New book: San Bernardino, a history

For Steve Shaw history is more than hobby or study, it’s heritage.

And now he's written a history book titled San Bernardino, released Jan. 14.

The eight chapter book focuses on institutional and natural aspects of the city’s history, including the railroads, festivals and fairs, water and public buildings. Among the gems are include photos of since demolished structures like a downtown library built in 1904 with a grant from industrialist Andrew Carnegie and a towering, red mentone sandstone county courthouse that stood at Court and E Streets.

A native son of the city, Shaw has lived his love for history since he was a young San Bernardino firefighter, collecting mounds of local historical data and thousands of trinkets, pictures and other mementos of the area’s history.

The son of a decorated San Bernardino firefighter and now himself a retired fire captain, Shaw has turned to authorship.

Shaw, pictured below:

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San Bernardino is his second history book, a collection of 223 post-card photos and detailed captions.

Shaw, who serves as President of the city’s Historical and Pioneer Society, said he produced the book not for money, but the love of history.

And as for the work, he maintained a breakneck pace that may have impressed Beat scribe Jack Kerouac: Three months starting last June, with some days stretching into the predawn hours.

“It wasn’t really as grueling as it sounds,” said the 55-year-old Shaw. “You just … get on a roll.”

Shaw’s roll produced a book with images of the city from the 1850s to 1990s. Shaw wrote information-dense captions averaging 40 to 50 words per photo, with most of his research coming from his own materials and troves of historical writings stored at the historical society’s D Street headquarters.

The eight chapter book focuses on institutional and natural aspects of the city’s history, including the railroads, festivals and fairs, water and public buildings.

For the introduction, Shaw enlisted Mayor Pat Morris.

Morris’ two-page introduction tells a brief history of the city, beginning with Father Francisco Dumetz’ building of the St. Bernadine chapel in 1810.

“Mayor Morris has been a big advocate for the historical society,” Shaw said. “He’s the first San Bernardino mayor I’ve known in a long time who knows and appreciates this city’s history, and its importance to its culture.”

Shaw, whose Highland home is a virtual museum of city history with vintage firefighter hats and National Orange Show Fair posters dating to 1917, hopes his book’s format and content give people a richer understanding of local heritage.

Initial prints of the book total 1,200, and it is available in local bookstores, on www.Amazon.com and at the Historical Society at 796 North D St.

“The heavy use of pictures and the short captions make the book a fast read,” Shaw said. “It’s a perfect format for today.”