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First People Living in the Area (Serrano and Cahuilla Indians)
First Europeans in the Valley (Spanish Soldiers and Priests)
1810 - 1849
The Beginning of San Bernardino
First Documentation of a Settlement Named "San Bernardino"
First Zanja (irrigation ditch; 12 miles long; for Mission Rancho San Bernardino)
1823
First Time "Bernardino" annotated on a map of California (Jose M. Narvaes)
First Visit by the explorer Jedediah Smith to Mission Rancho San Bernardino
First Caravan on the Old Spanish Trail from Santa Fe, NM, to Los Angeles, CA, stops at San Bernardino
First Time "San Bernardino" appears on a map of the United States (David Burr)
1842
First Time American Flag is flown in San Bernardino area (
Daniel Sexton)
First Mexican Land Grant encompassing San Bernardino (given to the Lugo family)
1850 - 1859
Fort San Bernardino
1851
First Blacks (26 of them) arrive in San Bernardino (with the Mormons)
First Jewish Settlers arrive in San Bernardino
First Fort (Mormon Stockade, on Arrowhead, between 3rd and 4th Streets)
First Law Officer was Bud Rollins
First Public Building - Mormon's adobe Council House (3rd and Arrowhead)
First Store (operated by Marcus Katz & he conducted business on a barter basis)
First Law Officer (Bud Rollins)
First Direct Mail Service from the East arrives in town
First U.S. Post Office in San Bernardino (Postmaster drew no salary)
First Public Park was established (between 5th and 6th, and E and F Streets; now called Pioneer Park)
First Hotel (Bishop William Crosby's Log Cabin)
First Time City of San Bernardino is Incorporated
First Parcel of Land (148.5 feet x 297 feet) Purchased in the City (sold to Ira S. Miles for $125)
First Permanent School (Warm Springs School)
First Bank (Bank of San Bernardino, started by Lewis Jacobs, 4th and Arrowhead)
First Regular Bi-weekly Stagecoach Service between San Bernardino & L.A.
1860 - 1869
Gold, Bricks and Arrowhead Springs Hotel
First Newspaper in the County - "The San Bernardino Herald"
First Jail was built in the City (now located at the Heritage House, 8th & D Streets)
First U. S. Census as a City (pop. City - 940; County - 5,551; State - 379,994)
First Jewish Cemetery, "Home of Eternity Cemetery" (9th and Sierra Way)
First Time the City Dis-incorporated (probably due to administrative expenses)
First Fire Protection Company was organized (with 4 men & $103 of equipment)
First Fire Station (located at Third and Arrowhead Streets)
First Chinese arrive in the area (1870 census shows 16 men, ages 19 to 31)
First Brickyard in the area (established by Henry Goodall, Sr.)
First Brick Building (erected by John H. Stewart at the corner of 3rd & D Streets)
1870 - 1879
Rumsey Hand Pumper
1873
First Telegraph sent from San Bernardino - Sept. 18th by De La M. Woodward
First Fire Vehicle (Rumsey Hand Pumper)
1880 - 1889
An Opera House and a Railroad Depot
1880
First Two Story Brick Hotel (Starke's Hotel, located at 3rd and Arrowhead)
First Time City of San Bernardino lighted by gas lamps
First Telephone Service established between San Bernardino and Colton
First Opera House (Court and "D" Streets, built 4 years before Los Angeles had one)
First Passenger Train arrives in San Bernardino (California Southern Railroad)
First "Steam Powered" Fire Engine (first hand drawn, then horse drawn)
1885
First Y.M.C.A. (started in Garner Hall on D Street between Court and 4th Streets)
1886
First Official City Seal of San Bernardino was embossed on San Bernardino City Ordinance No. 1
First Appearance of the Salvation Army
First Train of the Southern California Motor Road begins operating between San Bernardino and Colton
First Permanent Railroad Depot was built (destroyed by fire in 1916)
First Stewart Hotel was build (located on the corner of 3rd and "E" Streets)
First Streetcar Line in the City put into operation
First Santa Fe Train to operate on the San Bernardino and Los Angeles Railway
First Amusement Park - Harlem Springs (Base Line and Victoria)
First Train Runs to Harlem Hot Springs on the San Bernardino, Arrowhead & Waterman Railroad
First Train from San Bernardino to Redlands & Mentone on the San Bernardino & Redlands Motor Road
1890 - 1899
Electric Street Lights and Street Paving
First Use of Water Under Pressure in the City
First Electric Street Lights in the City of San Bernardino
First Permanent High School (8th & E, now the site of Sturges Auditorium)
First Paving of Downtown Streets completed (parts of D, E, Second and Third)
First Free Public Library in San Bernardino (at I.R. Brunn residence on 4th St.)
First Edition of The Sun Newspaper is published
1900 - 1909
An Electric Trolley and the Carnegie Library
First Permanent City Hall is built (on the corner of Third and D Streets)
First "Street Fair" downtown (with queen, grand ball, races, etc.)
First Permanent Library (Carnegie Library, located at 4th and D Streets)
First Harris Store Opens (in the old armory at 462 Third St)
First Juvenile Court (Committee Organized to Establish It)
First (and last) "Festival of the Arrowhead" Street Fair (May 19-23)
1910 - 1919
National Orange Show
1910
First Automobile to Drive to Big Bear & Pinecrest, and return in one day
First Motorized Vehicle for the Fire Department (a Pope-Hartford Hose Wagon)
First Chamber of Commerce organized
First Commercial Flight (biplane flown by Didier Masson from Los Angeles to San Bernardino)
First "Red Cars" appear in San Bernardino when Pacific Electric buys San Bernardino Valley Traction Co.
1914
First Passenger Bus Line in California (San Bernardino Mountain Auto Stage)
First Auto Garages in town
1920 - 1929
Valley College and the California Theater
1921
First Permanent Jewish Synagogue (847 E Street)
First Civil Service Board appointed by the Mayor
First Junior College (San Bernardino Valley College)
First Rail-to-Air Transfer in San Bernardino, from the "Los Angeles Limited" to a Goodyear Blimp
1930 - 1939
Female Flight Instructor
First One-Way Police Radio used at Police Headquarters to dispatch calls
First use of the current City Seal (designed by Lois Campbell)
1940 - 1949
Fast Food Restaurants
First Black Police Officer joined the SBPD (Officer Johnny Epps)
First McDonald's Restaurant in the country opened (14th and E Streets)
First Bell's Burgers opened by Glen Bell (founder of Taco Bell in 1962)
1950 - 1999
Rolling Stone Concert
1952
First San Bernardino resident to earn the Medal of Honor (Joseph C. Rodriguez, Korea, 21 May 1951)
1952
First Baker's Double Burgers Restaurant in the country (was at 164 W. Highland)
First Taco Tia in the Country (on Base Line next to Sage's market)
First State University founded in San Bernardino (CSUSB)
First Shopping Mall Under One Roof (Inland Center Mall)
First Game Played at New Western Regional Little League Park
First Time San Bernardino Named an "All-American City"
First Woman Mayor elected (Evelyn Wilcox)
First Route 66 Rendezvous (300 cars and 4,000 spectators)
First Metrolink Train (Metrolink No. 865 with a test train) that arrived in San Bernardino
First Latino Elected Mayor (Judith Valles)
2000 - Present
Olympic Gold Comes to San Bernardino
First Winter Olympic Gold Medal won by a San Bernardino native (Derek Parra)
First Police Helicopter (a Robinson R44) joined the SBPD Patrol Fleet
First History and Railroad Museum in the City, opened on July 12th (1170 West Third Street)
First Time the City of San Bernardino files an Emergency Petition for Chapter 9 Bankruptcy
First Black Police Chief hired (Darren Goodman)
First Asian American Elected Mayor (Helen Tran)