By RHEA-FRANCES TETLEY Historian Henry Guernsey died 101 years ago, in March 1924. Well-known during his lifetime, which was fraught with disasters and spectacular highs, he bought and sold sawmills, got injured, healed, lost lawsuits and named a town. Henry...
Those Were The Days
Those Were The Days
Those Were The Days — Jonathan James: From sawmills and schools to assemblyman
By RHEA-FRANCES TETLEY Historian John Rowland of the Workman-Rowland party, which arrived in 1841 to Mexican California, was more interested in his other businesses than personally operating his sawmill on the mountaintop, so he hired Jonathan James to be the...
Those Were The Days – Benjamin Davis Wilson: Hunter, mayor, state senator
By RHEA-FRANCES TETLEY Historian Benjamin Davis Wilson was born in Tennessee in 1811. He traveled to Los Angeles in 1841 as part of the Workman-Rowland Party whose plan was to take a ship to China. The Republic of Mexico wouldn’t permit them to leave. (Daniel...
Discovering the mountain’s roots
By Mary-Justine Lanyon Editor The third time, as they say, is the charm. The Lake Arrowhead New Friends of the Library intended to kick off their monthly gathering with historian Russ Keller on Jan. 16. However, power outages on that day and then on Jan. 23...
The Burnt Mill and Battle of Indian Hill
By RHEA-FRANCES TETLEY Historian The Serrano Indians (Yuhaaviatam tribe) are the indigenous people of these mountains. They have many legends of their creation, with the Eye of God rock outcropping and the hot springs in the Big Bear area being very sacred to...
Historical Landmarks: Unveiling the Hidden Gems of Our Mountain Community
The towering peaks and serene valleys of our mountain community are not merely landscapes but the keepers of a rich, multifaceted history. With every step on these ancient grounds, we walk in the footsteps of countless generations before us. The Alpine Mountaineer is...








