Carbon Canyon Historical Artifact #66: "Sulphur Springs, La Vida Cal.," ca. 1930s

Here is a great unused real photo postcard (RPPC) titled "Sulphur Springs / La Vida Cal. and which shows the location in the canyon behind the long-running La Vida Mineral Springs resort in the Brea portion of Carbon Canyon, east of today's Olinda Village where the hot mineral water emanated.

The card looks to be from the 1930s and is of a series of a half-dozen of La Vida that were recently acquired and which will be shown in future posts here.  Most of these old photos were of the site along Carbon Canyon Road, where the baths, motel, botting plant and other aspects of the establishment were most visible to the public.

To find a view of the source of the hot mineral water, however, is quite rare.  Not the pipe at the upper left from which the water is pouring, as well as the rough wood walk, at the end of which is a tin cup.  The chaparral-covered landscape of the narrow canyon behind the resort is also of note.

If you missed 2024's presentations on the history of La Vida given to the Orange County and Chino Hills historical societies, there are still a couple of upcoming opportunities to hear the talk.  The first is Thursday, 23 January @ 6:30 p.m. for the Covina Valley Historical Society.  You can learn more at the Society's website events page, though it shows an October date that was rescheduled.  There is a charge for dinner, but you can inquire about separately attending the talk.  The second is Thursday, 6 March @ 6:30 p.m. for the Yorba Linda Public Library and, while the presentation is not yet listed, keep an eye on the event calendar for when it is.

Meantime, best wishes for the holidays and look for another of the postcards to be posted here soon.

Serenity Grove Housing Development Construction Begins

The Paradise Ranch residential project, on Canyon Hills Road between the Hillcrest and Oak Tree Downs and Oak Tree Estates developments and north of Carbon Canyon Road (State Route 142), has been rechristened Serenity Grove.  The 85-acre ranch, of which 50 will be preserved as open space and 16 reserved for a family member residing in a long-existing house, will include some 50 residences on the remaining 14 or so acres clustered at the northeast corner of the tract.

Grading began this past week, so drivers on Carbon Canyon Road will likely notice more dump trucks and other vehicles plying the state highway to get to and from the site, with larger vehicles required to come in from the Brea/Orange County side and smaller ones permitted to enter from the Chino Hills/San Bernardino County portion—the distinction because of the S-curves at the summit.

Speaking of traffic, a signal is planned for the intersection of Canyon Hills and SR142, with the developer contributing funds towards it, though there is no date yet determined for the installation.  This will mark on the second signal on the state highway between Olinda Ranch (after the road widens) and Chino Hills Parkway, the other placed at Olinda Village not all that long ago.

Nothing has been discovered so far about how long it is expected for Serenity Grove to be fully developed, but, in the meantime, here is the wording from the City of Chino Hills about traffic impacts from this first stage of construction:

Residents and commuters of Carbon Canyon Road should expect heavier truck traffic as a new development off Carbon Canyon and Canyon Hills Road is set to begin construction this week. Traffic may be heavier than normal. As part of the project’s construction management plan, the City has required that semi-trucks or long trailers must be brought to the project site from the Brea side using the 57-freeway to avoid the s-curves and limited the developer to only allowing smaller trucks that can manage the s-curves on the Chino Hills side.  

The development’s working hours are 7:00 am to 7:00 pm Monday through Friday and 8:00 am to 6:00 pm on Saturdays. Work is expected throughout the holidays, with no work on Christmas and New Year’s Day.

For questions or concerns, please contact the developer Trumark Homes at (949) 521-8508 or (949) 350-7097.

Chino Hills Historical Society Talk Monday Night on Mineral Springs Resorts in Carbon Canyon

This is a reminder that Monday the 14th at 7 p.m., the Chino Hills Historical Society hosts a talk at the Chino Hills Community Center, 14250 Peyton Drive, called "In Hot Water: The La Vida and Carbon Canyon Mineral Springs Resorts."

While La Vida Mineral Springs on the Brea side of Carbon Canyon is somewhat known, the Carbon Canyon Mineral Springs in Sleepy Hollow in the Chino Hills portion is all but forgotten. Paul R. Spitzzeri will share some of the history of these two health resorts, so join us for this discussion of our local history.

Carbon Canyon Fire Safe Council Brush Drop-Off A Success

 The morning began relatively cool, though it heated up a good deal later, but the Carbon Canyon Fire Safe Council's Brush Drop Off was an unqualified success.

Council volunteers assisted Canyon residents with unloading brush and other plant material during the course of nearly five hours, filling two roll-off bins containing thousands of pounds of debris.

Thanks to those residents, Council volunteers and the City of Chino Hills and Waste Management for providing the bins.  This event helps to reduce wildfire risk in the Canyon, especially in a year with well over 1 million acres burned in California and a La Niña weather system upon us.

Carbon Canyon Fire Safe Council Brush Drop-Off Tomorrow Morning!

It's going to be a hot weekend and this is a reminder of the ever-present wildfire danger in Carbon Canyon. So, tomorrow morning, Saturday the 4th from 8 to Noon, the Carbon Canyon Fire Safe Council hosts its biannual Brush Drop-Off event at Fire Station 64 on Canon Lane, north of Carbon Canyon Road.

Chino Hills residents ONLY of the Canyon are encouraged to bring cut brush to roll-off bins provided free by Waste Management with the assistant of the City of Chino Hills. Help us reduce the risk of wildfire damage! 

Chino Hills Historical Society Presentation on the La Vida and Carbon Canyon Mineral Springs Resorts

From the Chino Hills Historical Society: 

The next meeting of the Chino Hills Historical Society is coming up on Monday, October 14 at 7:00 pm at the Chino Hills Community Center, 14250 Peyton Drive.  Join us for the last presentation of our 2024 series focused on Carbon Canyon history. The topic is In Hot Water:  The La Vida and Carbon Canyon Mineral Springs Resorts.

Carbon Canyon got its name for presumed coal deposits, but it was best-known through the 20^th century for its mineral springs.  This presentation looks at the well-known La Vida Mineral Springs Resort in Brea near Olinda Village, which offered hot mineral water baths and pools, a motel, café and a bottled-water plant. Its carbonated water was widely sold in many flavors and was promoted for its many purported health benefits. Nearby, just within San Bernardino County in Sleepy Hollow, was the far lesser known and shorter-lived Carbon Canyon Mineral Springs, which had baths, lodging and food. Today, the latter is completely gone, except for concrete tub remnants, while little is left of La Vida. Paul R. Spitzzeri will share some of the fascinating history that has flowed from the two sites.  He always mixes stories and interesting history for an enjoyable evening.

Yesterday's Second Round of Tres Hermanos Ranch Tours

With a waiting list of a few hundred persons from the inaugural tours, held last September, of Tres Hermanos Ranch, owned by the City of Industry and adjacent to Carbon Canyon in the cities of Chino Hills and Diamond Bar, the governing body, the Tres Hermanos Conservation Authority (TRCA) offered a second route of visits to the ranch yesterday.

Four groups were ferried into the property from the nearby Diamond Bar Community Center and made three stops during a warm morning, learning about the management, natural history and cultural history of the ranch.  We'll see when and what future offerings will be, but there is certainly strong community interest in this remarkable place.

To read more about yesterday's excursions, check out: https://homesteadmuseum.blog/2024/06/15/tres-hermanos-ranch-tour-postview-william-benjamin-scott-1868-1920/.