San Bernardino National Forest - History & Culture

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San Bernardino National Forest

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San Bernardino National Forest Historical Photos

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Title:	Mounted Patrol Lester Brink, San Gorgonio Wilderness Mounted Patrol
Date:	1970's
Forest Name:	San Bernardino National Forest
Location:	Vivian Creek Trail, San Gorgonio Wilderness
Credit:	Eric Sweetman
Description:	Lester Brink poses for a picture while riding “Old Paint” on the Vivian Creek Trail during the 1970s. At this time the San Gorgonio District had a mounted Wilderness group which worked out of Horse Meadows on the Poopout Hill Rd. There were 2 Recreation Techs., 2 Fire Prevention positions all mounted, and a trail crew of 4-6 with a short string of mules. They patrolled the San G. Wilderness sometimes overnighting along the trail. The trail crew hiked in and often worked 10 days straight before returning to civilization. The horses and mules wintered at Mill Creek and spent the Spring and Fall at Converse station. Unfortunately equestrian units were too costly for food, health care and maintenance of the animals. The last mounted units on the San G. District ended in the 1990s.
Source:	USDA Forest Service
File Size:	3.18kb
Download:	jpg (Right click and 'Save As')

This photo shows a man named Lester Brink on horseback on the Vivian Creek Trail.

Title:	1950 Fire Engine at Cranston Fire Station
Date:	1950's
Location:
Credit:	Eric Sweetman
Description:	This picture shows a 1952 COE Marmon Herrington tanker probably at Cranston in the 1950s. These fire engines were called tankers and this shows a 5 man tanker crew. This tanker carried 300 gallons of water along with tools, hose and other equipment. Marmon Herringtons where known to be hard to operate at times. What we call the Captain on an engine today, was called the Foreman or Supervisory Tank Truck Operator in Civil Service lingo. The Engineer was known as a Driver or TTO for Tank Truck Operator. The Foreman and Driver were the only employees with an appointment, either 24/0 or 13/13. Crewmen were either temporaries or on CWN appointments, which stood for Call When Needed. The new identification as engines, captains, engineers changed in 1974 when the Incident Command System came into effect.
Source:	US Forest Service
File Size:	203.16kb
Download:	jpg (Right click and 'Save As')

This picture shows a fire engine from the 1950s out of the Cranston Fire Station.

Title:	Converse Hot Shot Crew
Location:
Credit:	Eric Sweetman
Description:	This a picture of the Converse Hot Shots who were disbanded in the late 1960s due to budget cuts. Note that they are wearing blue jeans and khaki shirts. The standard work clothes for a fire crew before the advent of Nomex. Also note that there are no chain saws. Tool order in those days were brush hook, Pulaski, shovel, Mcleod. The crew truck was open air, dust and smoke with no seat belts and the seats were the tool bins. Hot Shot crews at that time had 15-16 members.
Source:	US Forest Service
File Size:	936.16kb
Download:	jpg (Right click and 'Save As')

This photo shows the Converse Hot Shot Crew who were disbanded in the 1960's

Title:	Camp Vista Grande CCC Camp
Location:
Credit:	Eric Sweetman
Description:	The pictures above show Camp Vista Grande and the first crew buggies (dump truck) from the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. Many F.S. stations existed before they became CCC camps such as Converse and Del Rosa, while others became FS stations after they were CCC camps, such as City Creek, Etiwanda and Vista Grande. None of the original structures survive from the CCC camp at Vista Grande.
Source:	US Forest Service
File Size:	629.94kb
Download:	jpg (Right click and 'Save As')

This photo shows the old Camp Vista Grande CCC Camp and an old crew buggy

Title:	Ranger Doug on horse patrol
Caption:	Ranger Doug readies his horse for mounted patrol
Location:
Credit:
Description:
Source:
File Size:	7.65kb
Download:	webp (Right click and 'Save As')

Ranger Doug readies his horse for mounted patrol

Title:	Miller Canyon Station
Location:
Credit:	Eric Sweetman
Description:	Miller Canyon Station was another Forest station which had its start as a Civilian Conservation Corps camp. Built in 1933 the camp existed until the start of World War II. Miller Canyon continued as a Guard Station with an office and residence with a fire tanker until the 1970s. At this time the Cedar Springs Dam and Lake Silverwood were built over the site of the station and the small community of Miller Canyon. The National Forest land was traded for state property at the Heart Bar State Park near Barton Flats. The station was torn down and the site is now underwater. Cottonwood, Station 14, was built in the 1970s to replace Miller Canyon station.
Source:	US Forest Service
File Size:	29.63kb
Download:	jpg (Right click and 'Save As')

This Forest Service fire station was first a CCC camp then a fire station.

Title:	Miller Canyon CCC Camp
Location:
Credit:	Eric Sweetman
Description:	Miller Canyon Station was another Forest station which had its start as a Civilian Conservation Corps camp. Built in 1933 the camp existed until the start of World War II. Miller Canyon continued as a Guard Station with an office and residence with a fire tanker until the 1970s. At this time the Cedar Springs Dam and Lake Silverwood were built over the site of the station and the small community of Miller Canyon. The National Forest land was traded for state property at the Heart Bar State Park near Barton Flats. The station was torn down and the site is now underwater. Cottonwood, Station 14, was built in the 1970s to replace Miller Canyon station.
Source:	US Forest Service
File Size:	174.07kb
Download:	jpg (Right click and 'Save As')

This Civilian Conservation Corps Camp was built in the 1930's in Miller Canyon (now Silverwood Lake)

Title:	Millard Guard Station
Forest Name:	San Bernardino National Forest
Location:
Credit:	Eric Sweetman
Description:	Millard Guard Station was built in the 1930s along Forest Road 2S05 just south of 2S03 in Millard Canyon north of the Morongo Indian Reservation. This lonely outpost had a one bedroom office/residence and usually had a 2 man brush patrol truck carrying 75-200 gallons of water, at the station. In the years before easy radio communication most of the Forest’s stations were connected by a FS phone line connected to the Ranger Station. The picture of the station is from 1962. The station functioned until the late 1960s when vandalism and theft caused the station to be abandoned.
Source:	US Forest Service
File Size:	158.61kb
Download:	jpg (Right click and 'Save As')

This old Forest Service Guard Station was located north of the Morongo Reservation.

Title:	Millard Patrol Truck
Forest Name:	San Bernardino National Forest
Location:
Credit:	Eric Sweetman
Description:	Millard Guard Station was built in the 1930s along Forest Road 2S05 just south of 2S03 in Millard Canyon north of the Morongo Indian Reservation. This lonely outpost had a one bedroom office/residence and usually had a 2 man brush patrol truck carrying 75-200 gallons of water, at the station. In the years before easy radio communication most of the Forest’s stations were connected by a FS phone line connected to the Ranger Station. The truck is a 1937 Chevy. The picture of the station is from 1962. The station functioned until the late 1960s when vandalism and theft caused the station to be abandoned. The Buzz Rig, the nickname for those patrol trucks, was moved to Banning Station. When Heart Bar Station was opened the fire unit, now an fire engine, was moved up to that station.
Source:	US Forest Service
File Size:	257.09kb
Download:	jpg (Right click and 'Save As')

This old Forest Service Patrol Truck was stationed at Millard Guard Station/

Title:	1930 Fire Line Radio Unit
Location:
Credit:	Eric Sweetman
Description:	Communications were important in the 1930s even though the technology was not there to help. This picture shows the Fire Boss taking notes while listening to a radio with its antenna up in a tree. The truly portable radio as we know it today was invented in the 1930s but was bulky to carry and expensive to purchase. Hand carried radios came of age in the 1960s. Note that the Fire Boss is wearing a tie even though he is out in the field on a fire. It was normal in the 1920, 30, and 40s for Forest Service personnel to wear full uniforms out in the field. This denoted government authority and easily displayed who was in charge. FS personnel often had to work with pick-up crews, vendors and landowners who were not FS employees.
Source:	US Forest Service
File Size:	839.02kb
Download:	jpg (Right click and 'Save As')

This picture from the 1930's shows a Fire Boss taking notes while listening to a radio.

Title:	Vista Grande Fire Engine
Location:
Credit:	Eric Sweetman
Description:	These photos show a tanker (fire engine) that worked out of the Vista Grande station on the San Jacinto District. Foreman (Captain) Johnny Marcus stands with his crew in this picture from the 1950s. Model 49 and 50 tankers were slip on units with a 300 gallon tank, a Hale pump in the rear of the unit, and a jump seat for 3 in the back. The idea was that the slip-on unit would be put on a stakeside truck during the fire season, and then the unit could be temporarily be removed during the winter. However most Model 49s stayed in the fire configuration year round. These photos show the outside radio box, torpedo tubes carrying drafting hose. These tankers were fast and could get into narrow dirt roads and remote sites. But the tankers had insufficient storage space, with an accordion lay on top of the tank and hose stuffed everywhere. They were unsafe with no protection for the crew from bugs and the elements in the jump seat, and no roll bar. They were painted dark green.
Source:	US Forest Service
File Size:	236.07kb
Download:	jpg (Right click and 'Save As')

This photograph from the 1950's shows the Fire Engine from the Vista Grande station and its crew.

Title:	Vista Grande Fire Engine (1950's)
Location:
Credit:
Description:	These photos show a tanker (fire engine) that worked out of the Vista Grande station on the San Jacinto District. Foreman (Captain) Johnny Marcus stands with his crew in this picture from the 1950s. Model 49 and 50 tankers were slip on units with a 300 gallon tank, a Hale pump in the rear of the unit, and a jump seat for 3 in the back. The idea was that the slip-on unit would be put on a stakeside truck during the fire season, and then the unit could be temporarily be removed during the winter. However most Model 49s stayed in the fire configuration year round. These photos show the outside radio box, torpedo tubes carrying drafting hose. These tankers were fast and could get into narrow dirt roads and remote sites. But the tankers had insufficient storage space, with an accordion lay on top of the tank and hose stuffed everywhere. They were unsafe with no protection for the crew from bugs and the elements in the jump seat, and no roll bar. They were painted dark green.
Source:
File Size:	647.47kb
Download:	jpg (Right click and 'Save As')

This photograph from the 1950's shows the Fire Engine from the Vista Grande station and its crew.

San Bernardino National Forest

Supervisor's Office

602 S. Tippecanoe Ave.
San Bernardino, CA 92408

(909) 382-2600 (voice mail)

(800) 735-2922 (TDD/TTY)

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