The City of Banning is located in the San Gorgonio Pass, between Mount San Gorgonio to the north and Mount San Jacinto to the south in Riverside County, California. Various tribes of Native Americans, notably the Serrano and Cahuilla, were well established in the region when Spanish and Mexican expeditions reached the area around 1774.

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It is believed that a prehistoric lake once existed in the San Gorgonio Pass, supported by the discovery of mastodon bone fossils dating to the Pliocene Age, found in 1965 and reported in the Banning Daily Record on May 19, 1965.

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By 1824, fathers from Mission San Gabriel Arcángel established a branch mission at the highest point in the pass along the foothills northwest of present-day Banning. There they raised cattle and sheep and cultivated the land. During this period, the area became known as Rancho San Gorgonio, named by the padres in honor of Saint Gorgonio, a Latin martyr.

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The first recorded non-Indigenous settler in the area was Isaac Smith, who arrived in 1853. According to land records, Dr. Smith purchased an undivided one-third interest in the rancho from Paulino Weaver, whose claim originated under Mexican Governor Pío Pico. Dr. Smith brought his wife and seven children to the area and constructed a residence known as Smith’s Station, later called Highland Home and subsequently Highland Springs.

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In 1854, Banning’s first permanent landmark, the Gilman Ranch adobe, was constructed. It later served as a stage stop for the Colorado Stage & Express Line, founded by Alexander & Company of Los Angeles in 1862 following the discovery of gold along the Colorado River. The stage route passed through the foothills approximately one-half mile north of present-day downtown Banning, continued north of Cabazon and Whitewater, and made its final stop before Palm Springs at Dos Palmas.

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The arrival of the railroad in 1876 marked the end of the stagecoach era. Despite this transition, Banning continues to be known as “Stagecoach Town, U.S.A.” and remains closely associated with its annual Stagecoach Days Celebration, featuring a parade, carnival, and rodeo.

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The city was named in honor of Phineas T. Banning, a prominent transportation figure who freighted goods along the Mormon Trail from Salt Lake City to San Bernardino and Los Angeles. General Banning also played a significant role in the development of Wilmington, California, establishing shipping operations between San Pedro and Los Angeles and operating a stage line from Wilmington to Yuma, Arizona through the Banning Pass.

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Historical Note:
This summary is based on early land records, mission-era documentation, regional newspaper accounts, and local historical sources. Indigenous presence in the San Gorgonio Pass predates European settlement by centuries.