Honoring Big Bear's Women Trailblazers

For generations, Big Bear's evolution and accomplishments have been the work of numerous trailblazers - quite literally - and visionaries, many of whom have been fearless female leaders! This Women's History Month - and everyday - we're highlighting the women who have shaped our mountain town:

The Serrano Women

It all starts with the Serrano, an Indigenous tribe that migrated to Big Bear thousands of years ago. The Serrano held the grizzly bear in high regard and treated the animals as their great grandfathers. Bear meat was never eaten and bear fur was never worn by Serrano women out of respect for the animal.

Freda Jakobi

In the 1930s, Freda and her husband helped establish Big Bear City’s first community market, paving the way for local businesses.

Jo Tyndall

Jo and her husband Tommi helped develop Snow Summit Ski Resort in 1952 and introduced California’s first commercial snow-making system in the 1960s.

Eleanor Abbott & Winifred Marrone

These two trailblazers have contributed to the preservation of Big Bear's rich history. Abbot founded the Big Bear Valley Historical Society in 1971 and in 1982 the Big Bear Historical Museum opened in her name.

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Photo: Clockwise form top, left - A Serrano woman and child (sanmanuel-nsn.gov), Jo Tyndall, Brenda Martinez, Kim Rhode (center), Liz Harris, Perri Melnick, Kendi Segovia

Brenda Martinez

Brenda became the first American woman to medal in the 800m at the 2013 World Championships and competed in the 1500m at the 2016 Rio Olympics. She now mentors young female athletes in Big Bear.

Kim Rhode

A 6-time Olympic medalist, Kim made history in Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, Beijing 2008, London 2012, and Rio 2016 in shooting sports, and is currenty training for LA 2028!

Liz Harris

As the second female mayor of Big Bear Lake, Liz served 12 years on City Council and founded The Ed Trust, championing community programs.

Mayor Perri Melnick & Mayor Pro Tem Kendi Segovia

The City of Big Bear Lake is currently led by two wonderful women, Mayor Perri Melnick and Mayor Pro Tem Kendi Segovia.

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Sourced from Big Bear Frontier blog: See publication here