Nick names of place around the valley
Hooky Bobber, Thu Oct 17 2019, 08:21AM
The Valley has a lot of place with local nicknames some old some some newer some have meaning I thought it might be fun guessing why they have them or maybe you know why.
Taj Mahal
Upset locals about cityhood over built opulent city office
China Garden
My Guess
Area of soft mud car and wagons sunk to the axle’s in the springtime and sink to China
Godwins corner
Guess
Lots of car crashes I remember lots of cars out in the field plus DR. Godwin lived in the house at the corner
Dead Mans Corner
No Idea I know it was a place with a fire department alarm.
Fawnskin Freeway
The newer wide Stretch of new highway Good Luck to Maronies on North Shore (38) and replaced going by LightHouse campground
Honda Acres-Bear City
This one from the 60s/ any ideas why, its not like any Hondas were around
200 acres
80 acres
Warty Rocks up on skyline
This one is easy the boulders look to have warts
Stonehenge-Bluff Mesa
Eye of the Gods
blow up
Indians
Skunk Hallow west of Redant Hill
Moonridge
I think its the developments name
Sugarloaf
Fawnskin
My Guess-Pelts from hunters from Deer Hunting
Some are obvious some from events or change?
Re: Nick names of place around the valley
©ammy, Fri Oct 18 2019, 09:41PM
That's funny - I've never heard it called that but sometimes on my way to work I find myself accidentally going freeway speeds through here and then my mind wanders off into the future and I imagine this area as a 4 lane divided highway.
Re: Nick names of place around the valley
Hooky Bobber, Sat Oct 19 2019, 06:42AM
One more
The Mushroom Caves
Re: Nick names of place around the valley
Socalman, Wed Jan 22 2020, 12:54PM
If memory serves me correctly, Tom Core had a story in The Grizzly many years ago describing the fact that some early settlers came upon a skin of a fawn and named the area Fawnskin.
Re: Nick names of place around the valley
BootsNBridles, Thu Jan 23 2020, 09:01PM
Rattlesnake Ridge....self explanatory.
Re: Nick names of place around the valley
Warren Strand, Fri Jan 31 2020, 04:41PM
Some information on "Dead Man's Corner." I lived in Big Bear from 1970 to 1975, and as a BBHS student with a '72 Mustang Mach I, I was a member of the informal car club running amuck around the valley.
Dead Man's "Curve" - in my time - was on Hwy 18 as it makes the last right-hand curve (Eastbound) before the Stanfield Cutoff intersection. Today, the curve is a gentle, well-engineered curve that probably causes no one any concern. Not so in the '70s...
As you may guess, the highway was a 2-lane then, and the right-hand turn was almost a 90 degree elbow...
Here's the "dead man" part: the roadway was graded the opposite way it should have been, and just off the roadway in the middle of the turn was a gigantic Bonanza Pine. I personally witnessed several crashes into that tree, and heard many a story about it from my car enthusiast' friends and their fathers.
Hope that is a small slice of interesting info...GREAT THREAD!
Warren
Re: Nick names of place around the valley
Cornbread, Fri Jan 31 2020, 04:47PM
I always thought dead mans curve was on the blvd just west of circle K
Re: Nick names of place around the valley
Warren Strand, Fri Jan 31 2020, 04:47PM
I think Sugarloaf is simply named for Sugarloaf Mountain, almost directly south of the neighborhood we call Sugarloaf. I remember delivering lumber and building supplies to jobs in Sugarloaf for Homestead Lumber Co., in the early '70s.
Warren
Re: Nick names of place around the valley
Warren Strand, Fri Jan 31 2020, 04:58PM
Yeah, Cornbread, that curve has also been straightened out (so to speak) such that it looks nothing like its former, dangerous self. You may be right about it holding the appellation as well, but though I cannot quite remember it, that Bear City curve had a slightly different name, and there was no speed involved on that stretch.
The other killer was Eastbound HWY 18 at what is now Big Bear Snow Play. Looks innocent enough, but that long straightaway was our dragstrip in those days...there is a pile of boulders just off the curve that caught some unlucky speeders, one of whom was an acquaintance of mine (we called him "Bozo") who died there in 1973.
Warren
Re: Nick names of place around the valley
Hooky Bobber, Fri Jan 31 2020, 06:52PM
Re: Nick names of place around the valley
Hooky Bobber, Fri Jan 31 2020, 07:16PM
Rattle snakeridge I have no ideal where that is, RattleSnake Mountain they called the mountain south of the Senior Citizen Center.
Re: Nick names of place around the valley
Hooky Bobber, Fri Jan 31 2020, 07:23PM
Warren tell me more I remember an orange one belong to Howsers.
'72 Mustang Mach I, I was a member of the informal car club. Tell me more did you drag race on Summit and Moonride Straightaway or out on 38?
Re: Nick names of place around the valley
Warren Strand, Sat Feb 01 2020, 05:59PM
Thanks, Skyline, for straightening me out on my mistake on Godwin's...Ha! We all had it wrong! What a bunch of dumb kids we were!!!
On the Mustang, by Orange do you mean the early 70's Gold?
Yes, indeed, we used Summit quite a bit, especially going uphill toward the slopes...Moonridge straight to, but not as much as Summit and Hwy 38 out east.
You may recall that Rich Vickers and Jeff Woodruff (friends of mine) lived on west side of Summit next to the Taylor girls...they were a "base" of sorts, and a place to run in to avoid the SO.
Warren...remembering '73-'74
Re: Nick names of place around the valley
Hooky Bobber, Mon Feb 03 2020, 09:14AM
The 70s Weekend nights, up Pineknot then right at Halls, Elks lodge Turn around repeat. Welcome Warren the site has a couple seasoned Big Bear locals on here, Dennis Knickerbocer was a big contributor with old photos of the Valley and memories; he was lot of fun. The history section is fun; the site has worked well during fires when trying to acquire information. The car magnet tree I remember was the one with the bark knocked off was out front of Dongos.
Re: Nick names of place around the valley
Warren Strand, Sat Feb 08 2020, 07:44PM
Thanks so much for the welcome, Skyline! I am trying to read every post, because everyone's thoughts and memories are so very interesting...
Love those barkless pines...so much "experience."
Re: Nick names of place around the valley
BootsNBridles, Sun Feb 09 2020, 08:06PM
My dad used to tell stories about driving the movie reels from Blue Jay to Big Bear when he was a teen, especially in the winter. Wish I could remember the details to share! What I remember is many hair raising slides and corners!
Re: Nick names of place around the valley
©ammy, Wed Feb 12 2020, 08:45PM
That wasn't across Snow Slide Road, was it?
(I don't remember what year they completed the Arctic Circle.)
Re: Nick names of place around the valley
Hooky Bobber, Fri Feb 14 2020, 10:12AM
This is from Green Valley histroy
1923 Deep Creek Cutoff completed (Hwy 18) to Big Bear. Nicknamed �Arctic Circle�. Cuts off Green Valley.
Re: Nick names of place around the valley
©ammy, Sat Feb 15 2020, 06:53PM
Ohhhh!! I thought it was a lot more recent than that!
Never mind then Boots!
Re: Nick names of place around the valley
BootsNBridles, Sun Feb 16 2020, 12:45PM
It was only two lanes at the time he drove it. Rarely and barely plowed.
Re: Nick names of place around the valley
BootsNBridles, Sun Feb 16 2020, 12:48PM
Same place. That's the thing with nick names, they tend to change slightly until they are formalized. 🙂 Now they'd like everyone to forget that area ever had snake in the name, all those houses, all those snakes!
Re: Nick names of place around the valley
Hooky Bobber, Thu Feb 20 2020, 07:19AM
Thanks Boots Another canyon east of the valley just passed Rose Mines is called Rattle Snake Canyon, seems years ago the first Rattlesnakes killed in the valley in the spring used to be always over in Whispering Forest area
Re: Nick names of place around the valley
BootsNBridles, Thu Feb 20 2020, 07:29PM
I've been through that canyon on wheels and hooves. I can honestly say both places are very deserving of their designation!!! I've never seen so many rattlers in one area as I have in both of them!
Hooky Bobber, Thu Oct 17 2019, 08:21AM
The Valley has a lot of place with local nicknames some old some some newer some have meaning I thought it might be fun guessing why they have them or maybe you know why.
Taj Mahal
Upset locals about cityhood over built opulent city office
China Garden
My Guess
Area of soft mud car and wagons sunk to the axle’s in the springtime and sink to China
Godwins corner
Guess
Lots of car crashes I remember lots of cars out in the field plus DR. Godwin lived in the house at the corner
Dead Mans Corner
No Idea I know it was a place with a fire department alarm.
Fawnskin Freeway
The newer wide Stretch of new highway Good Luck to Maronies on North Shore (38) and replaced going by LightHouse campground
Honda Acres-Bear City
This one from the 60s/ any ideas why, its not like any Hondas were around
200 acres
80 acres
Warty Rocks up on skyline
This one is easy the boulders look to have warts
Stonehenge-Bluff Mesa
Eye of the Gods
blow up
Indians
Skunk Hallow west of Redant Hill
Moonridge
I think its the developments name
Sugarloaf
Fawnskin
My Guess-Pelts from hunters from Deer Hunting
Some are obvious some from events or change?
Re: Nick names of place around the valley
©ammy, Fri Oct 18 2019, 09:41PM
Skyline Drive wrote ...
Fawnskin Freeway
The newer wide Stretch of new highway Good Luck to Maronies on North Shore (38) and replaced going by LightHouse campground
Fawnskin Freeway
The newer wide Stretch of new highway Good Luck to Maronies on North Shore (38) and replaced going by LightHouse campground
That's funny - I've never heard it called that but sometimes on my way to work I find myself accidentally going freeway speeds through here and then my mind wanders off into the future and I imagine this area as a 4 lane divided highway.
Re: Nick names of place around the valley
Hooky Bobber, Sat Oct 19 2019, 06:42AM
One more
The Mushroom Caves
Re: Nick names of place around the valley
Socalman, Wed Jan 22 2020, 12:54PM
If memory serves me correctly, Tom Core had a story in The Grizzly many years ago describing the fact that some early settlers came upon a skin of a fawn and named the area Fawnskin.
Re: Nick names of place around the valley
BootsNBridles, Thu Jan 23 2020, 09:01PM
Rattlesnake Ridge....self explanatory.
Re: Nick names of place around the valley
Warren Strand, Fri Jan 31 2020, 04:41PM
Some information on "Dead Man's Corner." I lived in Big Bear from 1970 to 1975, and as a BBHS student with a '72 Mustang Mach I, I was a member of the informal car club running amuck around the valley.
Dead Man's "Curve" - in my time - was on Hwy 18 as it makes the last right-hand curve (Eastbound) before the Stanfield Cutoff intersection. Today, the curve is a gentle, well-engineered curve that probably causes no one any concern. Not so in the '70s...
As you may guess, the highway was a 2-lane then, and the right-hand turn was almost a 90 degree elbow...
Here's the "dead man" part: the roadway was graded the opposite way it should have been, and just off the roadway in the middle of the turn was a gigantic Bonanza Pine. I personally witnessed several crashes into that tree, and heard many a story about it from my car enthusiast' friends and their fathers.
Hope that is a small slice of interesting info...GREAT THREAD!
Warren
Re: Nick names of place around the valley
Cornbread, Fri Jan 31 2020, 04:47PM
I always thought dead mans curve was on the blvd just west of circle K
Re: Nick names of place around the valley
Warren Strand, Fri Jan 31 2020, 04:47PM
I think Sugarloaf is simply named for Sugarloaf Mountain, almost directly south of the neighborhood we call Sugarloaf. I remember delivering lumber and building supplies to jobs in Sugarloaf for Homestead Lumber Co., in the early '70s.
Warren
Re: Nick names of place around the valley
Warren Strand, Fri Jan 31 2020, 04:58PM
Cornbread wrote ...
I always thought dead mans curve was on the blvd just west of circle K
I always thought dead mans curve was on the blvd just west of circle K
Yeah, Cornbread, that curve has also been straightened out (so to speak) such that it looks nothing like its former, dangerous self. You may be right about it holding the appellation as well, but though I cannot quite remember it, that Bear City curve had a slightly different name, and there was no speed involved on that stretch.
The other killer was Eastbound HWY 18 at what is now Big Bear Snow Play. Looks innocent enough, but that long straightaway was our dragstrip in those days...there is a pile of boulders just off the curve that caught some unlucky speeders, one of whom was an acquaintance of mine (we called him "Bozo") who died there in 1973.
Warren
Re: Nick names of place around the valley
Hooky Bobber, Fri Jan 31 2020, 06:52PM
Warren Strand wrote ...
Some information on "Dead Man's Corner." I lived in Big Bear from 1970 to 1975, and as a BBHS student with a '72 Mustang Mach I, I was a member of the informal car club running amuck around the valley.
Dead Man's "Curve" - in my time - was on Hwy 18 as it makes the last right-hand curve (Eastbound) before the Stanfield Cutoff intersection. Today, the curve is a gentle, well-engineered curve that probably causes no one any concern. Not so in the '70s...
As you may guess, the highway was a 2-lane then, and the right-hand turn was almost a 90 degree elbow...
That’s Godwin’s corner going eastbound before Stanfield. Dr. Goldwin lived in the house on the
East Side of the curve
Godwins corner turned right up hill then another right with a flat spot on top then another right with the road going down hill, at speed the car would unweight on rhe flat spot on top then the right turn and the down slope caused the car to slide. Many cars would crash out in the pasture going west about where Vons is. Dead Mans is in Bear City west of circle K at Dawn
Here's the "dead man" part: the roadway was graded the opposite way it should have been, and just off the roadway in the middle of the turn was a gigantic Bonanza Pine. I personally witnessed several crashes into that tree, and heard many a story about it from my car enthusiast' friends and their fathers.
Hope that is a small slice of interesting info...GREAT THREAD!
Warren
Some information on "Dead Man's Corner." I lived in Big Bear from 1970 to 1975, and as a BBHS student with a '72 Mustang Mach I, I was a member of the informal car club running amuck around the valley.
Dead Man's "Curve" - in my time - was on Hwy 18 as it makes the last right-hand curve (Eastbound) before the Stanfield Cutoff intersection. Today, the curve is a gentle, well-engineered curve that probably causes no one any concern. Not so in the '70s...
As you may guess, the highway was a 2-lane then, and the right-hand turn was almost a 90 degree elbow...
That’s Godwin’s corner going eastbound before Stanfield. Dr. Goldwin lived in the house on the
East Side of the curve
Godwins corner turned right up hill then another right with a flat spot on top then another right with the road going down hill, at speed the car would unweight on rhe flat spot on top then the right turn and the down slope caused the car to slide. Many cars would crash out in the pasture going west about where Vons is. Dead Mans is in Bear City west of circle K at Dawn
Here's the "dead man" part: the roadway was graded the opposite way it should have been, and just off the roadway in the middle of the turn was a gigantic Bonanza Pine. I personally witnessed several crashes into that tree, and heard many a story about it from my car enthusiast' friends and their fathers.
Hope that is a small slice of interesting info...GREAT THREAD!
Warren
Re: Nick names of place around the valley
Hooky Bobber, Fri Jan 31 2020, 07:16PM
BootsNBridles wrote ...
Rattlesnake Ridge....self explanatory.
Rattlesnake Ridge....self explanatory.
Rattle snakeridge I have no ideal where that is, RattleSnake Mountain they called the mountain south of the Senior Citizen Center.
Re: Nick names of place around the valley
Hooky Bobber, Fri Jan 31 2020, 07:23PM
Warren tell me more I remember an orange one belong to Howsers.
'72 Mustang Mach I, I was a member of the informal car club. Tell me more did you drag race on Summit and Moonride Straightaway or out on 38?
Re: Nick names of place around the valley
Warren Strand, Sat Feb 01 2020, 05:59PM
Skyline Drive wrote ...
Warren tell me more I remember an orange one belong to Howsers.
'72 Mustang Mach I, I was a member of the informal car club. Tell me more did you drag race on Summit and Moonride Straightaway or out on 38?
Warren tell me more I remember an orange one belong to Howsers.
'72 Mustang Mach I, I was a member of the informal car club. Tell me more did you drag race on Summit and Moonride Straightaway or out on 38?
Thanks, Skyline, for straightening me out on my mistake on Godwin's...Ha! We all had it wrong! What a bunch of dumb kids we were!!!
On the Mustang, by Orange do you mean the early 70's Gold?
Yes, indeed, we used Summit quite a bit, especially going uphill toward the slopes...Moonridge straight to, but not as much as Summit and Hwy 38 out east.
You may recall that Rich Vickers and Jeff Woodruff (friends of mine) lived on west side of Summit next to the Taylor girls...they were a "base" of sorts, and a place to run in to avoid the SO.
Warren...remembering '73-'74
Re: Nick names of place around the valley
Hooky Bobber, Mon Feb 03 2020, 09:14AM
The 70s Weekend nights, up Pineknot then right at Halls, Elks lodge Turn around repeat. Welcome Warren the site has a couple seasoned Big Bear locals on here, Dennis Knickerbocer was a big contributor with old photos of the Valley and memories; he was lot of fun. The history section is fun; the site has worked well during fires when trying to acquire information. The car magnet tree I remember was the one with the bark knocked off was out front of Dongos.
Re: Nick names of place around the valley
Warren Strand, Sat Feb 08 2020, 07:44PM
Thanks so much for the welcome, Skyline! I am trying to read every post, because everyone's thoughts and memories are so very interesting...
Love those barkless pines...so much "experience."
Re: Nick names of place around the valley
BootsNBridles, Sun Feb 09 2020, 08:06PM
My dad used to tell stories about driving the movie reels from Blue Jay to Big Bear when he was a teen, especially in the winter. Wish I could remember the details to share! What I remember is many hair raising slides and corners!
Re: Nick names of place around the valley
©ammy, Wed Feb 12 2020, 08:45PM
BootsNBridles wrote ...
My dad used to tell stories about driving the movie reels from Blue Jay to Big Bear when he was a teen, especially in the winter. Wish I could remember the details to share! What I remember is many hair raising slides and corners!
My dad used to tell stories about driving the movie reels from Blue Jay to Big Bear when he was a teen, especially in the winter. Wish I could remember the details to share! What I remember is many hair raising slides and corners!
That wasn't across Snow Slide Road, was it?
(I don't remember what year they completed the Arctic Circle.)
Re: Nick names of place around the valley
Hooky Bobber, Fri Feb 14 2020, 10:12AM
©ammy ⭐ wrote ...
That wasn't across Snow Slide Road, was it?
(I don't remember what year they completed the Arctic Circle.)
BootsNBridles wrote ...
My dad used to tell stories about driving the movie reels from Blue Jay to Big Bear when he was a teen, especially in the winter. Wish I could remember the details to share! What I remember is many hair raising slides and corners!
My dad used to tell stories about driving the movie reels from Blue Jay to Big Bear when he was a teen, especially in the winter. Wish I could remember the details to share! What I remember is many hair raising slides and corners!
That wasn't across Snow Slide Road, was it?
(I don't remember what year they completed the Arctic Circle.)
This is from Green Valley histroy
1923 Deep Creek Cutoff completed (Hwy 18) to Big Bear. Nicknamed �Arctic Circle�. Cuts off Green Valley.
Re: Nick names of place around the valley
©ammy, Sat Feb 15 2020, 06:53PM
Ohhhh!! I thought it was a lot more recent than that!
Never mind then Boots!
Re: Nick names of place around the valley
BootsNBridles, Sun Feb 16 2020, 12:45PM
©ammy ⭐ wrote ...
Ohhhh!! I thought it was a lot more recent than that!
Never mind then Boots!
Ohhhh!! I thought it was a lot more recent than that!
Never mind then Boots!
It was only two lanes at the time he drove it. Rarely and barely plowed.
Re: Nick names of place around the valley
BootsNBridles, Sun Feb 16 2020, 12:48PM
Skyline Drive wrote ...
Rattle snakeridge I have no ideal where that is, RattleSnake Mountain they called the mountain south of the Senior Citizen Center.
BootsNBridles wrote ...
Rattlesnake Ridge....self explanatory.
Rattlesnake Ridge....self explanatory.
Rattle snakeridge I have no ideal where that is, RattleSnake Mountain they called the mountain south of the Senior Citizen Center.
Same place. That's the thing with nick names, they tend to change slightly until they are formalized. 🙂 Now they'd like everyone to forget that area ever had snake in the name, all those houses, all those snakes!
Re: Nick names of place around the valley
Hooky Bobber, Thu Feb 20 2020, 07:19AM
Thanks Boots Another canyon east of the valley just passed Rose Mines is called Rattle Snake Canyon, seems years ago the first Rattlesnakes killed in the valley in the spring used to be always over in Whispering Forest area
Re: Nick names of place around the valley
BootsNBridles, Thu Feb 20 2020, 07:29PM
I've been through that canyon on wheels and hooves. I can honestly say both places are very deserving of their designation!!! I've never seen so many rattlers in one area as I have in both of them!
