Banning High School - San Gorgonian Yearbook (Banning, CA)

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essed ste PLN aT ONT STP iene WinTaneTS rn 'e WEDRUTY Ton vYe eTTa TT TNTNOTII Tv TNT Unt 0 00 00 ee ‘ilman and Mr. Aeker. The San Gorgonio Fluming Company also loomed up at the head of Water Canyon. Messrs. Scot, Hickman and Hall were the proprietors. The lumber was conveyed down from the canyon in a wooden flume, which terminated where the Ban- ning Water Company’s office now stands, The last lap of the flume was high enough to allow a wagon load of hay to pass under it. Mr. M. S. Hall had another lumber enterprise of the same kind in the San Jacinto Mountains. Mr. Hall was also the builder of Hall's Grade, a road used to bring the lumber down from the moun- tains, and the founder of a small village at the foot of the grade. This village consisted of a restaurant, store and saloon, at that time forming a larger town than Banning could boast. The store in later years was moved from Hall's Grade to Banning, where the band stand is now. Mr. C. F. Jost was placed in charge in 1878. Later on the store was purchased by Mr. J. W. Worsham. Dr. I. W. Smith, who was previously spoken of as one of the first white settlers, came to the Pass in 18538, Powell Weaver being here before him. He was the first licensed physician and the father otf Mrs. Martha Gilman. Dr.-Smith and family came from Council Bluffs, lowa, in a covered wagon drawn by oxen, just after the gold excitement in California. The scene of action is now shifted to the Gilman Ranch and to the little adobe building which is now standing. This was a station and stopping place for the old stage coach line between San Fran- cisco and Yuma, which was established in 1861. This building was built in about 1855 by Joe Pope, who was at that time with the sur- veyors for the railroad. It was aiso the first store in the Pass. About 1860 the state line from Los Angeles to Hhrenberg was estab- lished and the Smith home was one of the stations. The entrance of Dr. Murray upon the scene proves to be one of importance, as he was Banning’s first druggist, first postmaster, and a practical physician. He came to the Pass in 1875 and made his home at the present location of the St. Boniface School. J. M. Gilman came to the Pass in 1869, and in that same year he bought the Gilman Home ranch from Newt Noble, who moved to San Bernardino, and later became sheriff there. Many important characters now make their entrance, and the scene soon begins to be well filled. Among these pioneers were: Mrs. de Crevecoeur (later Mrs. Jost) in 1875; W. K. Dunlap, 1878; Mr. GC. F. Jost, 1887; W. P. Morris, 1869; W. J. Brown, Ike Moore, Sam Black and others, who were prior to the ’80 or the coming of the ‘ailroad. Another colony settled in the San Jacinto Mountains, also before the coming of the railroad, the pioneers of which were: Judge Colby, Chris Gottoman, Billie Edmunds, Dick Wooden, Foss De Masters, Jack Summers, Hack Hurley and Mr. Goddell. With the coming of the railroad a marked change takes place on the scene [Page Twenty-three]

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A Gift of the Gods In the dark ages when civilization was dawning, the gods met on Mount Olympus and decidcd that there should be one place of peace and contentment in the new world which had just been cre- ated. A messenger was sent to find the desired spot. After many days of wandering, he spied a sunny green yalley bordered on either side by high ranges of mountains, Immediately he flew down and started to explore the wonderful scene. Awed by its beauty and sereneness, he knew that here was the cherished spot. The gods agreeing with him, chose the little valley and called upon the gods of climate and season to give their help in making it an ideal spot for health and happiness. Banning, endowed with all these privi- leges of nature, was placed upon the world’s stage of action, and humanity made its first entrance. The Banning Pioneers The curtain rises to find the scene laid in the San Gorgonio Pass. The prologue being presented by the Indians, who were the first inhabitants. Their villages were situated west and southeast of Indio. Those west of Indio were at Indian Wells, Palm Springs, Chino Canyon, Snow Creek, and Little Potrero Canyon. And those southeast of Indio were situated at Alamo, Agua Dulce, Torres and Martinez. Cabazon, the chief of all their clans, plays the lead in the be- ginning of the prologue. But now the scene changes with the en- trance of the white man, who slowly but steadily steals the lead from Cabazon, and the curtain falls to find him still gaining, The audience, represented by the two stolid sentinels, Mounts San Jacinto and San Gorgonio, witness the second rising of the cur- tain to find the white man assuming the lead, and only an occasional Indian in the foreground. These early white settlers were Dr. I. W. Smith at Highland Home, Dr. Edgar, beyond him, J. M. Gilman, at the Gilman Home place, and Powell Weaver. The Jost ranch was situated in Potrero Canyon, while Rans Moore settled a little east of the upper reservoir, Mrs. Lucy Toutain was also another early settler, who had her home at the mouth of Water Canyon. CC. F. Roth settled at the mouth of Millard Canyon, and S. Z%. Malard lived in the canyon, Gideon Scott was another early settler. The scene of action now takes place in the building of a lumber mill in Water Canyon, which was under the supervision of James M. [Page Twenty-two]

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of action and the thinly scattered village of Banning. Here, many important characters now of Banning, make their entrance, and among these were: Dr. King, J. B. Hanna, C. O. Barker, W. 8. Hathaway, C. H. Ingelow, J. R. Fountain, Jennie Lemon, C. 8. Hol- comb, Sarah E. Morris (now Mrs. M. French Gilman), Rev. Wein- land, Mrs. Bird, W. H. Ingelow, C. R. Bigley, Mrs. O. Hamilton, Dr. E. G. Carpenter, Mrs. Floretta Fraser, and many others. With this influx of population, Banning could now be called a town, and at this point the curtain fell to allow for a change in scenery, due to the need of more room for the increasing characters to make their entrance. During this period ol’ San Jac still keeps watch over the enterprising town snuggled at its feet; while ol’ Gray Back extends its protecting arm, enfolding Banning in the embrace of these two stately mountains. M. R. 725. Indians The Indians being the sole owners of this vast land of ours be- fore the invasion of the white man, it would seem only fitting that we give them honorable mention in the early history of this Pass. The story of the Banning Indians is the same pathetic tale. Af- tering losing their homes and vast hunting grounds to the white men, they lived on tracts of land or reservations given to them by the government. The Banning reservation is known as the Potrero Indian Res- ervation, and each. full blooded Indian is entitled to ten acres of land. The early industry of the Indians in their new home was cattle raising, and later they began raising grain and hay to feed their cattle. At present fruit raising is one of the most important indus- tries on the Potrero, the excellent quality of the fruit being very well known. The Indians have not given up all their early forms of amuse- ments, for they still hold their annual fiestas, which include barbe- cues, war dances, peon games, fire eating contests, horse racing and bronco busting. The Indians in this section of the country are not like the In- dians farther east. They are large and fat, and are not so active or warlike as the eastern Indians. They seldom harmed the early white settlers, although it was the best policy to comply with their requests as far as possible. Sometimes they would rob the stage coach that operated between Los Angeles and Yuma, but the average Indian was friendly to the early pioneers of Banning. [Page Twenty-four]