Hi, I found your picture of "Hemet Barn" on the
http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/california/81752-now-gone-hemet-s-red-barn.html
I will give you some facts regarding that barn.
That barn/home belonged to Oliver Elliott. He was my ex wife's great uncle who had lived in the valley all or most of his life, I think he may have even gone to San Jacinto HS back in the early days. The Barn has nothing to do with Hemet. It is actually right on the border of Moreno (Now Moreno Valley), and San Jacinto. He had a mailing address of M.V., but a phone number of S.J. He had no public water supply, so he had a well drilled up the hill across the street where his sister lived (My Ex's grandma) until she passed. The home did and still does belong to My Ex's Uncle and Aunt. It is a family place where every Thanksgiving would be family, turkey, riding motorcycles, etc. The well's water wasn't drinkable, but worked for everything else. The line passes under the road, Gilman Springs, and over to the Barn. Oliver had a large water tank in the back of his truck that he would go and fill for consumption. Oliver was the nicest guy in the world. He loved to tell stories, whip out his badge from volunteer work with Riverside County Sheriff... He did live upstairs, and when Mystic Lake did fill up, from the San Jacinto River Bank breaching due to high flow, he would construct a walking bridge with 2x12 on stumps elevated above the water. The water never really hurt the barn other than the appearance and paint issues. That farm had a windmill, and I was searching the web for a pic of that. (I have it). It was a real working water pumping well used for cattle and crops I guess. Oliver used to let cattle and goat herders bring in the animals to eat the barley if it didn't grow to full maturity with that year's rainfall. Oliver has one daughter who grew up in San Jacinto and now lives in Colorado. The barn as shown in your picture, is after Oliver had passed away, and looters came and stole the windows and just about everything else out of it. The BLM was going to use it as a ranger station/office for the wildlife sanctuary that is right across mystic lake near the East Side of Lake Perris. There is a road that goes between Ramona Expressway, to the junction of Alessandro/Nason. It is a washboard dirt road, that is gated off now I think.. The sanctuary is on that road. Oliver not only dealt with flooding, he also dealt with the many car accidents on that road, some right in front of his barn because the road curves right there. Many of the curves had been straightened out ten or so years ago, just making it easier for people to drive faster... Oliver had funny signs he would rotate out on the fence. "Don't come in unless you can make it back to the fence in 7 seconds, the dog can do it in 8" or something like that, and one said "This property is protected by a pit bull with aids". He was a great guy.. The living quarters upstairs was just like you would imagine. Old appliances, Earthy smell, and a view of the valley and lake when it appears. It fills about every ten years, and slowly dries out, usually in about four or five years. There usually is fish in it, that have been washed down the mountain from flooding. I hope you enjoyed passing the barn when you did. I used to pass it every day to and from work, on my way home, in the morning (night shift), Oliver would be out walking somewhere, usually around Bridge St. when I was passing... A beep of the horn would get a wave and a smile.
R-
