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C−History
History · Highland

Highland dates to 1891

More historic than 21% of U.S. towns · #440 of 847 in California. What drives it

Most of Highland was built recently: 4% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1983. Below: maps from 1899 on and the census since 1970.

1891founded
0on the National Register
4%homes built before 1940
2famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Photo: Luzonensis · CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answers

How Highland began

When was Highland founded?

1891

Highland dates its founding to 1891 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1970.

First census: 12,669 in 19702020 census: 56,999135 years

How historic is Highland?

C−

More historic than 21% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1887.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Highland’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Highland is more historic than 21% of U.S. towns, #440 of 847 in California. Its age holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.

C−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Highland’s overall grade.
Founding era1891, from Wikidata: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC+Homes built before 19404.2% of homes (±1.5) · typical CA town 3.4% · U.S. 8.4%CNational RegisterNo listings counted · typical CA town 0.0 per 10,000 · U.S. 2.4C
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 21%
NewerOlder
California towns of 2,500+ (847)Ahead of 48%

Few California towns list much on the Register (a typical California town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Highland’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (31% of California towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would still be C−. The pre-1940 share (±1.5 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1891.

Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Highland’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Highland are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 18997 editions of the USGS map, 1899 to 1996. Watch Highland change.Lost villages1 post office opened and closed inside today’s Highland, and 5 old place names are still on the map.Mapped building by building3 fire insurance maps, 1899 to 1918, drew every building in Highland.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Highland’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Highland’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the map

Highland on the map, 1899 to 1996

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Highland. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Highland on the 1899 USGS mapHighland on the 1901 USGS mapHighland on the 1953 USGS mapHighland on the 1967 USGS mapHighland on the 1973 USGS mapHighland on the 1980 USGS mapHighland on the 1996 USGS map1899Redlands sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Highland.

Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners and places now gone

Highland’s post office has been open since 1898. Another post office, Messina, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Messina
1887–1898
East Highlands
1892–today
Highland
1898–today
18801950today
Hamlets and corners on the map
East HighlandsHarlem SpringsMolinoNorth NortonWarm Springs
Gone or out of use
Arroyo Verde SchoolschoolBaseline Drive-InlocaleSilver Creek Golf Clublocale

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

The story

How Highland came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Highland.

Read it all →

Located at the southern base of the San Bernardino Mountains lies the city of Highland. The city is divided into three main areas including Highland, East Highland and West Highland.

Henry Rabel, one of the area’s first settlers, bought over 100 acres of land in 1857 and built an 11-room hotel with bath houses for guests. The area became known as Rabel Springs. In 1858, pioneers Lewis Cram and Frederick Van Leuven arrived and constructed the Cram-Van Leuven ditch, extending from the Santa Ana River entrance to their land in East Highland. They began planting orchards of seedling oranges and other fruit trees in the early 1880s.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Highland, 1887 to 1931

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1887Post officeThe Messina post office opens
  3. 1891
    FoundingHighland is established
  4. 1892Post officeThe East Highlands post office opens
  5. 1898Post officeThe Messina post office closes
  6. 1898Post officeThe Highland post office opens
  7. 1899On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  8. 20th century
  9. 1911Born hereFrank Gabler is born here
  10. 1931Born hereCharles E. Young is born here
By decade

Highland, decade by decade

Today7 recent
Decoration at San Manuel Casino in2021Decoration at San Manuel Casino inSantaAnaBridgeHighland2019SantaAnaBridgeHighlandCA210 at CA330 - Highland Aerial2014CA210 at CA330 - Highland AerialFallas 12013Fallas 1City Creek2009City CreekBaseline Road2008Baseline RoadSanta Ana River Bridge2007Santa Ana River Bridge
Every building

Highland, building by building, 1899–1918

Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.

Highland fire insurance map, 1899, sheet 11899Sheet 1 of 1
Edition
Sheets
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

People over time

Highland, census by census

05,00010,00015,00020,00025,00030,00035,00040,00045,00050,00055,00060,00019802000202056,999

Grew from 12,669 people in 1970 to 56,999 in 2020, 4 times over.

6 censuses, 1970–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Highland’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

2 famous people were born in Highland

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Charles E. YoungAmerican academic and academic administrator · b. 1931
F
Frank GablerAmerican baseball player · b. 1911
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

San Bernardino5 historic placesBRedlands12 historic placesB+

Questions about Highland’s history

What year was Highland founded?

In 1891, according to Wikidata. Highland’s post office opened in 1887, and the census of 1970 counted 12,669 people here.

How does Highland rank for history?

Highland is more historic than 21% of U.S. towns, #440 of 847 in California. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

How old are the homes in Highland?

4% of Highland’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.5 points), against a typical 3.4% for a California town; the median home was built in 1983.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (7), Wikidata (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.