San Timoteo Canyon
Encyclopedia
San Timoteo Canyon is an ancient river valley that runs from south of Banning, California
in Riverside County
to a point just south of San Bernardino, California
in San Bernardino County
. It provided the Southern Pacific Railroad
its entry route into the Southern California basin, and for a time in the mid 1950s was considered as one of three possible alignments for the path of I-10
as part of the Interstate Highway System
program, although the central route through Redlands, California
was ultimately selected.
, head chief of the Cahuilla
, and a group of his fellow tribesmen pursued and destroyed the gang of John "Red" Irving and his San Francisco and Sydney outlaws in San Timoteo Canyon. This band of ruffians had stolen and robbed in the valley including at the Rancho San Bernardino
, where Juan Antonio's Cahuilla also had their village at Politana. Acting on the orders of the local Justice of the Peace, one of the Californio
proprietors of the rancho, whose house these brigands were looting at the time, the Cahuilla attacked and pursued them to the canyon and in a running fight killed eleven of them. Working on the ranchos and hunting down Indian raiders and bandits was a role they had played in the San Bernardino region from the time of Mexican rule, under the Mexican authorities. They believed themselves duly authorized to carry out their actions.
However the newly arrived American settlers in Southern California
resented the killing of white men by Indians and took it to be the beginning of an Indian uprising, a company of militia from San Diego was sent against them. The Cahuilla fled to the mountains and discovering the truth of the matter, the leader of the militia Major General Joshua H. Bean
, restrained them from attacking the Cahuilla with difficulty preventing a war.
Closely following the outcome of the Irving Gang incident, in late 1851, Juan Antonio, his warriors and their families, moved eastward from Politana, toward the San Gorgonio Pass
and settled in a valley which branched off to the north from San Timoteo Canyon, at a village named Saahatpa. In November 1851, the Garra Revolt occurred, wherein the Cupeno leader Antonio Garra attempted to bring Juan Antonio into his Indian revolt. Juan Antonio friendly to the Americans was instrumental in capturing Antonio Garra ending that revolt.
In 2010, a construction crew found a deposit of animal fossils dating back 1.4 million years. The well-preserved cache contained nearly 1,500 bone fragments, including a giant cat that was the ancestor of the saber-toothed tiger, ground sloths the size of a modern-day grizzly bear, two types of camels and more than 1,200 bones from small rodents. Other finds include a new species of deer, horse and possibly llama.
Banning, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Banning had a population of 29,603. The population density was 1,281.6 people per square mile . The racial makeup of Banning was 19,164 White, 2,165 African American, 641 Native American, 1,549 Asian, 39 Pacific Islander, 4,604 from other...
in Riverside County
Riverside County, California
Riverside County is a county in the U.S. state of California. One of 58 California counties, it covers in the southern part of the state, and stretches from Orange County to the Colorado River, which forms the state border with Arizona. The county derives its name from the city of Riverside,...
to a point just south of San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino is a city located in the Riverside-San Bernardino metropolitan area , and serves as the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States...
in San Bernardino County
San Bernardino County, California
San Bernardino County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 2,035,210, up from 1,709,434 as of the 2000 census...
. It provided the Southern Pacific Railroad
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
its entry route into the Southern California basin, and for a time in the mid 1950s was considered as one of three possible alignments for the path of I-10
Interstate 10 in California
Interstate 10 , the major east–west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States, runs in the U.S. state of California east from Santa Monica, on the Pacific Ocean, through Los Angeles and San Bernardino to the border with Arizona...
as part of the Interstate Highway System
Interstate Highway System
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, , is a network of limited-access roads including freeways, highways, and expressways forming part of the National Highway System of the United States of America...
program, although the central route through Redlands, California
Redlands, California
Redlands is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 68,747, up from 63,591 at the 2000 census. The city is located east of downtown San Bernardino.- History :...
was ultimately selected.
San Timoteo Canyon fight of 1851
In the summer of 1851, Juan AntonioJuan Antonio (Cahuilla)
Juan Antonio , Cahuilla name: Cooswootna, Yampoochee, , was a major chief of the Mountain Band of the Cahuilla people from the 1840s to 1863.-Biography:...
, head chief of the Cahuilla
Cahuilla
The Cahuilla, Iviatim in their own language, are Indians with a common culture whose ancestors inhabited inland areas of southern California 2,000 years ago. Their original territory included an area of about . The traditional Cahuilla territory was near the geographic center of Southern California...
, and a group of his fellow tribesmen pursued and destroyed the gang of John "Red" Irving and his San Francisco and Sydney outlaws in San Timoteo Canyon. This band of ruffians had stolen and robbed in the valley including at the Rancho San Bernardino
Rancho San Bernardino
Rancho San Bernardino was a Mexican land grant in present day San Bernardino County, California given in 1842 by Governor Juan B. Alvarado to José del Carmen Lugo, José María Lugo, Vicente Lugo, and Diego Sepulveda...
, where Juan Antonio's Cahuilla also had their village at Politana. Acting on the orders of the local Justice of the Peace, one of the Californio
Californio
Californio is a term used to identify a Spanish-speaking Catholic people, regardless of race, born in California before 1848...
proprietors of the rancho, whose house these brigands were looting at the time, the Cahuilla attacked and pursued them to the canyon and in a running fight killed eleven of them. Working on the ranchos and hunting down Indian raiders and bandits was a role they had played in the San Bernardino region from the time of Mexican rule, under the Mexican authorities. They believed themselves duly authorized to carry out their actions.
However the newly arrived American settlers in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
resented the killing of white men by Indians and took it to be the beginning of an Indian uprising, a company of militia from San Diego was sent against them. The Cahuilla fled to the mountains and discovering the truth of the matter, the leader of the militia Major General Joshua H. Bean
Joshua Bean
Joshua H. Bean was an American political figure.Joshua Bean was born c. 1818 in Mason County, Kentucky to Phantly Roy Bean and his wife Anna Gore. His paternal grandparents were Benjamin Bean and his wife Fernetta Johnston, daughter of Archibald Johnston. Both grandparents were born in Virginia...
, restrained them from attacking the Cahuilla with difficulty preventing a war.
Closely following the outcome of the Irving Gang incident, in late 1851, Juan Antonio, his warriors and their families, moved eastward from Politana, toward the San Gorgonio Pass
San Gorgonio Pass
The San Gorgonio Pass el. cuts between the San Bernardino Mountains on the north and the San Jacinto Mountains to the south. Like the Cajon Pass to the northwest, it was also created by the San Andreas Fault...
and settled in a valley which branched off to the north from San Timoteo Canyon, at a village named Saahatpa. In November 1851, the Garra Revolt occurred, wherein the Cupeno leader Antonio Garra attempted to bring Juan Antonio into his Indian revolt. Juan Antonio friendly to the Americans was instrumental in capturing Antonio Garra ending that revolt.
Recent Events
In 2001 a portion of the canyon came under management of the California State Parks. The park is not yet open, but is expected to provide hiking trails, horse riding trails, camping, and historic sites.In 2010, a construction crew found a deposit of animal fossils dating back 1.4 million years. The well-preserved cache contained nearly 1,500 bone fragments, including a giant cat that was the ancestor of the saber-toothed tiger, ground sloths the size of a modern-day grizzly bear, two types of camels and more than 1,200 bones from small rodents. Other finds include a new species of deer, horse and possibly llama.
Further reading
- Google Books: University of California Publications in Geological Sciences, Volume 144, Issue Date: November, 1999 Includes a chapter on the biostratigraphy and biochronology of San Timoteo Canyon. Retrieved October 4, 2009.