Quick History Test

[GRAHAM_RANCH]

A friend of mine came into the museum on Sat. and expressed surprise at the number of folks that read the history pieces on the forum and don't come into the museum and take a real good look around. "They learn more stuff here than what's put on that there web site thingy. I told Newcome that the readers are very sharp...but, he told me to prove it by giving the reader a little test. So, here is goes:


Name this lake


What is this a photo of?


Where is the location of this famous big fireplace. Just a little sideline...spikes were put in to prevent this folks from sitting on its hearth. (It's only fair to interject that you forest service people out there can't give the reader any hints)


Who says that life was boring in the early days!? Can you name the year, what was happening here that was an annual thing, and where it took place? (You great historians please avoid giving any hints)


Ah, one of my favorite places around here. Do you reconize it? What was its name...what is it now? Each small photo shows a particular place at this great location; name each location if you can.



This road still exists today, where is it?


Ah, the great Davidson Arch of old Big Pines Park; why was it taken down? What one tower is all that is left: north or south?
What was the 1st name of the park, and why was it changed...?
Does anyone know the "real" name of this great place?

[GRAHAM_RANCH]

Note; these photos were deleted because I accidently used the wrong disc fo photos, using those that were considered "restricted" and not for public use. My deepest apologies go to the resources that provided those restricted photos in the first place.  Terry Graham

[CA5th]

It looks like the sag pond at Lark and Mill that is now a horrible eyesore in need of extensive fuel modification ASAP!

[GRAHAM_RANCH]

bingo...that was once Wright's Lake....best looking one in the whole valley, it was also called Wrightwood Lake in some of William Bristol's writing.

Even though the other photos have been removed. The fireplace that most winter visitors sat n front of was at the Big Pines Rec Hall...after putting in the spikes to stop people from sitting on the great hearth, the park officials noticed it worked. Sitting on those things were a pain in the ...um, end.

Another missing photo was a rare look of the missing Davidson Arch in Big Pines...it was removed in the early 1950s to enlarge the road to handle the traffic coming over the new Angeles Crest. The road through the arch area was never widened.

The missing road sign introduced the first name of Big Pines Hwy...Swarthout National Forest Highway, which tied into Lone Pine Canyon Road in Wrightwood. It was later known by other names; Lone Pine Cyn, the Angeles, Angeles Crest Big Pines (west of San Bernardino County line) and Highway 2.

The "real" name of Big Pines...at least according to the U.S Postal Service...was "Swarthout," after the valley's founding fathers, the Swarthouts. This location, because it had the biggest population in the 1920s, got a post office a few years before Wrightwood did.

In the middle '20s and into the '30s, another pastimes in Big Pines Park was the rodeo event. The cattle were long gone, so sheep were used for some of the rodeo's events. This rodeo was located in the upper parking lot of Holiday Hill (Mt. High East)