Local Landmark Shows Historical Significance

COLTON >> Before the Agua Mansa Pioneer Cemetery became an extended branch of the San Bernardino County Museum and a historical landmark, the communities of Agua Mansa and La Placita were a part of the first non-native settlements in the San Bernardino Valley and had the first church and school in the area. Today, the Agua Mansa Pioneer Cemetery is all that remains of the Spanish-culture communities from long ago. In the 1830s, Antonio Maria Lugo and Juan Bandini established the San Bernardino and Jurupa ranchos on former Mission San Gabriel property, according to the San Bernardino County website. By offering land, they convinced a group from New Mexico to settle on the upper Santa Ana River and serve as a buffer against raiders and outlaws along the trading route from Santa Fe to Los Angeles. The emigrants first colonized Politana on the Rancho San Bernardino in 1842. Ten of these families, led by Lorenzo Trujillo, moved from Politana to 2,000 acres on the "Bandini Donation" on the east side of the river. The village was known as "La Placita de los Trujillos," later called La Placita. A second group moved to the west side of the river at Agua Mansa, and by 1845 the twin communities were firmly established including an irrigation system, farmsteads, fruits, vegetables and grains. Horses, sheep, and cattle were pastured on the mesa to the southeast, at present-day Riverside. In the 1840s, the area was the largest settlement between New Mexico and Los Angeles. An adobe church was built near the river bank in 1852 but collapsed in quicksand the day after the last row of adobe bricks was placed. Work on a third church, this time on the Agua Mansa side of the river, started immediately. The 11-foot by 58-foot chapel was completed in 1853 and dedicated in 1857 as "San Salvador." The chapel withstood the 1862 flood, although the water rose to its steps. In fact, the ringing church bell alerted the Agua Mansans to the impending flood, and all escaped without loss of life. In 1867, however, the parish was moved to San Bernardino, and by 1883 the chapel stood abandoned and crumbling. Although the Agua Mansa community was thriving for many years, a flood filled the Santa Ana River and destroyed the west bank community in January 1962, leaving only the cemetery, the chapel and Cornelius Jensen's adjoining store, built in 1854. Most of the homes in La Placita were also damaged or destroyed. Even after much of the area was rebuilt, the farming community never regained its importance. The coming of the railroad, the rise of the cement industry and the expansion of the citrus industry drew people away from the two farming communities. La Placita was a recognized community of Riverside until 1926. The last burial in the cemetery occurred in 1963. According to the County of San Bernardino website, the Friends for the Preservation of the Agua Mansa Pioneer Cemetery was formed in 1955 by Marie Espinosa Wood, a descendant of two of the original families. Through hard work and fundraising, these volunteers researched the land title, built a bridge and fenced and refurbished the cemetery. In 1967, Agua Mansa Pioneer Cemetery was acquired by the County of San Bernardino. With the help of Friends of Agua Mansa Pioneer Cemetery, a full-sized replica of the San Salvador church was constructed and dedicated in 1978 within the cemetery boundaries and is used today as a museum. The Agua Mansa Pioneer Cemetery is located at 2001 E. Agua Mansa Road, Colton CA 92324. To tour the site, admission fees are: $5 adult, $4 senior/military, $2.50 student/child and those under the age of 5 are free. The site is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is closed on all county-observed holidays. The county suggests contacting the main museum at 909-798-8608 to make sure the site is open on the day you would like to visit, as they may experience temporary closures due to high wind or other factors during the year.