This area of Lucern Valley became known as Old Woman Springs when a government survey party discovered a number of Indian women camping here in 1856. The original water source, now called Cottonwood Springs, is directly in front of the site. In 1907 cattleman Albert "Swarty" Swarthout homesteaded Old Woman Springs Ranch for use as winter pasture. He and partner Charlie Martin, a cattle rustler and later police chief in San Bernardino, purchased Heart Bar Ranch south of Big Bear for summer range. By 1918 both had sold out. In 1921 Swarthout again bought the Heart Bar, this time with San Bernardino businessman J. Dale Gentry. Their cattle were driven to Heart Bar Ranch via Rattlesnake Canyon in the spring and returned to Old Woman Springs Ranch in the fall. In 1938 they had a falling out, and the case was litigated until 1947, when "Swarty" was awarded Heart Bar Ranch and Gentry received Old Woman Springs Ranch. "Swarty" spent the rest of his life at Heart Bar, dying in 1963 at age 91. Old Woman Springs Ranch remains private property, consisting of over 400 acres of deeded land with water and grazing rights to another 1600 acres.