Rim of The World Historical Society

Fishing, boating, family and friends always brings us to the subject of docks on Lake Arrowhead. The iconic picture of the young boy fishing off the dock says it all. Early launching and retrieving of boats took place at Orchard Bay Tent Camp. The entrance was located at Highway 173 and John Muir where the existing house with the turret is located. The other early site was in Tavern Bay where UCLA Conference Center is located. Today the present location is at the marina near ...the dam. During the winters in the 1920s and 1930s the Arrowhead Lake Company stored 200-plus docks finger-to-finger in Shelter Cove and Winter Harbor, tying them off to the shoreline. Today over 2700 docks are attached to permanent piers around the lake all year long. The first docks were built with oil drum floats and over the years, they changed to steel floats, fiberglass floats, and then eventually the foam-filled plastic floats used today. The original dock slips were 8 feet wide to accommodate the narrow wooden boats used back then, and currently the slips are 10 feet wide to fit the size of modern boats. Dock fingers were 2 feet wide and today are 3-4 feet wide to an overall width of 17 feet versus the 12 feet of yesteryear. Therefore, the original 8 feet of separation between the docks has been compromised over the years. The shape of the slips has also changed from a V shape to a U shape with the most current slips having slight cut-off corners to accommodate the wider fiberglass and pontoon boats of today. With the docks on the lake, they provide the leisure activities for family and friends to enjoy Lake Arrowhead as many have done so since the 1920s. Eddy Juan, the marina manager, is credited for developing the Lake Arrowhead Green color that most of the docks were painted in the day. The paint is still available at Rim Forest Lumber Company. By Greg Naylor Guest Columnist, Image from Greg Naylor Collection.To purchase a wide selection of book on local history, check out our new website: https://mtnmuseum.org. See more

The popular Willow Woods area of Skyforest has had many owners over the past 90 years. In 1932 Grace and Lou Williams built several cabins and a five-room lodge that had a small restaurant. Known as the Old Homestead Camp, it opened Fourth of July 1932. Lou Williams was a motor transit operator running tourists up and down the mountain to San Bernardino. In 1932 six cabins were advertised as having gas and electricity with a bathroom and living room. Dinners were 50 cents and... breakfast and lunch could also be ordered. Through the forties the camp was a favorite with fishermen who would keep it booked during trout season. In 1948 a famous cartoonist named Frank Adams and his wife Eileen bought the Old Homestead Camp. In 1950 Adams orchestrated one of the most famous April Fool’s Day pranks on the mountain by leading some local residents in hanging 50,000 oranges from pine and cedar trees along a one mile stretch of Highway 18 in Skyforest. Adams sold the property to Don McFarland in 1957. In 1961 John Koeper decided to retire from the Los Angeles Times and purchased the tract of cabins from McFarland. The camp was then renamed the Skyforest Resort and John and his wife Glenna operated the wooded acreage for 16 years. We gave each of the cabins a name, for the flora around them, Glenna explained. The main cabin was their home, office and lodge. During those 16 years the resort, with its quaint cottages, flourished as it was known as a great hideaway for the rich and famous from Hollywood. Johnny Crawford, from the Rifleman series, was a frequent guest. In 1977 the property took on its commercial look and was renamed Willow Woods when Ted and Pat Nissen purchased the property in 1984 and incorporated their businesses into a group of buildings which today make up the historic two acres of Willow Woods. By Bill Pumford. To purchase a wide selection of book on local history, check out our new website: https://mtnmuseum.org. See more

Last week we spotlighted a few of our local lakes, and some of the challenges they experienced through the years. Crestline’s Moon Lake was formed by the blocking of Dart Creek. It experienced the ultimate challenge in that it ceased to exist. This week’s image is taken from a real photo postcard and shows Moon Lake on the right. The large building in the foreground is the original Arrowhead Valley Club which was built in 1926 for members of the Masonic Order. The name of the... post office, shown on the postcard as MOONLAKE, was eventually changed to Switzerland to capitalize on the alpine resort theme. Following a closure during the Great Depression the club came under new ownership, underwent extensive renovation and was reopened in 1939 as the Club San Moritz. The lake was small, around one-quarter the size of Lake Gregory, which was filled around the same time. It was approximately one acre in surface area and had a depth not exceeding six feet. Still, the little lake saw a lot of canoe activity during the summer months, as well as fishing. In the winter the shallow lake froze, making it a popular place to ice skate. As the club continued to gain in post-war popularity throughout the 1940’s boat docks were added and fishing derbies were held, along with other activities. The success led to the purchase of additional land around Lake Gregory, culminating in the building of a secondary, expanded clubhouse which opened in the early 1950’s. Meanwhile a fire of suspicious origin consumed most of the old clubhouse. In the early 1960’s, as a result of a persistent problem with mosquitoes, Moon Lake was drained. Today Valley of the Moon lives on, while Moon Lake sleeps peacefully beneath the parking lot of a popular local church. By Ken Brafman, Image from Ken Brafman Collection. To purchase a wide selection of book on local history, check out our new website: https://mtnmuseum.org. See more

Not surprising that with mountain lakes, it’s all about the water. We’ve written about neighboring lakes such as Silverwood, which gobbled up small towns for the sake of increasing capacity. Our historical society hosts Tunnel Tours every year (no tour 2020 due to covid) where members get to explore an abandoned under the lake tunnel which, over a century ago, was built as part of a network to suck water out of present-day Lake Arrowhead to irrigate the valley below. A few ...lakes have vanished over time. While many of our mountain lakes played a key role in the logging industry, Lake Gregory has always been about recreation. By the mid-1930s there had been significant residential as well as tourist growth in the Crestline area. Entrepreneurial developers such as Charles S. Mann built whole communities along with hundreds of homes and cabins. These area pioneers had a vested interest in transforming Crestline into a mecca for tourism and business. Lake Gregory construction began in earnest in 1937 as a WPA project. When the dam was barely completed, the rains came. Much has been written here about the 1938 flood which brought record-breaking rainfall. On the upside, instead of taking the projected three years to fill, Lake Gregory filled in three days, becoming Crestline’s gem, as it remains to this day. On the downside, nearby Moon Lake needed to be drained in the early 1960s for mosquito abatement. A church parking lot sits there today. In recent years Lake Gregory dam repair required lowering the lake significantly. The work was completed in early spring 2019, just in time for another miracle storm to fill her to near capacity. This week’s image is a real photo postcard. Not postmarked or dated it is likely circa 1950. Dubbed Lakeview Trail on the card, this location is near present-day St. Moritz Lodge. The trail meets up with the current fitness trail. On the back is written simply, This is the club where we were last Sunday it’s really beautiful. Just like our beautiful alpine gem. By Ken Brafman, Image from Ken Brafman Collection. To purchase a wide selection of book on local history, check out our new website: https://mtnmuseum.org. See more

THE ALPINE MALL IN LAKE GREGORY VILLAGE: The Alpine Mall in Lake Gregory Village started its life in the 1940’s as a motel and was one of the original Lake Drive businesses. This week’s image is taken from a real photo postcard and depicts the smaller half of the Mall as it looked in the 40’s and 50’s, when it housed Hal’s Place. A very popular hot dog stand and cocktail lounge, Hal later added Hot Dogs Café Open Home Cooking at the bottom of the window. He would also d...rop the chamber slogan and replace it with Visit The Corral, the name of his lounge. Russ Keller writes in his book Crestline The Swingingest Town In America that Hal was the unofficial mayor of Crestline and also claimed to be a one-man chamber of commerce. Hence the slogan. To the left of Hal’s stood Dinky Golf, now Ace Garden Center. The first of a dozen or so cabins is visible, and at the other end of the arch, which says Crestline Motel, is a larger building. The arch came down in the 1970’s and the front buildings were completely remodeled, as were some of the cabins. They were converted into various-sized retail stores, some of which would later be rented as offices. Larger businesses could be accommodated in the front buildings. The tall neon sign, which once said Kelly’s Crestline Motel, became the iconic new symbol for the ambitious new enterprise, reading Alpine Mall. The Mall has been family-owned for some 40 years and has hosted a diverse range of businesses and has served numerous functions. Many successful businesses got their start in the Mall, some going back 30 years. Many expanded into larger, successful enterprises. The Mall has been an anchor business for generations and has kept current. The entire operation got a major remodel and facelift over the past couple years and has been turned into a showplace. Check it out. We always need to support our local businesses. By Ken Brafman, Image from Rhea-Frances Tetley Collection. To purchase a wide selection of book on local history, check out our new website: https://mtnmuseum.org. See more

This week’s column is based upon an article written in the late 2000’s by noted local historian Jim Huff. Those familiar with The Great Mountain War of 1939 know that Crestline cityhood is not exactly a new idea. In 1939 Crestline citizens had decided it was time to become a city and to elect their own ruling officers. Twenty-one candidates threw their hats in the ring, vying for offices ranging from mayor to councilman to city attorney. The mayoral race was the most hotly co...ntested. Harvey Edwards campaigned for mayor on the promise that he would import an orchestra from San Bernardino upon his victory along with ample cases of beer. Sam Campbell was thrust into the mayor race but eventually threw his support to Lucy Hilbig, wife of the popular Crestline druggist. Lucy’s platform included a plan to charge tourists an additional two percent luxury tax. The owner of The Crash Inn, Chet Beehler, was opposing George Johnson for first district councilman. The top contenders for second district were Lyle Seccombe and Weber, with Iner Jenson and Ralph Hilbig jousting for third. The remainder of the offices included treasurer and city attorney. For the latter, neither candidate had any experience but they were sure they knew as much about it as anyone else. In the meantime the Blue Jayites were rattling their sabers and making statements such as, When the smoke clears we will be the real winners of the campaign, and, It’s easier to buy a Crestline mayor after an election, than before. On election day Crestline voters turned up en masse to find that the ballot contained only the current five propositions and no candidates. Sabotage by the Blue Jayites was suspected. Threats of reprisal were hurled in the town watering holes, including the Town Hall Café, this week’s image. Cooler heads prevailed but the legend lives on, how the Blue Jayites prevented the Crestline Hillbillies from becoming a city. By Ken Brafman, Image from Russ Keller Collection. To purchase a wide selection of book on local history, check out our new website: https://mtnmuseum.org. See more

THE GREAT MOUNTAIN WAR OF 1939: The Blue Jayites vs. The Crestline Hillbillies: This week’s column is based upon an article written in the late 2000’s by noted local historian Jim Huff. The legendary embattled coexistence of Blue Jay and Crestline was first chronicled in a tabloid published in San Bernardino between 1938 and 1942 called Snoop. It told of Sam Wager, pharmacist at the Blue Jay Drug Store, who led the Blue Jayites. Known as Dapper Sam, God’s Gift to Women, and t...he Self-Styled Political Boss of the Mountains, Sam and the Blue Jayites had on ongoing feud with the citizens of Crestline whom they referred to as the Crestline Hillbillies. In response, in 1939 Sam was hung in effigy by enraged Crestliners in a wild celebration of dominance over the rival resort. In those days Crestline was known as The Swingingest Town in America, with popular watering holes such as the Crash Inn, Scotties, the Rim of the World Tavern and the Town Hall Café. In contrast Blue Jay only had the Tap Room. Crestline was the popular destination for flatland furriners, as they were called. This included many military personnel from the numerous bases, some of whom had their wedding ceremonies in the Crash Inn. A 1939 advertisement is featured as this week’s image. The Blue Jayites did get to brag about their new ice rink and its nine miles of cooling pipes. Name dropping was common, such as, Oh, it didn’t take Jane Withers long to discover our beautiful rink, or, Wasn’t Gene Lockhart handsome gliding around the ice last week. The Hillbillies knew, however, that most of the rich and famous had to pass through Crestline after their long climb up the hill and would likely stop to pause and refresh before finishing their trip to Blue Jay. In retaliation, the Blue Jayites started advertising that Daley Canyon Road was being widened and paved with better grades and would be the shortest route into Blue Jay and Lake Arrowhead. They further advised motorists to bypass Crestline and take the route we now know as Highway 189. By Ken Brafman, Image from Ken Brafman Collection. To purchase a wide selection of book on local history, check out our new website: https://mtnmuseum.org. See more

VALLEY OF ENCHANTMENT LODGE: This week’s image is a photo of the Valley of Enchantment Lodge located on Waters Drive in VOE. The facility was originally built as a family home in the late 1940’s by Henry and Hannah Krause. Over time the building was converted into a restaurant, bar, and dance floor. It became a very popular place to eat, as well as providing meeting space for local civic groups such as the Crest Forest Women’s Club and the American Legion. Hannah Krause was v...ery active in the local community including the Crest Forest P.T.A. In 1947 the Lodge offered a lounge and a choice of inside or patio dining. The menu featured a choice of charcoal broiled steaks for $2.25 or $2.50 and southern fried chicken for $2.00. In 1949 the newspaper reported that the Lodge had one gaming machine. Of course, in 1949 nearly every commercial venture in Crestline had gaming machines. In August of 1953 the Enchantment Lodge opened a cocktail lounge and in 1954 a permit for dancing was granted. By 1962 the cocktail lounge had become very popular and the guests were entertained with live music. During the summer season the restaurant was open daily whereas the restaurant was only open on weekends during the winter season, and a salad bar had been added. In 1966 Hannah Krause was tragically killed in an automobile accident on Highway 18 when her car went off the road 200 feet down a cliff; she was 61 years old. In 1977 Arleva Linker and John Beavor acquired the Enchantment Lodge. In 1989 the property was sold to William Bohlin. In the early 1990’s the Enchantment Lodge, along with the Crest Forest Firefighters Association, sponsored the Alisa Ruch Burn Foundation Adult Tricycle Races. Recently the building has been the site of a church and a private residence. By Bill Pumford, Image from Russ Keller Collection. To purchase a wide selection of book on local history, check out our new website: https://mtnmuseum.org. See more

Watching Empire PBS this evening about the history of Hesperia, the man they are interviewing reminds me Of interviewing Russ Keller.

MOUNTAIN MOVIES: NOW, VOYAGER: Most readers of this column should be aware of the rich filmmaking history of our San Bernardino Mountains. A visit to our Mountain History Museum is not complete without spending a little time in the Cozad Theater, where you will marvel at the scores of movie titles featured in a PowerPoint-type presentation. Our historian Russ Keller often peppers his popular lectures with behind-the-scenes highlights of films with a mountain connection. This ...week’s image is a still from Now, Voyager which was released in 1942. The three top-billed are Bette Davis, Paul Henreid and Claude Rains; with a large supporting cast which includes many Hollywood greats. Pictured are Bette Davis and Claude Rains acting a scene in front of a Lake Arrowhead backdrop. Davis plays an unhappy, insecure, frumpy character who spends time in a sanitarium following a psychologically abusive childhood. She becomes transformed both physically and mentally, partly with the help of a psychiatrist played by Rains, who is giving her encouragement in the scene. As part of her transformation and her journey of self-discovery she embarks on a cruise. No longer an ugly duckling she catches the attention of an unhappily married architect, played by Paul Henreid. The early scenes of Davis and Henreid together on the ship as she takes her first tentative steps toward womanhood are remarkable and touching, without being overly sentimental. This is a tribute to the director, Irving Rapper, as well as to the actors. The writers manage to keep things moving and to maintain a sense of humor throughout the dialog. What comes next was considered a hot potato in 1942, namely an adulterous affair. While subdued, and handled in a classy fashion, nonetheless this was seldom seen in films of that generation. The film concludes on a moral high note, and it’s a movie that shouldn’t be missed. Other film locations included Big Bear Lake and other locales, as well as various studio lots.By Ken Brafman, Image from Ken Brafman Collection. To purchase a wide selection of book on local history, check out our new website: https://mtnmuseum.org. See more