A late night bar and grill with local bands jammin into the wee hours of the morn.

'Chad’s' has survived the wars, earthquakes, and the ups and downs.

Rollin’ into the Village on a hot summer Saturday afternoon, you can park your Harley in one of the "bikes only" spots alongside all the other shiny hogs and join in the showoff brawdness, dancing, and serious pool playing going on inside Chad’s. Over a cold beer you can swap stories with tourists and locals alike about the world situation, the Lakers, or the drought in Big Bear. Chad’s today is truly an international gathering spot, at least by mountain standards.

But it wasn’t always this way. In fact, that was probably the furthest thing from the minds of Fred and Blanche Chadbourne as they arrived in the sleepy little town of Pineknot for their honeymoon in April of 1918. Coming up from the valley heat to the cool air of the upper forests, the newlyweds quicky fell in love with the area and decided they would open a café in "town," which back then was out in the middle of the forest by a man made dam, the area known today as the Village.

When traces of gold were discovered in Coleman Creek in 1869, it marked the beginning of a gold rush whose legacy we still are enjoying today. Julian remains almost unchanged as one of the most picturesque gold mining towns in California. Gold is still being mined today in the form of golden apples, but the real treasures are the town itself, along with its clean mountain air which give Julian a unique and quiet enchantment.

Julian was founded following the Civil War, when displaced Confederate Veterans from Georgia headed West to seek their fortunes in a new, mostly unsettled land. Among these were cousins Drue Bailey and Mike Julian, who found a lush meadow between Volcan Mountain and the Cuyamacas to their liking.

They were there in 1869 when cattleman Fred Coleman found the first flecks of gold in a creek. It was San Diego County's first and only gold rush. The town was named Julian, in honor of Mike, who later was elected San Diego County Assessor. The town was never big, at the most boasting a population of about 600---more than reside within the historic district today.