Upcoming Events:

The Museum is open on Saturdays 10am - 3pm.  Come take a tour! 

Apr 13th  History Day.  Meet local authors.  Other SoCal Historical societies and museums will also be there.  Live music, food, craft demos, gold panning and more.  Free admission.

December 8, 1812 - Earthquake

The Wrightwood Earthquake, also known as the San Juan Capistrano Earthquake, occurred December 8, 1812. The epicenter is thought to have been along the San Andreas Fault near Wrightwood with a magnitude of 7.0.

By comparison, the San Francisco quake of 1906 had a magnitude of 7.8 and the Northridge quake of 1994 registered 6.7.

At San Juan Capistrano forty American Indians died when the mortar in the church walls failed and the church collapsed.  

Some damage may have been reported at Mission San Gabriel and even San Diego, but records are poor, and it is possible damage may have been the result of an earthquake that happened two weeks later.  

Another earthquake happened on December 21st, this time off the coast of Santa Barbara, with a magnitude of 7.0.  Santa Barbara Presidio was left uninhabitable, and major damage was reported at missions in Santa Barbara, Lompoc, Santa Ynez, Ventura and San Fernando.

Most of the documentation in early 1800s was kept by the padres at the missions. Although written records may not be available, it is reasonable to assume the Indians of the San Bernardino Valley were surprised and may have been terrified by the December earthquakes.

Steam Locomotion (1769 - 1927)

Click here to view a short Photo History of Steam Locomotives that was extracted from The History of Transportation, published by The Railway Education Bureau in 1927.

The First Train Arrives in San Bernardino

For over 11 months the Southern Pacific Railroad prevented a train from entering San Bernardino from the South.  Southern Pacific used legal and physical means to prevent the train from crossing the SP east-west track at the Colton Crossing. 

Virgil Earp (a special agent for Southern Pacific and later the first City Marshall of Colton) led the group that prevented California Southern Railroad from heading north to San Bernardino.

On September 13, 1883, after a court order was issued and an "at grade" crossing (called a "frog") was installed, the first train arrived in San Bernardino from National City (just south of San Diego).  The train, pulled by Engine No. 4,  was operated by the California Southern Railroad, later owned by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway.

Fred T. Perris, a civil engineer and surveyor for the railroad, was at the whistle. (Photograph by H. B. Wesner) 

Note: On August 28, 2013, a public celebration was held to dedicate the opening of the new Colton Crossing Rail-to-Rail Grade Separation.  After 130 years the east-west Union Pacific Railroad tracks were raised to pass over the north-south BNSF Railroad tracks.  This will alleviate congestion at the crossing, which accommodates more that 100 trains each day.

Pioneer Women of San Bernardino

Top Row:

Jerusha Bemis (1799-1872)

Clare Cherry (1919-1990)

Eliza Robbins Crafts (1825-1910)

Janet Miles (1901-2008)

Maria Armenta Bermudez (1806-1858) 

Middle Row:

Mary Bennett Goodcell (1849-1909)

Sarah Jane Rousseau (1816-1872)

Lizzy Flake Rowan (1834-1908)

Mary Wixom Crandall (1834-1927)

Caterina Croce Massetti (1877-1946)

Bottom Row:

Alice Rowan Johnson (1868-1911)

Arda M. Haenszel (1910-2001)

Dorothy Inghram (1905-2012)

Pinky Brier (1909-2008)

Mourning Burnham Glenn (1814-1905) 

Click here to read the stories of all of these pioneering women and their contributions to San Bernardino.

The Museum's Railroad Inspection and Work Vehicles

Handcar - Popular 1880's to 1920's19th Century Sheffield VelocipedeKalamazoo Inspection Car Used by Western UnionGasoline Powered M-19 Fairmont Motorcar

Chair from Opera House is in the Museum

This chair was in the personal box of James Waters, who is pictured at the right.  James Waters, along with Herman Brinkmeyer (seen on the balcony of the Opera House), built the San Bernardino Opera House in 1882, four years before Los Angeles had an opera house of its own. 

The Opera House featured everything from Italian Grand Operas and Shakespeare's plays, to musicals and magicians, and to vaudeville and silent movies.  All of the greats performed in San Bernardino's finest theater, including Lillie Langtry, Al Jolson, Lillian Russell, Harry Houdini, Will Rogers, Sarah Bernhardt, Edwin Booth, the Barrymores and many more. 

The Opera House was located on the east side of D Street between 3rd and 4th Streets and was torn down in 1927.  

The chair and the painting of James Waters were donated to the San Bernardino Historical and Pioneer Society by Mary Renter, the great-great-granddaughter of James Waters.

Click here for a detailed look at the Opera House.

Click here for the story of Jim Waters, from mountainman to builder of an opera house.