About the District
The Wrightwood Community Services District was formed on July 1, 2017, to establish local control of parks and recreation, solid waste and recycling, streetlights, and wastewater powers. The Wrightwood Community Services District is funded, in part, through a small portion of property taxes collected from San Bernardino County and Los Angeles County. The Board of Directors are elected officials.
The WCSD functions independently from the County of San Bernardino as outlined in CA Govt Code Section 61000.
Our Vision
To empower our community to have local control by serving as a platform for community discussion, cohesion and action in the areas of parks and recreation, street lighting, solid waste and recycling and wastewater planning and engineering. To promote and grow a vibrant parks and recreation department for our community. To maintain and enhance our current infrastructure. To economize our solid waste process and maximize our efficiency in executing them. To protect our natural resources through evaluating community wastewater needs. To meet all these ends in a fiscally responsible manner.
Image credit: Jared Barton
Our Mission
To provide local governance in the areas of parks and recreation, street lighting, solid waste and recycling, and wastewater planning and engineering in a fiscally responsible manner.
Wrightwood History
The Serrano people were the first people to inhabit this area. They were seasonal wanderers coming to the mountains in the summer months to gather pine nuts and acorns and settling at the foot of the mountains near the Cajon Pass in the snowy winter months. The Swarthout family came to San Bernardino in 1851 with a large wagon train of Mormon immigrants from Salt Lake City, Utah. They raised large herds of cattle and grazed them on public lands as did other ranchers at the time. The area they used for grazing became known as the Swarthout Valley.
In 1906, Sumner Wright purchased a small cabin and some property in the area from a prospector, Samuel Guffy. Sumner Wright raised cattle and planted apple orchards. He purchased as much land as possible in the valley including Harry Heath’s dairy farm that was located on the eastern edge of what is now Wrightwood.
In 1924, Wright subdivided his property to form the village of Wrightwood, but lost the rights to the land in the 1930s. Early plans for the development of Wrightwood positioned it as a year-round resort—the Land of Four Seasons. Many early settlements were weekend cabins, occupied seasonally. In the 1930s and beyond, properties in the area continued to be sold and Wrightwood steadily grew, with both seasonal and year-round residents.
Today, Wrightwood still attracts many people who own weekend get-away cabins and homes in addition to about 4,525 year-round residents. The historic Big Pines recreational facilities are located just four miles west of the village and offer skiing, hiking, picnic areas and fishing at Jackson Lake. Wrightwood is a beautiful place to spend a day, a week or a lifetime!
For more information on the history of Wrightwood please visit www.wwhistory.org or pay a visit to the Wrightwood History Museum
Civic Organizations
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The mission of the Wrightwood Historical Society is to collect, preserve, display, and interpret the history of Wrightwood and the surrounding areas that have a direct impact on Wrightwood. We are a community educational organization dedicated to the interpretation of history through a collection of artifacts and memorabilia donated to the Wrightwood Museum.
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The Wrightwood Fire Safe Council is a non-profit 501(c)(3) grassroots community-based organization that was founded in 2003. Our primary objective is to make Wrightwood less vulnerable to catastrophic wildfires. We partner with agencies to set the course for Wrightwood’s wildfire planning and are the liaison between those public agencies and the community. We also provide education and guidance to residents. Our annual Green Waste Recycling events help remove excess fuels from our community. Our monthly meetings are open to the public.
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CERT is a community lead volunteer program that educates volunteers about disaster preparedness for the hazards that may occur where they live. CERT members have taken a 21-hour training course that includes first aid, utility shut off, damage assessment of buildings, hazmat recognition, triage site set up, and a variety of other training sessions. All trainings are aimed toward preparing for an emergency event before it occurs.
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The Wrightwood Chamber of Commerce is a community-based organization that supports and advocates for local businesses and the greater Wrightwood community. The Chamber works to promote economic development, organize community events, and provide resources and support for small and locally owned businesses. Through collaboration with members, residents, and partners, the Chamber helps strengthen the local economy and foster community engagement.