Running Springs Continued
October 29th, 2009
Running springs (continues…)
School in Fredalba
By May of 1896, nine cottages were completed and available for rent for $75 per year. A restaurant and more cottages popped up like mushrooms and Fredalba blossomed. Because of the mill worker and lumberjack families there were eventually enough children in Fredalba to warrant opening a school in 1902.
Decline of Fredalba
By 1908 Fredalba was a regular town with stage and mail service, full furnished housekeeping cabins, ready prepared meals, reasonable provisions and complete camping equipment. When the lumber operation closed in 1913 the mill workers left and the decline of Fredalba began.
With improved highways came change to the middle crest country of the San Bernadine mountains. Rampant development that had already hit crestline, Lake Arrowhead and the Big Bear areas, finally reached Running springs in 1923. The area around the junction of Rim of the World Drive and City creek road, known as Hunsaker flats was sold to a syndicate led by realtor B.L. Smith in 1924. B.L. Smith planned out a small business district, housing tracts, and a resort and called the area Running springs park. Lots were bought up quickly and by 1927, Running springs was a fast growing community with a general store, cafe, gas station, post office and approximately 400 residents.
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