By RHEA-FRANCES TETLEY
Historian
The Rim of the World Historical Society began 40 years ago, in 1986, to preserve the unique history of the west end of the San Bernardino Mountain area and to share it with others. They have done that in several ways, resulting in the creation of the Mountain History Museum – located in a former Lake Arrowhead Community Fire District station, at 27176 Peninsula Drive in Lake Arrowhead – and numerous presentations, tours and hundreds of newspaper stories over the decades about various episodes, people and historic places in the area’s past.
The San Moritz Lodge in 1946. (Photos from the Crest Forest Historical Society’s 1987 calendar)
One of the first things they did when forming as the Crest Forest Historical Society was to print a calendar for the next year, 1987, which just happens to correspond exactly with the calendar for this year, 2026. As I was using that calendar this year, I became quite inspired with this calendar from 39 years ago, and even more impressed that many of the supporting businesses listed on that calendar are still operating today.
In the calendar, each month’s page had a fabulous 8 x 10 historic photo. These $5 calendars have been saved and are often seen at estate sales of long-time residents, as the calendars were appreciated for their photos and historical value.
The front of the 1987 calendar had a 1946 photo of cars parked in front of the Club San Moritz Lodge in Valley of the Moon, with some members walking into the Lodge and others enjoying Moon Lake, with horseback riders in the front. The Club San Moritz was a private country club type organization, very common in the area at the time, where members would buy property near the club so they could partake of the activities. It is quite the action shot of people enjoying life in the mountains after World War II. The Club San Moritz was active through the 1970s, building a new clubhouse on the shore of Lake Gregory in the 1950s, now the San Moritz Lodge owned by San Bernardino County.
Ice skating on Moon Lake in 1933.
Opening the calendar, each photo of the month had a descriptive blurb on the significance of the photo. January shows a 1933 photo of ice skaters on Moon Lake next to the former Arrowhead Valley Club, which had disbanded by that time due to the Depression. The Arrowhead Valley Club was a private club, made up mostly of members of the Masonic Lodge, who had built the beautiful and rustic Valley of the Moon Lodge building, later remodeled in 1939 by the Club San Moritz when they bought it.
Moon Lake, next to the lodge building, was only six feet deep so, during the summer, it was excellent for canoe rides, swimming and fishing, but the lake usually froze over enough during the winter for ice skating. One of the January advertisements was from long-time resident Gareth Glassey who, at that time, owned Mountain Disposal Service, which he sold to Burrtec when he retired. Burrtec is now servicing the community as a “collector of external refuse.”
The February calendar page showed the wooden log front of the Cedarpines Park General Store and Post Office in the 1930s, with owner Frank Nardi. That building still stands today in the center of Cedarpines Park. The blurb told the story of Postmaster Frank and his half-brother Joe Bertucci, who added onto the original building creating “The Hayloft,” a restaurant with fine dining, dancing and a bar.
The Cedarpines Park post office and general store in 1930 with Frank Nardi in front.
Since the brothers were Catholics, Joe invited Father Briody to hold Mass in the dance hall on Sunday morning, July 7, 1946, forming a Catholic congregation, which founded the area’s Catholic Church. They raised funds and broke ground for a church building on June 1, 1947, holding their first Mass inside that church in late November 1947. This was the first Catholic church in the world to be named for the first American saint, Mother St. Frances Cabrini, since their first Mass had been held on the same day she was canonized.
The ad for February was for Johnny’s Market in Valley of Enchantment, promoting their video and movie rentals. Johnny’s Market and the other commercial buildings in VOE were also the site for the filming of the 2002 Star Trek Enterprise episode, “Carbon Creek.” The movie company painted a new sign for Johnny’s Market, which owner Harold proudly used for many years. The market was sold after Harold’s death; the same building is now Magic 7 Market, which doesn’t rent videos (nor does anyone else in town). Many long-time residents still call the store “Johnny’s Market,” named for the store’s owner in the 1950s before Harold and his father operated the business.
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