1 Two reasons for this presentation: • Part of the “public benefit” mitigation being prepared for this project. • Educate interest groups as to the opportunities to become involved in projects for which they may have historic preservation concerns
2 From John W. Robinson, The San Bernardinos, p.. 35.
Beginning in the 1850s, California enacted several of laws easing restrictions on the creation of private companies, reducing subscription rates, and authorizing counties to set tolls for the construction of toll roads. Many toll roads were incorporated between the 1850s and 1880s, with a peak during the 1860s (Caltrans, A Historical Context and Methodology For Evaluating Trails, Roads, and Highways in California. 2016. p 61‐62).
(1852) Mormon Road at Waterman Canyon (1858) San Bernardino Pine Mountain Turnpike Company formed to repair the Mormon (Waterman Canyon) Road, which had fallen into disrepair. First toll road into the mountains (Robinson 26, Hammond 4)
(1861) Cajon Pass Toll Road. John Brown and others secured a franchise for a toll road in Cajon Pass. Franchise was to last for 20 years, after which the Cajon Pass Toll Road was to become a public road. Starting near Devore, the road ran up Cajon Canyon to Blue Cut, through the Narrows, up Crowder Canyon to the summit of Cajon Pass, where it met the road to Oro Grande (Robinson 51).
(1867‐68) Nathan Swarthout builds road up Bailey Canyon into Sawpit Canyon lumber
3 area, replacing the old Bandini Road of the 1840s (Robinson 31).
(1869‐70) Mountain Turnpike Company incorporated to construct Daley Canyon Toll Road (Twin & City Creek Turnpike), providing a more direct route to the lumbering area in Little Bear Valley (Robinson 31). Originating in Del Rosa the road was located east of Waterman Canyon road and west of current City Creek Road.
(1878) San Bernardino Board of Supervisors commission Assistant State Engineer Fred Perris to survey a route from Long Point up City Creek canyon. The proposed road would cost more than the $20,000 available to build, and thus was not built (Robinson 159).
(1890‐91) City Creek Toll Road by Highland Lumber Company.
(1892) Bear Valley Wagon Road
3 From John W. Robinson, The San Bernardinos, p. 43
(1890) David Seeley/ Thomas McFarlane began a road up City Creek Canyon to his lumber holdings above East Fork City Creek (later sold to Danahers). (SBD Mountains Highlander, May 1978).
(1890‐91) Danaher Brothers incorporate the Highland Lumber Company, purchased a 26,000‐acre tract of timberland above the east fork of City Creek. Negotiated rights‐of‐ way with orange growers and settlers through Highland and lower City Creek, and began construction of a road up to their timber holdings and their proposed mill at Long Point (Robinson 37‐38, 159).
Original plan appears to have been to first build a road along as easy a grade as possible such that it can later be used as a railroad grade. The plan was to get the road open, then once operations were up and running, to go back and straighten the road and construct additional timber bridges to make the grade easier (San Bernardino Daily Times‐Index, Saturday March 28, 1891) (Hammond 5‐6, Sun 6/2/19, and 5/18/19).
Originally planned to have a 10% grade. The HLC anxious to start lumbering but the road building up City Creek was not going fast enough. Road crews were ordered to abandon
4 their easy grading and zigzag the route steeply up to the crest (25% grade).
The first lumber produced was used for the mill. The second cutting was used to construct a bridge across City Creek Gorge (replacing the original shoefly), and the third run was utilized to build a company town. Before year's end, lumber was hauled down the City Creek road to construct a box mill in Highland at Molino station of the Santa Fe Railroad's "Kite Line," to serve Highland citrus growers.
(1891)(July 7) Highland Lumber Company petitions County Board of Supervisors to establish City Creek Road as a toll road. “Said road was constructed on nearly a railroad grade in many of its parts and was constructed by said Company entirely for its own use and purposes.” The Company had acquired all rights of way along the road, and because it is in the best interest of the County “offers to make the same a toll road, free and open to all travelers who seek to pass and re‐pass over said road at the tolls herewith stated . . . ” The Company constructed the road for $50,000. (filed July 7, 1891 with the County Clerk)
(1892) Highland residents petition County BOS for reduction of toll on City Creek Road (LA Times 8/9/1892). City Creek Road tolls reduced (list of new tolls) (LA Times 8/21/1892).
(1892) “Dutch John” Schenk’s store located in City Creek Canyon (Barrel Springs) near the forks below the site of the future CCC camp/ USFS ranger station. Later became Phil’s Trout Pond. Another way station was located at Long Point (Robinson 163; Calvert, 169; SBD Mountains Highlander, May 1978).
(1892) Highland Lumber Co.'s Long Point Mill ceased Operations. Molino Box Factory kept operating, on & off, for next 7 yrs. (Robinson 38).
(1899) Brookings Lumber Co. purchased Highland Lumber Co. The deal included sawmill at Long Point, 6,000 ac. Of timberland, City Creek Toll Rd., Molino Box Factory. The Company became largest operation known in the SBd Mts. (Robinson 38).
(1899) County BOS transferred toll road franchise on City Creek Road to Brookings (LA Times 6/6/1899).
City Creek Rd. widened & regraded except upper portion. Constructed a narrow gauge logging railroad (LA Times 1/1/1900; (Robinson 38).
Up to 35 teams operating a day hauling lumber down City Creek Road to Moline factory, averaging 2500 feet per load (LA Times 1/1/1900)
(1912) Brookings Lumber Company halts operations and moves to Oregon. Most easily accessible timber had been cut. (Robinson 43‐44).
4 First City Creek Bridge, Built 1891 (source unknown?)
Work on City Creek Road began in January and ended in July “The grade is easy and uniform.” 3 miles up the canyon, the road crosses the canyon on a bridge 180 feet long, 80 feet above the water, and containing 132,000 board feet of lumber (article also describes the mill)(LA Times 12/4/1891).
5 1901 USGS Redlands Quad
Thus ends the first phase in the history of City Creek road.
Contextually, what was happening at this time (1890‐1910):
1855‐1860s Gold Mining in Bear Valley. As many as 1000 miners in the area by end of 1860 (Robinson 47‐48). Continues . . . 1860‐80s Ranching begins in Mountain areas in association with lumber and mining interests. Continues . . . 1850‐1880s Timbering continues … expands
1890s Things start to change:
Advent of the automobile means a new king of road is needed.
Good Roads Movement influences planned road development and formation of automobile clubs and associations primarily between 1870s and 1920s. The Good Roads movement coincided with the Back to Nature movement. Both had many advocates in Southern California (Caltrans, A Historical Context . . . 2016. p 67, 79).
6 (1886) California Board of Forestry established. (1891) Forest Reserve Act introduced concept of retaining public lands for present & future use. (1893) San Bernardino Forest Reserve established by Pres. Harrison.737,280 acres (1907) San Bernardino Forest Reserve became San Bernardino National Forest. (1905) Growing opposition to clear‐cutting and emphasis on conservation. Transfer of Forest timber reserves to DOAs Forest Service. (ca. 1910) County acquired several sections of former toll roads and opened them as public roads.
6 From San Bernardino Daily Sun, June 1, 1919 (when City Creek Road was opened by the County as County Highway)
Now we are in a new era of road building focused more on cars rather than wagons, serving mountain residential and recreational traffic rather than ranching, mining, and timber interests.
(1900) Brookings Lumber Company petitions to transfer City Creek Toll Road to County. (County does not accept until 1914 (RH).
(1914) County Board of Supervisors accepts “Brookings Road” as a County Road (BOS minutes 5/4/1914). Road purchased by SBd co . (California Highways and Public Works, 3‐4/48).
(1915) The County will survey the old Brookings road at City Creek to determine the cost of making it a public road (reprinted in SBD Sun, October 24, 1967)
Communities divide over road. San Bernardino and Highland are in favor of the road; Redlands and others oppose it. Opposition rests not on having a new road, but against expenditure of funds for another mountain road when other County roads need
7 attention (LA Times 7/18/1917) (LA Times 11/20/1915).
(1917‐19) San Bernardino County takes over City Creek Road. County reworked entire road, reducing hairpin turns, reducing the 18‐20% grades to 10‐12%, regrading 22‐foot roadbed, applying 16 feet of oil surfacing (CHPW M‐A/1948).
7 (1915) Convict Labor Law enacted in California, authorizing the employment of prison labor. CHC was to supervise and maintain convict labor camps (Caltrans, Roads, 89; Work Camps, 82‐86). In 1923 new department created for Prison Road Camps under CDPW. Use of convict labor peaked in 1929‐30 with 7 camps (Caltrans, Work Camps 86).
(1918) County prison gangs were moved to City Creek Canyon to begin work. A substantial construction camp was established about half way up the canyon under the supervision of the County Highway Commissioner. Work at this time eliminated some of the heavy grades and constructed some detours (Hammond 5‐6, Sun 6/2/19, 5/18/19, 5/31/19).
(1919) City Creek Road will open to public June 1 1919. City Creek Road referred to as the “Daylight Loop on the Rim of the World.”
City Creek Road will be opened all the way and is in better shape than any other mountain roads have been. Government aid of $100,000 is expected for future construction of a new road (LA Times 5/2/1919)
According to Highway Commissioner Lathrop. Work on City Creek Road is being done by prison gang labor and will only cost the County $10,000 (LA Times 5/52/1919).
8 Likely, due to local opposition and strained funding, County took over the road and did minimal improvements in 1919 to get it opened. Shortly thereafter, State and Federal assistance was obtained likely through the Forest Highway program and the County, State and Feds did a series of improvements in 1923‐24.
1921 Federal Aid Highway Act necessitated the designation and approval of a National Forest Highway System of “forest roads of primary importance to the counties or communities within, adjoining or adjacent to national forests.” Initially 70 highways statewide. Designation, funding and work a collaborative effort between CHC, USFS and Bureau of Public Roads (FHWA) (CHPW M‐J 1950: 10‐11).
1923 Prison Camp has been established on City Creek Road: “making better grades, widening turn, banking the road, and making it all in just as good shape as it possibly can be.” Noted that work is being done by State and Federal govt. (LA Times 1/4/1923). The road is now 21 feet wide in most places and grades have been cut to 6% or less. “The road is one of the widest roads in the San Bernardino Mountains.” (EQS)
(Oct. 15) new City Creek Bridge approved, 18' roadway, 192' length, proposed to be at same location as existing wooden truss bridge (SBd Co. Surv.).
Proposed bridge with 192’ span, steel deck Pratt truss Highway Bridge. County will construct concrete footings and substructure and clear worksite, contractor to supply the bridge. “The Contractor may use the wooden bridge which is now in place as a false work during erection of the proposed steel bridge and shall dismantle or raze this present wooden bridge to the ground and stack same in neat and accessible pile near by.” (Specifications recorded November 1923) Bridge will be the second highest in County (EQS).
Bridge construction completed by Greene Construction Company for $22,350 and accepted by the County (April 28, 1924)
(1925) Work on City Creek Road has been completed. (LA Times 6/4/1925)
Of the three or four routes into the mountains City Creek Road is the best, “the forerunner of a series of highly improved broad thorofares by San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors working in conjunction with the State and Federal governments,” (LA Times 5/31/1925)
City Creek Rd., final section completed to junction of Rim of the World Dr. @ Running Springs. City Creek Road became a more favorable route to the mountains due to its 14% grade, except in the upper section, compared to Waterman Canyon 18% grade and the Clark Grade’s 22% (Robinson 162)
8 11,360 cars use the new City Creek Road to access the mountains over 4th of July 1925.
8 Caltrans 1937. Location of 1924 Truss Bridge south of the proposed 1947 City Creek Concrete arch bridge. Note the service station to the west.
9 1937 plan sheet showing proposed alignment of new City Creek High Gear Highway. Road and bridge to CCC camp. First bridge on East Fork City Creek located directly south of current bridge.
(1933) Emergency Conservation Act established CCC. 275,000 men working at 1300 camps nationwide. 15 CCC Camps employing 3200 men operating in San Bernardino NF. Camps included Camp Radford, (upper Santa Ana), Mill Creek Camp, Oak Glen, Camp Comfort (Banning Bench), City Creek, Big Bear Big Pine Flat, Lake Arrowhead, Camp Cajon, and Lytle Creek. WPA, NIRA, SERA also had crews working on Forest improvements during the 1930s (Robinson 102‐103).
(1939) Only two CCC camps remain in operation in San Bernardino Mountains: City Creek and Mill Creek (CCC ends in 1942) (Robinson 103).
(1936‐40) Proposal to use WPA labor for constructing new high gear highway up City Creek Canyon. Plan was to use 1461 CCC laborers. Problem was to find a sponsor for the project (as a WPA project): State Department of Public Works, SBd County, USFS (SBD Sun 12/30/1936; 12/29/1936; 1/4/1940).
10 Road to CCC Camp
11 California Highways and Public Works 1948 above Dutch John Flats.
12 (c.1926‐1937) City Creek Road was classified as a Forest Highway between Fredalba and the southerly Forest boundary (13 miles).
(1937) City Creek Road brought into the State Highway System The bill (Ralph E Swing) incorporated the City Creek Road ROW into the SHS and appropriated $447,308 for materials and equipment. Feds, using WPA funds, were to supply the labor. Plans drafted by Howard L. Way, County Surveyor, E.Q Sullivan, District Engineer, ad H.A. Kelly WPA Engineer. Job would require a 2,000 man workforce (currently 4,000 WPA workers in the County) ((CHPW M‐A/1948; San Bernardino Daily Sun, January 27, 1937).
(1938) “Merriam to Break Ground for Road” (San Bernardino Sun, November 2, 1938). “New Highway in City Creek Canyon Begun” (San Bernardino Sun, November 3, 1938). Formal transfer of road to state, preliminary road work begun. Christened "'Golden Link of the Sunkist Valley‘.
13 (1946‐50) City Creek Road is realigned, constructed in several stages, widened, regraded 7% max. grade; Identified as part of State Hwy. 30.
(1951) (Aug. 19) The 15‐mile City Creek Road officially opened for its entire length. 8,000 people attended the two day long celebration, with Lt Gov. Goodwin J Knight officiating. The new road was completed in five units costing $3,900,400, 1/5th of all state funds expended on highways since the end of WWII (CHPW 9‐10/51)
14 CHPW 1947
15 1948 Unit 1
16 1948‐50 Erosion Control
(1948) Used bedding straw (150+ tons, possibly from Santa Anita), and war surplus camouflage wire mats are being used on slopes for erosion control. Also use of bin‐type retaining walls. In addition by 1950, surplus steel army cots were used, laid and wired together underneath the straw matting (CHPW S/O 1948, J/F‐1950).
17 1948 In Highland AT Highland/Boulder (CHPW).
18 3rd City Creek Bridge, 1947
19 East Fork City Creek, 1948
20 Long Point to City Creek Bridge. 1919 City Creek Road (red). Modern Highway 330 (yellow). 1930s road to CCC Camp (green).
21 Long Point ‐ South
22 23 Note: Three generations of City Creek Road visible. 1891 Timber road (blue).
24 Note 1947 Construction bypass road in center
25 26 CCC Road (green) departing City Creek Road (red) near Dutch John Flats.
27 Former CCC Camp at Ranger Station
28 29 30 31 Original USFS Ranger Station remains.
32 33 Of the open spandrel arch bridges: 9 are classified as through arches, in which two rib arches sit above the roadway with lateral ties connecting them. 88 bridges are deck arches in which the roadway is situated atop the arch.
Also categorized by arch type: round arches, elliptical arches, parabolic arches, partial‐parabolic arches.
34 35 The quintessential character‐defining feature of the open spandrel concrete arch bridge is the arch itself, as well as in the arch window railing that was common to this bridge type. Open spandrel concrete arch bridges were typically constructed with two arch rings (or ribs), one at either side of the bridge, although up to ten rings were used for wider bridges. By far the most common type of bridge railing on concrete arch bridges was some form of arched window railing, with either rectangular, elliptical, parabolic, or pointed arch openings.
36 37 38 39 Rails were replaced on City Creek Bridge in 1997 as part of seismic retrofit project.
40 The take away here is that Caltrans looked at a number of alternatives, but most were rejected for engineering and safety reasons (rail not strong enough to meet current standards, rail not high enough, etc.) TL 2 45 mph impact speed / TL4 62 mph impact speed
41 ST‐10, Type 80, and Alaska Multi‐state
42 City Creek Bridge with T‐411 Railing
43 City Creek Bridge Simulation
44 45 East Fork City Creek Simulation
46 Caltrans is the largest developer in the State and must comply with numerous State and Federal environmental laws.
These are the primary laws we comply with that have cultural resources or historic preservation concerns.
NEPA, CEQA, and NHPA are all similar in the way they deal with cultural resources.
47 Most important and overarching law is NHPA. Because this law has so much written guidance, that guidance is generally used to comply with other laws (NEPA and CEQA).
What does Section 106 mean? Anytime there is a project with a Federal nexus– federal land, permit, or funding –agencies have to go through an effort to determine if there are any historic properties in the project area (APE), and if so, determine level of effect on them. Must consult with SHPO to determine the adequacy of the effort.
48 Two methods for a cultural resource to become an historic property = Formally listed through the NPS with an NRHP Nomination Form (a long process), or determined eligible for the NRHP in consultation with SHPO through the Section 106 process.
49 Historic properties are cultural resources that have been determined significant.
50 Idea is that only the most significant properties are listed. Just because something is old does not mean it is historically significant under historic preservation law.
51 52 Steps 2-4 result in Caltrans preparing a document and consulting with SHPO.
During these steps we consult with interested parties (historical societies, local preservation councils, USFS, etc)
Step 4 is where the MOA comes in. This is where we are now.
53 This is primarily where the public has the opportunity to get involved.
54 55