Silverado Canyon
To the earliest European Californians, who came to the upper reaches of the canyon to harvest pine for their adobes, this was Canada de la Madera (Canyon of the Timber). The first American home-steaders ventured on this land in the middle of the 1800's.
Among the principle undertakings of the early settlers were goat raising and bee keeping. Wild game was everywhere. It was the bees that brought the bears, with tracks once reported at 18 inches. Grizzly came down from the ridges (one such bear was nicknamed "Old Clubfoot") from time to time to try their luck with the bee hives. Bears were not the only animals to enjoy the labor of the bees. A group of domestic hogs discovered the farmer's "honey vinegar", and happily indulged themselves until they became as "looped" and "frolicsome" as the boys on Saturday night. The mountain lions had a hunger for the goats. Stories tell of a cougar that would lay in wait patiently on a large branch of a tree, for his next meal to pass by. The tree is now called "Cougar Tree". Today, the grizzlies are, sadly, long gone. The mountain lions, bobcats, deer, coyotes, foxes and quail are still occasional visitors, along with birds from ducks and egrets to the always busy woodpeckers.
One fine autumn day in 1877, two gents went hunting in the upper reaches of Madera Canyon, and came upon some rock that looked like it might be silver ore. The the assay came back showing that it was blue and white quartz, with a silver value of $60 per ton, the claim was called the Southern Belle, the race was on.
Within one week about 250 men had descended on the canyon and more poured in every day until thee were over 500 stakes being worked, each of whom eventually joined the Santa Rosa Mining District.
It was decided at this same time that Madera just was not a good name, and folks took to calling it Silverado. A few unverified stories claim Silverado was named after the Silverado mines in Napa Valley; New York miners in search of the Napa mines became confused on the locations and settled in Southern California, calling this area the "False Silverado"; and another story named a Mexican miner "Alverado", found the old Madera mine, and the area was named "Sil-verado" in his honor.
Within the next five years, Silverado was host to 2 blacksmiths, 2 butcher shops, 3 hotels, 3 stores, and 7 salons. Two stages ran to Los Angeles, and 3 ran to Santa Ana, an 18 mile trip which took 4 hours.
The town of Carbondale, of which no trace exists (or so they say), was located at the north end of the canyon. It is said that a vaquero, Ramon Mequida, discovered coal several yards from the creek. Even so, the site was quickly taken over by the Santa Clara Coal Mining Co., which in turn was forced to sell out to the Southern Pacific RailRoad. The site is remembered by a Historical Marker in the church parking lot.
By 1879, Silverado (then a part of Los Angeles county), was declared a township by the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors, and Sam Shrewsbury (the first white man to settle in the canyon) was appointed Justice of the Peace, and Isaac Harding as constable.
By 1883 the post office in Carbondale was closed, and by 1887 both cities were only memories with the original homeowners and a few stray miners behind. Visitors were few and far between. However, one of the visitors to this area was the world-renowned Shakespearean actress, Madame Modjeska.
By 1890, the government surveyed the canyons, and only those "settled with claims" could retain their homes, and the mountain district was deemed a forest reserve to preserve the old oaks which were being cut for profit as firewood.
At one point, the one room schoolhouse was threatened with closure when one family moved away taking their 15 children. The mother, sympathetic to the school, sent 5 children back to live with a neighbor until the end of the school year, so the school could remain open.
One of dedicated teachers from this schoolhouse, lured by the beauty of the mountains, packed a picnic lunch, carried a staff, and off she went to explore by herself. When she had not returned by evening, several friends organized a search for her, each friend returning without success, hoping the morning daylight would bring more success. Several days followed to no avail. "Lost Woman's Canyon" was named for the missing school teacher. A mystery never solved.
At one time, written in the Santa Ana "Blade",
was a story of "Mason's Chateau" (with health-giving properties
of the sulphur spring), a "Health Resort" where one could experience
rest and wild romantic scenery amongst the old oaks and sycamore trees.
Today, the "folks" of the canyon, and the weekly visitors, still
believe in the wild, romantic history of the old oaks and sycamores, and
still get lost in the beauty surrounding the area.
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Silverado History
written by Barbara Dunn-Angus
We’ve been talking up here in Silverado Canyon and want to reminisce a little about canyon history. We haven’t read about the Santa Ana Mountains for awhile, Presita Canyon’s “hanging tree,” our newcomers and the oldtimers that are leaving and why. Our bonanza is the flower of yesterday. Development is setting a wicked pace and is designed to delve deep in this rugged land of wild beauty. It’s hard to tell if there’s a thought for local tradition. We may even assume few remember Santiago peak was first recorded as Mt. Downey (named after the then CA gov) by Whitney (Mt. Whitney) 1860-1864.
To paraphrase the already well known history in this area, Indian communities changed and evolved over time. Europeans brought Spanish government, Christianity and foreign diseases. Silverado Canyon is the largest inhabited canyon in these parts. It was originally named Canon de la Madera, Timber Canyon. Its vast supply of pine trees built one of the many Spanish settlements in Orange County. The first permanent resident here was Francisco Soto. Sometime during the 1850’s or 1860’s he built an adobe house on the what was later named Holtz Ranch, now called the Silverado Ranch by some. Because he didn’t file a homestead claim or acquire his holdings by purchase or a Mexican land grant, Soto eventually lost his land to Sam and Betty Shrewsberry around 1876. The Shrewsburys sold part of their vast property holdings to Helena Modjeska. they harvested and made lime (used to make iron) on their 160 acres in Silverado, raised bees for honey and planted fruit trees. Sam Shrewsbury even found the time to serve as justie of the peace. Having been established by 1878, Silverado boasted a nice bevy of saloons and hotels. That’s about the time Deputy United States Marshal J.D. Dunlap came rolling in. He caught the mining fever instead, had a change of heart and opened the Bluelight Silverado mine.
Silverado has weathered floods that have washed away homes and bridges. Disasters have come and gone. We still have many die-hard residents. Our old mining cabins have been turned into homes and our volunteer fire department established in 1949 is now a part of the Orange County Fire Department. The Silverado Plaza was designed by architect David Miller in 1963. It totaled 6,060 square feet and was the first major business venture in the Silverado Canyon area. Victor Lobdell held the grand opening of his new restaurant in the plaza on August 8, 1964. The center boasted of Dorothy’s Beauty Salon, a branch of the Orange County Library and the Canyon Market.
We’ve all come together around plots of earth with white sage, sumac and rattlesnakes. Aside from its beauty, we’re not without historical interest. Life in the Santa Ana Mountains is an adventure for all who come to live here. We’re experiencing tremendous growth and our foothills are painting different pictures these days. Just keep following the trail you enjoy.
