The Statue of the
Bear has been in this spot for a long time and will help you
to
your goal--To find your prize make a V with your fingers
standing
in front of the bear put them in front of your eyes---Your
Right
Figure should be aligned with the Tree on the right.Your left
finger will be just left of the Bears right Shoulder---You will
see
something not on the ground don't leave the property----Go there to find your
prize---Leave
No swag Just stamp or sign Log---Please leave stamps they are
part
of the cache---
Early in California history, the wide boulevard that fronts
the
Sycamore Inn was just a dirt path called the Santa Fe Trail.
In
March, 1774, it was this trail that brought Spanish explorer
Captain Juan Batista de Anza to this lush oasis of giant
Sycamore
trees, situated next to a natural creek from the mountains
above.
The local Indians invited the Spanish soldiers to remain in
the
oasis for a while. This grove of Cottonwoods, Willows,
Sycamores,
and trickling creeks, joined by relatively friendly
California
bears was named by the Spaniards "Arroyo Los Osos", later
translated to Bear Gulch, a name that continues to this day.
The Spaniards enjoyed this lush region of California and
some
decided to remain. Felipe Santiago Tapia, one of Anza's
original
soldiers, was one. His fortunes flourished and in March, 1839,
the
Spanish governor of California, Juan Alvarado granted
Felipe's
grandson, Tiburcio Tapia, a land-grant of over 13000 acres,
named
"Rancho Cucamonga", which lay between Rancho Santa Ana del Chino
in
the south to San Bernardino in the east. Don Tapia
immediately
began construction on an adobe ranch home on the crest of Red
Hill,
overlooking the oasis at Arroyo de Los Osos where his
grandfather
had camped with the Anza expedition.
When Don Tapia passed away, his daughter, Maria, and her new
husband Leon Prudhomme inherited the Rancho. However, in 1858,
the
land passed on to an American, John Rains. He purchased the
immense
rancho for about $8500. John had recently married Maria
Merced
Williams, the daughter of the owner of the vast Chino Rancho,
Isaac
Williams. They immediately began construction of a
fire-bricked
home and planted over 125,000 vines for the production of
wine.
Maria became a strong force in the colorful history of the
area.br />