Prior to the Spanish colonization of the Americas and the arrival of European settlers from Mexico, the Yucaipa Valley was known as Yukaipa't, which meant "green valley" in the Serrano American Language. The land was home to the Serrano Native Americans for thousands of years. Today, some of their descendants are enrolled in the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians.
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Yucaipa Adobe
Near the Rancheria is the Yucaipa Adobe, which is believed to be the oldest house in San Bernardino County. Diego Sepúlveda, nephew of Antonio María Lugo, built the Adobe in 1842 on land that was part of the Rancho San Bernardino granted in 1842 to the Lugos. It had formerly been land controlled by San Gabriel Mission. The Rancho suffered losses of cattle and horses from raids by Native Americans coming through Cajon Pass and Banning Pass from the deserts. Eventually, they sold the Rancho to Mormon settlers in September 1851. The Adobe's later owners included John Brown Sr., James W. Waters, and the Dunlap family; it was acquired by San Bernardino County in 1955. The site is marked by California Historical Landmark #528.
The nearby Oak Glen area is best known for its apple orchards, some of which are operated by the direct descendants of the original founders (the Parrish, Wilshire, Rivers, and Law families). The Parrish Pioneer Ranch and orchard were founded by Enoch Parrish in 1876, with the other families coming into the area later.
21st century
At 1:53 p.m. on June 16, 2005, Yucaipa experienced a 4.9 Mw earthquake that was centered four miles (6.4 km) north of the center of town. It had a maximum Mercalli intensity of VI (Strong) and was felt from downtown Los Angeles to some areas of San Diego. Three people were injured.
In 2016, Yucaipa broke ground on a multipurpose performing arts center on the corner of Acacia Avenue and California Street. Sitting on 2.7 acres (11,000 m2) in the heart of uptown, the 16,200 ft2 (1,510 m2) venue hosts a variety of events, including community theater, open-air concerts, dance, and other arts-related events. The performing arts center officially opened in Spring 2019.