photos by Rudolph D'Heureuse
San Bernardino
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San Bernardino
In the year 1863, San Bernardino was a small but growing town in Southern California trying to find its place in the wild and rugged landscape. Not a giant city like Los Angeles or San Francisco, it was an important stop for people heading westward, in particular, those in search of gold and new places to settle.The town was made up of a mixture of people: Native Americans who had lived there for centuries, Hispanic settlers from Mexico, and the rapidly expanding waves of pioneers from the eastern United States. People of this eclectic mix of cultures living together under one roof set San Bernardino apart but also occasionally generated frictions as the groups competed for land and other resources.
Though physically removed from the battlegrounds, San Bernardino was also feeling the effects of the War. California was on the Union side, but, with reports of Confederate sympathizers in its midst, there was a palpable unease.
Life in San Bernardino was very hard. The settlers were just beginning to figure out how to seed good crops and grow animals in this new land. This was a place with good soil and pretty nice weather most of the year, so farming was taking off, something that was going to play a key role in the future of the town.
San Bernardino in 1863 was the town full of hope and hard work trying to build up toward a better life in their harsh but promising environment.
