William Frances Holcomb was born in Tippecanoe County, Indiana on January 27, 1831. At the age of 18, he migrated to California, with many others, to the California Gold Rush for a chance to extract gold.
Holcomb had a keen eye for gold, and approximately five miles from Bear Valley (presently known as Big Bear Lake), he discovered it. This region was later acknowledged as Holcomb Valley.
As time went on, Holcomb was elected as the first justice of the peace in Belleville, California, which is located in the San Bernardino mountains. Soon after, he vacated the position to continue mining for gold. Upon returning from the mines, he found that his home in San Bernardino was destroyed by the Great Flood of 1862.
He continued to work in the mountain lumber camps for four years until he was elected as county assessor in 1871. He took a break from holding public office but returned in 1882 when he was elected as county clerk.
Holcomb’s family followed in his footsteps with his grandson, Grant Holcomb, serving as the mayor of San Bernardino from 1925 through 1927. Additionally, his great-grandson, Bob Holcomb, served as mayor of San Bernardino from 1971 through 1985 and again from 1989 through 1993, making him the longest-serving mayor of San Bernardino city.
Additional County Update News – March 21, 2024
- County breaks ground on new Valley Communications Center
- Registrar of Voters wraps inaugural traveling voter education tour
- Public Health urges residents to stay current with measles vaccines as cases rise globally
- Westbound I-10 at Cedar Ave and Cedar Ave overpass to be closed for bridge construction
- Operation Consequences: March 9 through March 15
- Family law facilitators offer free legal advice in Victorville
- Code Enforcement initiates fire hazard inspections in the county
- County Fire partners with Red Cross to install 262 smoke alarms
- Free VITA tax services and appointments available to eligible county residents
- County suicide prevention efforts win two awards from a statewide learning collaborative
- Children and Family Services joins the 2024 Statewide Collaborative Prevention Convening
- Things to do in San Bernardino County
- Pet of the Week