Historical Timeline
Pre-1800s: The Serrano people lived seasonally in the San Bernardino Mountains, including the Crestline area. They gathered acorns, hunted game, and held ceremonies in the forests, forming a deep connection to the land.
1850s: Mormon settlers arrived and set up sawmills to harvest the rich pine forests. Logging became the first industry in the area and helped open up the mountains for future settlements.
1906: A group of investors from San Bernardino bought 630 acres in the mountains. They saw the area’s potential as both a retreat and a resource — this marked the beginning of Crestline as a developed community.
1926: Arthur Gregory Sr., a citrus grower from Redlands, built a sawmill in a spot called Valley of the Moon. He needed packing crates for his fruit business, and the mountains supplied both timber and cool air.
1937–1939: Construction of Lake Gregory began with help from the Works Progress Administration. Gregory himself helped finance the project. Heavy rains filled the lake quickly, and it soon became the heart of the community — a place for swimming, fishing, and picnics.
1946: Crestline became home to the world’s first church parish named after newly canonized Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini. The little church became a spiritual anchor in the mountains.
1983: Hang gliders had been launching from the nearby cliffs for years, but in 1983, the San Bernardino Hang Gliding Association was renamed the Crestline Soaring Society. The skies above Crestline became a destination for gliders and paragliders alike.
2003: The Old Fire swept across the San Bernardino Mountains, forcing evacuations in Crestline. It was a stark reminder of how quickly wildfire could threaten even the quietest mountain towns.
2023: A record-setting blizzard buried Crestline in snow, leaving many residents trapped for days. Roads were blocked, supplies ran short, and neighbors leaned on each other while emergency crews worked around the clock to help.
Present Day: Crestline is still a peaceful mountain town with tall pines, winding roads, and the cool waters of Lake Gregory. History, nature, and a strong sense of community continue to shape daily life.