Rim of the World Drive

On July 18, 1915, the Rim of the World Drive was dedicated as politicians, businessmen, and local luminaries looked on. What followed is the incredible story of how a road changed the lives of San Bernardino Mountain visitors and residents alike. In a single generation, the slow 19th-century lifestyle that moved at the pace of horses was transformed into the streamlined and fast-paced 20th-century age of the automobile. By the 1930s, a realigned high-gear route led up the hill from San Bernardino to Crestline, then along the crest to Lake Arrowhead, Running Springs, and Big Bear, and finally down the hill to Redlands. This fascinating evolution of Southern California's landmark Rim of the World Drive--from Native American trail to state highway--is showcased here in a meticulously researched presentation of rare photographs, many never before published.