By RHEA-FRANCES TETLEY Historian The Green Valley Tollhouse and Hotel was built by Bear Valley Wagon Toll Road builders Gus Knight Jr. and brother-in-law J.R. Metcalf. They hired George and Demaris Tillitt in 1903 to operate the tollhouse and maintain the dirt...
By RHEA-FRANCES TETLEY Historian Gus Knight Sr. and Jr. are prominent in mountain history because they were early pioneers who, when they saw a need, did something and were not afraid of a challenge or failure. Augustus (Gus) Knight Sr. came to the San...
By RHEA-FRANCES TETLEY Historian Summertime on the mountain is the best time to experience the great outdoors and go fishing and hiking. The difficulty in the early days was getting up the mountains but it was well rewarded by pleasant temperatures and cool...
By RHEA-FRANCES TETLEY Historian The Squirrel Inn was a private resort owned by members of the Arrowhead Mountain Club, which opened in 1893 and had yearly dues of $500, which kept it exclusive. The members were the powerful and rich of that Gilded Age, including...
During The Gilded Age, persons of wealth had access to most anything they wanted; they created clubs and organizations to associate with others of their class and interests. As the Arrowhead Reservoir irrigation project was begun, the creation of the Arrowhead...
By RHEA-FRANCES TETLEY Historian The lumbering industry in the Little Bear Valley area was moving forward full speed in the 1880s and the steam-powered lumber mills were cutting the larger trees that the earlier mills couldn’t handle. The lumbermen usually left...
