Pine Mountain Club History -- How it all Began.

Unique to Central California is a traverse range of mountains, running east to west, known since 1806 as the San Emigdio Mountains. These mountains were the southern end of a gigantic horseshoe that extended around the San Joaquin Valley. This valley was once an inland sea. In time, the valley was slowly cut off from the ocean and became a huge fresh water lake. Over time the lake filled with sediments and became the valley it is today.

High above the inland sea, the earliest humans lived and traveled on these mountaintops as early as possibly 35,000 years ago. The people moved downward from the higher elevations as the lake and then the marshes drained from the mountains and valleys below. The beautiful valley of Pine Mountain Club was also once a lake and probably would still be if not for an ancient earthquake that opened the north end of the lake and allowed it to drain. (You can demonstrate this yourself by poking around in the soft silty clay banks along Mil Potrero Highway at the "S Curves," where you can still find tiny shell fragments).

The territories of several great nations of people came together in the San Emigdio Mountains, the northeastern territory of the Chumash people. Before any contact with non-Indian people, the population of these mountains numbered from five to ten thousand. Many small camps were located up in the mountains where time was spent in the summer and fall hunting, gathering, escaping the heat and searching for better sources of water.

The area of Mount Pinos (Iwihinmu), Cuddy Valley (Valley of the Shaman/Antaps) and Frazier Mountain (Toshololo) was the sacred center of the universe for the Chumash Indians. Mt. Pinos was their sacred shrine and no Indian would approach the summit except to make an offering.

In 1806, the Spanish Governor of Alta California sent Father Jose Maria de Zalvidea on an expedition from Santa Barbara through the mountainous region to the east. On August 5, 1806, he named the canyon for the patron saint that happened to be celebrated that day -- Saint Emigdius.

The Spaniards established an inland trail between Santa Fe, in the future state of New Mexico and Monterey, in what would become California. El Camino Viejo (The Old Road) went through the San Emigdios and legend has it that this area was the location of the "Lost Los Padres Mine" established by Jesuit Priests.

The Spanish Mission Period lasted some 60 years, after which Alta California became part of Mexico and eventually the United States. Large land grants and ranchos were made, including the San Emigdio Land Grant in 1842 and the grants and purchases that formed the mammoth Tejon Ranch.

The area of today's Pine Mountain Club changed hands a few times over the years. There was a Saw Mill in the valley to harvest lumber for Fort Tejon before the Civil War. The Kern Land Company, incoporated in 1890, owned the property known as Mil Potrero Ranch and there are photos of cattle grazing in the location of today's PMC Golf Course.

The Los Padres National Forest was established in 1908, but Mil Potrero Ranch remained in private hands. Tenneco Corporation purchased the Kern County Land Company in 1967 and in 1971 began development of Pine Mountain Club. Once the development was finished and all lots were sold, Tenneco turned over the community to the Pine Mountain Club Property Owners Association.