Carbon Canyon Historical Artifact #58: A Rare Photo Attributed to Carbon Canyon, ca. 1910s

This is a great and very rare cabinet card photograph that looks to be taken in the early part of the 20th century and is simply labeled "Carbon Cañon."  It is interesting that the Spanish form of "cañon" with the tilde over the first "n" is used, which almost seems like a Latino or at least someone well-versed in the language wrote the inscription.  Otherwise, there is no information about the scene, the people, or why the photo was taken.

It shows a large hay wagon parked on a dirt road with a gent at the top pulling a bale to the fourth layer with the previous ones laid in a cross-hatch pattern.  Three other workers stand or sit next to the wagon and one of the workers, holding his face in his right hand, sits on a sack of an unknown product, of which there are stacks, largely covered in canvas.

These sacks rest against a plain wood fence and in the distance to the left below some hills is a large structure, probably a barn.  Behind the wagon are harnessed horses unhitched, probably, from the vehicle and other horses are further in the distance.  In front of the wagon at the lower right are two buckets.  Note the number 37 placed under the wagon on the negative.

Click on the image to see it enlarged in a separate window.

Most intriguing, potentially, is on the right.  It appears that the road has been cut partially into the low hillsides and this cut is buttressed with horizontal boards kept in place by vertical posts.  Behind the worker at the right, who leans against a front corner of the wagon, are stacks of what might be wooden forms. 

Could this be Carbon Canyon Road in construction and maybe the ranch workers were loading hay and grains to take either to Chino or towards Orange County?  The road was built through from Chino to Brea in 1914-15, so the timing appears to be reasonable given that cabinet cards were common from the 1880s to the 1920s or so. 

Unfortunately, we're not likely to get any answers to these questions, but, if this is Carbon Canyon, it is a very unusual document of the area a century or more ago.

Carbon Canyon Crier, February 1965

Thanks again to those Sleepy Hollow neighbors who've loaned a group of photos and documents relating to the history of the community and Carbon Canyon broadly.  Back in February, the January 1965 issue of the community newsletter, Carbon Canyon Crier, was highlighted on this blog.

Today, we feature the 12-page issue of February 1965's Crier.  Among the content is material on replacing stolen wooden street signs that community members designed, built and paid for.  At least one remnant of these, part of the pole, still stands in the neighborhood today.

Click on any image to see all of them enlarged in a separate window.

There was also discussion about conditions in the Canyon, which was primed for major changes.  Editor Harry Shedrick, a Sleepy Hollow resident, noted that, when he moved to the community seven years before, land sold for as low as $300 an acre; water was delivered in 3/4' main pipes, meaning that two taps couldn't be turned out at the same time; the recently opened Western Hills Golf Course was the Stoody Ranch; the Canyon Hills Swim and Saddle Club, with its Canyon Hills Inn, was still the Workmen's Circle Jewish camp; and the smell of sulfur from the water in Carbon [Canyon] Creek was still always present.

Shedrick wrote that, "stagnation in the past brought such things as the old Sleepy Hollow Cafe, narcotics, ex-convicts (and occasionally some not so 'ex'), highway accidents [Carbon Canyon Road's designation as Route 142 was made official just the previous year], brush fires, run down houses, non-productive land, and almost total lack of 'pride of ownership.'"

Well, some of that didn't change and still hasn't, although the development of the Western Hills Oaks subdivision was soon to start, bringing the first "modern" residential tract to the San Bernardino County side of the Canyon, following 1964's Olinda Village subdivision on the Brea side.  Shedrick also pointed out the capital and effort put into the new golf course as well as the Canyon Hills Swim and Saddle Club as examples of how to improve the Canyon.

He added that new homes in Sleepy Hollow and Mountain View (Canon Lane south of Carbon Canyon Road), along with more responsiveness from fire, police, transportation, and planning and health agencies at the local, county and state level were good signs.  So, too, in his estimation, was the fact that "Canyon folks are all getting along together with no splits or factions squabbling.  His conclusion was that "these are the things that make progress not a dirty word, but the essence of our future."  A half-century plus later, it is interesting to read Shedrick's commentary and think about the future of the Canyon.

News from the most recent meeting of Waterworks District No. 8, which encompassed Sleepy Hollow and surrounding areas within the San Bernardino County portion of the Canyon, is also notable to look over.  Discussion was about street signs (the county would not handle this, because the roads in Sleepy Hollow were considered private); booster pumps for improved water delivery (up to individual property owners); a proposed Community Services District for the area; and about brush clearance by the volunteer fire department in the creek, as well as lanes, roads and paths in Sleepy Hollow (this is a recurring issue, obviously).

Similarly, the monthly town hall meeting for January was recapped.  Details about street signs within Sleepy Hollow were discussed here, too, and applause given for residents who'd offered to pay for two of the stolen signs along the state highway.  It was also revealed that the dormant Carbon Canyon Women's Club was reactivated, and a descendant of the club existed until not that long ago.

There was also further discussion about the proposed Community Services District as essential to the future management of the Canyon.  The meeting's chairman, Paul Deutsch, pointed out that he'd attended meetings by consultants hired by the County to prepare development plans for the west portion of the county, including what became Chino Hills and that it was recommended that the latter become "a low-density, high-value residential area."

It was added that a civil engineering firm, Neste, Brudin and Stone of San Bernardino, "offered to produce an economic feasibility report at no cost to the proponents" of the district and it was expected to be ready in a few days.  A report followed about the proposed district boundaries, with the statement made that it covered 2,000 acres with nearly two-thirds of that earmarked for future residential development.

Another report observed that the district was needed for such public works as street lighting and sewage disposal, both obviously lacking in the Canyon then and comments concluding the meeting concerned discussions with utility companies and developers, as well as  future steps needed with the County and the Local Agency Formation Commission, if the district idea was to move forward and be implemented.

A "Personalities" feature highlighted the Chino Judicial District Constable Fred Derbyshire, a native of Quebec, Canada who lived in Ojai before moving to Chino. When he was only 20, Derbyshire, recently hired as a motorcycle traffic officer, was appointed police chief in town back in 1930.  He then worked for the County Sheriff and the California Highway Patrol, working with the latter for over a quarter century before retiring.  He then was appointed to be constable for the Judicial District, a civil position in which Derbyshire served subpoenas, acted as court bailiff, and handled other responsibilities relating to court actions.

Other contents include a description of the revived community Christmas party by the reactivated women's club in the Sleepy Hollow Community Building, the forerunner to the current buildings.  Forty children attended and Santa arrived on the volunteer fire department's truck.  Singing of Christmas carols and refreshments were also part of the program.

A couple of photos accompanied a short notice about the recently opened Canyon Hills Inn at the swim and saddle club, located at the horse ranch behind the Circle K convenience store and across from the new Stonecrest development.  It was mentioned that Fridays were designated Carbon Canyon Night with dinner and dancing to music by Dusty Ellis and His Orchestra.  Drinks were just 50 cents and a fried chicken dinner was $1.50.  Dinner was from 6:30 and 8:30 with dancing until 2 a.m.  Residents were invited to bring their "city folk cousins," colleagues from work and visitors from out-of-town.

Health information from "The Visiting Nurse," hair care tips "For Women Only," a police blotter listing area calls by the Sheriff's Department (including "a man down" at the Dixie Tavern, thefts at Canyon Hills and across from Western Hills Golf Course, and reported shooting at horses at the Summit), and local tidbits were also published.

The Carbon Canyon Crier issue is a fascinating look back over fifty years ago at a Carbon Canyon that was on the verge of a transformation from an isolated community to one gradually being absorbed in the suburbanization that was rapidly growing and continues to do so.

The Gaines and Brown Families of Carbon Canyon, Part 11: A Trio of Photos at the Flying Cow Ranch

With thanks again to Joyce Harrington for providing copies of many photographs and documents concerning the Gaines and Brown families, from whom she is descended and who lived in the Carbon Canyon area for many decades, here are a trio of photos showing Edward F. Gaines and his Flying Cow Ranch.

This is the area that is now known as Olinda Village, with the Craftsman-style ranch house situated where the Hollydale Mobile Home Estates and adjoining Hindu temple are located south of Carbon Canyon Road.

To the north of the state highway, meanwhile, were areas of the ranch devoted to grazing animals and this is where the Olinda Village subdivision was created in 1964, not long after Gaines' death and the sale of the ranch.

The first photo is of the house, examples of which have been shown before, and includes Ed and his wife Fannie seated, second and third from left, on the edge of the porch, with Ed holding a dog in his lap.  The photo was taken about 1911.

The second image is a nice closeup of Gaines with one of his prized horses, likely near the stables and barn area that burned in a tragic fire in 1939.

The third view is a fantastic one showing Gaines seated on his horse, "Addison P. Day," perhaps the same animal as in the earlier image, in front of the entrance to the Flying Cow.  In the distance are some the expansive rolling hills that marked much of the property.

More images from this collection are forthcoming, even as posts have slowed recently, so look for more in the New Year.

Surprising New Twist to Tres Hermanos Saga

As reported in yesterday's San Gabriel Valley Tribune, an unexpected left-field turn of events concerning the Tres Hermanos Ranch in Tonner Canyon, directly north of Carbon Canyon, emerged recently when the City of Commerce made overtures to purchase the ranch for $42 million.

The story is convoluted and complex, but seems to involve an effort from a utility firm, San Gabriel Valley Water and Power, formed to develop a solar farm at Tres Hermanos by contract with the City of Industry until that plan wetn awry, to work with Commerce on acquiring the ranch and revive the project.  So far, officials in Commerce have been tight-lipped about its discussions concerning the property, basically saying that they are simply exploring options.

Industry was given approval by the successor agency to its former redevelopment agency to buy the ranch but whose purchase has been stalled by litigation involving the cities of Chino Hills and Diamond Bar.  A key condition was that the ranch had to be developed for public use and there was talk about preserving portions of the nearly 2,500-acre property for open space and recreation.  That public use, for a time, was the scuttled solar farm project, though it looks like Commerce is aiming to bring it back.

Chino Hills City Manager Rad Bartlam was blunt in stating that the city would sue Commerce if it was to acquire the land and pursue the solar farm, adding that officials in Commerce would be "completely crazy" to assume otherwise.  Industry's city attorney Jamie Casso noted that the state's Department of Finance has approved the sale of the ranch to the city, noting "it's mind-boggling that anybody would think that this is possible."

An aerial photograph of Tres Hermanos from the north, taken in March 2018.

Industry, Chino Hills and Diamond Bar have recently undertaken settlement negotiation talks concerning joint control of Tres Hermanos, but Commerce claims Industry has not satisfied the terms of the sale from the successor agency and requested consideration for purchase, even though its own city council has not formally acted and two members of the council said they knew nothing about the issue.

Moreover, any sale would have to be approved by the successor agency and would also have to go out to bid, including to developers who've already made offers of up to $125 million for the ranch.  There are also other legal issues, including whether Commerce's closed door meetings are a violation of the Brown Act, requiring public transparency for certain discussions by government agencies. 

Officials from Chino Hills and Industry appeared at a Commerce council meeting just before Thanksgiving, at which officials there were poised to have a closed-door confab about Tres Hermanos, and threatened, including by letter, to sue Commerce over its proceedings.  Two Los Angeles County supervisors, Janice Hahn and Hilda Solis, have indicated they want as much preserved open space as possible in addition to raising concerns about the legality of Commerce's actions to date.

A view of the 2,500-acre ranch from the east.

As for Commerce, which gets a significant revenue stream from casinos in the city but is facing a significant loss of funds due to new state actions on gaming, it apparently is looking to utility services as a potential generation of income.  Its two months of closed doors meetings and hiring of an attorney formerly employed by Industry to work on the solar farm project have raised eyebrows, with the Tribune reporting that Anthony Bouza may have broken the law by not getting informed written consent by Industry about his possibly using confidential information that would harm a previous client (Industry) to benefit a new one (Commerce,) a point echoed by Casso.

Check back for updates as new information is forthcoming.

10 Year Freeway Complex Fire Commemoration Event This Weekend

Marking the ten-year anniversary of the Freeway Complex Fire, which roared through much of Carbon Canyon and nearby areas in November 2008 and particularly timely given the massive wildfires that have burned throughout the state this month, Hills for Everyone, the Carbon Canyon Fire Safe Council and the Chino Hills State Park Interpretive Association are sponsoring a commemoration event of the fire this weekend.

Held Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Chino Hills State Park Discovery Center at 4500 Carbon Canyon Road in Brea, the free event includes exhibits of photos, videos, memorabilia, posters and other materials documenting and discussing the fire.  Fire fighting vehicles will be displayed by the Chino Valley and Brea-Fullerton fire departments.

On Saturday from 1-2 p.m., there will be a special presentation by Nature of Wildworks, which will bring native wildlife to vividly show first-hand the impacts the fire, which burned more than 30,000 acres (including 95% of the state park) in four counties and destroyed over 280 houses, had on wildlife.

Sadly, devastating wildfires are becoming a normal feature of life in California as climate change, rapid population growth, and expansion of housing in wildland areas continue.  Carbon Canyon is a microcosm of the risks the interplay of these three facets pose, especially as a new 107-unit project, Hidden Oaks, is expected to be brought before the City of Chino Hills in 2019.  This event will bring needed attention to what wildfires mean, not just in looking back, but in seeing forward.

Carbon Canyon Fire Safe Council Brush Drop-Off This Saturday

This Saturday the 6th from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., the Carbon Canyon Fire Safe Council will be holding its twice-annual brush drop-off. 

Residents of the Chino Hills portion of Carbon Canyon can bring cut brush to the drop-off location on Canon Lane, north of Carbon Canyon Road adjacent to Fire Station 4.  Council volunteers will be there to assist.

For years, the Council, with the financial support of the City of Chino Hills and coordination with Chino Hills (Republic) Disposal, has offered this program in the spring and fall, to give residents the opportunity to dispose of brush that won't fit in the trash cans at their residences.

The deadline for having brush cut back on canyon properties is mid-October, so this is the perfect time to comply with applicable ordinances.

California Conservation Corps Carbon Creek Cleanup Continuing

This week, crews from the California Conservation Corps have been busy clearing out plant material from Carbon Creek to ensure that the water flow is smooth and that fire risk and other concerns are minimized.

With coordination from the Carbon Canyon Fire Safe Council working with the Santa Ana Watershed Authority and funding obtained by a grant secured by the City of Brea, the work will move down the creek into the Brea/Orange County portion of the canyon. 

This includes further treatment of the arundo, which was once rampant in the canyon, but has been largely mitigated after the Freeway Complex Fire of November 2008.  Despite all the destruction of that wildfire, a silver lining was that the existing arundo was burned to the ground providing an opportunity to treat the extremely aggressive invasive at the root level. 

Several treatments since then, all coordinated by the Fire Safe Council, with the invaluable cooperation of SAWA and the cities of Chino Hills and Brea, local fire agencies and others, have kept the arundo mostly in check and it's an ongoing effort a decade later.

Summary of a Talk on the Williams Sisters of Rancho Santa Ana del Chino

Last night's presentation, sponsored by the Chino Hills Historical Society and attended by about 70 people, on the sisters Merced and Francisca Williams of Rancho Santa Ana del Chino looked to put a little different perspective on a story that may be familiar to those interested in this region in the late 1850s and early 1860s.

The violent ends of their husbands, John Rains (who was murdered in November 1862), and Robert S. Carlisle (who was killed in a Los Angeles gunbattle in July 1865) have been given a fair amount of coverage over the years.  This is generally because history is usually the story of men, while the lives of women typically get very little coverage in comparison.

As noted in the talk, Merced was only 17 and Francisca 15 when their father, Isaac Williams, owner of the Chino ranch since the early 1840s, died on 16 September 1856.  Their mother, Maria de Jesús Lugo died fourteen years earlier.  Isaac Williams' death left the two teen sisters as sole legal heirs to the 37,000-acre ranch and there was no likelihood that they could run their ranch on their own.

Three days after Isaac's passing, Merced married John Rains, who'd been employed by Isaac for a couple of years.  A native of Alabama who'd lived in Texas and engaged in cattle and sheep driving in northern Mexico and the American Southwest for a few years in the early 1850s (interspersed with a short stay in Los Angeles in 1851-52), Rains was ambitious and his marriage brought him access to wealth not otherwise possible for him.

Merced Williams Rains (1839-1907).

Several months later, in May 1857, another Chino ranch employee, Robert Carlisle, wedded Francisca, and he was also eager to take a controlling interest in the ranch.  Carlisle was from Kentucky, though nothing is known about him until he showed up in northern California during the Gold Rush period and then migrated south and found work with Isaac Williams.

These brothers-in-law, both from the South and equally driven to utilize their wives' substantial inheritance and equally quick to lose their tempers in conflict, quickly decided, once the Williams estate was settled in early 1858, to make a deal.  Rains sold Merced's interest in the ranch to her sister (well, Carlisle) for $25,000 and used the proceeds to buy Rancho Cucamonga.

Over the next four years, he plowed considerable sums to add vineyards to the existing ones there, built a fine brick house (which still stands and can be visited as a county historic site), took interests in a pair of San Diego County ranches, bought the Bella Union Hotel in Los Angeles (which he'd co-owned in 1851), and so on.  Carlisle also expanded his development at Chino, though it is uncertain if his spending was anywhere near as pronounced as that of Rains.

The timing could not have been worse for ranchers generally in greater Los Angeles.  The Gold Rush ended by the mid-Fifities.  A national depression broke out in 1857.  Floods ravaged the region in the winter of 1861-62.   That was followed the next couple of years by the decimation by drought of the local cattle economy.  So, as Rains, especially, spent exorbitantly, debts were amassed.

Merced Williams Rains living with her second husband, Jose Clemente Carrillo, and children by Rains and Carrillo, in the 1870 census at Cucamonga (Chino Township.)  Note, though, that her hsuband claimed the assets of $100,000 in real property and $10,000 in personal property, when most of that was hers by inheritance.  Rancho Cucamonga, though, was soon lost to foreclosure so those assets largely vanished.

By late 1862, Rains and Carlisle were sued by local authorities for taxes owed.  Rains borrowed heavily and mortgaged Cucamonga in the process.  In November, he rode from his home towards Los Angeles to transact more business and vanished.  Carlisle took a lead in searching for his brother-in-law, but it was eleven days before Rains' mangled body was found near the road in what was called Mud Springs (now San Dimas.)

Over the next couple of years, several suspects were accused of involvement in the murder.  One, Ramon Carrillo, was a close friend of Merced Rains, and was twice questioned and released.  He was then ambushed and shot to death after leaving the Rains house. Another, Manuel Cerradel, allegedly confessed and then recanted, but was convicted on an unrelated matter and sentenced to San Quentin.  On ship ready to be transported, Cerradel was seized by masked men and lynched from the craft and his body dumped in the water.  Edward Newman, out in early 1864 to inspect his new property, the ranch that became Pomona, was ambushed and killed with a rumor that he was thought to be someone else involved in the Rains murder.  Santiago Sanchez, executed for another crime, claimed he was being hung because he was accused in the Rains matter, but pointedly said the killer was an American and that he did not know Carlisle.

Carlisle confronted Merced with several friends and associated and badgered her into giving him her power of attorney, which she yielded.  After accusations of mismanagement and fraud, a court revoked Carlisle's power of attorney and handed it over to Los Angeles County Under-Sheriff Andrew Jackson King, who'd also been in charge of investigating Rains' murder, which went unsolved.

Enraged by the turn of events, Carlisle saw King at the Bella Union Hotel in Los Angeles during a wedding celebration and attacked him with a knife, inflicting a serious wound.  King was laid up, but this two brothers, Frank and [Samuel] Houston, showed up the next morning.  Experienced at revenge, including a decade before in El Monte when the three King brothers avenged their father's slaying by killing the murderer, Frank and Houston spotted Carlisle at the hotel bar and confronted him, guns drawn.

By contrast to her sister, Francisca Williams Carlisle, married in 1868 to Dr. Frederick MacDougall (who had his own decent-sized fortune) had her assets from Rancho Santa del Chino not only listed for her at $50,000 and $20,000, but divided portions to her four (three on this sheet) children at $15,000 and $3,000 each.  She sold Chino to Arizona mining magnate Richard Gird in 1881.

In the aftermath of the battle, Frank King was killed by Carlisle and Houston, after firing all his rounds at a remarkably durable Carlisle, pummeled his adversary with the gun until the handle broke.  Carlisle used his last remaining strength after taking several bullets to shoot and severely wound Houston, who, however, survived.  Placed on a pool table, Carlisle lived several hours before dying in writhing agony.

All exciting stuff, but nearly forgotten was what happened to the sisters and widows.   Merced, whose life was documented in a fine book by Esther Boulton Black, lost Cucamonga to foreclosure and sold one of the San Diego County ranches to pay legal fees, leaving her with very little of her once-substantial fortune.  She married Jose Clemente Carrillo, who may have been related to Ramon Carrillo, rumored beau of Merced before his murder.  Carrillo, however, left her or died after several years.  She lived 45 years after her husband's death, dying in 1907 at the home of her daughter, Fanny, who was married to former California governor Henry T. Gage.

Francisca, however, was able to retain ownership of Chino.  She hired an able manager, Joseph Bridger, and moved with her children to Los Angeles.  In 1868, she married Dr. Frederick MacDougall, who was mayor of Los Angeles when he died in office a decade later.  Francisca soon sold Chino to Arizona mining magnate Richard Gird and expanded her wealth.  In her mid-forties she married Edward Jesurun, who was nearly twenty years younger, to a good deal of gossip and a failed attempt to derail the marriage by one of her sons.  The marriage lasted, however, and Francisca continued to live with ample means until she died in 1926, a half-century after Carlisle's grisly end.

Francisca MacDougall shocked "society circles" and her family by, at age 46, marrying 27-year old Edward Jesurun in an elopement at San Francisco in 1887.  The couple remained together, however, until she died in 1926, a wealthy woman.

The situation for the two sisters was similar after their father's death and completely different after the husbands were killed.  Their story is a remarkable one that has, too often, been underappreciated while more focus has been placed on the actions of Rains and Carlisle.  The fact that women could inherit and own real property in California (and other former Spanish and Mexican domains), when most American women could not, is also little-known.  But, the lives and activities of women generally at the time has been underrepresented, so it was good to give more attention to Merced and Francisca and their remarkable and often tumultuous lives.

Rancho Santa Ana del Chino Talk Tomorrow Night

Continuing with a series of presentations starting with the granting of Rancho Santa Ana del Chino, the western border of which extends into Carbon Canyon to just east of Sleepy Hollow, to Antonio María Lugo and then its ownership by Lugo's son-in-law, Isaac Williams, there will be a talk, sponsored by the Chino Hills Historical Society, tomorrow night on Williams' daughters, Merced and Francisca, when they inherited the 37,000 acre ranch after his death in September 1856.

The talk discusses the turbulent life of the sisters, who married Southern-born employees of their father and died violent deaths in the first half of the 1860s, and what happened to the Chino ranch during a decade of economic depression, floods, drought and personal turmoil.

Merced Williams Rains (1839-1907)

 Illustrated with photographs, maps, newspaper articles and other items, the presentation revolves around these teenaged girls, whose inheritance meant valuable property in their name, but the reality was that their husbands took control of the estate and it led to a strange tale that left the sisters in distinctly different circumstances later in life.

The talk, "Heirs Apparently: The Tumultuous Lives of Merced and Francisca Williams of Rancho Santa Ana del Chino," is at 7 p.m. at the Chino Hills Community Center, 14250 Peyton Drive (across from Ayala High School.)

The Gaines and Brown Families of Carbon Canyon, Part 10: Olinda Village Middle School Students, ca. 1913

This coming Monday the 27th marks the first day of school in the Brea-Olinda Unified School District, so this is a good time to highlight another great photograph, courtesy of descendant Joyce Harrington and her collection from the Gaines and Brown families of Carbon Canyon, of students from the original Olinda School.

Dated to 1912 or 1913, the image shows 7th and 8th graders of the school, which served the residents of the Olinda community, largely based around the oil producing areas surrounding the campus.  The view shows 35 students and their teacher Mr. Turley standing (and, in a few cases, seated) at the steps to the open front doors of the school building.

A list of those shown in the photo was also provided and is shown here, including the names of twins Ora and Nora Brown and Aileen Gaines from the two families from which Joyce is descended.  It is interesting to peruse the first names of the students to see how different they are from today's names.  So, we are not likely now to see such examples as Earl, Hattie, Oscar, Herman, Wilfred, Willard, Frances, Myrtle, Bessie, Olive, Edna, Ernest, or Walter!

Reflective of the demographics of the community, only two of the students are Latino with the rest being White.  In 1910, there were just under 1,500 residents of Olinda and 88% were White with 8% being Latino. 

Another demographic point of note is that there were only 14 girls in the class, constituting 40% of the total.  This is a bit lower that the representation of females in the Olinda population at large, which was 44% in the census.  Given that Olinda was an "oil town," this is not that surprising broadly, because many single men worked in the fields, but that doesn't account for the disparity in the student population at the school, so that might just be an anomaly.

It is also interesting to look at how the students were dressed, considering this was probably a very rare "formal" occasion for them.  Note that quite a few of the boys sport ties (one has a natty bow tie) and some have the short pants common for the time.  Yet, a number wear the overalls expected in a working-class and rural community, though some spruced up their look by adding some neckwear.  The young gent at the far right of the top row even thought it good to accessorize his look with his baseball glove on his left hand!

The boys do have some variation in color, but check out the absolute uniformity of the girls, with one notable exception, when it comes to clothing color.  All wear radiant and pure white, while the girl third from the right in the middle row strikes a sartorial note of difference with a long-sleeve dress of a color that is not white.  Hairstyles, though, do vary and a couple of the young ladies did add hair bands to make their appearance distinctive and one girl in the front row set her self apart with her white hose and shoes.

School portraits, from any place in any era, are always interesting to look at in terms of the elements discussed above, but also as comparisons and contrasts to what we see today.

A Turn of Events at Tres Hermanos Ranch

The situation has evolved yet again at Tres Hermanos Ranch, situated in Tonner Canyon just north of Carbon Canyon.  Long owned by the City of Industry's redevelopment agency and subject to a purchase by the City after the dissolution of those agencies by the state, the ranch was then earmarked for a solar farm.

The cities of Chino Hills and Diamond Bar separately filed lawsuits challenging the sale on several grounds concerning this proposed plan without consulting the cities with respect to existing general plans and others.

Recently, however, came news in late July through the San Gabriel Valley Tribune that the City of Industry, which has undergone major administrative changes, has abandoned the solar farm plan, though it is not clear if the concept of some use of the ranch for solar power generation is totally jettisoned.

Yesterday, a new shift was announced in the form of an article in the Tribune that Industry has made overtures on some form of a joint partnership concerning the future of the 2,500-acre ranch, about 70% of which is in Chino Hills and the remainder in Diamond Bar.  The article indicated that discussions have yielded progress with an agreement nearing completion toward a joint powers authority.  There has been a Tres Hermanos Conservation Authority in the past, so it appears this would be a new entity with Industry having a more direct and formal repersentation.

One of the issues is the $42 million price tag which was attached to the ranch when a deal was made to sell the former redevelopment property to Industry and whether it would ask the other cities to help defray portions of that cost.  Industry is seeking to end a lease agreement with a firm hired to develop plans for the now-scuttled solar farm but is being challenged by that company, San Gabriel Valley Water and Power, LLC.

While specifics of the discussions were not provided by any of the cities, Chino Hills City Manager Rad Bartlam called the talks so far "genuine" and found them encouraging, stating that the several weeks of meetings would, hopefully, lead to a result "we can all live with."  Industry leaders have expressed hope for use of Tres Hermanos for a public purpose, with green energy still an interest of some of them.

Jim Gallagher of Save Tres Hermanos Ranch and a recent candidate for a Chino Hills City Council seat, however, expressed suspicion about the latest news, citing the possibility of housing needs assessments leading to Chino Hills and Diamond Bar eyeing at least parts of the ranch for development.  Instead, Gallagher and others with the advocacy group are pushing to preserve the ranch as part of a nature corridor linking the Puente and Chino hills ranges.

As the Tres Hermanos situation continues to develop, look for more here.

Canyon Pride Mural Completed in Sleepy Hollow

My very talented neighbor, artist Lena Sekine, has just completed another visual masterpiece of a mural in our off-beat (but on-track) little neighborhood of Sleepy Hollow.

She worked her magic on a long wall facing Carbon Canyon Road on the north side of the state highway and on the west end of the neighborhood. 

So, as you're heading out towards Brea and Orange County, it'll be on your right, while those heading east into Chino Hills and San Bernardino County, will see it on your left.

Actually, how can anyone miss this vibrant, colorful and compelling work of mural art?  Thanks, Lena, for providing another great example of visual beauty in our community and for the homeowners for commissioning her to do her thing!

You can see more of Lena's mural on her Instagram page.

Carbon Canyon Resident Honored at State of the City Event

At last night's State of the City event at the Chino Hills Community Center, which featured an excellent 37-minute video of the city and its many amenities, current issues, and major initiatives and projects, a new program called "Unsung Heroes" was unveiled.

Each of the five members of the city council selects a person who exemplifies community service, voluntarism, and unselfish dedication to the city.  One of the residents chosen in the inaugural round of the program this year is Carbon Canyon Fire Safe Council chairperson Charlie Blank.  Mayor Peter Rogers, who presented last night's State of the City, nominated Charlie for the honor and the photos here show the two during the recognition portion of the evening.

A native of the East Coast and retired from ExxonMobil, Charlie lives in the Summit Ranch neighborhood of the Canyon and has been involved in many community organizations.  He's served as president and treasurer of his neighborhood's Home Owners Association for over twenty years, coached and officiated in local soccer leagues, and, for the last six years, has been the chair of the Fire Safe Council, of which he's been a member for eight years.

Charlie is a low-key, but highly effective, community volunteer who gives of his time generously, but is about as publicity and recognition averse as anyone out there.  He is definitely deserving of the title of "Unsung Hero" and Carbon Canyon is fortunate to have him as an advocate.

New Twist in the Tale of Tres Hermanos Ranch

The San Gabriel Valley Tribune reported in yesterday's edition that the City of Industry city council voted to issue a rare municipal subpoena for records from the company that oversaw early stage planning for a proposed solar farm at Tres Hermanos Ranch in Tonner Canyon directly north of Carbon Canyon.

The documents were needed, the city stated, to hand over as part of lawsuits filed against it by the cities of Chino Hills and Diamond Bar to halt the sale of the ranch, but San Gabriel Valley Water and Power, LLC had not produced them as requested previously.  The firm was paid the $20 million in loans that the council set as the upper limit for what it could receive as part of the contract and then continued submitting invoices, which were rejected.

The issue is not just over the documents, but a wrinkle arose within the council as Industry Mayor Mark Radecki and Abraham Cruz, whom the paper described as the mayor's ally, did not attend the meeting called to vote on the subpoena and refused to sign it.  Radecki stated that he believed the meeting to be illegal, but the three-person majority continued with the process and voted to issue the subpoena, also passing a resolution giving Mayor pro-tem Cory Moss the authority to sign the document.  Statute requires the signatures of the mayor and city clerk.

For more on the story, here is the article.

On the Skids in Carbon Canyon #24891

This happened over the weekend, probably late at night as is often the case, and on eastbound Carbon Canyon Road at the middle of S-curve in Chino Hills, as is often the case.

In fact, there might have been two incidents here.  Tire marks lead directly into the power pole, which continues to get bumped and battered on a regular basis.  Note the bollard at the right thrown back at an angle, while its sibling is knocked flat toward the fence.

To the left of that is the speed limit sign for the curve, with its left post cut off just above the "ankle."  This sign has been partially or completely knocked down many times over the years.

It, like the pole, is an easy target for drivers, chemically impaired or otherwise, who just can't negotiate the obvious curve.  Somehow, those reflectors, added after the last incident, didn't prevent this one.

Portions of the tailpipe and muffler and other sundry and assorted car parts mark the path and the fence behind the sign has also (yet again) been partially damaged.

Carbon Canyon Road Full Closure

A structure fire in Sleepy Hollow has led to a full closure of Carbon Canyon Road from Olinda Village on the Brea side to Rosemary Lane in Sleepy Hollow on the Chino Hills side.

The last update was at 8 p.m. and there was no estimate for when the road will reopen.

UPDATE—10:35 P.M.  Carbon Canyon Road reopened a few minutes ago.

Another Twist at Tres Hermanos Ranch

The news is a few days old, but the City of Industry has filed a rare municipal subpoena for information from San Gabriel Valley Water and Power, LLC, the company it paid $20 million as part of early planning for a proposed solar farm at Tres Hermanos Ranch, which is directly north of Carbon Canyon.

This is said to be done in order to satisfy demands made in lawsuits filed by the cities of Chino Hills and Diamond Bar contesting the sale of the ranch to Industry.

Read more here.

More News on Tres Hermanos Ranch

An article this weekend in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune discusses the situation with the proposed solar farm at Tres Hermanos Ranch, specifically a plan for Southern California Edison to be involved in the project.

The utility signed on to build a pair of substations to link the solar farm to the electrical grid with the provision that the work would be paid for by the developer hired by the City of Industry to manage the project.

Payment for work by San Gabriel Valley Water and Power has been halted and it was stated that the company has not turned over documents to the City of Industry so the details of work can be verified as well as have information available in lawsuits filed against the City by the cities of Chino Hills and Diamond Bar over the sale of the ranch to Industry.

Acting City Manager Troy Helling said that Industry is committed to using Tres Hermanos for a public purpose, but observed that the sale is not technically complete because of the litigation and added that the situation is "still pretty much up in the air."

More on the story including a link to documents concerning the SCE substations is available here.

New Lawsuits Filed Over Tres Hermanos Ranch

Last week, the cities of Chino Hills and Diamond Bar filed new suits against the City of Industry over what they are arguing is a lack of information requested about a prposed solar farm on the Tres Hermanos Ranch, which Industry owns and which is located in Chino Hills (about 70%) and Diamond Bar.

The two cities claim that Industry would not release or significantly redacted paperwork and are asking for a full release of that material.  Industry counters that it has responded appropriately and has been waiting for third parties to provide some of the requested information.

To read more, here is the article from Friday afternoon.

David Purington Reminiscences of Sleepy Hollow, Part Three

Returning to a series of posts based on typewritten recollections of Sleepy Hollow by David Purington, son of the community's founders Cleve and Elizabeth Purington, here are five pages of his story about the creation and operation of the volunteer fire department, which served the community for several decades.  Thanks again to the neighbors here in Sleepy Hollow who provided the original typescripts.

Purington stated that the fire department started in the late 1940s and was housed in a garage at the back of the Sleepy Hollow Cafe, formerly a store operated by Dave Tidwell.  This is in the area of the parking lot for the Sleepy Hollow Community Center where Rosemary Lane meets Carbon Canyon Road.

David Purington's recollections of the Sleepy Hollow volunteer fire department in five pages.  Click on any image to see them enlarged in a separate window.

The initial crew of five volunteers, later seven, worked out of a garade behind the cafe, and were paid a couple of dollars per call, so that worker's compensation benefits could be obtained, but Purington noted that the money was put into a common fund so that the volunteers and wives could go out to dinner once in a while.

Purington also recorded that some volunteers had hitches on their vehicles so that a trailer, provided by the Chino Fire Department, could be hauled for calls.  Training was provided by the department, which was mostly comprised of volunteers under a paid chief, Art Wagner, who worked for the telephone company, as well.  This situation was, in fact, common for rural areas, remembering that this took place nearly three-quarters of a century ago.

The volunteers met weekly and conducted "dry run" drills, in which the equipment was brought out and hooked up, but no water used.  Purington related one instance in which the trailer became disconnected from the hauling vehicle and a couple of volunteers riding outside on the trailer hung on for dear life as the wayward trailer headed into some brush along the road.

Wanting a better vehicle, but with the Chino department unable to acquire anything in its limited budget, the Sleepy Hollow volunteers acquired a four-wheel drive truck from Army surplus.  The funds for this were raised by having Fireman's Balls, a common fund-raising technique, at the two cocktail lounges in the community (one at the east end where some apartments are today and the other at the former Party House #2 liquor store).

The fundraisers featured floor shows based on hit musicals of the day, like South Pacific and Guys and Dolls with scripts written by Nolan Hyde, secretary of the Sleepy Hollow Water Disrict (several years ago, Hyde's son provided some recollections posted on this blog).  With enough money raised to purchase the vehicle, volunteer Verne Stearns, whose son lives in the Mountain View Estates tract just east of Sleepy Hollow, picked out one.

A pumper unit was also acquired and Purington fabricated and welded a water tank, with both added to the International Harvester truck in Stearns' garage.  The vehicle was then taken to the Chino fire station for additional apparatus installation, including hoses, reels and a siren.

The fire company then moved to a new heaquarters on land owned by the water district once approval was obtained from the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors.  This became the volunteer fire building that stood for many years until the current community building was built in the early 2000s.  As Purington noted, it was decided to make the building large enough so that it could be used "for community meetings, dances, parties, etc." 

The structure, which was completed in 1951, included restrooms, a water heater, a cooking range, refrigerator, hot air furnace, sink and cupboards.  To raise money for the building, more events were held, mainly at the bar at the east side of Sleepy Hollow, the building of which still stands right along Carbon Canyon Road with a two-story house and apartments behind it.  These consisted of dancers, with the owner of the bar providing the space and allowing the department to keep all proceeds.

The volunteers used their skills in construction and contacts in getting deals for materials, including lumber, pipe and cement, and, after about a half a year of weekend work, the building was far enough along to park the truck in it, while more money was raised through community events, including dinners as well as dances, to get the lath and plaster finish done (the restrooms took a little while longer to get completed.) A Women's Auxiliary helped to stock the building with curtains, dishes, cups, silverware and other essentials.  Purington gave particular credit to Jean Stearns, Verne's wife, for her leadership in the auxiliary's work.

A few more volunteers were allowed to join the department and there was even a firehouse dog, Purington's pet Roger.  Purington recalled that there were times that, while he drove from his home to the hall, Roger would take off on his own route and arrive first.

In the late Fifties, the Chino Fire Department provided a Ford truck to the Sleepy Hollow volunteers and the International Harvester was retired.  Purington also related a story of how one of the volunteers played Santa Claus for community holiday events and the fire truck was used as a vehicle to escort St. Nick to the oak grove near the currently shuttered liquor store. 

He ended by noting that the fire house and community building needed some space cleared behind it on the steep hillsides as a park and patio area for events, but also to protect the building from exposure to water and rot.  As noted above, the structure was removed to make way for the current community building, which was designed and engineered for modern standards and codes.

New Share the Road Signs on Carbon Canyon Road

This morning personnel from District 8 of CalTrans were out and quickly and efficiently, over the course of a few hours, put up signs and painted markings along and on Carbon Canyon Road, on the San Bernardino/Chino Hills portion of the Canyon only from the county line to Old Carbon Canyon Road at the east end of the summit, warning motorists to "Share the Road" with bicyclists.

The state highway has long been a favorite route for riders and for obvious reasons: it winds through some nice scenery and provides a break from the urban areas on either side of the canyon.  Obviously, funds from either county or state taxes were made available for these improvements and, hopefully, drivers will be more aware of bicyclists as they travel through the canyon, especially on weekends.

One of the big issues, though, is that state law requires at least a 3-foot separation from a motor vehicle and a bicyclist on any road.  That is generally not a problem for most streets and highways, but, then again, Carbon Canyon Road is different than most thoroughfares.  There are sections that are very narrow with no shoulders and no way to maintain that separation when passing a bicyclist.  That means having to slow and ride behind the bicycle until there is room to provide that 3-foot cushion.

Then, there is the winding, curving nature of the roadway, which is one of its main attractions, but also one of its principal concerns.  Signs and markings are certainly helpful and better than the absence of them, but there have been collisions involving bicyclists with injuries and the occasionl fatality.  Riders should remember to constantly be watching traffic behind and in front and drivers, who are all-too-often distracted, need to be very mindful of who is riding on the highway.

Air Tour Photos of Puente-Chino Hills Wildlife Corridor

Last Sunday, I was given the privilege of taking an airplane tour, courtesy of Hills for Everyone, which works to preserve open space in the Puente Hills and Chino Hills, and Ecoflight, which does air tours as part of assiting in preservation of land and habitat, of the Chino Hills and Puente Hills ranges.

The flight, including city council members from Yorba Linda and Brea, left Chino Airport at 8:30 a.m. for a tour heading west along the northern portion of the hill ranges through Chino Hills, Diamond Bar, and Rowland Heights as far as Hacienda Heights and then returning east through the southern section of the two systems through La Habra Heights, Brea, Yorba Linda and then back to Chino.

Our pilot Bruce Gordon made the flight smooth and easy as we cruised along at what I think was about 2,000 feet in elevation and Melanie Schlotterbeck of Hills for Everyone did a great job narrating what we were seeing along the corridor.

Fortunately, we'd had some recent rain to provide some relief to what had been a dismal winter with virtually no precipitation, so that, by the time we took to the skies last week, there was enough green to really add to the beauty of the area.

Over 400 photographs were snapped in the course of the roughly half-hour journey because, after all, how often do these opportunities arise?  The chance to get rare elevated views of our area was really a treat and the accompanying photos give some idea of the beauty of these two hill ranges and what past preservation and future efforts to conserve land mean for our heavily urbanized area.

The first photograph (from the top) shows the eastern entrance to Carbon Canyon Road from Chino Hills Parkway as the state highway wends its way westward towards Brea.  The Summit Ranch, Carriage Hills and Western Hills Oaks communities are easily discerned.

The second image shows a nice panorama of the northern part of Chino Hills from Grand Avenue a little west of Peyton Drive and takes in many of the subdivisions there, but also much of Tres Hermanos Ranch, owned by the City of Industry, in the distance as the view looks southwest.

Photo #3 takes in much of Tres Hermanos Ranch from its northern reaches near Diamond Ranch High School, the land for which was donated by Industry to the Pomona Unified School District to the school which serves south Pomona and north Diamond Bar (part f which is at the upper right.)  Grand Avenue cuts through the ranch from left to right and the Arnold Reservoir is towards the upper left.

An interesting view from over the 57 Freeway looking south from the southern part of Diamond Bar takes in the break Tonner Canyon (at the left) and the Puente Hills region that is known as the Shell-Aera area and which is subject to a new development proposal.

Melanie made sure to point out a gem in the Shell Aera location, a spot appropriately called Hidden Valley and which is the highlight of the fifth photograph in this set, which looks south from near Pathfinder Road in Rowland Heights/Diamond Bar.

Image number six shows portions of Rowland Heights at the bottom with an area of the Puente Hills that, at the center left, included a development that was allowed to be built at the crest of the hills impacting the wildlife corridor and complicating efforts to preserve open space habitat.  Yet, to the center and upper right are sections that were preserved as part of the Puente Hills Native Habitat Authority, including some fine hiking trails.

The seventh photo shows the densely developed unincorporated community of Hacienda Heights which is at the north side of the Puente Hills, though, again, land has been preserved and trails built along the crest of the hills through the community out to Rose Hills Memorial Park at the west end of the hills.

Photo #8 shows the highest portions of the Puente Hills from the south with much of La Habra Heights, including the Hacienda Golf Club in the foregound and into the hills.

The ninth image shows much of the Shell Aera property in the hills above Brea looking to the north.  Proposals are for a staggering 3,600 residences between Harbor Boulevard on the west and the 57 Freeway on the east.  The effects would not just be on the lost habitat and recreational opportunities for hiking and walking, but on the already-congested streets and freeways of the communities (La Habra, Brea, Rowland Heights, and Diamond Bar) that adjoin the property.

Photo ten takes in the 57 Freeway corridor from about Lambert north into Diamond Bar, City of Industry and beyond.  Again, Shell Aera is at the upper left and Tonner Canyon, proposed in recent years for a reservoir/dam and solar farm, is at the right.

The remaining photos continued the flight eastward, with a fine view of Carbon Canyon's western end near the Chino Hills State Park Discovery Center; a look at the entrance to the state park at the Rimcrest trailhead; a view of the park including the Rolling M Ranch headquarters; land flanking the park at the east that is being sought for acquisition, preservation and addition to the park; and a view of the area near Prado Dam and the intersection of the 71 and 91 freeways with the Santa Ana Mountains forming a great backdrop.

We then returned over the Prado basin, Santa Ana River and the rapidly developing areas of Corona, South Ontario and Eastvale before making our descent and landing at the airport.  Again, many thanks to Hills for Everyone and Ecoflight for this rare opportunity to see the beauty of the Puente-Chino Hills Wildlife Corridor from the air, which only adds to the appreciation of what this corridor can do to improve the quality of life for our area.