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/.

Chino Hills Historical Society Talk on Carbon Canyon History TONIGHT

Join us this evening for a presentation to the Chino Hills Historical Society on Carbon Canyon history, specifically to a site off Canyon Hills Road north of Carbon Canyon Road where the former Workmen's Circle/Kinder Ring camp went through a series of uses, including the Canyon Hills Swim and Saddle Club, the Canyon Hills Country Club, the Ponderosa Bar and Motel and Purple Haze.

The talk will large cover the period from 1964-1975, but will make brief references to the recent use of the site, including today's Canyon Hills Stables and Canyon Hills Cottages, but the most bizarre element will undoubtedly be the short and strange history of Ski Villa, with its infamous plastic needle slope and which lasted under 2 years at the location.  A special guest will be Ingrid P. Wicken, who runs the California Ski Library of Norco and who will share some Ski Villa history, as well.

The presentation is at 7 p.m. at the Chino Hills Community Center, 14250 Peyton Drive, across from Ayala High School and we hope to see you there!

Carbon Canyon Fire Safe Council Presentation on Wildfire House Hardening

 At its regular monthly meeting last night, the Carbon Canyon Fire Safe Council hosted a presentation by Allied Disaster Defense, a West Covina company that provides services for fire damage restoration as well as house hardening for protection against wildfires.

While the Council does not endorse the company or its products and services, it offered the presentation as a service to Carbon Canyon residents to get educated about the latest recommendations, endorsed by fire officials and others, to protect houses for wildfires.

The presentation was recorded and is well worth a look by anyone residing in the Canyon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_4_qsEGuZU.

While we had ample rainfall this past winter, we cannot get complacent about the ongoing risk of wildfire, especially because there is a lot more plant material and hot weather, such as the heat dome now affecting inland areas and much of northern California, can quickly dry out much of that material and significantly elevate the fire risk.  Moreover, there will be mandated changes to what the state will allow in terms of plant and other flammable material around houses, especially as insurance companies continue to drop customers in high fire zones.

For more about the Council, check out its website: www.carboncanyonfsc.org.