The first European settlers to arrive in this area were "Cockney Bill" Williams from England and John Wesley Horrell, who both arrived in the area in 1850 or 1851. The town itself was first settled by Drury, Frank, and J.O. Bailey, all brothers; and their cousins, Mike and Webb Julian. They were passing through the region from San Bernardino en route to Arizona in 1869, in the wake of the American Civil War. Taken by the beauty of the Julian area, Drury Bailey interrupted the group’s travel plans and chose instead to settle here; he chose to name the settlement “Julian” after Mike Julian because “Mike was better looking” than any other member of the Bailey family. Julian was also a former Confederate soldier who was later elected San Diego County Assessor. Shortly afterwards gold was discovered in the Julian region. A tent city initially formed in the boomtown, followed by more permanent structures as it became apparent that gold mining in Julian would persist for some time. Victorian-style structures were constructed in the latest stage of Julian’s early settlement, including the Hoskins House.