Town

Monrovia was formed from a portion of the Rancho Azusa de Duarte on the east, and the Rancho Santa Anita to the west. In 1884, William N. Monroe purchased land and formed the Monrovia Land and Water Company in 1886. Lots began being sold on May 17 of that year, centered around what are now […]

In 1875, Elias Jackson “Lucky” Baldwin acquired the Rancho Santa Anita, and began subdividing and selling parcels immediately. By 1903, he officially founded Arcadia and became its first mayor. Initially, the city was known for its lawlessness, especially during Baldwin’s tenure. However, with his passing, the growth of a large poultry business, and the outlawing

Daggett was originally founded in 1883 and named after the then-Lieutenant Governor of Calfiornia, John Daggett. In addition to being a railroad terminus, it was also the southern end of the 20-mule team runs from Death Valley. The old Stone Hotel, built in 1883 and one of several surviving structures from that era, is the

The community of Victorville was first settled by Jacob Nash Victor around 1885. Victor was a construction superintendent for the California Southern Railroad (which was associated with the Santa Fe Railroad) and the original name of the community was simply “Victor.” The city itself was incorporated as Victorville on September 21, 1962 and its population

The earliest known inhabitants of the San Bernardino area were the Serrano Indians, but the likely founding of the community was when the Franciscan priest Francisco Dumetz journeyed to the area from the Mission San Gabriel on May 20, 1810, which coincides with the feast day of Saint Bernardino of Siena. Following the Mexican-American War,

It is believed that the first settler in Oro Grande was Aaron G. Lane, who set up a homestead next to the Mojave River in 1858. Lane’s Crossing catered to those traveling the Mojave Trail even before gold was discovered in the area in 1873. The first post office was opened in 1881 and was

The unincorporated community of Newberry Springs is located approximately 20 miles west of Barstow and has a population of just under 3,000. Surprisingly, the consistent climate and underground water supply make it an ideal location for farming some crops, and it hosts an annual pistachio festival in November. The German-released, English-language film Bagdad Cafe was

Like many other Mojave Desert communities, Ludlow began in 1883 as a water stop for the railroad. It was named for William B. Ludlow, a master car repairer for the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad. Two railaroad lines – the Tonopah and Tidewater to the north and the Ludlow and Southern to the south connected borax,