The history of the cowboys in the Big Bear area is intertwined with cattle ranching in the valley. There were several large cattle ranches including the I.S. Ranch in west Big Bear Lake, the Shay Ranch at Shay Meadows, and the Hitchcock Ranch in Holcomb Valley. The grazing began in the San Bernardino Mountains around 1857 with both cattle and sheep. Gus Knight from Knight’s Camp, Jim Erwin from Erwin Lake and Will Talmadge, who owned lakefront property, were among the valley’s first ranchers. Cattle were … [Read more...]