San Bernardino County history: Muscoy – Welcome to San Bernardino County

"San Bernardino County Update", yellow arrowhead and "SBCounty.gov

A black and white photo of a baseball team with players and a coach. The team is named "Muscoy Little League Comets," as indicated by a sign in front of the group. — *A photo of the Muscoy (CA) Little League Comets taken in 1965. Photo courtesy of William Childers.*

Spanish and Mexican land grants made up much of the Inland Empire during the early 1800s. Among these ranchos included Rancho Santa Ana Del Chino, Rancho Cucamonga, Rancho San Bernardino and Rancho Muscupiabe.

Rancho Muscupiabe encompassed what is now Muscoy as well as portions of San Bernardino. The area’s recorded history dates back to 1843 when the land was granted to Michael White. The name Muscoy is believed to be a shortened version of Muscupiabe. In 1891, two local ranchers formed the Muscoy Mutual Water Company, which helped to establish the community’s name and identity.

In 1926, the Muscoy Water Company sold its holdings to C.H. Jonas and J.B. Roof. The new owners created a land company and by the spring of 1927, the company had amassed thousands of acres for development and sale under the name Muscoy Ranch.

Roads and water infrastructure were built to serve one-to-ten-acre parcels. Following World War II, population growth accelerated and the community began transitioning from an agricultural area to a suburban residential area.

As the population grew, Muscoy supported its own newspaper, the Muscoy News. In 1947, community leaders established the Muscoy Chamber of Commerce to address the needs of the community. During the 1950s and 1960s, additional businesses opened to serve travelers and residents, while more families settled permanently in the Muscoy area. The community also had its own Little League program.

Today, Muscoy is home to the Baker Family Learning Center, one of the newest branches of the San Bernardino County Library system. The land for the center was donated by Muscoy native Neal T. Baker, the founder of the Inland Empire fast food chain Baker’s Drive-Thru.

The Baker Family Learning Center features a meeting room, computer lab, library and a preschool. In partnership with the county’s Head Start program, it also offers parent engagement programs. Today, over 12,000 people call Muscoy home.

The information in this historical feature was originally part of a video series produced by the Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk’s office.

Additional County Update News – June 25, 2026