We affectionately call our garden location "China Gardens".
Back in the Gold Rush days of our valley's history, the Chinese had a garden location right in this approximate area. They grew vegetables and herbs to feed themselves and probably to sell to the community and gold prospectors.
I always try to imaging what this might have looked like back in the mid 1800's.
There is not much history written about this. There is one paragraph in Tom Core's book "Big Bear: The First 100 Years".
But if one looks around, you will find China Gardens Road on the map. It sits next to Citi Bank off of Big Bear Boulevard. And if one studies a map layout, the road continues north as a dirt road, between the current Bear Valley Church and a Real Estate office, north past Robertson Cement, crosses Garstin, and is now the entrance to the Clean Bear Trash Site. There is currently a fence stopping you from driving into the Dept. of Water parking lot, but this is still China Garden road running through Dept. of Water parking lot, through the Dept of Water equipment yard, and continuing on between the Grizzly office and the old Kmart building. Here China Gardens road crosses Fox Farm Road and continues right behind the Community Gardens (where we all park), no bridge over Rathburn Creek (but might have been at one point), and stopping at Big Bear Boulevard between Homestreet Bank and CVS Pharmacy.
Only the street name is seen at the City Bank location and off of Brownie Lane. The rest of the old road has been absorbed by local business, or is marked no access (but I still drive it occasionally).
So our garden location I think is pretty accurate for the location of the old China Garden. Being next to the creek certainly gave it almost year round water supply. And it is pretty close to Starvation Flats Road where many of the gold miners lived. And to this day, it still provides a full day of sunshine to grow our current vegetables.
Hope we have brought you some insight to our valley's history, all while munching on your current grown carrots and lettuce.
Back in the Gold Rush days of our valley's history, the Chinese had a garden location right in this approximate area. They grew vegetables and herbs to feed themselves and probably to sell to the community and gold prospectors.
I always try to imaging what this might have looked like back in the mid 1800's.
There is not much history written about this. There is one paragraph in Tom Core's book "Big Bear: The First 100 Years".
But if one looks around, you will find China Gardens Road on the map. It sits next to Citi Bank off of Big Bear Boulevard. And if one studies a map layout, the road continues north as a dirt road, between the current Bear Valley Church and a Real Estate office, north past Robertson Cement, crosses Garstin, and is now the entrance to the Clean Bear Trash Site. There is currently a fence stopping you from driving into the Dept. of Water parking lot, but this is still China Garden road running through Dept. of Water parking lot, through the Dept of Water equipment yard, and continuing on between the Grizzly office and the old Kmart building. Here China Gardens road crosses Fox Farm Road and continues right behind the Community Gardens (where we all park), no bridge over Rathburn Creek (but might have been at one point), and stopping at Big Bear Boulevard between Homestreet Bank and CVS Pharmacy.
Only the street name is seen at the City Bank location and off of Brownie Lane. The rest of the old road has been absorbed by local business, or is marked no access (but I still drive it occasionally).
So our garden location I think is pretty accurate for the location of the old China Garden. Being next to the creek certainly gave it almost year round water supply. And it is pretty close to Starvation Flats Road where many of the gold miners lived. And to this day, it still provides a full day of sunshine to grow our current vegetables.
Hope we have brought you some insight to our valley's history, all while munching on your current grown carrots and lettuce.
