by Kathy Hoffman | Mar 22, 2019 | Historical Photo Albums, History
Unlike most of the other early Big Bear resorts that were being built in the 1920’s, the Pan Hot Springs Hotel and the Peter Pan Woodland Club were unique in that they were located at the east end of Bear Valley, away from the lake. The Pan Hot Springs Hotel...
by Kathy Hoffman | Mar 22, 2019 | Historical Photo Albums, History
In 1909, the Bear Valley Mutual Water Company accepted John Eastwood’s design for a new dam at Big Bear Lake to replace the original rock dam that had been built in 1885. Eastwood’s unique design called for an all concrete structure without any rock or...
by Kathy Hoffman | Mar 22, 2019 | Historical Photo Albums, History
THE BEAR VALLEY HOTEL – 1888 In 1888, just four years after the rock dam was built that created Big Bear Lake, two local Big Bear ranchers, Gus Knight Jr. and John Metcalf built Big Bear’s first resort hotel. Big Bear village didn’t exist yet, and the only...
by Kathy Hoffman | Mar 22, 2019 | Historical Photo Albums, History
Before 1915, the Big Bear Village was not much more than a collection of small resort camps. The Big Bear community was centered around the huge Pine Knot Lodge, which was located just south of today’s village. In fact, the local community was known as Pine Knot...
by Kathy Hoffman | Mar 22, 2019 | Historical Photo Albums, History
By the 1930’s and 40’s, Big Bear Village which was still known as Pine Knot up until 1938, has completed the transformation from a small cluster of camps into an actual village. Compare the first photo in this Big Bear Village Photo Album to the first...
