San Bernardino County history – Welcome to San Bernardino County

*Photo courtesy of the San Bernardino Historical and Pioneer Society.*

This week’s history feature recognizes the life and legacy of Elizabeth “Lizzy” Flake Rowan, an early settler of the San Bernardino Valley. She was a pillar of the Black community in San Bernardino and a leader of the early Civil Rights Movement in California.

Flake Rowan was born in Anson County, North Carolina in 1833. As a child, she was enslaved and given to the Flake family as property. She was among 26 enslaved persons who arrived in 1851 as part of a Mormon settlement in what would become the city of San Bernardino.

James Flake, the family patriarch, died prior to their crossing the plains in 1850, and his wife, Agnes Flake, died shortly after the family’s arrival in San Bernardino in 1855. Despite gaining freedom when she crossed state lines, Flake Rowan stayed with the Flakes’ sons and continued caring for their children.

Flake Rowan married Charles Rowan in 1860. The couple lived near present-day D Street in San Bernardino. Flake Rowan’s husband was a highly respected citizen of San Bernardino and ran a barbershop for 40 years. Their daughter, Alice Rowan, was among the first African American college graduates in California. Alice went on to teach in Riverside. She is considered to be one of the first African American teachers in the area.

Flake Rowan died on March 29, 1908. The Evening Index, a local publication, described her as “beloved by all her acquaintances and was blessed with an amiable disposition.” She is buried alongside her husband in San Bernardino at the Pioneer Memorial Cemetery.

Additional County Update News – November 21, 2024