A Word About "Bernardo"

The naming of the Bernardo Station Bridge, Bernardo Mountain, the Town of Bernardo and the present day Rancho Bernardo all come from the San Bernardo land grant, dated February 16, 1842. El Paraje o Cañada de San Bernardo is mentioned in mission archives before 1822 and repeatedly in later years. The San Dieguito River is shown as Arroyo de S. Bernardo on a diseño of 1841, and on the Land Office map of 1859.

The Missing Town of Bernardo

After the division of Rancho San Bernardo around 1870, a small village developed, known as the town of Bernardo. In addition to several homes, there was a store, post office, blacksmith shop, grange hall and a public school. By 1887, the population in the surrounding farm area was approximately 400 people who visited Bernardo for groceries and other supplies. Bernardo also became a popular stopping-off place for people traveling from Ramona and Escondido to San Diego. For a brief period, Bernardo was a stop for the stage coaches between San Diego and Yuma.

Over time, the City of Escondido, which incorporated in 1888, had become the dominant town in Northern San Diego County. Bernardo continued as a community until the construction of the Lake Hodges Dam in 1918. The store, post office and other remaining buildings were purchased as part of the Lake Hodges reservoir project. As the lake filled, water backed up into the valley for several miles, eventually inundating the former town of Bernardo.