Big Bear Lake, California

==History==
[[Big Bear Lake]] was inhabited by the indigenous [[Serrano people]] for over 2,000 years before it was explored by [[Benjamin Davis Wilson|Benjamin Wilson]] and his party. Once populated by only the natives and the [[California grizzly bear|grizzly bears]], from which the area received its name, the population of the Big Bear Valley grew rapidly during the Southern California [[gold rush]] from 1861 to 1912. Grizzly bears were not found in the region after 1908.<ref name="A Natural History of California" /> Black bears have been in the region since their introduction in 1933,<ref name="A Natural History of California">{{cite book | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=SY3Kfe3FmVsC&pg=PA386| title= Ibid, p. 386| publisher= University of California Press| access-date=February 26, 2011| isbn= 9780520909915| date= 1992-12-16}}</ref> and they are sometimes sighted in residential areas.

A trip to Big Bear Lake from [[San Bernardino, California|San Bernardino]] took two days on horse-drawn coaches. Kirk Phillips was a local who took a trip to New York City and saw the world's first bus line. This inspired him to create the world's second bus line from San Bernardino to Big Bear Valley using white trucks with several rows of seats. This made it possible for the villages to grow and for Big Bear Lake to become the first mountain recreation area in [[Southern California]].<ref name="Early Big Bear Valley Resorts">{{cite web | url= http://www.bigbearhistory.org/resorts.htm| title= Early Big Bear Valley Resorts| publisher= Big Bear Valley Historical Society| access-date=May 5, 2009}}</ref>

Many people traveled to enjoy recreation on the lake. However, another major draw was the natural hot spring. Emile Jesserun bought {{convert|40|acre|ha}} of land that included the hot spring and built the first major resort in Big Bear, the Pan Hot Springs Hotel, in 1921. This resort was followed with others that strove to be the best by creating a country club atmosphere, complete with the amenities required to lure the Hollywood celebrities of the time including [[Cecil B. DeMille]], [[Shirley Temple]], and [[Ginger Rogers]]. By 1924, Big Bear was populated with 44 resorts and a constant stream of vacationers. The Pan Hot Springs Hotel, like many of the other resorts and hotels in Big Bear, was extensively damaged by fire in 1933.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.bigbearhistorysite.com/big-bear-historical-articles/big-bear-city-lodges/ | title=BIG BEAR CITY RESORTS &#124; Big Bear History Site | access-date=2017-10-06 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171007120014/http://www.bigbearhistorysite.com/big-bear-historical-articles/big-bear-city-lodges/ | archive-date=2017-10-07 | url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 1933, the California Fish and Game Commission transported around 27 black bears from [[Yosemite National Park]] to Southern California, releasing them near Big Bear.<ref name="A Natural History of California" /> Sightings of the newly released bears in cities stoked fear among residents. J. Dale Gentry, chairman of the Fish and Game Commission, resigned shortly after.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-01-07 |title=Those black bears you see in Southern California, this is how they arrived |url=https://www.sbsun.com/those-black-bears-you-see-in-southern-california-this-is-how-they-arrived/ |access-date=2024-03-30 |website=San Bernardino Sun |language=en-US}}</ref> 

For Hollywood's film industry, the area has been a popular place for shooting on location since the silent era. In late November 1915, [[Universal Studios]] filmed there for its [[Film reel|three-reel]] production of ''John o' the Mountains'' starring [[Sydney Ayres]] and [[Louella Maxam]].<ref>[http://archive.org/stream/movpicwor26chal#page/n451/mode/2up "Ayres Producing 'John o' the Mountains'"], ''[[The Moving Picture World]]'' (New York, N.Y.), December 18, 1915, p. 451. Retrieved June 12, 2019.</ref> The 1920 version of ''[[The Last of the Mohicans (1920 American film)|Last of the Mohicans]]'' was filmed there as well, as were some scenes for the 1936 film ''[[Daniel Boone (1936 film)|Daniel Boone]]'', ''[[Gone with the Wind (film)|Gone with the Wind]]'', 20th Century Fox's 1960 film ''[[North to Alaska]]'', Disney's ''[[Old Yeller (film)|Old Yeller]]'', the 1969 musical film ''[[Paint Your Wagon (film)|Paint Your Wagon]]'', the 1983 movie ''[[WarGames|War Games]]'', and the 1985 "dark comedy" ''[[Better Off Dead (film)|Better Off Dead]]''. Many television series have filmed sequences there too, including opening sequences in 1969 for the [[NBC]] children's program ''[[H.R. Pufnstuf]]''.

Winter activities are also popular in Big Bear. The first ski jump in Big Bear was erected in 1929 and quickly claimed a world ski jump record. More jumps were built in Big Bear Lake and the Viking Ski Club of Los Angeles began to use them for competition and events. The move to a winter resort town was solidified in 1952 when Tommy Tyndall opened a resort in Big Bear Lake, now known as [[Snow Summit]].<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.bigbearhistory.org/wntrsport.htm| title= Winter Sports| publisher= Big Bear Valley Historical Society| access-date=May 5, 2009}}</ref> In some winters the area gets little snow, but [[snowmaking|snow machines]] keep the resorts in business.

In the summer of 1968, [[California Institute of Technology|Caltech]] began construction of [[Big Bear Solar Observatory]] (BBSO) located on the north shore of Big Bear Lake. Due to extensive rain and snow, the lake rose several feet and BBSO was surrounded by water at the time construction was completed using makeshift barges in May 1970. BBSO, now operated by the [[New Jersey Institute of Technology]], is still a major Big Bear Lake landmark connected to the north shore by a dirt and rock causeway.

Since 1970, Big Bear Lake has held an annual [[Oktoberfest]]. The Big Bear Lake Oktoberfest sports the highest [[beer garden]], by elevation, in the United States. Big Bear Lake was incorporated as a city on November 28, 1980.

During the 1990s, the city became famous as a training spot for [[boxing]] champions. [[Oscar De La Hoya]], [[Mike Tyson]], [[Fernando Vargas]], [[Gennady Golovkin]], and [[Shane Mosley]] are among the famous boxers who have trained at Big Bear.

In February 2013, a major manhunt occurred in the Big Bear Lake area to find [[Christopher Dorner shootings and manhunt#Suspect|Christopher Dorner]], who by that point had killed three people. A standoff ended in nearby [[Angelus Oaks, California|Angelus Oaks]].