Many young Chinese men came to California following the discovery of gold in the Sacramento area in the 1840s and 1850s. After the gold fields panned out, many came to the San Bernardino Valley to find employment with the Southern Pacific Railroad which was constructing a line through San Timoteo Canyon between the inland valley and the desserts.
On the site of the historic Vache Brookside Winery on San Timoteo Canyon Road, several Chinese laborers resided in a shack that mostly still stands. Farther up the canyon, stands of Tree of Heaven indicate where Chinese workers made camps and temporary settlements.
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The main remnant of the Chinese existence in the two canyons is the mostly intact cabin for the railroad workers and the workers in the citrus groves. The cabin is still sited on the historic Vache Brookside Winery at the intersection of San Timoteo Canyon Road and Fern Avenue.