Commonwealth Network
A million men have wondered concerning the formation of the marvelous prehistoric landmark known as the Arrowhead, so clearly pictured upon the Mountainside, six miles northeast of San Bernardino. Although the exact origin of the Arrowhead is apparently still undetermined, numerous legends, dealing with its supernatural creation, combining the fancy of superstition with the romance of fiction, have been extant among the Indian tribes and early settlers for many generations.
By actual measurement, the Arrowhead is 1,375 feet long and 449 feet wide, comprising an area of 7 1/2 acres. The material of which it is composed is different in formation from adjacent parts of the mountain, consisting chiefly of disintegrated white quartz, and light gray granite, and supporting a growth of short white sage and weeds Th-s lighter vegetation shows in sharp contrast to the dark green growth of surrounding chapparal and greasewood. Not a few believe that this natural mark was made by a mountain cloudburst. This wonderfully formed symbol is a distinctive feature of the locality: it may be seen as far as the side of the mountain is in sight and is used as a display mark by many business concerns as well as some organizations.
Doctor D. N. Smith, who about 1860, sought to improve the boiling sulphurous springs at the base of the mountain, had a unique arrowhead story to tell. According to him, when a young lad, at a time when his father, who was a sufferer from consumption, lay sick unto death, an angel appeared to him in a vision, and pictured a place at the foot of a mountainside designated by a pointing arrowhead, where his father might be cured. Some years later, when Dr. Smith, coming to the San Bernardino Valley, saw the sign upon the mountain which he then named Arrowhead, he recalled the vision. Visiting the foot of the mountain, he found the springs which he discovered to be possessed of valuable medicinal properties and great curative powers.
COAHUILLA LEGEND. Generations ago, when the Evil Spirit dwelt in the mountains, the Coahuillas were a race of giants. Now the Evil Spirit took supreme delight in making life miserable for them. His favorite form of amusement was to roll down from the mountains huge boulders upon their rancheria and to pour drenching floods of water over the valley. The Indians naturally enough became weary of these mischievous attentions and wishing to arrange some sort of truce, one autumn day, after the evil one bad been especially active, decided to seek council with him.
So the giant Indian chief called the "Sacred Eagle," after first placing the white feather of a dove in his beak, sent him aloft to the abode of the evil one. The bird returned with the feather, and a score of the most powerful Indians scaled the Mountainside, and the council occurred. After some discussion, it was decided to play a game of cards for the possession of the valley. The Indians chanting a good luck gambling song, were fast winning, when the evil one, becoming enraged, seized an ace of spades and dashed it against the Mountainside with such angry force that the mountain opened, receiving him spluttering in its depths and the sulphurous hot springs at the mountain's base bear evidence of his continued presence beneath the rocks.
Now being a gentle people, so the tale runs, they found special favor with the great Spirit, by whom
they were directed to travel westward, and instructed that they would be guided to their new home
by a fire for which they must be constantly watching. The tribe started upon the journey, and one
moonless night there appeared across the heavens a blazing arrow, which took its course westward,
setting upon the mountain, where the shaft was consumed by fire, but the head embedded itself,
clear cut, in the Mountainside. The came was aroused, and resumed their journey, and located in
the shadow of the mountain whereon was the arrowhead, and lived happily. It is related that when in the year 1851 Brigham Young desired to found a colony which was to be
a resting place to the saints coming to this City of Zion from Europe and Australia, be sent out a
party to select a location. Before his band of disciples started on their quest, however, he told the
two leading elders of a vision that had appeared to him. He bad beheld upon the side of a mountain
the head of an arrow pointing down to a rich and fertile valley. When the party should come to this
Sign of the arrowhead, there in the valley to which it pointed, he enjoined them to stop, and found
a new branch of Zion. After long, wearisome plodding through Utah and Nevada, the travelers came
to the dreary stretch of Mojave Desert. Nearly perishing from lack of water, thoroughly discouraged. they were on the point of turning back,
when an angel appearing, admonished them to be of good cheer, continue, their journey, and soon
they would reach the land of their reward. The following day they came to Cajon Pass, and from there viewed the beautiful San Bernardino
Valley. The elders, beholding the great white arrowhead, defined against the dark green
background, recognized this as the valley of their leader's vision. So here they settled, founding in
San Bernardino one of the most healthy, prosperous offshoots Mormonism ever put forth, until 1857,
when Brigham Young recalled them, most of them obeying the command. ANOTHER LEGEND OF THE ARROWHEAD Captain Manuel Santos,, of the San Manuel Mission Indian Reservation, gave to his lifelong friend
John Brown, Jr., well known pioneer of 1849, the following romantic Indian legend of the Arrowhead.
which story the Indians believe as true, coming down to them in tradition from their ancestors for
many generations. This wonderful freak of nature, containing in area about twenty acres, lies about eight miles north
of the City of San Bernardino on the side of a mountain, a portion of the San Bernardino range of
mountains plainly visible for miles around. Its shape as a perfect arrowhead, gigantic in proportion,
at once attracts the attention of all beholders. Tourists entering the San Bernardino Valley are eager
to learn something of this wonderful phenomenon of nature. Among the first inhabitants, the Mexicans and Americans, there are various mysterious legends, but
none compare with the Indians for love and romance. A great many years ago the San Bernardino Valley was inhabited by the Cahuilla, the Serrano and the
Guachama tribes of Indians, the Guachamas occupying the center of the valley. Villages, or
"Rancherias were scattered in various directions. Here the Indians lived in peace and happiness and
had plenty to eat. Guachama means, in Indian, a place where there is plenty to eat. Tn the valley
the hare, the rabbit, the quail, the duck and the goose abounded; along the foothills and mountains
the deer and bear were numerous; the acorns, the juniper berries, the pinones (pine nuts), choke
cherries, mescal and tunies (prickly pear), furnished varieties of food, provided bountifully by nature,
justifying the Indians in calling the valley as the place of plenty to eat. While enjoying this happiness these Indians discovered the curative qualities of the hot water near
the base of this mountain, so gathered there, partook of this hot water, bathed in it, and covered
themselves with the warm mud. In the course of time a village grew up, governed by one their chiefs. Among the family of this
famous chief was a most beautiful dusky maiden, perfect in physical stature, with bewitching eyes
and long, black hair over her shoulders. Two Indian braves fell in love with this charming beauty
and pressed their devotions so earnestly that she found it difficult in preserving harmony between
them. The observing old chief realizing the situation summoned the two lovers to appear before
him, and announced their fate to them, that they must forthwith settle this love affair according to
Indian custom, must fight a duel with bows and arrows, the Victor to have the hand of his daughter
in marriage. He commanded one of these lovers to go along the mountain range west and hunt for
the hardest flint rock among the crags and peaks to make arrowheads for the points of his arrows,
and further directed him to have his quiver full and ready and in two weeks' time be prepared for his
antagonist; the same orders the old chief gave to the other ]over, bidding him to go eastward along
the mountain range. During these two weeks the old chief sent couriers to all the surrounding villages, Yucaipa, Potrero,
Indio, Malki, Soboba, Coahuilla, Agua Caliente, Temescal, Temecula,.Juapa, Guachama and
Cucamunyo, inviting the Indians from these rancherias to come to his village and witness the great
duel that was to take lace between two Indian braves, the conqueror to have his daughter in
marriage. The momentous day arrived. Hundreds of Indians arrived eager to witness the tragedy.
just before the noon hour, the dignified old chief comes out of his wigwam; his squaw follows holding
her daughter's hand. The two lovers are called and appear before the chief, with their bows and
quivers filled with arrows pointed with arrowheads made of the hardest flint rock to be found on the
mountain side. The chief makes an opening among the assembled Indians, and measures off forty
paces and orders the braves to take their places and prepare for the mortal coml5at. Death-like
silence prevails. With deep, penetrating voice the old chief asks the braves if they are ready-both
signifying by a nod of the head they are-and at the command to fire, did so with lightning rapidity,
when one of the braves falls with an arrow piercing his heart. The conqueror realizing the danger
he had just escaped, and the prize he had won, in this his moment of triumph, approaches his victim,
draws the arrow from his heart, the arrowhead saturated and dripping with blood, places it in his bow
and fires it away up on the mountain side, where the winter's rains and the summer's suns have
caused the arrowhead to grow and grow until it attained the size as you now see it on the mountain
side, exciting the wonder and admiration of all beholders. Thanks to Steve Lech for providing this document