Back Roads Press, 18600 Hinton Street, Hesperia, CA (2026)

Name: Back Roads Press
Address: 18600 Hinton Street, Hesperia, CA, 92345, US
Telephone: (909) 709-3792
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A native of Somerville, New Jersey, Nicholas R. Cataldo has made San Bernardino, California, his home since the age of 12 in 1966. A graduate from California State University in San Bernardino with a B.A. in Psychology and Social Science in 1977 and M.A. in Education in 1983, Nick has been a special education teacher in the San Bernardino Unified School District since 1978. Nick is a contributing

western history writer for the Tombstone Epitaph and for Dezert Magazine. He is the author of Images of America: San Bernardino (published by Arcadia Publishing in 2002), co-author of Pioneers of San Bernardino: 1851--1857 (published by the San Bernardino County Museum Association in 2001) and co-author of The Earps of San Bernardino County, (published by the San Bernardino Historical and Pioneer Society in 2002), and currently writes a local history newspaper column for the San Bernardino County Sun. His most recent book, entitled “The Earp Clan: The Southern California Years” (published by Back Roads Press) was released in October of 2006.

06/28/2026

Among the early settlers who made major contributions to the prosperity and civil life in Southern California, were the first Jewish pioneers to arrive in this area. My column written for the Southern California News Group appearing on June 23, 2026 was about one of these esteemed leaders who made a name for himself in the city of San Bernardino. His name was Lewis Jacobs.
SB’s first banker drew clients from L.A. and San Diego

As families began to pour into Southern California after the war between Mexico and the United States came to a close in 1848, opportunities for young men of ambition and ability became endless. On a local level, perhaps no one exemplified that “American Dream” more than a young man named Lewis Jacobs.
Born in Prussia in 1831, Jacobs left his homeland and headed for New York in spring 1851. With only a few dollars in his pockets, the adventurous 19-year-old crossed the continent and joined the rush to the Northern California gold fields.
Within a few months, the frustrated miner came to the conclusion the real winners in the search for the elusive pot of gold were those wise enough to switch occupations before it was too late.
Jacobs stopped in San Francisco where he booked a passage to San Pedro and, deciding to try his luck as a traveling salesman, shouldered his pack and walked more than 50 miles to San Bernardino in 1852.
Upon arrival, he found the young Mormon colony, settled just the year before, and located inside a stockade erected as protection against a rumored Native American uprising.
Lewis Jacobs (Courtesy of the San Bernardino Historical and Pioneer Society)
Obviously recognizing the struggling settlers had little money, Jacobs carried on his business by barter and exchange, taking butter, eggs, and produce as payment for his goods, which he then hauled by ox team on a three-day journey to Los Angeles, which helped introduce some hard currency in San Bernardino’s economy.
Fortunately, the raid never materialized and, before long, Jacobs opened up a mercantile store, perhaps the first such business outside the fort near Grafton Street, what is Arrowhead Avenue today, and Fourth Street. He also expanded into other commercial endeavors, running a sawmill and a shingle operation in which he partnered with Louis Glazer in 1854.
After the Mormon recall back to Salt Lake City in late 1857, where roughly 60% of the residents answered the call, a mixed bag of new arrivals moved into San Bernardino.
Jacobs, a man of great courage and foresight, soon branched from merchandising into banking. After operating his dry goods store for six years, in 1858 Jacobs turned it over to his partners, the Meyersteins. He then started the Bank of San Bernardino in a small one-story adobe building on Grafton, just south of his former store.
Jacobs proved himself to be an astute financial adviser. The Temple Bank, the only other Southern California financial institution, was slow in reaching to the East Coast. Jacobs was quick to establish New York and Philadelphia ties and was able to handle eastern drafts at favorable rates.
The public so appreciated the shrewd businessman’s service that the Bank of San Bernardino was soon luring clients from Los Angeles and from as far away as San Diego and he had a big role in developing some major pioneer enterprises within what is now known as the Inland Empire.
Through Jacobs’ work, the California Southern Railroad, today’s BNSF Railway, linked San Bernardino with San Diego and later with the advancing Atlantic and Pacific at Barstow.
Other works made possible through loans and other assistance from Jacobs’ bank included irrigation projects for Riverside and the Bear Valley Dam, the Arizona Stage Line linking San Bernardino with Prescott and Tucson, the burgeoning citrus industry, the electrification of San Bernardino’s horse drawn streetcar line, and the initial capital for developing the town of Redlands.
After a few years, Jacobs moved his flourishing banking business into one of the first two-story brick structures in town at the northeast corner of Fourth and D streets. He later put up a building on Third Street that would be the bank’s final home.
When his health declined in early 1900, Jacobs turned over the operation of the bank to his son-in-law, Oscar Newburg, who would run it for a few more years until legislative restrictions on private banks forced it to liquidate.
With a daughter by his side, Jacobs set sail for Europe that spring to visit the home in Germany he had left 49 years earlier. He didn’t survive the return voyage.
Applauded for his active participation with San Bernardino’s civic affairs, Jacobs was one of the founders of Paradise Lodge, the local chapter of the benevolent Jewish order B’nai B’rith. He also helped establish the Home of Eternity Cemetery, the oldest Jewish burial grounds in continuous use in Southern California, which opened in 1861.
A poor immigrant youth when he left Prussia, Jacobs died a wealthy man. His modest fortune had come from service to a community he helped build.

06/10/2026

My local history column written for the Southern California News Group on May 26 is about two early pioneers who had a tremendous impact in Southern California's history.

2 early San Bernardino County explorers helped to document history starting 250 years ago

San Bernardino County is full of fascinating history, and this year marks two monumental milestones — the 250th anniversary of the arrival of the Father Francisco Garcés, the first known missionary explorer to document his arrival in this region, and 200th year since mountain man Jedediah Smith became the first Anglo-American to reach California overland.

Our understanding of the earliest days on record owes much to the arrival of the two men. The milestones were not solitary feats of survival either. They were testaments to the generosity, lifesaving hospitality and geographic knowledge of the Indigenous people the two encountered.

Born in Villa de Morata del Conde in north-central Spain, Father Francisco Tomas Hermenegildo Garcés (1738-1781) was the first known explorer to visit the homeland of the Mohave tribe. He was also the first to travel across San Bernardino County and leave a record of his experiences.

Mohave guides and Sebastian Tarabal, a Christian Native American who served as a guide and interpreter, made Garcés’ arrival possible.

The Mohave possessed a vast knowledge of desert waterholes and routes. Instead of struggling through impassable canyons, guides led Garcés over a well-worn trade trail — known today as the Mohave Trail — following the Mojave River and crossing the San Bernardino Mountains.

The first stretch of the route led from Mohave settlements on the Colorado River near today’s Needles through a long, hilly stretch of desert in which there were three waterholes. The end of this stretch was the sink of the Mojave River at Soda Lake.
From Soda Lake the trail kept close to the river.

On March 6, 1776, Garcés wrote: “Here (near the Providence Mountains) I met four Indians who had come from Santa Clara to traffic in shell beads. They were carrying no food supply, nor even bows for hunting. Noticing my astonishment at this, where there is nothing to eat, they said, ‘We Jamajabs (Mojaves) can withstand hunger and thirst for as long as four days,’ to give me to understand that indeed are they hardy men.”
After traveling up the Mojave River past abandoned village sites, Garcés encountered many members of the Vanyume tribe.

At a village near today’s Helendale on March 19, the chief presented him with a string of shell beads about 2 yards long while his wife poured acorns over Garcés’s head as a sign of respect.

After leaving a Vanyume village in Summit Valley known as Wa’peat (Guapiabit) on March 22, Garcés continued along the trail, which today is partly submerged beneath the waters of Lake Silverwood, to the crest of the San Bernardino Mountains, near what is now known as Monument Peak.

Overlooking the San Bernardino Valley, he noted: “After three leagues I crossed the sierra by the southwest. The woods I said yesterday reached to the summit of this sierra whence I saw clearly the sea (Pacific Ocean), the Rio de Santa Ana (Santa Ana River) and the Valle de San Joseph (San Bernardino Valley).”

After descending a ridge between Cable and Devil canyons, Garcés wrote: “Its descent is little wooded. At a little distance from its foot I found another rancheria” where he was received by Native Americans.

After visiting the Yuhaaviatam (Serrano) village near Cable and Cajon creeks, near Devore today, he passed through the San Bernardino Valley and arrived in San Gabriel two days later.

Without the hospitality and route finding of his Indigenous guides, traversing this desert-to-mountain corridor would have been impossible for the Spanish priest.

Fifty years later, Smith (1799-1831) and a fur-trading party became the first group of Americans to make an overland journey to California.

Smith, a 27-year-old from Bainbridge, New York, was anxious to explore the country between the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Ocean.

Smith and 17 men left northern Utah in August 1826 and traveled to the Mohave villages near the Colorado River, arriving in late October.

The Mohave tribe facilitated Smith’s crossing by providing food and security, with Smith in turn offering goods from the American trade system.

Smith’s diarist, Harrison G. Rogers, recorded the reliance on the native people for the “trapping” expedition.

With the late October arrival, the Americans were saved by the compassion of the Natives. The Mohave people shared vital supplies, fed the famished trappers and provided guides who led them safely along the same trail Garcés followed 50 years earlier.

Guided by these experts, Smith’s expedition followed the Mojave River sink at Soda Lake and made its way to the base of the San Bernardino Mountains.

When Smith later returned through the region in 1827 — desperate for the safety of civilization following violent skirmishes on the Colorado River — local Vanyume people once again provided aid. They shared what food they had.

Today, the Garcés-Smith Monument, perched high above the corridor of the 15 and 215 freeways in the San Bernardino Mountains, memorializes the intertwined legacies of these European and American pathfinders and their Indigenous friends. The landmark pays homage to the ancient Mohave Trail.

The historical importance of both Garcés and Smith in opening routes to the West cannot be overstated. Their expeditions laid the geographical groundwork for future westward migration, and thanks to the kindness, survival strategies and hospitality from the Indigenous people they befriended, helped to create San Bernardino County.

Contact Nick Cataldo at [email protected] and read more of his local history articles at Back Roads Press.
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05/14/2026

Route 66 is celebrating 100 years of history in 2026

The Mother Road' stretches from Chicago to Santa Monica and a big stretch winds through San Bernardino County.

My column written for the San Bernardino Sun (part of the Southern California News Group) for April 28, 2026 is about this iconic highway and the role it has...and still does..play in this region.

What stretches 2,400 miles, spans eight states and brings back memories of midcentury glory?

Of course it’s Route 66, which is turning 100 this year. “The Mother Road” is celebrating its centennial with a massive nationwide celebration.

In Southern California, the roadway stretched roughly from Needles on the Colorado River across the Mojave Desert, over the Cajon Pass and into the San Bernardino Valley before continuing west to Santa Monica. The iconic route played a major role in Southern California’s development during much of the 20th century.

Before Route 66 was established, the pathway through San Bernardino County for early motorists meant harsh conditions, dirt roads, and limited services.

This early route, established in 1912, was known initially as the Santa Fe-Grand Canyon-Needles Highway, and in 1914 it became part of the National Old Trails Road, which aimed to connect the East Coast to Los Angeles.

By 1916, however, the road from Barstow to San Bernardino had been largely paved, making it a viable route for the growing number of tourists exploring the desert by automobile.

In November 1926, the U.S. numbered highway system incorporated most of the National Old Trails Road and commissioned a new highway — U.S. Route 66.
Ah, Route 66!

The subject of a hit song and a popular TV show, and nicknamed the “Mother Road” by author John Steinbeck, this highway extended 2,400 miles from Chicago to Santa Monica.

Along its long path numerous mom-and-pop garages and Depression-era stores dotted the landscape. The forerunners of today’s motels — auto courts — were plentiful and cheap.
San Bernardino County became home to some of the most iconic landmarks along Route 66, and many continue to be popular today.

A train station and the El Garces Harvey House Hotel, which served as a crucial oasis, greeted travelers entering from Arizona into California and Needles.
A vital stop in the Mojave Desert in the small town of Amboy, now owned by the family of the late Albert Okura (founder of Juan Pollo restaurants), was Roy’s Motel and Café.

In Barstow was the Casa del Desierto Harvey House, which now serves as the Mother Road Route 66 Museum, preserving the history of this vital railway and highway hub.
Those continuing on to Victorville would find Emma Jean’s Holland Burger Cafe, which began serving travelers in the 1940s.

After crossing of the desert, Route 66 meanders through Cajon Pass before making its way into San Bernardino along Cajon Boulevard. Drivers on the route followed Mount Vernon Avenue and turned right on Fifth Street before leaving the valley for Los Angeles County by way of Foothill Boulevard.

Traffic became so heavy in the San Bernardino area that a Business Route 66 — along Kendall Drive and E Street — was needed.

During the highway’s heyday, the Summit Inn at the top of the Cajon Pass was a popular stop.

The Blue Cut district in the Cajon Pass was also a draw. Popular places of respite were the A Frame Eatery and the Blue Cut Garage. And for those stopping to stretch during the long drive, a gem shop was a frequently visited stop.

As the weary traveler entered San Bernardino, there was Pic’s Coffee Shop in Devore and several businesses near Cajon Boulevard and Kendall Drive at the Junction Cafe. Five bus lines and 42 buses made stops there daily. At the Buckeye Inn, hundreds of burgers were dished out every week, and Leo’s Italian Restaurant served generous portions.

Along this well-used path were lodgings like the Mission Auto Court and the Wigwam Motel. Eateries like the Cocky Cactus, Mother Massetti’s, Bono’s restaurant and the Sycamore Inn, as well as orange-shaped juice stands and the Virginia Dare Winery in Rancho Cucamonga, all made wonderful stops along the route.

Things were indeed looking good for Route 66. Then the freeway came through in the 1960s and life took a detour.

For years, business along the route was great. But when the freeway opened, a number of establishments started to face challenges.

By the 1970s, Highway 40 had replaced much of the road through the Mojave Desert, bypassing places like Amboy and turning them into ghost towns. In 1979, the state decommissioned the highway, and in 1985, it was removed from the U.S. highway system.

But the old road is alive and well and celebrated, thanks in large part to popular car shows along the route, including the annual Route 66 Rendezvous, held in downtown San Bernardino during the 1990s and early 2000s and known today as Rendezvous Back to Route 66.

“Mother Road” historians at the California Route 66 Museum in Victorville and the old Cucamonga Service Station and Route 66 Museum also eagerly share information about the historic route.

Today, you can still get a hearty breakfast at places like Emma Jean’s in Victorville or at the former Pic’s Coffee Shop, now known as Jerry’s Café in Devore.

You can also stop for a tasty bit of nostalgia at Mitla’s Café in San Bernardino or the Sycamore Inn in Rancho Cucamonga before driving down Foothill Boulevard while pretending you are riding with Martin Milner and George Maharis on the “Route 66” TV series.

Contact Nick Cataldo at [email protected] and read more of his local history articles at Back Roads Press.

04/10/2026

My column for March 24 is about the upcoming 2026 Inland Empire History Festival, which everyone is invited and should be lots of fun!!
2026 Inland Empire History Festival
The third annual event is planned for April 18 at San Bernardino International Airport
San Bernardino County is getting ready for a massive party and everyone is invited.
In case you haven’t heard, San Bernardino International Airport will be hosting the third annual Inland Empire History Festival from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 18.
Located at 1601 East 3rd St., the free event will be great fun as well as an interesting way to learn about the region’s colorful past.
Presented by the efforts of the San Bernardino International Airport, the Highland Area Historical Society, the San Bernardino Historical and Pioneer Society and the Norton Air Force Base Museum.
Activities will take place on the Norton AFB Museum parking lot and inside the museum itself.
Historically, Norton plays a huge role with this event.
From 1942 to 1994, the base was a cornerstone of San Bernardino County’s history, having participated in every conflict and skirmish from World War II to the Persian Gulf War. The base was a major employer in San Bernardino County and served as a vital Cold War logistics hub. It is named after San Bernardino native Capt. Leland Norton, who died during World War II.
When Norton Air Force Base closed its doors on March 31, 1994, after a half century of service, a major impact on the San Bernardino Valley came to an end.
The late Robert M. (Bob) Edwards, the first president of the Norton AFB Museum, shared with me during the time the museum was getting off the ground in 2013, how shutting the base correlated with San Bernardino’s economic situation for many years.
Fortunately, in recent years development surrounding what is now known as San Bernardino International Airport has brought Amazon, Stater Bros., Kohl’s and other companies, along with thousands of jobs.
Norton AFB Museum is playing a huge role in preserving the legacy of the former air base’s past.
Edwards was a 20-year Air Force veteran, who died in 2021 at age 74, and he proudly declared the museum’s motto: “To preserve, honor and promote the history of Norton Air Force Base.” He emphatically said volunteers who staff the museum take this very seriously.
This continues to be so today.
The inaugural 2024 history festival was held at the Santa Fe Depot in San Bernardino. In 2025, the vent was held at the Norton Air Force Base Museum.
This year’s Inland Empire History Festival will feature many historical societies from across the region, including Highland, San Bernardino, Yucaipa, Redlands and Rialto.
There will be a lot to explore that day.
And there are a lot of other venues to explore in the Inland Empire too. The A. K. Smiley Public Library, the Lincoln Memorial Shrine, Palm Springs Air Museum, Ontario Library, Agua Caliente Cultural Museum, Sam and Alfreda Maloof Foundation for Arts and Crafts, Cucamonga Service Station and Route 66 Museum, Riverside County Archives commission, Old Riverside Foundation, the Horace Frink Adobe, Cal State San Bernardino’s Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum, Cooper Museum, General Patton Museum and representatives involved Calico Ghost Town and San Bernardino Valley College’s 100th anniversary.
Local authors will be there too, including Charles Hepperle, Kelli Shapiro, Steve L**h, Glenn Wenzel, Paul LaCanfora, John Atwater and Nick Cataldo.
There will be a table commemorating the history of professional baseball in our region.
Attendees will be treated by live music from Redlands 4th of July Band, Highland Pickers and Mountain Music Men.
And for those of us with fond memories growing up listening to local radio, there will be some familiar voices there too. Jim Ness, formerly of KMEN and many other stations, Lacey Kendall with KCAL-FM, Vic Slick from KOLA-FM, Evelyn Erves with KGGI, Daryl Norsell with KCAL, and Cassie MacDuff with KVCR.
For more information visit highlandhistory.org.
Contact Nick Cataldo at [email protected] and read more of his local history articles at Back Roads Press.

03/02/2026

The 1970’s were exciting times for the city of San Bernardino. While 1977 was the year that this city was acknowledged as an “All- America” City, a year earlier as our country was celebrating its 200 anniversary, San Bernardino was selected as a Bicentennial City. This article, which appeared in the San Bernardino Sun (part of the Southern California News Group on February 24, 2026 is about this honor.

Innovation led San Bernardino to become Bicentenial City1976 was quite a year.
The United States celebrated the 200th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, a yearlong celebration designed to unite a nation fractured by the Vietnam War.
Our country’s “Bicentennial” fostered widespread patriotism to successfully restore national morale as well as prompting a shift toward a more inclusive narrative, encouraging the inclusion of women, minorities, and working-class people in the story of the American Revolution.

While 1976 marked 200 years of American independence, it also served as a moment for the communities throughout the country to reflect on its own deep, diverse history.

Two years earlier, the city of San Bernardino was honored as one of 370 cities in the United States to become officially designated as a Bicentennial City by the American Bicentennial Administration in Washington, DC.

Many new innovative events were unfolding in this town during the 1970’s, prompting the prestigious designation.

At that time there were two thriving malls. The first one was Inland Center, located at the site of the old Urbita Springs Park west of “E” Street and south of Mill Street. This totally covered retail-shopping complex opened in 1966. The anchor stores were Sears Roebuck, May Co. and the Broadway.

Urban renewal during the Sixties caused the once center of town on Third Street to be gutted and replaced with the city’s second mega-shopping center.

In 1972 San Bernardino’s $2.7 million Central City Mall opened-- a two story-air conditioned mall with 90 stores and shops.

Harris Company, which started out small in 1905 and expanded with a beautiful edifice in 1927, was one anchor. J.C. Penney’s, Montgomery Wards and Woolworth's were the three other anchors.

With its new City Hall and Convention Center, San Bernardino was heralded as one of the most modern up and coming cities in Southern California.

On May 31,1974, there was a celebratory ceremony held at City Hall.

The program opened on the E Street upper plaza with “The Spirit of 76” fife and drum corps, the “Presentation of The Colors” by Explorer Scouts and the Pledge of Allegiance by Jeff Ehleres, the San Gorgonio High School bicentennial commissioner.

Bands from schools in the San Bernardino City Unified School District, choral groups and “The Singing Sixties” participated.

Mayor W.R. “Bob” Holcomb proclaimed that day as Bicentennial Designation day.

Albert Johnson, executive director of the State Bicentennial Commission announced the goals for the state commission. Meanwhile, Dr. William R. Coleman, chairman of San Bernardino’s commission explained how his city would participate.

In 1974, San Bernardino's Bicentennial Commission was actively planning local commemorations for the nation's 200th anniversary, focusing on local and community projects. Led by Executive Director Robert Phinney and later by Thelma Press, the commission coordinated with state and national efforts to organize patriotic events, historical, and cultural activities CSUSB archives.
The Bicentennial Commission--chaired by William R. Coleman and featuring prominent historic-minded civic leaders such as Thelma Press, Christian Harris, John Lowe, Charles Obershaw, Dave Light, George Webster, Warner Hodgdon, Art Nelson, Penny Holcomb, Hazel Olson and Fred Coops--produced a booklet entitled A Tour of Historic San Bernardino.

During the year-long celebration, a two hour stage show called The Pageant of the San Bernardino Valley-- a live outdoor play commemorating the period from 1849 to 1856--was held near Shandin Hills in the north end of town. The performances ran from June 29 through July 3.

Juanita Wilkinson of Lake Arrowhead wrote the script, Rowan Taylor composed the music and V. Dennis Wardle, the pageant association president, wrote the lyrics.
Directed by Douglas Merrill, the historical pageant blended music, dance and dialogue to dramatize life in the San Bernardino Valley during the 1840’s and 1850’s.
Three hillside stages were constructed at Blair Park and folding chairs were set up on the ball field below.
The music and dialogue were taped and, despite some occasional glitches during the performances, they were synchronized with the live action on stage.
Each performance started with the local the culture of the Indigenous tribes. Then came the Don Antonio Lugo family, owners of the Rancho San Bernardino, which was recalled through music, song and dance.
The program highlighted Captain Jefferson Hunt and the Mormon settlers arriving by covered wagons and horseback commemorating the settling of San Bernardino in 1851.
After a recreation of a harvest festival and a typical school party of the 1850’s, the pageant concluded with a celebration of the 4th of July.
Local historian, Richard D. Thompson as an informative literary companion for the pageant, produced a booklet featuring biographies of important pioneers entitled Pioneers of San Bernardino.

The 1976 Bicentennial signified a vibrant, pride-filled era for San Bernardino. The following year, the city was recognized with an even more prestigious award as it was recognized as an “All –America City.”

Unfortunately, in the decades following, San Bernardino has suffered significant economic challenges, which included the closure of major, defining employers.

Today, the “spirit of 1976” can be used as a model for San Bernardino as the city strives to capture that same sense of community pride in rebuilding its downtown and strengthen its economy.

You can contact Nick Cataldo at [email protected] and read more of his local history articles at Facebook.com/BackRoadsPress.

02/02/2026

My local history column written for the San Bernardino Sun (part of the Southern California News Group) on January 27, 2016 is about the history of San Bernardino Valley College, which was established in 1926.

San Bernardino Valley College turns 100 this year

When I look back on how a shy 12-year-old kid who preferred daydreaming to academics and dreaded speaking in front of the class became a successful Special Ed. teacher as well as a writer and speaker on local history, I thank my teachers.

The help of the teachers was vital, especially during my years at San Bernardino Valley College, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.

San Bernardino Valley College — the first of its kind in the state —wasn’t the first junior college in California. Fresno City College, established in 1907, holds that distinction.

Chaffee College, which was built even earlier, in 1883, also operated under the umbrella of local high school districts while also a college of agriculture affiliated with University of Southern California. It did not become a fully independent college separate from the high school district until 1957.

However, San Bernardino Valley College, or SBVC, was the first in the state of California to operate as a truly independent junior college district, separate from high schools.

On March 26, 1926, voters approved the formation of the San Bernardino Valley Union Junior College District.

Two months later, the board of trustees met at a site on the east side of Mt. Vernon Avenue, about equal distant between the downtown areas of San Bernardino and Colton. The board suggested about 30 acres in that area would provide the ideal location for the new college.

While the campus was still being developed, in fall 1926 the first classes were held at San Bernardino High School and Colton High School. The school started with 140 students and a faculty of 16.

George H. Jantzen, superintendent of the Colton District and principal of Colton High, was appointed dean of SBVC.

When the 1927-28 academic year got under way, the college’s administration building (then called the Classics Building) was completed. Classes took place amid construction, and by the end of the school year, the life science building, the gymnasium, and the library had also been completed.

In 1927-28 the faculty was made up of 11 men and six women. Nearly 300 students enrolled for the fall semester of 1927, with the freshmen outnumbering sophomores nearly 6 to 1.

Howard Jones, a hometown architect and designer of many buildings constructed in San Bernardino in the 1920s and ’30s, drew up the plans for the initial Spanish colonial revival-style campus buildings.

The college began to really take shape during the Great Depression when the Works Progress Administration funded the construction of other key structures, including the vocational building, an auditorium, and the Greek Theatre.

In 1954, the district launched KVCR-FM, which eventually became the first educational FM station in Southern California and remains a prominent NPR-PBS affiliate.
The post-war era saw significant growth, with enrollment reaching around 18,000 by 1975, fueled by the GI Bill and community demand.

My personal experience at San Bernardino Valley College, from 1972-1975, set the foundation and preparation for Cal State San Bernardino. I have fond memories of my time there.

I really enjoyed a “wild life and conservation” biology class taught by Bob Smith. My speech instructor, Harry Murray, proved that this shy kid could indeed speak in front of the class. My Spanish teachers, Anna Jarvis and future San Bernardino Mayor Judith Valles, were excellent. My favorite instructor was Dorothy gates, who taught Sociology.

I also had an interesting and enjoyable English class taught by John Coble. One of the students I really liked talking to was Julio Cruz, who went on to play Major League Baseball for the Seattle Mariners and Chicago White Sox.

Social life at SBVC was great too.

I played handball and tennis for hours after classes. On Fridays I would socialize with friends in the Greek Theatre while kicking back and listening to rock concerts during my lunch break.

The campus hosted major figures over the years also, including Cesar Chavez in 1968 and 1972, Jane Fonda in 1973, and President Bill Clinton in 1995.

My friend, John Freitas, who attended SBVC during the mid 1990s, recently shared how his experience there helped prepare him for going on to the University of California, Riverside. He also recalled the evening he shook hands with President Clinton.

In the late 1990s, it was determined that many of the building were to be demolished and rebuilt — since the campus was built directly over the San Jacinto Fault Zone. Between 2001 and 2010, many original buildings were torn down and replaced with modern, seismically safe structures.

Located directly north of the SBVC campus is Middle College High School, an alternative high school designed as a joint project of the San Bernardino City Unified School District and San Bernardino Valley College.

Students who attend Middle College High School are concurrently enrolled at both the school and SBVC. They’re able to earn college credits while completing their high school diploma.

Each year, a number of MCHS graduating seniors also earn the Associates of Arts Degree from SBVC.

Famous figures from San Bernardino Valley College include actress/singer Susan Anton, songwriter and composer Jimmy Webb, former U.S. Congressman George Brown, Jr., California Assembly member Wilmer Carter, Major League Baseball player Rich Dauer and NFL General Manager John Butler.

A San Bernardino native, who became the first African-American teacher in San Bernardino, as well as the first Black administrator in the state of California, was Dorothy Inghram.

Music played an important role in her life. While attending San Bernardino Valley College, from 1928 through 1933, she wrote the hymn that was selected as the school’s alma mater. It’s still used today.

Judith Valles is also local graduate who devoted much of her life to the well being of San Bernardino Valley College.

She attended SBVC from 1952 to 1953 and was later appointed to the faculty in 1965. She taught Spanish until 1984, led the department of foreign languages from 1972 to 1976, was the administrative dean of academic affairs from 1983 to 1987; held the position of chief instructional officer at the college and was executive vice president of academic and student affairs from 1987 to 1988.

Valles eventually made history by becoming the first Latina mayor in the city of San Bernardino, as well as the first Latina mayor of any city in the United States with a population of more than 100,000.

San Bernardino Valley College is celebrating its 100th anniversary throughout the 2025-2026 academic year with “100 Events for 100 Years.” The college has a dedicated centennial website, a documentary, a podcast series, and commemorative merchandise.

Contact Nick Cataldo at [email protected] and read more of his local history articles at Back Roads Press.

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