June 2022 Big Bear Today Magazine

Page 2—June 2022
From the Publisher
Belleville was never
close to County Seat
but true story better
Belleville, one of the small mining
towns that sprang up in Holcomb
Valley during the gold rush, missed
out on becoming San Bernardino County
seat by a scant two votes.
Just to make sure the vote went
Belleville’s way, one “Hell Roaring
Johnson” decided to take control of the
election papers by killing Constable St.
John. Only the tables were turned on
Johnson, who was shot dead by St. John.
And even the two vote razor-thin margin
of defeat was suspicious. Seems ballots
in the 1861 election were being tallied
around a bonfire when one container was
“accidentally” kicked into the flames, resulting
in the loss of who-knows-howmany
votes that could have swung the
matter Belleville’s way. Instead San Bernardino
came out on top.
It’s one of Big Bear’s most enduring
tales, one I’ve heard since I moved here in
1989. It’s a story that’s featured in wellrespected
books by reputable authors, relayed
so many times it’s become etched in
the historical fabric. Only thing is, like so
much lore there’s not a shred of truth to it.
Instead, the real story is even better.
The truth is mixed with elements of
slavery and the Confederacy, secret meetings
and oaths, even a rogue duel a la
Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. All
based on fact, details diligently unearthed
by historians Richard Graham, Mark
Durban and Anne Roark and presented at
an April Historical Society meeting.
Respected historians like John
Robinson, Austin Drake and even late Big
Bear icon Tom Core included the fable in
their writings. Core repeated it on many
occasions including during a “California
Gold” segment with Huell Howser. Yet
there’s no mention of Belleville losing the
County seat in writings by William
Holcomb or Sidney Waite who were there.
Nor is there any mention of any such
ballot measure in official records. “Reviewing
County Supervisors records,
there’s no such proposal in 1860, 61 or 62,”
Graham noted. “There’s no missing pages.
It’s just not there. Nor were there legal
notices printed in the Los Angeles Star
newspaper indicating a ballot measure
which would have been required.”
As a practical matter, San Bernardino
was by far the more logical choice for
County Seat. It already had a Court House,
Post Office, County offices and road system,
none of which were found in
Belleville, which like so many gold rush
towns was here today, gone tomorrow.
About the only thing Belleville had that
San Bernardino didn’t was winter snow,
hardly an enticement to moving the County
Seat.
It seems the 1861 election was hotly
contested in Holcomb Valley, but changing
the County Seat wasn’t the issue. As
the Civil War ignited back east, debate
about secession stirred in California too.
Mariposa miner and State Assemblyman
Dan Showalter wanted the state to join
the Confederacy, or at least split into two
regions. Debate about the issue turned into
a duel with fellow Assemblyman Charles
Piercy with rifles, on May 25, 1861.
Both missed with their first shots.
Piercy missed again but Showalter’s second
shot killed Piercy on the spot. Given
that dueling was illegal, Showalter “went
on the run,” Graham said, joined by about
20 other men, Southern sympathizers all.
Eventually the group made their way
to Holcomb Valley, known to have secessionist
leanings. “Showalter came to recruit
more men,” Graham said. “He didn’t get
any but did get gold for funding. He eventually
went to Arizona then Texas and was
killed in a bar fight in Mazatlan.”
Meanwhile politics remained a hot
button in Holcomb Valley. The Sacramento
Daily Alta ran a story in September 1861
that secessionists were holding “secret
meetings two or three times a week” while
Union loyalists were meeting Saturday
nights. One report by a Major Carleton
noted that in Holcomb and Bear Valley
mines there were “a thousand men, two
hundred of whom favor secession.”
All of which attracted the attention of
Clarence Bennett, who wrote Secretary of
War Seward, calling Holcomb Valley a
“rendezvous for secessionists planning to
take Fort Yuma then capture the Mexican
state of Sonora for the Confederacy.”
It all fizzled like a faulty firecracker.
“The gold petered out very quickly,” Graham
said, noting that while there were 547
votes cast in Belleville in 1861, just 51 a
year later as miners drifted away.
“The story would make a great movie
script,” Graham said. “Am I going to
change what goes around? I don’t think
so. The legend will continue.”
Graham, Durban and Roark will be at
the June 9 meeting again with still more
tales and legends of Big Bear’s past (story
page 3). Fascinating stuff, to be sure!
Have a good one.
Marcus
ON THE COVER: Cruzer lake tours at last year’s prices, pontoon boats, kayaks, waverunners,
Big Bear Marina has got your way to play on the lake.
Volume 33, Number 12 June 2022
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6
8
9
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Publisher
Marcus G. Dietz
Associate Publisher
Sandra L. Dietz
Publishing Consultant
Bret Colson
Technical Consultant
Charles Dietz
Photography/Distribution
Steve Dietz
John Daskam
Mark Gauger
In This Issue...
Big Bear Today
Cruzer, New Pontoons at Big Bear Marina
Boats are a great way for families to social distance while
having fun and Big Bear Marina has a lot of them to choose
from. Like three dozen pontoons including four new ones, tour
boat sailing at last year’s prices despite inflation, a variety of
fishing boats, even water bikes that riders pedal instead of
paddle. SUP, canoes, kayaks and more mean summer is on!
Gold Fever Trail Visits Historical Holcomb
Holcomb Valley is where it all started and the Gold Fever Trail
is a fun drive if your vehicle is up to dirt road adventure. See
where Belleville was, the remnants of a couple real mines and
a hanging tree and cabin that’s not so real. The area is full of
legend and lore; find out what’s real and what’s not with
stories on this page along with page 3.
Gibson, XA get Free Sunset Concerts Rolling
The three-event Sunset Concert series gets underway with a
heavyweight lineup that includes X Ambassadors, pop star
Debbie Gibson and country star Drake White three consecutive
Fridays starting June 17. Enjoy the show and the sunset at
Veteran’s Park, free admission!
Music in Mountains Back, Bands at Wyatt’s
Discovery Center’s popular Music in the Mountains outdoor
concert series returns after its pandemic-driven hiatus. The
stars come out under the stars starting with the music of John
Denver presented by Jim Curry. Bands at Wyatt’s too!
2nd Phase Maple Hills Trails Now Open
213 acres of hiking bliss just got better with the introduction
of second phase paths at Maple Hills Trails Complex in Big
Bear City. Open to hikers and bikers, the treks are fun and
East Valley views sprawling; hard to believe such amazing
hiking is right off the boulevard! In color on The Back Page.
Nikki Sparks, one of many performers on
Make Music Day. See page 3.
DEPARTMENTS
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3
13
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From the Publisher
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Area Map/
Calendar of Events
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