San Bernardino: The Rise and Fall of a California Community [Hardcover]

Edward Leo Lyman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 15, 1996

In the mid-1800s San Bernardino emerged as one of the largest settlements in southern California. It surpassed Pueblo de los Angeles and San Diego in grain and lumber yields and boasted a burgeoning cattle industry and promising wine vineyards. But as a Mormon commune--the farthest outpost in Brigham Young's Rocky Mountain empire--the colony was threatened, and finally abandoned, in 1857 during the Utah war with the United States. From the beginning, Young had misgivings about the colony. Particularly perplexing was the mix of atypical Latter-day Saints who gravitated there. Among these were ex-slave holders; inter-racial polygamists; horse-race gamblers; distillery proprietors; former mountain men, prospectors, and mercenaries; disgruntled Polynesian immigrants; and finally Apostle Amasa M. Lyman, the colony's leader, who became involved in spiritualist seances. Despite Young's suspicions, when he issued the call to relocate to Utah, two-thirds of the city's 3,000 residents dutifully obeyed, leaving behind their cumulative fortunes and a city stripped of its regional economic standing. Recounting this remarkable story, Edward Leo Lyman skillfully interweaves the most intriguing details about the setting and chain of events, emphasizing both the significance and irony of this diverse legacy.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

A descendant of one of the founders of the California colony, Lyman takes a scholarly look at the early history of San Bernardino and shows how an influx of Mormons helped to create a land of plenty in the midst of desolation. Before the first contingent of Mormons arrived in the early 1850s, Brigham Young envisioned the largest Latter-Day Saint's settlement outside of Salt Lake City. What happened to that dream and what caused the Utah Mormons eventually to disown their California brethren forms the basis for Lyman's study. His book will definitely be of value to California libraries and to those featuring materials on the Mormon religion, but its dry and laborious text will appeal only to scholars.?Joseph L. Carlson, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Cal.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

A timely new comprehensive study by historian Leo Lyman, San Bernardino: The Rise and Fall of a California Community, brings forth new details and provides fresh insight into the importance of the Mormon colony at San Bernardino and its context in the settlement of the West and southern California. It will serve as the standard interpretation for many years to come. --Southern California Quarterly, Larry E. Burgess

This award-winning book by Professor Leo Lyman of Victor Valley College is the product of many years or research and writing. He takes the reader through diaries, letters, records kept by church clerks, newspaper accounts from California and Utah in describing all that happened in the San Bernardino Valley before and after the San Bernardino colony was established by Brigham Young in the fall of 1851 and was then recalled by him in 1857. This impressive book, with maps and photographs, and dramatic narrative, will interest all who enjoy detailed history of the period when colonizing the Mormon territory took place. Lyman describes the history of the region before the American Period: the native people, the Spanish Fathers who converted them to Christianity, the Spanish ranchers, the early trappers and explorers, followed by westering Americans. Into this mix was added the very different group of Latter-day Saints coming from Utah. The mix was made more complex by the inclusion of members from the South, with their slaves, and the returned Pacific Island missionaries, with their Polynesian converts. Add more: the less faithful Saints who did not care for the cold of Utah or the restrictions placed upon them there. The stage is set for the grand drama that is played out. The LDS church held a central position in the colony with apostles Charles C. Rich and Amasa M. Lyman resident emissaries of President Brigham Young. Under them the colony was founded and managed. The author sees clearly the devastating effect on the colony of Brigham Young's initial support turned awry and eventual opposition. Divisions plagued the colony. Chapter six is a favorite exposition of the social history of the people sacrificing and helping all to enjoy the blessings of the gospel plan. The chapter shows how the people lived, worshipped, and played together. This was not Utah, but California, where others could acquire free land and run for public office without approval of the local high council. Mormon political practice took a different position with regard to democracy. Church unity in politics was hard to establish and retain. By the time of the "Mormon War," the stage had been set for the removal of the "true saints" from the place that President Young had come to detest. Chapter eight, "Exodus and After," gives the story of what happened as the settlers had to give up on payment for the remainder of the purchase and get only what they could to cross the desert and return to live in near poverty in the communities of southern Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. It is a tragic story of loss of property and homes, of families split up, of travel most difficult. Then the travellers learn the war was over while they were still on the march, and that with a little help from Brigham young the colony could have survived and become prosperous enough so that those who wanted to leave could do so without so much pain and sacrifice. The extensive bibliography attests to the fact that the text is well founded on appropriate sources. The history of Mormon San Bernardino has been written! --Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, Maria S. Ellsworth

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 484 pages
• Publisher: Signature Books (April 15, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560850671
• ISBN-13: 978-1560850670
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.4 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,430,990 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good historical account of early San Bernardino, June 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: San Bernardino: The Rise and Fall of a California Community (Hardcover)

Having an ancestor involved in the early settling of San Bernardino, I was drawn to the book by a facination with his life. What started as a search for him, turned in to an appreciation for the pioneers of this area. Mr. Lyman's book takes the reader through a real life drama of a western settlement. His research was outstanding and his insight thought provoking. If you enjoy western U.S. history, you will enjoy this book.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Early Mormon colonization of San Bernardino, December 18, 2001

By 

Roger C. Covalt (Poway, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: San Bernardino: The Rise and Fall of a California Community (Hardcover)

I come from one of the early LDS pioneer families (Bemis) that colonized San Bernardino (BTW I am Active LDS). I have spent days in the LDS Historical Archives researching this colony. I have read the research done by others of this colony. This book by Lyman (who is descended from one of the Church leaders sent to colonize San Bernardino), is by far the best on the subject. This book goes into detail about Brigham Young's struggle to colonize this area, the actual colonization (and their struggles), and the fight to return to Brigham Young's fold. I have a Great Grand Mother who left the LDS Church while in San Bernardino, and later joined the RLDS Church because of the stranglehold that Brigham Young had over the early saints. For anyone who is interested in the early Mormon colonization of San Bernardino, I highly recommend this book. Professor Lyman brings this part of history alive.