
per portion around Rivera is the head
quarters for the English walnut.
On the east side of New River up next
to the hills the new town of Whittier
was built very rapidly during boom days.
The development was stimulated by the
building of a branch line by the South
ern Pacific Railroad company. The state
also built a reform school at Whittier
which has helped materially to build
up and support the town, as it distrib-
uted large sums of money annually.
Water to irrigate the country around
The herald., 1897-04-25

nflcent church odifces fine school
buildings, and thrifty business houses.
Redlands produced oranges too. The
crop this year will aggregate about 800
carloads, worth on board the cars about
$500 per car, or total of s4S0000.
The Redlands oranges are recognized
in the markets as among the very best
sent there from any portion of the habit
able globe, and they command a trif'a
more per box than oranges from almost
any other locality d
During the past few years when cold
waves have occasionally swept over the
semi-tropcal regions of almost all por-
tions of the world, doing great damage
along the shores of the Mediterranean
and practically wiping Florida out of ex-
istence as a citrus fruit producing coun-
try, the Redlands slope has been prac-
tically uninjured, and this fact has ad.
ded value to it's already valuable orr
chards.
BEAR VALLEY RESERVOIR.
1t was to secure more water for this
fine section of country that the Bea.
Valley reservoir was conceived by F. g.
Brown. 1t was in 1888, Mr.. Brown
secured the cooperation of number OF
capitalists. and Bear Valley reservoir
dam was built. This dam has been criti-
cised and condemned by many for being
too lightly built, but it has stood floods
and ice and anthemas until the public
is inclined to believe that it has a
charmed existence. In 1891 the Bear
Valley Irrigation company was reorgan-
lied on a basis of capital stock OF
s4 900 for the purpose of building
new and more substantial dam to a
height of 15o feet, the old one being
about 20 feet in height. 1t was proposed
to irrigate the Alessandro and Perris
country in the San Jacnto valley witn
water from this source of supply. A
pipe line was laid to convey about 300
inches Of water to these lands. Two
irrigation districts were formed, bonds
were issued to the reservoir company to
the extent of over million dollars. In
terested parties then began to manipu-
late the stock of the company, caring
more for the money to be made out OF
stock operations than out of the sale Of
water and water rights, and as a result
the company went into the hands of q
receiver in 1893 hopeessly bankrupt, and
now the courts have decided the issue
The herald., 1897-04-25

more subject to frosts than were the lands
further up on the slopes Of the valley.
This accounts for the fact that the oldest
orange orchards are more subject to
damaging frosts, as rule, than are those
more recently planted, which usually
are found on the higher priced lands up
on the slopes of the valleys above the
damaging frost line.
1t was only little over twenty five
years ago that flowing artesian wells
were found in the vicinity of Compton.
This was the first move made to increase
the water supply for irrigation purposes
after the water from the streams had
been fairly utilized. 1t was this theory
of artesian wells which induced land
company to buy large tract of land
south of Norwalk. subdivide it into small
tracts. sink artesian wells, name the
tract Artesia and sell 1t to settlers and
others in the spring of 1875. This COM
pany built a large. two-story school
house in the center of the tract at cost
of $500 and donated the same to a dis
trict whicI founded as soon as fif-
teen school children could be found in
that section Of country. The work of
forming the district was delayed some
what, waiting for children The lands
at Artesia were sold at auction sale,
which extended over seven days. This
was the beginning of boom operations in
Southern California.
In 1873 the failure of the great bank
ing house of Jay Cooke & Co. in Phil
adelphia precipitated the financial
panic. which ultimately spread all over
the United States. This panic was two
years reaching the Pacific coast, for the
years 1874 and 1875 up to midsummer
were very prosperous here.
In the summer of 1875 the Bank of CAL
ifornia failed for large amount, and it's
president, w. c. Ralston, was found
drowned in the Bay of San Francisco.
This financial storm center then drifted
southwark. leaving wrecks all along the
way, and finally it struck Los Angeles,
closing every bank in the city at that
time for thirty days. The bank of Tenn
pic & Workman had one million dol
lars of deposits. Mr.. F. p. F. Temple
had just been elected county treasurer
by a large majority, and the people
had unlimited confidence in him and his
bank. The bank borrowed $3.50, 900 from
Lucky Baldwin and opened up busi-
The herald., 1897-04-25

and they came to the conclusion thata
climate that was good for an invalid
was very good climate for we'll man.
1t was their faith in the above proposi-
tions that inspired the 64,37S people
south of Tehachepi pass in 1880 to invest
money in lands and to improve the came
in way never before witnessed in the
United States. Hence, from this tmc
on our people witnessed rapid develop
ment.
Prior to the prosperous years of 1S75-Ij
Indiana colony was established at the
foot of the mountains about nine miles
to the northeast of Los Angeles. Why it
was called Indiana colony it is hard to
state, unless it was from the fact that
many of the original settlers in that
colony came from Iowa. The name of
the settlement was soon afterwards
changed to Pasadena, and when about
the year 1880, business center was es-
tablished there and a postoffice was
asked for, 1t received that name
Pasadena, the Crown of the Valley.
Pasadena grew fairly we'll from 1872
up to about 1885 when it began to plunge
and the poetofiice department at Wash
ington became so paralyzed at the way
IT'S fdSdueHd Oluce plleU up us WOrk
that 1t did not try to keep up with the
procession and for weeks at a time the
clerical force of the Pasadena postoffice
did not pretend to try to handle the pa
pers that came there for distribution.
On the return of prosperity in $780,
Pomona began to grow again until it has
become one of the important cities of
Southern California. 1t ie the business
center of large and pros berous fruit
section. Its main business street has
the appearance of that of large city.
1t supports three papers, the Times. the
Progress and the Beacon. 1t secured a
good water system-its supply coming
In part from artesian wells and in part
from San Antonio canyon.
AS railroad building was the main
cause of real estate activity in 1S74-75,
so railroad building in 1886 was the
forerunner for the business boom of
1S86-S7.
Prior to this railroad building the peo-
pie had put themselves in prosperous
condition financially, had demonstrated
the wealth-producing qualities of the
country, and these conditions combined
with a war of railroad rates between the
Southern Pacific and Santa Fe systems
The herald., 1897-04-25

was the only town at that time in San
Bernardino county
Cucamonga was not town. 1t con-
sisted of a vineyard, winery, store,
saloon, postoffice and hotel combina-
ton, all under one roof, and a few fam
lilies.
Ontario was not yet thought of, Ell
wanda was an after consideration. The
Rialto country had been tried years be-
fore for wheat and abandoned and the
only sign of town outside of San Ber-
nardino was the Mexican settlement OF
Aqua Mansa, on the Santa Ana river,
just below where Cotton is now located.
San Bernardino county at that time
contained less than 1000 population. The
agricultural developments of the county
were confined to the little moist and
rounding the town itself and the bot
tom lands along the Santa Ana river
extending down to the Rincon.
Irrigation was carried on to limited
extent, and was applied only to those
lands most easily and cheaply reached
by the water.
THE ORCHARD AND VINEYARD.
Fruit culture was in its infancy. An
son Van Leuven had a small orange Or
chard at old San Bernardino, and this
one orchard had monopoly of business
in that county.
Raisin vineyards were unknown in the
state at that time. Deciduous fruits
were grown only for home consumption.
San Bernardino was known as an al
fa1fa country, and this crop was grown
for home consumption and was fed tc
hogs and cattle.
RIVERSIDE.
Gradually improvements began to be
made. Riverside was the first one of any
magnitude started. At first it was known
as the Silk Center association, and the
promoters of that enterprise proposed
to raise silk worms and manufacture
silk. Tom Cover, who was afterwards
lost on the desert while hunting for the
celebrated Peg-leg mine, was one of the
promoters of the silk business. Later
Judge North, e. G. Brown, A. J. Two
good, Dr. Graves and DR.. K. D. Shuggart
established Riverside in 1871. OF this
number Twogood and Shuggart are the
only ones now alive.
In 1874 the Southern Pacific was ex-
tended eastward from Los Angeles
The herald., 1897-04-25

through San Bernardino county towards
Arizona, and this railroad building stim-
ulated further improvement and devel-
opment. f.t 40
COTTON. w
The town Of Cotton was thus brought
into existence as a railroad town, own
ed by the railroad company and en-
couraged by railroad influences. I'm
fortunately the Southern Pacific was so
located that no settlements of any con-
sequence grew up along the line of
the road in San Bernardino county. ex-
cept Cotton, for many years. ", IL
REDLANDS. . ~
The next important move in the woy
of development in San Bernardino coun..
ty was made by Judson & Brown, men
possessed of more energy than capital,
who lived in the Lugonia valley on
the mesa between the Mill creek zanja
and the Santa Ana river. This was in
1881. Land with good water right was
then selling in that valley for about s25
an acre and was not considered very
good purchase at that price.
Just south of-the Mill creek zanja was
a magnificent slope of land, mostly of a
reddish clayey formation, some of which
was being homesteaded and other por-
tions of which were still open to pre-
emption. Judson & Brown conceived
the idea of carrying some of the water
then used and wasted in Lugonia over
to this land to form settlement, believ-
ing that the soil there was better adapted
to fruit culture than it was on the loose,
sandy soil of the Lugonia section.
With them to think was to act. They
purchased a quantity of Lugonia water
rights, started in and developed other
waters, constructed canal to the land
Of promise, secured title to several hun
dred acres on the south side of the zanja,
homesteaded one quarter section that
could not be otherwise obtained, laid
out streets, surveyed the tract into ten
acre lots, formed a water company on a
basis of giving the stock of the wafer
company to those who purchased the
land, and seemingly laid solid foundation
for future prosperous settlement.
For weeks the subject of name for
the new settlement bothered the pro-
moters more than all other questions.
One night Mr.. E. G. Judson became in
spired, and as result the next day he
announced the magical name of Red
lands-and Redlands it was and Red
lands it Is.
Lands in Redlands were readily sold
at $50 an acre In the fall of 1884, after
wards advancing to SIS, 500. $3.50, $3.50,
$500 and six years later as high as $1,000
an acre.
And even at that time the town of Red
lands-now the city of Redlands-had
not been conceived. Another year. 1883,
the town was laid out and built. A news
paper-the Citrograph-was established
by that prince Of newspaper men. Scipio
Craig. In addition to the Citrograph,
Redlands supports a daily paper, The
Facts, which appears to be doing
well. In nine years time that town
has become city with two banks, mag
The herald., 1897-04-25
TWENTY-FIVE PROGRESS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

the line had been finished to San FRAN
cisco and to Yuma before the panic
reached this coast. The building of these
lines was evidently responsible in a
large meausre for the speculative peri
cd of 1874-75
Southern California was hit hard by
the loss of over $1,00o,0O0 Of deposits in
one bank In connection with a general
loss of confidence and decline in prices
all along the line. 1t took four years for
our people to pay off their debts and get
ready for a new deal. The fall Of 1879
saw our people at the bottom of the lad
der ready for business again, and in the
spring of 1880 prices began to advance
again.
In the meantime our people had been
The herald., 1897-04-25

Whittier comes from the San Gabriel
river, and this section of country is now
developing the. fruit business in good
shape. The Register is published and
edited at Whittier by H. D. Williams.
Norwalk, on the Southern Pacific, To-
Gated east of Downey and east of New
river, has grown into a good-siZed town;
supports paper-the Call, published by
f. p. Truitt-and gets its trade largely
from the Artesia settlement and the
country adjacent thereto. which is de-
voted to fruit, general farming and the
dairying business.
Compton. which had a store and a
postoffice in 1874, has developed into a
busy town, which is the business CEN
ter of large farming and dairying
country.
Wilmington has ceased to be the har-
Dor town, and San Pedro has grown up
to take its place. When the railroad
was extended from Wilmington to San
Pedro in 1882, the latter town took nearly
all the business of the port and the pros
poets of the building of a breakwater
there. at cost of about $3,000000, is CIV
ing San Pedro new life, which will devel-
op very rapidly as soon as actual con-
s'truction is commenced by the govern
ment San Pedro supports daily pa
per-the American, published by A. Bert
Bynon; the Times a weekly, published
by E. B. Scott, and the News. published
by Geo. Bentley.
Long Beach, to the east of San Pedro.
is poplar seaside resort and supports
two papers-the Eye, daily paper, and
the Breaker, a weekly.
Santa Monica is the oldest seaside re-
sort in the country, and 1t takes the Sun
day crowd from Los Angeles during the
season. 1t Is reached by both the South
ern Pacific and Santa Fe lines, and now
it has the Pasadena and Pacific electric
line, giving it half-hour service.
The herald., 1897-04-25

1t was thought. Land was cheap and
water was cheap, but whatever of value
was placed on a combination of land and
water was credited to the water, as the
land without the water was considered
of no value whatever
A Los Nietos rancher who had good
water supply when asked what his land
was worth, promptly replied, $500 an
acre, or I rather should say that the
land is worth $2.5 an acre and the water
is worth $780,"
Land and water being cheap, the water
was naturally placed on the land where
1t could be so placed at the least ex-
pense. Hence the low valley lands were
first irrigated and placed under culti-
walton. These lands were, as a rule,