Mount San Antonio - History

History

The peak, which marks the boundary between San Bernardino County and Los Angeles County, is called Baldy because of the lack of trees near the summit. The Tongva tribe call the mountain Yoát or Joat, which means snow, and the Mohave call it Avii Kwatiinyam. It is currently named for Anthony of Padua, a patron of the Franciscan Order.

Between 1922 and 1927 American physicist Albert Michelson performed a number of experiments involving bouncing a beam of light off a reflector at Lookout Mountain, a prominence 3.2 miles (5.1 km) southwest of the peak, from the observatory at Mount Wilson some 22 miles (35 km) away. The distance was accurately measured and the speed of light calculated to be 299,796±4 km/s.

Mount San Antonio, with nearby Thunder Mountain, is home to family owned and operated ski resort Mount Baldy Ski Lifts, the closest resort to Los Angeles. Nearby lies Mt Baldy Village, a small seasonal community. The village has its own fire department, church, visitor's center and school district. Mt. Baldy School (the abbreviation is the standard usage) has about 88 students.

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