30 stories, landmarks & places within ~20 miles — the same local lore RoadyGoat plays as you drive through.
-
Fontana, CA
· Local history
Fontana, California, owes its name to the abundance of water that once defined the area. "Fontana" itself is Italian for "fountain" or "water source," a testament to the natural springs and artesian wells that early…
-
Rialto, CA
· 3.6 mi · Local history
Rialto, California, a city nestled in the heart of the Inland Empire, might not be the first place that springs to mind when you think of celebrity birthplaces. Yet, this unassuming city has quietly fostered talent that…
-
San Bernardino Santa Fe Depot
· 7.2 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Step inside a beautifully restored Mission Revival Style passenger rail terminal, a testament to San Bernardino's railroad history.This depot, completed in 1918, served as a vital transportation hub for both the…
-
The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa
· 8.3 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Imagine a sprawling castle rising from the California landscape – that's the Mission Inn, and it's got stories to tell. It all started in 1876 when Christopher Columbus Miller bought land here and built a small adobe…
-
Harada House
· 8.3 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Right here, where you're driving, a family fought for their right to own land, a fight that shook California. Jukichi and Ken Harada, Japanese immigrants, bought this house in Riverside in 1916. But because of the Alien…
-
San Bernardino County Court House
· 8.3 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Check out that impressive building! It's the San Bernardino County Court House, a beautiful example of Classical Revival architecture and a symbol of justice in this region. Built in 1927, this courthouse became the…
-
San Bernardino, CA
· 8.4 mi · Local history
San Bernardino's story is deeply intertwined with transportation and service. While the towering San Bernardino Mountains cast their shadows, the city itself sits at a more moderate elevation, a geographic advantage…
-
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
· 8.6 mi
Rancho Cucamonga sits where the San Gabriel Mountains meet the flatter lands of the Mojave Basin and Range. This transitional location defines its character. From the heights of Etiwanda Falls, seasonal waters carve…
-
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
· 9.1 mi
Rancho Cucamonga, nestled against the San Gabriel Mountains, carries a subtle fame. It's not a Hollywood epicenter, but it has quietly nurtured talent across different fields.
-
Cucamonga Service Station
· 9.2 mi · Scraped Hmdb
This vintage gas station supposedly dates back to 1915. The Cucamonga Service Station is a historic gas and automobile service station in Rancho Cucamonga, California. Local lore claims it was built by Henry Klusman,…
-
Riverside, CA
· 9.8 mi · Local history
Riverside, cradled between the Santa Ana River and the looming Box Springs Mountain, owes its character to waves of settlement. While the first Anglo presence arrived in 1857, calling the area Jurupa, the later…
-
John Rains House
· 10.1 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Step back into the 1860s at the Casa de Rancho Cucamonga, a historic house that reflects the life of early California ranchers. In 1858, John Rains purchased the Rancho Cucamonga land grant. Then, between 1860 and 1861,…
-
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
· 11.0 mi · Local history
Rancho Cucamonga, nestled in the arid Mojave Basin and Range of San Bernardino County, bears the imprint of its Spanish and Mexican past. The name itself, a blend of "Rancho" – a Spanish land grant – and "Cucamonga," a…
-
Sam and Alfreda Maloof Compound
· 11.4 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Prepare to be inspired by the home and workshop of Sam Maloof, a true master of woodworking. From the 1950s through the early 2000s, Maloof lived and worked here, creating furniture renowned for its organic forms and…
-
Sherman Indian High School
· 11.7 mi · Scraped Hmdb
This seemingly quiet campus holds a history both hopeful and heartbreaking. Sherman Indian High School began as the Perris Indian School in 1892. Its original mission, reflecting the era's assimilation policies, was to…
-
Upland, CA
· 13.2 mi · Local history
The scent of orange blossoms once hung heavy in the air around what is now Upland, California. This wasn't always the case. Originally, the area was known as Ontario, part of a grand irrigation colony scheme dreamed up…
-
Highland Historic District (Highland, California)
· 13.2 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Step back in time as you drive through the original townsite of Highland, California, platted in 1891. Highland’s development was fueled by the citrus industry, a major economic force in Southern California back then.…
-
Lake Norconian Club
· 13.6 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Imagine movie stars and tycoons lounging by a sparkling lake right here in Norco! That was the scene at the Lake Norconian Club, which opened in 1929. It was *the* place to be for Hollywood's elite. For about a decade,…
-
Redlands Santa Fe Depot District
· 14.6 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Get ready to step back in time, because this isn't just a train station, it's the heart of Redlands' history. Back in 1888, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway rolled into Redlands, and this depot became the…
-
Redlands, CA
· 14.7 mi · Local history
Redlands, California, sits nestled against the San Bernardino Mountains, a location that explains much of its unique character. The Santa Ana River, carving its way from the mountains, deposited rich alluvial soil in…
-
Twin Oaks, CA
· 15.4 mi · Local history
The sun beats down on the dry hills surrounding Twin Oaks, California, a landscape once sculpted by a different kind of thirst. This valley, like so much of Southern California, owes its early existence to water – or,…
-
Chino, CA
· 15.5 mi · Local history
Chino, California, carries a distinct aroma, a blend of suburban lawns and something earthier – the lingering scent of its agricultural past. While manufacturing and logistics now dominate the local economy, the city's…
-
Kimberly Crest
· 15.5 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Imagine yourself in a French château-style Victorian mansion in Southern California. Kimberly Crest is more than just a beautiful house; it's a window into Redlands' citrus boom era. Cornelia A. Hill purchased the…
-
Russian Village District
· 15.6 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Prepare to be surprised! Right here in Southern California is a little pocket of folk architecture known as the Russian Village District, a cluster of unique homes built during the Great Depression. It all started with…
-
Padua Hills Theatre
· 15.7 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Pull over here for a second, because this spot was once home to a truly special place! Padua Hills Theatre was the longest-running theater in the US featuring Mexican-themed musicals. From 1931 to 1974, the theater…
-
Claremont, CA
· 16.3 mi · Local history
Claremont, California, is known as the "City of Trees and PhDs," and the trees part of that nickname isn't just for show. For over a century, citrus groves defined the landscape and economy. Southern California's…
-
Ygnacio Palomares Adobe
· 17.6 mi · Scraped Hmdb
Imagine this: a sprawling rancho, cattle grazing, and the heart of a family's life in early California. That's what this land was for Don Ygnacio Palomares. Between 1850 and 1855, Don Ygnacio built this adobe as his…
-
Mill Creek Zanja
· 18.0 mi · Scraped Hmdb
This humble ditch helped transform Southern California! It's the Mill Creek Zanja, an irrigation canal dug by the Serrano people. In 1819, the Serrano people built this zanja to bring water from Mill Creek to their…
-
Pomona, CA
· 18.3 mi · Local history
Pomona, California, owes its very name to the promise of abundance. Incorporated in 1888, the city was christened after Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit trees, gardens, and orchards. The choice of name wasn't…
-
La Verne, CA
· 19.3 mi · Local history
La Verne, nestled against the San Gabriel Mountains, owes its existence to the allure of citrus and the promise of reliable transportation. Before it was La Verne, the area was part of the vast Rancho San Jose, granted…