NATIVE PEOPLE

Long before the creation of Silverwood Lake, a group of people called the Serrano Indians lived in the San Bernardino Mountains. They built circular-shaped houses using willow branches as the frames and often lived in settlements, several dwellings clustered close together, built alongside rivers or streams.

The Serrano people were skilled basket weavers and pottery makers. They used baskets for transporting, cooking and storage. Baskets and pottery could also be traded with nearby tribes for other goods. Their primary trading partners were the Mojave to the east and the Gabrielino to the west.

The number of Serrano people in the area began to decline in 1790 when they were incorporated in to the San Gabriel Mission. Some present day Serranos live on the San Manuel and Morongo Reservations.