JULIAN, Calif. (KGTV) — Julian is nestled in San Diego County’s northeastern mountains.
Today, it’s known for its apple pies and small-town charm, but how the area came to be is deeply rooted in Black history.
“It all begins with this man here, Fred Coleman. He was a Black man from Kentucky,” said David Lewis.
Lewis’ family has lived in Julian for five generations. He wrote the book African American Pioneers — Julian, California.
Based on county tax records, Lewis said Coleman was in Julian as early as 1863, before the town was founded in 1870.
Keep in mind this was in the middle of the Civil War.
“Fred, being a Black man from Kentucky, would likely have been enslaved, so how is he here in California running around on his own?” Lewis said.
He believes the Civil War led many to migrate to the West in search of a better life.
According to local lore, Coleman was crossing the creek one day and stopped to feed his horse when he looked down and saw something that resembled gold.
“Fred had to have known what he was looking at, which tells me he was probably in northern California first at the gold rush up there,” Lewis said.
Soon, the word got out and led to a gold rush in San Diego County.
However, Lewis said what was more important than Coleman finding gold was that he built the first real road into Julian with help from Native Americans.
“That was the way freight came in, and gold went back out to be sold,” he said.
Around the corner from the museum on Main St. is the Julian Gold Rush Hotel, formerly called Hotel Robinson.
It was founded by former slave Albert Robinson and his wife, Margaret.
The year the hotel was built is a bit controversial.
For a long time, people assumed it was in 1897, according to family records of a local contractor.
But Lewis believes it was actually in 1902 based on newspaper articles around that time.
“I found another article in April 1902 that says Albert Robinson is constructing a new hotel in Julian. It’ll be completed and ready for occupation in a few months,” Lewis said.
It wasn’t the only hotel in town, but the only one owned by Black people. Still, the Robinsons were able to make a living off the business for many years.
“You’ve got a Black couple in an all-White town that decides they can make it,” Lewis said.
Albert Robinson died in 1915 and was buried in the Julian Pioneer Cemetery along with three other African Americans, including Martha Boyd (Margaret’s daughter) and Susan Tull (Margaret’s mother).
“Martha died when she was about 18 years old. The same year Margaret’s mother died,” Lewis said.
America Newton is also buried there.
“She established a washing business for the miners and the townspeople,” Lewis said.
Newton came to Julian in 1872.
Lewis, who’s also a board member of the Julian Pioneer Cemetery, said he noticed Newton’s headstone while creating a new map for the cemetery.
“It was assumed this was a whites-only cemetery,” Lewis said.
Records show the graves were under Margaret’s care.
As for Margaret, her story runs dry after she sold the hotel in 1920 and left town.
“I think she got 1500 dollars for it,” Lewis said.
But, the current owners made sure to preserve its historic integrity with original fixtures and photos of Albert and Margaret on the walls.
Lewis said Albert and Margaret’s story is his favorite.
“Well, to think they made it all the way from slavery to business owners in this town and were successful… by Julian’s standards, successful,” he said.
Lewis’s book on the African American Pioneers of Julian can be found at the Julian Book House and Julian Museum.
