Editing Beaumont, California (section)

===Early history===
[[File:Ca beaumont01.jpg|thumb|A postcard of an early Beaumont luxury hotel and surrounding plant life]]
[[File:Fruit ranch owned by A.H. Judson, Beaumont, California, ca.1890-1900 (CHS-2002).jpg|thumb|The Smith Ranch in Beaumont, purchased in 1884, a large three-story house that served as the Highland Home Hotel<ref name="Holmes">{{cite web | last = Holmes | first = Elmer Wallace | title = History of Beaumont, California | publisher = Town of Beaumont | date = 1912 | url = http://history.rays-place.com/ca/rs-beaumont.htm}}</ref>]]
The earliest inhabitants were Native Americans.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zzOw9641kx8C&q=beaumont+california+images+of+america | title=Beaumont | isbn=978-0-7385-4713-8 | last1=Holtzclaw | first1=Kenneth M. | last2=Fox | first2=Jeff | date=January 28, 2024 | publisher=Arcadia }}</ref>

During the early 1850s, several surveying parties passed through the vicinity of present-day Beaumont in search of a pass that would connect the east to the Pacific Ocean. The [[San Gorgonio Pass]] was first surveyed in 1853 during an expedition under Lieutenant R.S. Williamson, who was sent by the United States government. Its location enthralled many who now saw that connecting to the ocean was a feasible measure and led to plans for constructing a railway from the [[Missouri River]] to the Pacific. By the early 1860s, stagecoach lines were providing service through the pass area, and a stage stop was established, named '''Edgar Station''', after a [[physician]] from one of the expedition parties who made his home in the area.

In 1875 when the [[Southern Pacific Railroad]] laid tracks through the modern-day location of Beaumont, they established a rail station named '''Summit Station'''. This served as a rest stop for railway travelers from the [[Mojave Desert]] on their way to the Los Angeles vicinity. In 1884 a real estate development company established a town named '''San Gorgonio'''. A second real estate development company purchased the town in 1887 and renamed the town '''Beaumont''', which was incorporated on November 18, 1912.

By 1927, the small city had a population of 857 with five churches, [[Beaumont Library District|a public library]], a bank, a high school, two local newspapers, several lumber yards, commercial packing houses, and a dehydrating plant. The city, one of Riverside County's largest apple growers, was dubbed "the land of the big red apple" by local residents in its early years. Apple orchards in the area expanded to a $200,000 industry by 1930. Beaumont saw a rise in visitors and residents as the nearby city of [[Palm Springs, California|Palm Springs]] grew to become a highly popular resort spot during and after the 1930s; Beaumont followed suit and attempted to capitalize on the increasing tourism by establishing [[guest ranch]]es. According to an early 1930s/1940s postcard, the Highland Springs Guest Ranch of Beaumont offered its patrons horseback riding, tennis, archery, horseshoes, swimming, [[shuffle-board]], ping pong, baseball, [[ballroom dancing]], massages, basketball, and lodging accommodations.