San Bernardino County, CA History Transcribed by Kathy Sedler This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor, OR the legal representative of the submitter. All persons donating to this site retain the rights to their own work. An Illustrated History of Southern California - The Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago - 1890 COUNTY SUMMARY. San Bernardino County has 541 miles of telegraph lines, including a new line ten miles long between the county seat and Redlands. There are in the county eighty miles of telephone lines, of which fifty-six miles were built in 1888�'89. The present population of the county is 35,000. The assessed valuation of all property in the county is $26,250,680. The county is free from debt. The rate of taxation, State and county, is $1.25 outside, and $1 inside, the limits of incorporated towns. The county ranks first in the State in the amount per child of school property, and fifth in the total valuation of school property. Of the 1,633,900 boxes of raisins shipped from California in 1889, this county alone sent out 353,000 boxes. On May 7, 1890, San Bernardino County's treasury contained a cash sum of $226,983.91. In 1880 the assessed valuation of property in the county in round numbers was $2,000,000; in 1882 it stood as follows: Real estate $1,556,630 Improvements thereon 500,577 improvements assessed to others than owners of real estate 8,840 Personal property 615,838 Money 28,947 Franchise Southern Pacific Railroad 573,300 Total valuation of county property 3,284,132 Additional valuation of city property567,650 Grand total$3,860,197 Deductions on account of mortgages287,507 Value of mortgage interest 287,507 This showed a total decrease of $109,000 on the assessment of 1881, which is entirely owing to the decreased valuation of the railroad, prescribed by the State Board of Equalization - a decrease of $327,600. The appreciation of other county property was great. In 1885 it was almost $12,000,000, and in 1889 it was over $20,000,000. These figures are exclusive of the 416 miles of railways which traverse the county. The growth in wealth of this county, absolute and comparative, for the last ten years, has been marvelous. The entire State only increased ninety per cent, and San Francisco, the metropolis of California, only increased nineteen per cent., while many of the northern counties showed still less growth, one falling as low as twelve per cent, in Southern California the gain was remarkable in wealth, as conclusively shown by the assessment records, and San Bernardino shows an increase of 803 per cent., a greater growth than any other county in the State. San Diego County makes a good second, showing an increase of 795 per cent., while Los Angeles County follows with 472 per cent. increase. The following is the income for San Bernardino County for the year 1889. This includes the orange and lemon crop harvested during the season including 1888-'89, while the other products are for the year 1889 only: 310,262 boxes oranges $744,000 4,250 boxes lemons and limes17,000 300,000 boxes raisins495,000 120 tons dried grapes7,200 650 tons dried fruits143,000 40,000 cases canned fruits160,000 90,000 pounds English walnuts and almonds6,750 300,000 pounds extracted honey18,000 5,000 pounds beeswax1,000 70,000 pounds comb honey7,000 230,000 gallons of wine57,500 10,000 gallons brandy4,500 235,000 centals barley163,500 Wheat and oats27,500 5,000,000 feet of lumber60,000 250,000 pounds wool57,500 Gold and silver 875,000 Borax, marble, onyx, building stone, brick and lime 250,000 Total income $3,074,450 Beyond this there has been a large income derived from miscellaneous items not given in the above list, part of which are exported, bringing in a revenue of money from the outside, while a large part is devoted to home consumption. For instance, from the one item of alfalfa seed resulted $8,000; potatoes raised here are shipped by the car-load to Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado; hay is raised in large quantities for home consumption and for export; and so with various items, aggregating an important sum. The earnings of the county for export are between $3,000,000 and $4,000,000, averaging more than $100 to each man, woman and child in the county. The following is the statement of improvements made during the past year (1889), the estimate being made from figures carefully collected: 3,422 acres orange trees, planted this year, cost, exclusive of land and water$376,000 64 acres lemon and lime trees 6,400 1,050 acres planted to other trees and to vines42,000 Water, its development, laying pipe, making canals, tunnels, etc550,000 Buildings, business and dwelling houses982,000 Total improvements$1,956,400 The speculative values placed on certain classes of real estate, particularly on lots in outside towns in San Bernardino County, in common with other portions of Southern California during "boom times" have given way to reasonable prices, but the decline in some of the other classes of realty, especially raisin vineyards, has been small, while choice bearing orange groves command as high prices as they ever did, and pay handsome interest on these valuations. All that was good in the boom remains, and much that was evil has disappeared. The State and county tax for 1888 was $1.25 outside, and $1 inside, the limits of incorporated towns, which, considering the improvements made, is a reasonable rate of taxation.