SAN BERNARDINO
HISTORY and MAP
Spanish Missionaries from Mission San Gabriel Arcángel established a church at the village of Politania in 1810. Father Francisco Dumetz named the church San Bernardino on May 20, 1810, after the feast day of St. Bernardino of Siena. In 1819, they established the San Bernardino de Sena Estancia, a mission farm in what is now Redlands.
Following Mexican independence from Spain in 1821, Mexican citizens were granted land grants to establish ranchos in the county. Rancho Jurupa in 1838, Rancho Cucamonga and El Rincon in 1839, Rancho Santa Ana del Chino in 1841, Rancho San Bernardino in 1842 and Rancho Muscupiabe in 1844.
Agua Mansa was the first town in what became San Bernardino County, settled by immigrants from New Mexico on land donated from the Rancho Jurupa in 1841.
Following the purchase of Rancho San Bernardino, and the establishment of the town of San Bernardino in 1851 by Mormon colonists, San Bernardino County was formed in 1853 from parts of Los Angeles County. Some of the southern parts of the county’s territory were given to Riverside County in 1893.
STATE DESIGNATED HISTORIC LANDMARKS
#42: San Bernardino Asistencia
#43: The Zanja
#44: Site of Mormon Stockade
#95: Guachama Rancheria
#96: Mormon Road
#121: Agua Mansa
#191: Yorba-Slaughter Adobe
#360: Tapia Adobe (Site of)
#490: Cucamonga Rancho Winery
#528: Yucaipa Adobe
#573: Sycamore Grove
#576: Santa Fe and Salt Lake Trail Monument
#577: Mormon Trail Monument
#578: Stoddard-Waite Monument
#579: Daley Toll Road Monument
#617: Fort Benson
#618: Garces-Smith Monument
#619: Holcomb Valley
#620: Yucaipa Rancheria
#622: Harry Wade Exit Route
#717: Angeles National Forest
#725: Old Bear Valley Dam
#737: Chimney Rock
#774: Searles Lake Borax Discovery
#781: National Old Trails Monument
#782: Town of Calico
#859: Von Schmidt State Boundary Monument
#892: Harvey House
#939: Twentieth Century Folk Art Environment – Hula Ville (Site Of)
#939: Twentieth Century Folk Art Environment – Possum Trot
#942: Site of the Rancho Chino Adobe of Isaac Williams
#950: United States Rabbit Experimental Station
#963: The Mojave Road
#963.1: Camp Cady (on the Mojave Road)
#977: The Arrowhead
#985: Desert Training Center – Camp Iron Mountain
#985: Desert Training Center – Camp Clipper
#985: Desert Training Center – Camp Ibis
#994: A.K. Smiley Public Library
#1019: Kimberly Crest
#1028: Madonna of the Trail