An illustrated history of Southern California : embracing the counties of San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange, and the peninsula of Lower California, from the earliest period of occupancy to the present time; together with glimpses of their prospects; also, full-page portraits of some of their eminent men, and biographical mention of many of their pioneers and of prominent citizens of to-day, Part 7

Author: Lewis Publishing Company
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : The Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1038

USA > California > Los Angeles County > An illustrated history of Southern California : embracing the counties of San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange, and the peninsula of Lower California, from the earliest period of occupancy to the present time; together with glimpses of their prospects; also, full-page portraits of some of their eminent men, and biographical mention of many of their pioneers and of prominent citizens of to-day > Part 7
USA > California > San Diego County > An illustrated history of Southern California : embracing the counties of San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange, and the peninsula of Lower California, from the earliest period of occupancy to the present time; together with glimpses of their prospects; also, full-page portraits of some of their eminent men, and biographical mention of many of their pioneers and of prominent citizens of to-day > Part 7
USA > California > Orange County > An illustrated history of Southern California : embracing the counties of San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange, and the peninsula of Lower California, from the earliest period of occupancy to the present time; together with glimpses of their prospects; also, full-page portraits of some of their eminent men, and biographical mention of many of their pioneers and of prominent citizens of to-day > Part 7
USA > California > San Bernardino County > An illustrated history of Southern California : embracing the counties of San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange, and the peninsula of Lower California, from the earliest period of occupancy to the present time; together with glimpses of their prospects; also, full-page portraits of some of their eminent men, and biographical mention of many of their pioneers and of prominent citizens of to-day > Part 7

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

HISTORY OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY.

kidney diseases. It is held to be quite equal to the famous water from the celebrated Waukesha Spring of Wisconsin. The supply is over 5,000,000 gallons per day, and this can be doubled if necessary. A table which compares the mean temperature at Coronado with that at the health resorts of Naples, Mentone, Rome, Nice and Florence, shows that the winter tem- perature of Coronado is 7.9° higher than at these most favored foreign resorts, and that the summer temperature is 10° lower, thus making an average of 8º in favor of Coronado as an all- the-year-round resort. The enormous Hotel del Coronado is almost indeseribable, particu- larly within restricted limits. To say that it is the largest and finest hotel in the world; that it cost $1,000,000; that it has its own steam motor road to convey guests and visitors from the ferry landing; that twenty acres of hand- somely decorated grounds surround it; that its interior court is a quadrangle of 250 x 150 feet, full of statuary, fountains, and choice exotic plants; that the length of its surrounding ve- randah is considerably over one and a half miles; that its apartments are, in many cases, of al- most incredible dimensions; that the finishings and fittings are all of the most convenient, com- fortable and Inxurious; that the house has its own system of water-works, of sewage and elec- tric bell and light plant, and its own large bathing and boating establishments, and its band of musicians; that its culinary department is complete and perfeetly appointed, and the service exquisite as to quantity, quality, variety and style,-when all these things are said, they have only begun to shadow forth the fairy-land- like charmof the marvelous Hotel del Coronado.

Following the curve of the coast around north- ward fromn San Diego, to the quarter where Point Loma joins the mainland, and the territory wi- dens and slopes more gently away from the bay toward the city, there lies, five miles back from the shore, the historic

OLD TOWN.

It has already been scen how important a part in the history of San Diego has been played by 3

this portion thereof, officially designated in the postoffice department as " North San Diego," and the incidents of its founding and earlier ex- istence have been related. Up to 1868 this was the town, the county seat and business center, and inany old citizens there be who still cling to it as a place of residence, whether for its su- perior charms of climate and quiet, or for the sake of old associations. Prior to 1868 the shipping did not come farther up the bay than La Plaza, where the custom-house was, as also the landing and the coaling station of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company.

This point is now a suburb and the First Ward of the city proper, from which it lies some three miles northwest, a beautiful mesa called Middle Town lying between. This mesa commands a magnificent view, and will no doubt be a fa- vorite dwelling-site, becoming, like Old Town, continuons with San Diego, when the comple- tion of the electric street railway, now far ad- vanced, shall facilitate communication. Then also will there be a revival of activity from tlie temporary decay into which Old Town fell, with the building of " New " San Diego on the bay shore, and the transfer of the court-house and public buildings thither. The population is now abont 1,000, and there is a postoffice, liotel, store, a fine large public school-house, a Roman Catholic church, which was dedicated Septem- ber 29, 1851, and, not least of interest to the romantic, a small chapel which is credibly said to be the scene of Ramona's marriage to Alessandro, in Mrs. Jackson's popular novel. Through the lower part of Old Town runs the California Southern Railway, after skirting the Middletown shore of the bay; and there it crosses the former bed of the river, now once inore diverted into False bay.

At the foot of the promontory, Point Loma, nestle a good many houses dotted along the shore, one aggregation of them being termned

ROSEVILLE,

soon to be reached by the steam motor connect- ing San Diego and Old Town. Roseville boasts

HISTORY OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY.

the only factory for making wire gauze in Cali- fornia.

On the fine land beyond Old Town there has been laid out a fine tract of villa sites, lying abont midway between Old Town and the sub- urb called

PACIFIC BEACHI,

which is in the hands of a company who declare that their beantiful new colony shall rival Cor- onado itself. To that purpose they have already a stupendous hotel, a fine college, electric lights, street railroads, bathing houses and many other improvements which are under way, supported by good taste and capital. On the western slope and the northern side of Point Loma is Ocean Beach, a new and pleasant watering place.

MISSION VALLEY.

This valley is situated three miles from the business center of San Diego. It is traversed by the San Diego river, and it may be reached either by way of Old Town, which lies at the mouth of the valley, or by the road up the mesa and new grade, which enters some two miles farther np. The valley is about six miles long, and one-half mile to one mile wide. The ruins of the ancient mission church, with its attend- ant old olive orchard, are near the eastern ter- minns. This valley was well chosen by the Franciscan Fathers, for it contains some of the most productive land in the present San Diego County. On the higher benches grow fruits, vegetables and cereals, while the lower, more sandy portions are well adapted for the cultiva- tion of alfalfa and other grasses. Good water, which may be found even during the dry season, at three to ten feet depth, abundantly under- lies the whole surface. The larger portion of the valley, comprising the western end, belongs to the old Pueblo grant, and thus within the corporate limits of San Diego city. This valley land sells for $75 to $150 per acre.

THE INTERIOR.

Along the coast of San Diego County, as of most of the seaboard counties of Southern Cali-

fornia, there slopes away from the shore a long line of platean-land, more or less rolling, and also more or less diversified by valleys, ravines, creeks or rivers, and low hill-ranges. This plateau, or mesa, as it is generally called from the Spanish term for it, meaning a table, often looks sterile, when it is really good land, which only needs cultivation to yield prolifically. Its climate, too, is fine, and the prospect of scenery usually noble.

In no other way can the modern history of San Diego County be so thoroughly understood, as by passing in review the relative phases of development of "the back country," whose sndden and rapid settling-up has been phenom- enal, taking into consideration the fact that only during the last few years may this section be said to have had a history. Before that it was all blank pages, and literally as well as figura- tively untilled ground.

In going from San Diego to the interior, a belt of the above mentioned mesa land, some twelve miles wide, is traversed. Then it falls off suddenly some 250 feet, into the broad, rich valley called El Cajon, which is a part of the old El Cajon Rancho, the pioneer of the back conntry to be opened to settlement, this having occurred in 1869, when some few settlers went up thither from San Diego. About the same time the Julian mines were discovered, many miners came in, and a little town was started. Then some settlers took up certain of the little fruitfnl valleys round about, and many took up Government land adjacent to the large ranches, or climbed up among the foothills, or even higher. Some of these were impelled thither by considerations of health and climate; some by the restlessness which is a residunin in the character of the ex-miner; some were seeking enrichment in the golden stores laid up in the bee hive. Bnt, whoever, and whysoever, they appeared so steadily and so constantly that the back country more than kept pace with the city in growth, so that from a few hundreds in 1868, the American outside population in 1884 had swelled to some 12,000, almost five times that

HISTORY OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY.

of the city. A steady increase of growth con- tinues, and the incoming elements are of the classes most desirable for the firin building up of the country.

EL CAJON VALLEY.

The largest and most beautiful valley in San Diego County is the El Cajon, and, if not the best, it is certainly equal to any. The total area is about 20,000 acres, which is all or near- ly all valley lands of the very best quality. It is situated about fifteen miles east of San Diego. The Cuyamaca Railroad, lately constructed, passes through the entire valley from west to east, four stations being established within its limits.

El Cajon has become famous for its fine raisins, and might have been equally famous for its fine oranges, had not the orange industry been abandoned by some of the earliest horti- culturists for the raisin grape, all because the young trees were injured the second winter after being planted, by the unprecedented cold wave that swept over the State in the winter of 1881-'82, and which proved so destructive to the orange groves of Riverside and other localities, now celebrated for their citrus fruits-trees sev- eral inches in diameter being frozen to the ground in some places. Not a few of the men who planted quite extensively in the spring of 1879 were congratulating themselves on the prospects of success, when the cold wave put a stop to their enthusiasm. Had they continued in their efforts to grow the orange, as did the horticulturists of Riverside, equal success would have been achieved. Instead, however, the young trees were dug up and thrown away. A few escaped this wholesale destruction, which grew up neglected and are now, ten years after, well loaded withi choice golden fruit. The lack of railroad transportation, doubtless, had some- thing to do with the abandonment of orange culture, as, at that time, the California Sonthern was not completed to San Diego. It was argued that the growing of fruits which could not be placed on the Eastern market would not

pay. It was different with raisins. They would keep and bear long transportation and were profitable. El Cajon raisins were soon discovered to be unsurpassed and acquired a reputation which they have well maintained against all competition. The growing of or- anges in the valley did not, however, stop.

The valley contains a large area of splendid orange land along the slopes of the hills encir- cling it-a strip, in brief, twenty miles in length by an average width of a half mile-land that lies above the frost line and below the flume, hence admirably adapted for irrigation, and orange culture, and which can be purchased at prices ranging from $50 to $150 per acre.

El Cajon Rancho was opened to settlement in 1869, and some few settlers from San Diego located there and took up bee-keeping and farm- ing, the latter mostly in the line of wheat- raising, which has continued the chief industry of El Cajon until very recently.

The Cajon Rancho has a total area of 57,000 acres. The valley is in the hands of two land companies, controlling some 15,000 acres of valley land, and about as much more mesa and hill land, especially adapted to vine-growing. The soil here, ranging from bright red to choco- late color, is a red marl, containing calcareous matter, and it is composed of a succession of deposits of sea water. It has been shown that soil taken from the bottoms of wells here pro- duces richer vegetable growth than the top soil, proving that roots which strike down for water have more than sufficient nourishment. The water supply is abundant, whether from wells five to twenty-five feet deep, which can be suc- cessfully sunk in any part of the valley, from the river, or from the aqueduct of the San Diego Flume Company. This is a magnificent enterprise that consumed nearly three years' time in its construction and $1,500,000, and has brought pure mountain water in abundance. This great flume, which is planned to carry 5,000 inches of water when completed, forms a semi-circle at the upper edge of the orange land mentioned, on the east side of the valley, just

HISTORY OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY.

where it should be to irrigate the groves and vineyards. A sufficient quantity is now running down its forty miles of length to irrigate the 20,000 acres contained in the valley, on the basis of one inch to twenty acres. It was com- pleted only a year ago, and little has been done as yet to utilize the water for irrigation, but enough to demonstrate its great future value. The subject of forming an irrigation district is now being agitated.

Besides the orange, the lemon and the grape, there are successfully growing in El Cajon val- ley the following kinds of citrus and deciduous fruits, viz .: the lime, citron, guava, apple, apri- cot, pear, peach, prune, plum, persimmon, pomegranate, quince, fig, olive, English walnut, almond, pecan, mulberry; and in small fruits, the strawberry, blackberry, raspberry-a list that might indeed be extended, but surely long enough and good enough is it to satisfy any one; a list, too, indicating the wonderful adapt- ability of soil and climate to grow the fruits of all latitudes in one locglity.

But the principal feature of El Cajon valley is the raisin industry. There are over 3,000 acres planted to the Muscat or raisin grape. A number of the vineyards are young and some are not even in bearing, yet the yield last sea- son, packed and marketed, was nearly sixty car- loads. The raisins were shipped to the Eastern cities mostly, and brought the highest prices. Those of the Boston ranch-a ranch containing 500 acres of vineyard-were shipped to Boston, of course, and the parties who handled them wrote the general manager that they opened up fine and uniform, and were equal to those of the oldest packers of Fresno. The parties who did the principal packing in the valley have testi- mony as to the quality of raisins shipped by them respectively, to the principal Eastern cities, of like purport. In fact, they were pro- nounced equal to the best Spanish goods. El Cajon raisins are certainly all right.

Another profitable crop is the hay crop. Many hundreds of acres are annually sown to wheat, barley and oats for that purpose, and the

yield is sometimes prodigious. One gentleman cnt last year four tons of oat hay, Texas Red variety, from a single acre, and the year pre- vious four and one-half tons per acre of wheat hay. The land was fertilized but not irrigated. The average for the valley is about one and a half tons. The entire crop secured last year was over 3,000 tons. The hills at this time are covered with a luxuriant growth of wild oats, valuable for pasturage as well as beautiful to the eye. In May and June many tons of fine hay will be made from it.

To show the rapid rate at which improvements are progressing, it is worth while to mention some of the newer establishments of the valley, ignoring the older, and locally better known places, such as those of Major Levi Chase, the late George A. Cowles, Mrs. Hill, J. M. Asher and others, and regarding only S. M. Marshall, one of the proprietors of the big 800-acre vine- yard, who planted last season 3,000 orange and lemon trees, some of which have made between five and six feet growth. Besides at his ranch, he has also at his home in another part of the valley, a lovely place. To show the extent of his planting it may be stated that he took a large fruit catalogue and ordered from it every variety of fruit and ornamental trees and shrubs, that he might prove what is best adapted to the locality, as well as most beautiful. Mr. Marshall commenced his improvements only last Feb- ruary, and has expended a great deal of money upou them. It is really incredible that so much can be done in so short a time. He has built an elegant residence that cost at least $10,000, besides a large barn and other valuable build- ings. The house stands upon high, sloping ground from which a fine view of valley and mountain is obtained. A beautiful lawn con- taining choice shrubbery is kept fresh and green by water from the flume, located on the heights just above, when needed. Mr. Marshall knows the value of water, and will use it extensively for irrigation. His orange grove embraces all the varieties, and is not only the making of one of the finest but largest in the State, as it is his

HISTORY OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY.

intention to enlarge it from year to year. In addition to orchard planting he is engaged in the nursery business on quite an extensive scale. He already has 50,000 young orange and lemon trees and some 20,000 olive trees, besides other kinds. Mr. Marshall is an enthusiastic horticul- turist and is having fine success. Upon a knoll commanding a magnificent view stands the ele- gant residence, which cost $10,000, of Mr. J. T. Gordon, surrounded with a lawn dotted with roses and choice shrubbery. Upon the upper slope of the land lies the orange groves-over 1,200 trees of budded varieties, and nearly 1,000 sweet seedlings, over 2,000 trees now in the second year, which have made marvelous growth and are quite full of beautiful fruit.

An orchard of 3,100 trees of deciduous fruits of every variety grown in the valley is located upon the lower land. Many kinds are already in bearing. This splendid orchard embraces 500 Bartlett pears, 500 soft-shelled English walnuts, 500 olives, 400 prunes and 500 peachies. Mr. Gordon has also 1,000 guavas in bearing and 125 acres of vineyard, mostly in bearing.

A substantial stone reservoir, capacity 130,000 gallons, stands high upon the hills, close by the flume, from which it is supplied with water. Pipes conduct the same to all parts of the grounds, and to the house where eighty perma- nent sprays are used to irrigate the lawn and trees around it. The whole place is so well cared for that it looks to be four instead of two years old.

There are many other places worthy of special description, but the space allotted will not per- mit of more than a brief mention. Mr. W. Il. Ferry, who owns more than 1,000 acres of rich valley land near Lakeside, on the north side of the San Diego river, has planted within the last two years very largely of fruit and ornamental trees, among which are 1,200 fig-trees now be- ginning to bear. He has a fine place. Mr. Barrett also has a valuable ranch containing a large bearing vineyard and an orchard of many kinds of choice fruits. He will use steam ap- paratus for pumping water for irrigation, having

recently purchased an engine for that purpose while on a visit East. Mr. William Peel's large ranch in the central part of the valley shows good management as well as fine artistic taste in landscape gardening. It is one of the newest but most promising places. The ranches of Judge Richards and Dr. Gray, lying imme- diately opposite each other, in the upper part of the valley, attract much attention. That of Judge Richards contains over 200 acres, all in a high state of cultivation. Dr. Gray's resi- dence and grounds are very handsome and the place. is in every way a lovely one. In the lower or western end of the valley are also some fine places. The Fanita ranch of 10,000 acres, owned by H. P. MeCoon, is mostly devoted to cattle raising, but a good many acres near the extensive buildings on the place are planted to fruit and ornamental trees and vines. It is a prof- itable stock ranch. Dr. S. Worcester, Mr. Mason and others in that part of the valley have excellent fruit ranches; the orange trees of the latter are as fine as any and of choice varieties. A monu- ment of the past stands in this end of the valley. -the old Mission dam-built more than a hun- dred years ago. Its masonry is still of the most substantial character and a large part of it has withstood the floods of the years gone by, stand- ing to this day as built by the Mission Fathers.

THE VILLAGE OF EL CAJON,

Where the business of the valley is mostly done, contains one general store, and one combined drug and grocery store, postoffice, blacksmith and wagon shops, one church edifice (Presbyte- rian), Rev. II. I. Stern, pastor; a free reading room, under the auspices of the King's Dangh- ters, two good hotels, a barber shop, livery stable, a meat market, a shoe shop and a number of private residences.

EL CAJON HEIGHTS,

The railroad station, three-quarters of a mile distant from El Cajon, was commenced on the completion of the Cuyamaca Railroad, only last spring. It contains about one dozen houses, a

HISTORY OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY.

hotel building, now under construction, the large packing-house of the El Cajon Vineyard Company, and a lumber yard. A neat depot building was erected a few months ago and a telegraph office established.

LAKESIDE.

At the extreme east end of the valley is the present terminus of the railroad. It has a splen- did $50,000 hotel, which is well managed, and which has its own gas plant and several quite metropolitan features, with a lovely little pool, called Linda Lake, close by, two general stores, postoffice, blacksmith shop, lumber yard and livery stable. There are but few residences at Lakeside, but the situation is most beautiful and when times become better is sure to attract attention and improve rapidly. The other stations on the road, Hawley and Cowles, are at present flag stations merely. El Cajon valley has a bright future. As already stated, this has long been the largest wheat-producing valley in the county, owing to the exceptionally fine crops yielded in good years and its accessibility to market and export. Even in dry years, it is now thought, the occasional failure of the wheat crop could have been averted by thorough plowing and cultivation, in place of the super- ficial treatment then given. Experience lias proved, however, that more profitable than wheat here is fruit and raisin growing.

This region is shut in, girdled in, as it were, by high, rugged hills, which do not indicate that there is much of interest beyond them. Yet in all directions among the hills there are valleys and mesas, or soft slopes that lead up to other hills yet higher. For instance, six miles beyond El Cajon, and 1,200 feet higher, or 1,600 feet above the sea, a winding mountain road reaches the old Spanish grant of

SANTA MARIA.

This valley, some thirty miles northeast of San Diego, has a population of over 500. The postoffice of the section is " Nuero." This val- ley contains some 15,000 acres of fine plain and

slope with hills smooth and rolling and hills high, sharp, and rocky. The inhabitants are widely scattered over this superior farming country. In 1886 a tract of several thousand acres of this grant was purchased by capitalists, who laid off the site of Ramona, now a thriving colony, with extensive improvements, including an edifice for a branch of the University of Southern California, a hotel, etc.

Vineyards and orchards are now being exten- sively planted in this valley. As yet, sheep and stock raising are still strong interests. The grain crop never fails. In the driest year the county has ever known, $22,000 worth of wheat was harvested from 1,500 acres in this valley. Sugar-cane is planted for feed for stock, and is found to be the most profitable that can be grown for cows and other stock. The water supply is abundant for all purposes. Land here sells for $10 to $75 per acre.

VALLE DE LAS VIEJAS.

This valley, whose postoffice is " Viejas," ad- joins El Cajon on the northeast, and is con- sidered one of the county's best grain-growing sections. It is about thirty-five miles east of San Diego. The population is about 300. Bee- keeping is a prominent interest. Horses, cattle, and hogs are among the productions. The soil and climate are well adapted to vine and fruit growing, but comparatively little has been done in that direction, its development being of very recent beginning. Lands bring $10 to $50 per acre.

SAN VICENTE.

This rancho lies southeast of Santa Maria, between that valley and Las Viejas. It con- tains some 4,000 acres of fine plow land, is a fine tract, and susceptible of profitable develop- ment. The character of the country here is different from the lower levels, bearing more timber, although the great groves of live oaks that once abounded on these hills and slopes have disappeared for the most part. There are also numerons springs in the larger ravines, and indications of a copious rainfall. And, indeed,

HISTORY OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY.

this valley is in the second rain belt, where the winter rains are always amply sufficient for full crops. The population is fifty or sixty. The chief interests are bee- keeping and stock-raising. Lands sell for $5 to $25 per acre.

JULIAN.

This, the largest settlement in the mountain region of San Diego County, was named from an early settler, M. S. Julian, near whose 160- acre claim of Government land gold quartz mines were discovered in February, 1870, caus- ing a rush to the district. Other discoveries succeeded; a number of mines were opened up and quartz mills erected; a town site was laid out, and, with the ingress of a large population, it was soon well built over. For several years, much gold was taken out, and the community prospered. New and very rich mines were presently discovered in the San Felipe cañon, some three miles east of Julian, and there was organized another mining district called Banner, most of whose business has ever been trans. acted at Julian. About the same time, about eight miles southeast of Julian, was discovered a third mine, called the Stonewall, which in its turn gave its name to another mining dis . trict. This mine, after yielding large returns for a time, lay unworked for several years, and about 1884 or 1885 it was again operated by a company, who in turn sold it to Governor R. W. Waterman, an experienced mining man who, after working it in.a thorough manner and very successfully, has just sold it for a large figure. But a cloud arose and soon overshadowed the fond hopes of the miner with only a prospect and no capital. The Cuyamaca grant claimed the land on which the mines were located, and commenced suit for possession of the same. This so disheartened the miners that when the Arizona excitement broke out they left their claims and a lawsuit for new fields, and in a very short time only a few remained. Some of those abandoned the mines and turned their attention to stock-raising, with only the faithful few left to fight the owners of the great Cnyamaca grant.

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Author: Lewis Publishing Company Publication date: 1890 Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : The Lewis Publishing Company Number of Pages: 1038

Author: Lewis Publishing Company
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : The Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1038