Belleville, California

Belleville, California was a gold mining boomtown in the San Bernardino Mountains of San Bernardino County, California. The settlement grew up rapidly following the discovery of gold by William F. Holcomb in Holcomb Valley early 1860. Which helped the town challenge the seat of San Bernardino County (which subsequently after the election in 1861 went to San Bernardino). Belleville was named after Belle, the first child born in the new town. It was a busy mining town for ten years, it was virtually abandoned before the end of the 19th century. It is now a ghost town.HistoryThe first phase of mining was by small groups or individuals for placer gold, by people with claims along stream beds. With better transportation, more prospectors with equipment arrived in the area. When the Bear Valley Mining District was founded, quartz mining began. Stamp mills required to crush the rock were built at different sites in the valleys.At first prospectors during the gold rush had to travel to Holcomb Valley from San Bernardino by a wagon road into the Upper Santa Ana Canyon, and then north by pack mule up the mountains to Bear Valley and on to Holcomb Valley. In June 1861, Jed Van Dusen built a wagon road down the north side of the mountains through Hesperia and then south through the Cajon Pass, at a cost of $1,500. This enabled travelers to reach the town of Belleville in two days by a regular stage from San Bernardino.