Hamilton Museum and Ranch Foundation

HAMILTON MUSEUM AND THE LOST GOLD (The entire story) In the mid 1800s, there were many eager prospectors looking for gold in the hills surrounding Garner Valley. Some miners were lucky and some not. For a short time in the late 1800s there was even a flourishing gold mining town called Kenworthy, with homes, a hotel grocery store, a post office, a school, a stamp mill, an assay office, and all the other buildings needed for a gold producing mining town. One yo...ung miner who was very successful may have even been a determining factor in where Hamilton Museum is located today. Jesus Contreras, an enthusiastic and lucky miner found a large amount of gold, buried half of it and took the rest back to Agua Mansa (Colton) to live on his gold for many years. YEARS LATER JESUS CONTRERAS RETURNED to the mountains to retrieve his buried treasure, bringing with him his two grandsons, John and Antonio Contreras. The trio had no luck finding the buried treasure, but the two grandsons did find wives. John Contreras soon married Fannie Arnaiz and his brother, Antonio married Daisy, the daughters of Manuel Arnaiz and Dolores Arnaiz, settlers in Garner Valley in the 1800s. THE PROPERTY WHERE HAMILTON MUSEUM is situated was homesteaded by newlyweds, Fanny and John Contreras, who probably met only because of the search for John’s grandfather’s buried and then lost gold. These two couples were among the first to homestead in Bautista (Anza) when it was reopened for homesteading in 1909. FANNY AND JOHN'S HOMESTEAD SITE is now the home of Hamilton Museum. So we might say that only because of that long lost stash of gold can Hamilton Museum be found at the south end Contreras Road in Anza. Hamilton Museum is the place to learn more of mountain’s interesting past. The museum is open for visitors on Wednesday and Saturday from ten until two and there is no charge.

HAMILTON MUSEUM AND THE LOST GOLD (The entire story) In the mid 1800s, there were many eager prospectors looking for gold in the hills surrounding Garner Valley. Some miners were lucky and some not. For a short time in the late 1800s there was even a flourishing gold mining town called Kenworthy, with homes, a hotel grocery store, a post office, a school, a stamp mill, an assay office, and all the other buildings needed for a gold producing mining town. One yo...ung miner who was very successful may have even been a determining factor in where Hamilton Museum is located today. Jesus Contreras, an enthusiastic and lucky miner found a large amount of gold, buried half of it and took the rest back to Agua Mansa (Colton) to live on his gold for many years. YEARS LATER JESUS CONTRERAS RETURNED to the mountains to retrieve his buried treasure, bringing with him his two grandsons, John and Antonio Contreras. The trio had no luck finding the buried treasure, but the two grandsons did find wives. John Contreras soon married Fannie Arnaiz and his brother, Antonio married Daisy, the daughters of Manuel Arnaiz and Dolores Arnaiz, settlers in Garner Valley in the 1800s. THE PROPERTY WHERE HAMILTON MUSEUM is situated was homesteaded by newlyweds, Fanny and John Contreras, who probably met only because of the search for John’s grandfather’s buried and then lost gold. These two couples were among the first to homestead in Bautista (Anza) when it was reopened for homesteading in 1909. FANNY AND JOHN'S HOMESTEAD SITE is now the home of Hamilton Museum. So we might say that only because of that long lost stash of gold can Hamilton Museum be found at the south end Contreras Road in Anza. Hamilton Museum is the place to learn more of mountain’s interesting past. The museum is open for visitors on Wednesday and Saturday from ten until two and there is no charge.

Thanks to Boy Scout James Gillam for recently constructing this beautiful information sign for Hamilton Museum.

Adequate water for cattle was a problem in Anza in the 1930s. Springs were scarce and windmills on shallow hand dug wells did not always provide enough for cattle and household use. Jim Wellman, driving and brother Lincoln Hamilton, standing hoped to solve that problem when they moved this water tank from Los Angeles to Anza and installed it at one of their wells. Jim and Lincoln were the sons of Clara Arnaiz whose parents and grandmother settled in what is now called Garner Valley in the 1800s.

The three sons of Clara Arnaiz. Jim Wellman,left, Lincoln Hamilton, upper right, Frank Montgomery (Gummy), lower right.

When Hamilton School was built in 1910 it was named for early settler James Hamilton. This is the marker on his grave at the Hemet -San Jacinto Cemetery.

Adequate water for cattle was a problem in Anza in the 1930s. Springs were scarce and windmills on shallow hand dug wells did not always provide enough for cattle and household use. Jim Wellman, driving and brother Lincoln Hamilton, standing hoped to solve that problem when they moved this water tank from Los Angeles to Anza and installed it at one of their wells. Jim and Lincoln were the sons of Clara Arnaiz whose parents and grandmother settled in what is now called Garner Valley in the 1800s.

When Hamilton School was built in 1910 it was named for early settler James Hamilton. This is the marker on his grave at the Hemet -San Jacinto Cemetery.

Early settlers Manuel and Dolores Arnaiz, grandparents of Lincoln Hamilton and Jim Wellman.

Early homesteader Dan Hall (L) and brother Harry Hall. Dan Hall's homestead was near where the Baptist now stands.

Calistro Tortes, Jim Wellman and Frank Aleveras at Santa Rosa

Students, teacher and parents at the Kenworthy School about 1910. Children from Scherman, Hamilton, Arnaiz and Wellman families.

Sheriff Joe Rice (L) appoints Lincoln Hamilton and his brother Jim Wellman as official trackers for the Sheriff's Reserves

Litchwald store and post office (the first to be called Anza) in 1920s and 30s.This was just across the road from the school where the produce place is now. Mrs.Bertha Litchwald had what was the first library in Anza, a short shelf with a few books that a kid could check out and read at home.

Branding Arnaiz, Hamilton and Wellman cattle at Kenworthy (Garner Valley).