Wrightwood Trivia

[JC]

Here's a chance to share a tidbit of local trivia

The rules:
1) It must be something old, let's say 1960's or earlier. (the older the better)
2) Nothing made up or fake.
3) Must be something local.
4) Source of information if known.
5) I hope the moderators will delete everything that doesn't meet rules #1, #2 & #3 above.

Here's a few from "The Mountaineers"

Many lives were lost in Jackson Lake when swimmers would get trapped in the moss. When the Forest Service took over they installed safety precautions and since then no one has drowned.  (the book was written in '72)


This one is for TableMtn-  [smiley=wavey.gif]

Davidson Arch, crossing the highway at Big Pines Divide was a pedestrian over cross with barred rooms at the top of each tower in which the Rangers kept prisoners until San Bernardino Sheriff's Dept could remove them to jail.  

[clint]

Maybe no one drowned from moss, but there have been drownings there since '72. A family went out on the ice on Jackson lake a number of years ago and someone fell through the ice and drowned.

[clint]

Iv'e never had this confirmed, but supposedly the garage of one of the houses at
Mc Clelen(sp?) flats is constructed partially with the form boards from the Davidson Arch. There is a garage there with an arch shaped roof.

[TableMtn]

O.K. Mr. Clint smarty pants    The tower on the Big Pines building side still has an existing jail cell and I know someone with a key that fits the lock--so ya better be good!  

The arch was removed sometime in the 50's with the completion of Hwy 2 and paving.  The arch was too low for tractor trailer trucks and the road needed to be widened.  I asked one of the forest archeologists if the arch could be rebuilt over the new highway and was told no--if anything is to be restored--it has to be restored to the historical configuration.  Again--would not meet specs for a state highway.  Plus there is the fact that the San Andreas fault runs thru there and the structural engineering for todays standards would be very complicated to say the least.  Oh well.... I tried!

You might ask Doug Milburn, assistant forest archeologist about the garage at McClellan Flats.  He's the resident expert about the Big Pines historical district.  He has an office at the Big Pines building on the opposite end from the info station.