The Sobaba People and Cahuilla tribe are the original inhabitants of the area of land that is presently named "Hemet" by American settlers.
The tribe was moved to the Indian reservation near San Jacinto.
During the early 19th century, the land was used for cattle ranching by Mission San Luis Rey, which named the area with the settler nameRancho San Jacinto.
In 1842, José Antonio Estudillo received the Rancho San Jacinto Viejo Mexican land grant.

In 1887, during the first major Southern California land boom, W.F. Whittier and E.L. Mayberry founded the Lake Hemet Water Company, the Hemet Land Company, and the city of Hemet.
In 1895, the Hemet Dam was completed on the San Jacinto River, creating Lake Hemet and providing a reliable water supply to the San Jacinto Valley.
This water system was a major contribution to the valley's development as an agricultural area.

By 1894, the area had a newspaper, the Hemet News, and "several general stores," the largest being Heffelfinger & Co, which occupied an entire block.
There were "a drug store, an excellent barber shop, two blacksmith shops, harness shop, shoe repairing houses, two real estate offices and two lumber yards."

"The most pretentious building" was the two-story Hotel Mayberry, "supplied with all the modern conveniences usually found in first-class hostelries, including stationary water, baths, etc.,
and a complete electric light system, the power for which is furnished by the company's private plant."

Another important institution is the Hemet flouring mills,
 John McCool, proprietor.
The mill, which is the only one in this section, occupies a fine brick building and has a capacity of 50 barrels of flour per day.
The plant cost $20,000.
The Sobaba People and Cahuilla tribe are the original inhabitants of the area of land that is presently named "Hemet" by American settlers. The tribe was moved to the Indian reservation near San Jacinto. During the early 19th century, the land was used for cattle ranching by Mission San Luis Rey, which named the area with the settler nameRancho San Jacinto. In 1842, José Antonio Estudillo received the Rancho San Jacinto Viejo Mexican land grant.
In 1887, during the first major Southern California land boom, W.F. Whittier and E.L. Mayberry founded the Lake Hemet Water Company, the Hemet Land Company, and the city of Hemet. In 1895, the Hemet Dam was completed on the San Jacinto River, creating Lake Hemet and providing a reliable water supply to the San Jacinto Valley. This water system was a major contribution to the valley's development as an agricultural area.
By 1894, the area had a newspaper, the Hemet News, and "several general stores," the largest being Heffelfinger & Co, which occupied an entire block. There were "a drug store, an excellent barber shop, two blacksmith shops, harness shop, shoe repairing houses, two real estate offices and two lumber yards."
"The most pretentious building" was the two-story Hotel Mayberry, "supplied with all the modern conveniences usually found in first-class hostelries, including stationary water, baths, etc., and a complete electric light system, the power for which is furnished by the company's private plant."
Another important institution is the Hemet flouring mills,
 John McCool, proprietor. The mill, which is the only one in this section, occupies a fine brick building and has a capacity of 50 barrels of flour per day. The plant cost $20,000.
Hemet, California