San Bernardino
Posted by Don in Hollister on May 24, 2001 at 03:22:01:

Hi All. Over a period of time I have received some e-mail asking me how I find the things that I find. I just tell them I search for it. When I accepted the task of searching for data for Petra little did I know what I would be getting in to.

As my job and training was in the field of searching for data it was a natural for me. I learned many years ago that one could find data and information from some of the strangest sources. When you start putting this data together you start getting a picture. It’s not always clear at first, because you have to find some supporting data. Sometimes is hard to separate what might be folklore from facts.

For instance here is a little bit I found a couple of years ago. I have attached the link so you can see where it came from and what it was about.

Maybe some of you know where this area is at and can expand upon it, or at least bring it up to data. Take Care…Don in creepy town.

“Many events happened during the establishment of San Bernardino. For instance, there was the time when the first earthquakes were felt. From 1812 through 1813, many earthquakes were felt in the area. The mental reactions of the white people and the Indians differ in regard to this physical phenomenon. Whites were naturally scared. Indians, on the other hand, wondered what evil spirit had to do with this. The Indians then sought for answers, they believed that they had angered an evil spirit by letting the white men settle in the land. A tormenting attack then occurred. The Indians that lived by the rancho went against the gentle "rachería" Indians, destroying the ranho's buildings. The result was that the San Gabriel padres abandoned the capilla.

But, the earthquakes were not the only things that frightened the Indians. An increased of temperature in the valley followed to an alarming extent and a new "cienegata" (hot mud spring) appeared near Politana, the Indian settlement in Rancho San Bernardino, now called Urbita. In 1819 raids of horse and cattle by Indians, both from North and South, occurred.”