By RHEA-FRANCES TETLEY
Historian
Professor William Stephen arrived in the San Bernardino Mountains from Scotland in 1890. He wrote for the newspaper in the valley, extolling the virtues of the mountains and their beauty. He became part of the fun of visiting the area by entertaining the summer visitors. He received the nickname “Uncle Billy” from those who loved him entertaining with his concertina, a small, portable free-reed instrument with bellows and button-operated keys on both ends.
In 1905 “Uncle Billy” Stephen was playing and entertaining the 200 guests staying at Skyland with his repertoire of comic songs, hornpipes and Uncle Remus stories. The audience loved it.
The Skyland Inn
Later, they had a mock trial and sued Uncle Billy for “grandiloquency,” of which he was found guilty, so the mock judge fined him $25 and then collected the fine from the audience members who gladly anted up and paid.
Camp Lincoln, where Uncle Billy had spent several summers, had become busy, with all the horse-drawn traffic using the watering trough that he and the Pioneer Society had installed in 1899. Since then, partially because of the trough and all the animals it attracted, the area had received the unflattering nickname of “Fly Camp.”
Uncle Billy camped at Mormon Springs in 1906, right at the top of the new, free county road. In his position as a Sun newspaper reporter, he could celebrate everything that happened on the Crest. He highlighted the dances and musicals at the Skyland Inn. The campers at the various camps, his entertainment, their card games, horseback rides and the beautiful sunsets shimmering off the ocean in the distance were frequent themes. He wrote of the good times the 15 families vacationing at the new Pioneer Camp next to James Flat (Pioneer Camp Road) were enjoying. The mountains became a dream vacation destination for the valley residents from his writings.
He wrote about those in the area: David Seely, the Knapps, the fertilizer hauled from Fly Camp, the Dexters, the folks at the Squirrel Inn, “socialbles,” “refined elocutionists,” Dr. Baylis, Pinecrest Farm, and “sweetly vocalized canticles.” Who wouldn’t want to visit the mountains after reading about it from Uncle Billy?
The Changing of the Squirrel dinner at the Squirrel Inn
Stephen was playing regularly in 1907 at a “tastefully temporary structure,” built by Mrs. Stephen McCham at Strawberry Flat to entertain the visitors. She was presenting a show called “Miss Tabitha Perplexities,” which showed off the thespian talents of the residents. She had the well-dressed Scottish professor performing step-dancing and Spanish ballads were played on a guitar by a local builder and butcher. A flutist and a coronet player also entertained. But it was “Uncle Billy” playing his concertina in his casual attire that brought in the crowds. He also attended the semi-weekly dances at Skyland Inn where Jean Johnson played the piano.
Columnist William Stephen (he was a man of many hats) kept up on the events everywhere along the crest. He visited, talked and was known everywhere. He recorded the names of all the mountain visitors as they entered the forest. Having their names printed in the paper encouraged more to make the trek, and those who came or wanted to come to the mountain to buy the paper.
At the annual “Changing of the Squirrel Dinner” at the private resort, The Squirrel Inn, the good professor entertained with lively stories of the Argonauts and “recited Shakespeare a la Booth and Irving.” He and Frank Baca played music for the gentry gathered there.
Then Stephen spent the winter in the “Gregory Forest” near Strawberry Flat, cutting wood. As the spring 1908 approached and the campers arrived, he entertained as best he could, but he couldn’t play music as his concertina was broken.
Uncle Billy played a concertina much like this.
Miss Jane Hunter of Los Angeles heard of his misfortune and decided to do something about it. On Aug. 18, she presented him with a new concertina at Camp Lincoln with 100 Pioneers in attendance. Two days later, she held an “Uncle Billy Benefit” at the Skyland Inn where 200 more people came to fete their beloved “Bard.”
The benefit was a vaudeville show performed by his friends of just the type of songs and dances and comedy Stephen enjoyed. When the evening was over, he was presented with a generous monetary gift.
Uncle Billy used his new concertina, entertaining at all the events all winter long to the delight of an increasing number of year-round residents.
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