How did Hemet get its name?

Hemet was named after Lake Hemet and the Great Hemet Dam. The lake and dam were named for the mountain valley where the dam was constructed to form the lake. Earlier than that, the origins of “Hemet” are more obscure. Charles Thomas, an early rancher in the mountains, thought it came from an Indian word meaning "box." But did Indians have boxes? Others think there might have been a Scandinavian influence. There is a town "Hemet" in Denmark and "Hemet" shows as the spelling of the valley on early maps. Alfred Kroeber, an early-distinguished anthropologist, also thought there might be an Indian origin for the name. But the question has not been adequately answered.

Where is Lake Hemet?

Lake Hemet can be reached by going east on Florida Avenue (Hwy. 74), the bearing right at the Idyllwild turnoff. Continue about eight miles on 74 (the Pines to Palms Highway). Lake Hemet, with its campground and fishing facilities, is on the right hand (west) side of the road.

Did W.F. Whittier, the major financier of Hemet, also start the city of Whittier, California?

No. That Quaker community was named for John Greenleaf Whittier, the “Quaker Poet.” W. F. Whittier and John Greenleaf were third cousins, twice removed. Both men descended from the first Whittier of their family to immigrate to New England. Where was the Hotel Mayberry (later the Hotel Hemet)? The Hotel Mayberry was in the block bounded by State Street, Florida Avenue, Harvard Street, and Kimball Street. Edward L. Mayberry, Whittier’s partner in the development of Hemet, built the hotel. It was then taken over by Whittier himself. In the earthquake of 1899, it was damaged, subsequently rebuilt, and, in 1917, was so severely damaged again, this time by fire, that it was never rebuilt. In 1929, the Hotel Alessandro replaced the Hotel Mayberry. Mayberry's son was the architect for the Hotel Alessandro.

Where was the Farmers Fair when it was still in Hemet?

The grounds for the Farmers Fair were on the south side of Florida Avenue at Palm. The local National Guard unit had its armory on the Fairgrounds.

Was Ramona Lubo the "real" Ramona?

There was no "real" Ramona. The novel, Ramona, was just that, a piece of fiction. However, the famous author, Helen Hunt Jackson, used an incident from the life of Ramona Lubo to illustrate the plight of California Indians. A man named Sam Temple killed Ramona Lubo’s husband, Juan Diego. Ramona said that her husband was unarmed. Temple claimed Juan Diego came at him with a knife. In those days, Indians could not testify in court and Temple's peers handily acquitted him of murder charges.

Does the train still run to Hemet?

During the height of the potato-packing season, the Burlington Northern-Santa Fe runs trains to San Jacinto's Agri-Empire headquarters on Seventh Street. Usually several potato trains run each week, between Memorial Day (May) and Labor Day (September). The only other customer for train service in recent years has brought in huge tanker cars of liquid fertilizer.

Who owns the track?

The Riverside County Transportation Commission owns the track. If population growth warrants, eventually there may be a branch of Metrolink running as far as San Jacinto.

Does Diamond Valley Lake provide water to Hemet?

No, the Metropolitan Water District (MWD) Reservoir is an emergency water supply for southern California.

How long has the San Jacinto Valley been inhabited?

The Diamond Valley Lake archeological excavation turned up evidence that there has been human habitation in the valley for about 9,000 years. There is no evidence that these early Native Americans were the forebears of the present day Indian population.

Who are the Indians of the area?

They are Native Americans of Cahuilla and Luiseno descent. Local area Indian reservations include Soboba, east of San Jacinto; Santa Rosa, in the Santa Rosa Mountains, east of Temecula; Cahuilla, near Anza; and Pechanga, southeast of Temecula.

Were there Spanish land grants in the area?

The only Spanish land grant was to the Mission San Luis Rey, which was founded in 1798 at Oceanside. The mission's sphere of influence included the San Jacinto Valley, where the mission ran a cattle and sheep ranch. The grant was revoked as a result of the Mexican Revolution. After the revolution, the Mexican government ran a civilian ranching operation in the San Jacinto Valley.

Were there Mexican land grants in the valley?

The San Jacinto Viejo land grant was held by the Estudillo family, which was awarded the grant by a relative of theirs, Mexican Governor Pio Pico. Much of both Hemet and San Jacinto was carved out of this land grant.

Who named the valley?

The mission fathers from San Luis Rey.

Where did Florida Avenue get its name?

Originally, the community of Valle Vista was named Florida and the street, which ran to it, took its name from that community. The name was subsequently changed to Valle Vista because the United States government would not allow a post office with the same name as the state of Florida.

Where is the oldest home in Hemet?

The oldest home, a cottage, is located on the property of the Hemet Stock Farm. Originally, the caretaker's cottage at the stock farm was located near Park Hill, which was to have been the town site. When the town center was moved to its present Florida Avenue and Harvard Street location, the cottage was moved to Latham and State then moved again when the stock farm was built.

Who built the Stock Farm?

W.F. Whittier, Hemet's “Mr. Big,” built the Hemet Stock Farm to satisfy his passion for trotting races.

Why does the Santa Fe Depot have two dates?

The freight house, built in 1898, was originally located at Latham and the railway tracks, and was attached to an earlier passenger station. When, at Whittier's request, the present passenger station was built at its current location in 1914, the local passenger station was sold and the freight house was moved by rail up the tracks, and joined to the new station.

Who owns the depot?

Save Our Station (SOS), a non-profit corporation, purchased the depot property and has done all the painstaking restoration of the building.

What’s upstairs in the depot?

SOS finished off the upstairs area for the first time. Originally, it was to have been the train agent's quarters, but the agent already had a home in Hemet and construction was never completed. The upstairs has office space, which has been utilized as a board room by SOS.

Who runs the museum?