Anderson and Mound Streets and Hill Drive Too — The Tale of Two Photos

Imagine John Burden walking south down this dirt road around 1905 as he surveyed the property he had just purchased. The sanatarium, from whence he began his trek overlooked the valley below. The entrance and rooms facing north had a wide panoramic view of what is known today as the Inland Empire. The south facing rooms provided a wide vista of the Loma Linda Hills as they stretched east to Bryn Mawr, Redlands, and beyond. To the west the rolling hills continued to Riche Canyon, Colton, and Blue Mountain. The east rooms had a pristine view of the San Bernardino Mountains and the San Jacinto Mountains. The morning sunrise was always a sight to behold as the sun rose high in the sky to warm the farm fields and orchards below the hill.  Those who had rooms on the western side had a beautiful view of the San Gabriel Mountains and the golden sunsets.  served as  The road was lined with trees as far as his eye could see, and in the distance Burden and those who walked that road could see the silhouetted Loma Linda Hills that rose above the orchards. The featured photograph is a composite of the the 1905 photograph and a photo that was taken on August 16, 2018. If John Burden should walk that road again today would find it hard to believe the changes that have transpired in what were once the orchards of Loma Linda.

Circa 1905

In writing the book, The Mound City Chronicles, I ran across this delightful photo¹ that had been taken around 1905. In the distance are the Loma Linda Hills. In the foreground is the intersection of Mound, Anderson Streets, and Hill Drive. At the intersection, Mound Street arches around the hill toward the northeast. Anderson comes from the south and bends to the right and makes a half circle to the northeast. Hill street (bottom edge of the photo) runs into Mound and Anderson Streets. Note the ruts in the dirt roads.

¹ Courtesy of the Loma Linda University Heritage Room archives.

August 16, 2018

What a difference 113-years make. Above is the same intersection as in the foregoing photo. Gone are the trees. Gone are the dirt roads, and the ruts. Anderson Street to the Loma Linda Hills has been realigned north to south. The streets have been widened and the steel of the new Adult Hospital Tower is clearly visible.