Mormon settlers make their way to Laguna

One of the first groups of settlers were the Mormons. They came from

Salt Lake City and settled in San Bernardino, which had been their

predestined stopping place.

Their leader, Joseph Smith, told them (after he had a vision),

“When you see the arrow, stop there.” When they arrived in the desert

country that is now San Bernardino, to their amazement they saw “the

arrow” referred to by their leader. It was the outline of a perfect

Indian arrow formed by thousands of years of sliding shale into a

canyon. It is now the location of Arrowhead Hotsprings and the

Arrowhead Hotel.

The Mormons then branched out over California. In 1876, they began to arrive in the vicinity of “lagona” (later named Laguna Beach).

They located at the intersection of the canyon and EI Toro Road and

lived there for approximately 14 years. When the boom ceased in the

1890s, the people began to move away, taking their homes with them.

The houses were jacked up on wheels and moved to Tustin, EI Toro and

“lagona” -- anywhere employment could be found.

The only building that remained of the Mormon settlement was the

school they had built in 1888, abandoned in 1892 and moved to Laguna

Beach in 1893. It later became First Catholic Church at Legion and

Through streets.

* This bit of history is from “The First 100 Years in Laguna Beach

1876 - 1976” by Merle and Mabel Ramsey. The Coastline Pilot thanks

the LAGUNA BEACH HISTORICAL SOCIETY for this information and

obtaining permission from the Ramsey family to publish.