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History & Culture
On December 20, 1892, the San Gabriel Timberland Reserve was created by President Harrison. The creation of the reserve, which was the forerunner of the Angeles, was in response to public concern about watershed values as early as 1883. Floods resulting from burned slopes were causing issues with communities below.
In 1905, reserves across the country were transferred from the Department of the Interior to the Department of Agriculture and renamed "national forests" in 1907. The San Gabriel National Forest consisted of the southern section of the present-day Angeles and portions of the San Bernardino Forest.
In 1908, the name of the "San Gabriel National Forest" was changed to "Angeles National Forest." In 1926, the eastern area was divided and San Bernardino National Forest recreated.
Features
Angeles National Forest Cultural History
Early Native American cultural sites in the inland mountain regions corresponding with the Angeles National Forest are sparse, Radiocarbon dates of 7675 and 7600 years Before Present (BP), taken from a cooking feature in one of the northern drainages of the San Gabriel Mountains, are the oldest known from the central Transverse Ranges. Early material culture indicates extensive use of grinding implements to process small seeds, supplemented by hunting activities.
Forest Service History
The founding of the National Forest System and the Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has its roots in the last quarter of the 19th century.