Holcomb Valley

Holcomb Valley 1936 colorized
Holcomb Valley, 1936 - colorized

Holcomb Valley

Holcomb Valley 1936 (colorized)

The Holcomb Valley in the San Bernardino Mountains between Lucerne Valley and Big Bear Valley is named for William F. "Billy" Holcomb, who came to the mountains in 1859 and discovered gold there in 1860. [1]

On May 4, 1860, Holcomb and Ben Choteau discovered rich placer gold while prospecting in the valley. News spread quickly, bringing prospectors into what became Southern California's largest early gold rush. [1]

The principal settlement was Belleville. Mining camps, stores, blacksmith shops, saloons, and other services followed the rush. The first miners worked placer deposits in the valley gravels; later miners worked quartz veins and hard-rock prospects in the surrounding mountains. [3]

Jed Van Dusen opened a wagon road from Holcomb Valley toward the Mojave River and Cajon Pass in 1861. It improved access for supplies, miners, mail, and mining equipment. [2]

Belleville's county-seat election story should be treated as local legend. San Bernardino County has found no official election or legislative record showing that Belleville was actually considered for the county seat. [4]

By the later 1860s, the easily worked placer gold was declining. Belleville faded, although intermittent quartz and placer mining continued in the district for many years. [3]

Sources

[1] California Office of Historic Preservation - Holcomb Valley, California Historical Landmark No. 619.

[2] Ingersoll, Luther A. Ingersoll's Century Annals of San Bernardino County, 1769-1904, 1904. Includes William F. Holcomb's account, "The Discovery of Bear and Holcomb Valleys."

[3] Koschmann, A. H., and M. H. Bergendahl. Principal Gold-Producing Districts of the United States. U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 610, 1968. See Holcomb District. USGS record.

[4] San Bernardino County History - Belleville, CA.