USA > California > San Diego County > San Diego > City of San Diego and San Diego County : the birthplace of California, Volume I > Part 44
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358 CITY OF SAN DIEGO AND SAN DIEGO COUNTY
nearly forgotten ; the Russ House, A. Meyer manager, at Third and E streets; the Carleton, just completed, with eighty rooms, W. A. Dorris proprietor at Third and F streets, "centrally located in the business part of town;" the Adelphi Hotel on Front Street, opposite the Courthouse, where Mrs. A. A. White was proprietor and E. O'Donnal manager ; the St. James at Sixth and F streets, which was erected by Dr. P. C. Remondino and was known at first as the Santa Rosa and which was just across from the Post Office in those days ; the Bennett House, at the corner of the Plaza and Third Street, W. L. Bennett owner and manager ; the Commercial Hotel, Mrs. M. G. Birdsall manager, at Seventh and I streets; the Hotel de Europe, M. Bruschi and J. Hanovich managers, at Fifth and I streets ; the
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YACHT RACE OFF SAN DIEGO BAY With the beautiful Hotel Del Coronado in the background.
Cottage Hotel, F. P. Nichols proprietor, on K Street between Seventh and Eighth. Carriages met "all trains and steamers." Rooms were "airy, sunny and comfortable."
Later hotels-new in the next ten years-included the Hotel Brewster at Fourth and C streets; the Albermarle, Front and D streets ; the Derby on H Street (now Market), and the Naples on Fourth Street.
The great Hotel Coronado was started in March, 1887, and was formally opened on February 14, 1888. It was started by the Coronado Beach Company, of which W. W. Story and E. S. Babcock had control but which later was bought by John D. Spreckels. Mr. Spreckels in more recent years has built in San Diego the San Diego Hotel and the Golden West Hotel, both fine, fireproof structures.
Of interest to many San Diegans will be these descriptions of some of the city's hotels, the words being taken from the city directory of 1886-7 :
CITY OF SAN DIEGO AND SAN DIEGO COUNTY 359
"Situated on the high 'mesa lands,' overlooking the entire city, and bay, and the magnificent Coronado Beach, is the Villa Hotel, owned and conducted by W. W. Bowers. It occupies an entire block of land bounded by Third and Fourth, Fir and Grape streets. The hotel structure itself is large and commodious, and most elegantly arranged; the remainder of the block, after reserving large and beautifully arranged and improved grounds, is occupied by separate, tastily built and beautifully furnished cottages for the use of those who prefer the similitude of a home rather than the more public hotel build- ing proper. The Florence is not only strictly first-class, but it is really the most exclusive, and the most tony hotel in the city ; and yet it is most delightfully free from that painful stiffness and unpleasant "shoddy-aristocracy" air which pervades many such places. If mine host Bowers is not a natural hotelkeeper, he has certainly lots of ability to adapt himself to the situation, to the delight and satisfaction of his guests. Without entering into details, we will simply say that we feel that we cannot speak in too high terms of this charming place and its excellent management."
The Florence Hotel was also described as being "eight blocks from the business center of the city," with "carriage to center of city and return every thirty minutes."
"The Horton House is the first hotel without exception in South- ern California. It is an elegant building of fine proportions, cost the. neat sum of $150,000. It has a choice location, situated on the north side of the city square and overlooking the entire town. It affords also a most excellent view of the harbor and ocean. Imme- diately in front of the hotel is a beautiful flower garden, in the center of which there is a fountain constantly sending forth its cooling sprays. The rooms are large, airy, sunny and comfortable. The whole house is furnished in first-class style. Another excellent fed- ture is the ladies' parlor, which is also a large room handsomely and appropriately furnished. Adjoining the hotel are the offices of Wells, Fargo & Co., the San Diego Telephone Company and the rail- road offices, the business center of the city is within one block of the hotel. The Horton House has this advantage over other hotels : it is favored with the finest climate in the world, and it is furnished free to guests. Mr. W. E. Hadley, a genuine enterprising and popular young man, is the present proprietor.
"St. James Hotel-This elegant structure. located on the corner of Sixth and F streets, is the property of Dr. P. C. Remondino. It is one of the largest, best arranged and most substantial buildings in the city, and, among those who are posted, the most popular in its accommodation and management. Formerly run on the European plan, with an excellent restaurant in connection, it was even then a well-patronized and popular house. On the expiration of the restau- rant lease in June, 1886, Dr. Remondino assumed entire control of the house, and securing the valuable assistance of Mr. J. H. Brenner as manager, he at once proceeded to remodel and beautify the build- ing, and changing the former name, Santa Rosa, to the St. James,
360 CITY OF SAN DIEGO AND SAN DIEGO COUNTY
starting the house with its new name, new management, and new dress upon its present career of popularity and success. In point of location the house has immeasurable advantage over any and every other hotel in the city. In the very business heart of the city, where the streets in the darkest night are made as the noonday by the brilliant flashing of the electric lights; and in the dryest time kept free from dust by frequent and copious sprinkling. Any one who would find fault with the accommodations and furnishings at the St. James would distinguish himself as not being used to good things at home; and he who would criticize the bill of fare be either a dyspeptic or a fanatical epicure."
"Hotel Adelphi - This elegant structure, pleasantly and con- veniently situated on Front Street, between C and D streets, has recently been refitted, entirely newly furnished and opened by Mrs. A. A. White as a first-class family hotel. The location of the house is probably one of the choicest sites for the purpose to be found in all the beautiful city of San Diego. It is on more than ordinarily high ground, embracing from its upper stories a view of the moun- tains, city and bay, grand and magnificent in the extreme. Directly in front stands the courthouse, with its large public grounds beauti- fully and artistically laid out and embellished with a rare selection of ornamental trees and a profusion of choice flowers, vying in beauty and attractiveness with the most elegant and well-kept private parks. Stretching away to the west lies the calm, beautiful bay, with Point Loma in the far distance, from whose boldest summit flashes out at night the gleam from the lighthouse, marking the entrance to the safest harbor in the world. Stealing across the bay, scarcely rippling its placid waters, comes the gentle, balmy ocean breeze, whispering among the leaves, kissing the bright flowers, and floating through the open casement, filling every room with delicious fragrance, and healthful purity. * * * The place is fully up to the times, however, in all its appointments; and there is no lack of style for the stylish ; at the same time it has all through and about it that air of delightful exclusiveness and rest so refreshing to the refined and whose absence is so striking in most hotels and boarding houses at noted places of resort. Both house and hostess are rapidly grow- ing in favor with the public, and the large! patronage which they enjoy comprises the best elements of society from both East and West."
CHAPTER XXXVII
SAN DIEGO AS A NAVAL BASE
The extent to which the Federal Government has put its faith in San Diego as a great naval base is shown graphically by the figures of cost compiled by the office of public works, eleventh naval dis- trict, at San Diego. This office was established in San Diego on October 26, 1917, as part of the twelfth naval district. After the war, however. San Diego was made headquarters of the eleventh naval district. This is the official table of cost up to July 1, 1921 :
Administration (commandant and public works) $ 262,480
Naval air station 3,155,555
Marine corps base 1,991,765 1 1 1 1 I 1
Naval fuel depot 333.564 1 1 1 1 1
Naval hospital 309,092 I 1 1 1 1
Naval training station
161,626
Naval repair base
58,843
Naval storehouse and administration building
64,522
Naval radio, Chollas Heights
82,808
Naval radio, Point Loma
6,700
Naval training camp at Balboa Park (abandoned)
91,100
U. S. destroyer force (Santa Fe dock)
555
Total $6.518.610
In the naval act approved for the fiscal year ending June 30. 1921, funds were appropriated for naval projects in San Diego as follows :
U. S. Naval training station at Point Loma $1.000.000
1 U. S. Naval repair base 750,000 1
1 1 U. S. Marine Corps base (additional ) 500,000 1
U. S. Naval storehouse 400,000
Total
$2.650.000
Bids were received October 27, 1920. for the construction of a great naval hospital to be built on 17.4 acres donated by the city from Balboa Park. As this is written work is well under way on the magnificent structure. It is expected that the ultimate cost of building this hospital will be more than $1.500.000.
Following the arrival of the great Pacific fleet in its home waters in August, 1919, San Diego was made the base of the Pacific Destroyer force, which in 1921 included 148 vessels, many of which were in the harbor from day to day.
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362 CITY OF SAN DIEGO AND SAN DIEGO COUNTY
Other centres of military and naval activity in and near San Diego, as this is written in the fall of 1921, are as follows:
Camp Kearny.
U. S. Army aviation school, North Island.
U. S. Marine Corps rifle range.
Eleventh Naval District supply base headquarters.
Fort Rosecrans, Point Loma.
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U. S. TORPEDO BOAT DESTROYERS
Some of the many U. S. Torpedo Boat Destroyers moored in San Diego Harbor, designated as the destroyer base of the Pacific Fleet in 1920.
Construction work on the marine brigade post on Dutch Flats was authorized while the war was on and was designed to cost about $4,000,000, the buildings to be on a site of approximately 732 acres on the north end of San Diego harbor, bordering the boulevard which runs from San Diego proper to Point Loma. First plans called for the erection of twenty buildings, to be placed in a rectan- gular formation, the main structures extending along a frontage of 3.000 feet. The sum of $340,000 was appropriated at the start for dredging the harbor to reclaim that part of the site below city datum, and work on this was started while war was still on.
CHAPTER XXXVIII
GROWTH OF THE CITY
The whole story of a city's growth, of course. is by no means told in compilations of census returns, but the totals recorded for San Diego are none the less interesting. The 1870 census was made when San Diego was just a village and showed a total of about 2,300 for the city, while the whole county, which was then much larger in area than now, registered a population of nearly 5,000. Later census figures are as follows :
Year
City
1880
2.637
County 8,618
1890
16,156
34,987
1900
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35,000
1910
39.578
61.665
1920
74,683
112,284
The census figures for the city, it must be recalled, do not include the people living in East San Diego and Normal Heights, which, geographically at least, really belong to San Diego. And. similarly, Coronado and National City belong in what might be called the area of the city.
The whole amount of taxable property in the City of San Diego on December 15, 1851, was $203.806. In 1921 it is about $81,000,000. The whole amount of tax collected in 1851 at the rate of one-half of one per cent was $1.019.03. The total to be collected for 1921 is about $1,750,000.
The financial standing of the City of San Diego in 1921 was as follows :
FINANCES-CITY
Capital Assets of San Diego, July 1, 1921.
Improved streets, bridges, conduits
$ 6,081.938.25
Sewer system
3.002.454.68
Water system
8,022,711.95
Purchasing, operating and stable departments
225.937.16
Fire department 409.650.00 1 1 1 1
1 1 1 City Hall
116.000.00
Police station and jail.
82.500.00
Fublic library and branches
305,900.00
Park system
7.162,400.00
Playgrounds
263.000.00
Harbors, wharves and docks
3,777.000.00
Municipal farm-Pueblo lands
734.328.00
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KAMILTO
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LINE ANDELUN RT
SAN DIEGO FROM THE AIR IN 1920
This birdseye view of San Diego gives a comprehensive picture of the downtown section of the city at the present day. Taken from a point nearly above the corner of Second Street and Broadway, it shows some of the largest of the hotels and office buildings of San Diego. Below, at the left, is the U. S. Grant Hotel. Above, nearly at the upper left corner can be seen part of the great city stadium, with part of Balboa Park beyond. The camera is faced approximately east, from about the center of the business section of San Diego.
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CITY OF SAN DIEGO AND SAN DIEGO COUNTY 365
Department of Health
67,000.00
Garbage disposal
43.400.00
Cemetery (178 acres)
155.000.00
Sundry unimproved properties I
285,000.00
Delinquent taxes
242,114.65
Auditor's balance in funds
1,201,674.69
Total assets $32.178.009.38
Liabilities of San Diego, July 1, 1921.
Outstanding bonds
$10,667,324.83
Outstanding requisitions
66.038.82
Outstanding matured interest coupons.
22,088.55
Total liabilities $10,755,452.20
Surplus assets over liabilities 21.422,557.18
The fire department in 1921 numbered 138 men and had fifteen stations and a fire boat, the William Kettner, built by the department under Louis Almgren, Jr., its chief. The value of the department's real estate and equipment was set at $269,715.
San Diego's last team of fire horses left the service in August, 1916. The first motor apparatus was installed by the department in 1909. Louis Almgren, Jr., has been chief since that time and under his supervision many improvements have been made in the city's fire- fighting forces. These include the fire boat William Kettner, built by the department.
The police department in 1921 numbered ninety-two, not including three life guards stationed at the beaches. Operating expenses al- lowed under the city budget for the year were $170,000. The value of the department's real estate and equipment was set at $110,000. All vehicles of the department are motorized.
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CHAPTER XXXIX
SAN DIEGO'S HARBOR
To say that San Diego has a magnificent harbor, that it is the best on the California coast south of San Francisco and that it is one of the most beautiful anywhere in the world is merely to repeat what thousands have seen or heard or read.
Its importance to the nation as a naval base has been realized at last, as detailed elsewhere in this volume ; its commercial importance is well established but ·by no means fully developed ; its beauty, safety and possibilities have been known for many, many years, and tributes to those qualities have been paid in glowing terms by some of the most noted men of world history.
Father Serra, the Franciscan priest, coming here in 1769, had heard of it and referred enthusiastically to it in one of his early letters as "truly a fine one and with reason (con razon) famous." With its twenty-two square miles of land-locked expanse and its superb protection from heavy winds, it provides one of the safest and best anchorages anywhere in the world. The largest of ocean vessels-commercial or naval-may enter with ease, as many have. Approaching it, they find more clear weather than at any point to the north; inside they find a deep, wide channel and, as a result of recent municipal improvements and the building of the Santa Fe and San Diego & Arizona railways to the port, a place where rail and tide meet for the commerce of the nations. It is one of the three natural deep-water harbors of the Pacific coast of the United States. Its deep-water anchorage measures 1,500 feet by five miles. The depth of water at the bar is 37 feet, at the entrance 65 feet, in the channel from 35 to 70 feet and at the middleground 35 feet. Natural protections are provided in a striking way by the high promontory of Point Loma and by the Coronado peninsula, including Coronado and North Island.
Until 1911 the city's part of the waterfront was under control of the state. As told elsewhere in this volume, the city, by vote of the Legislature in May, 1911, obtained control of its part of the water- front and adjacent tidelands, on the city's promise to make improve- ments within three years that would cost $1.000.000. That promise was kept by the building of the 800-foot municipal pier at the foot of Broadway, the dredging of an area adjacent to the pier, and the building of a long bulkhead, back of which was put the material dredged from the area in front. These improvements are set forth in the following little table of municipal harbor improvements :
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CITY OF SAN DIEGO AND SAN DIEGO COUNTY 367
Cost $1,730,000
Municipal Pier No. 1, with warehouse. 104,000 square feet
Bulkhead, reclaiming 80 acres of tide lands 2,675 lineal feet
Dredging. 2,000,000 cubic yards
The city's tideland frontage on the bay amounts to 49,820 lineal feet, according to official estimates. Much of this-17,420-has been leased to industries, principally the fishing industry, which in the last few years has grown to tremendous proportions at San Diego. More than 18,000 lineal feet has been donated to the government for the marine base, naval training station and other work.
The amount of business done by the port of San Diego is indi- cated in these figures for the last three years:
1918 $17,001,243
1919
24,048,011
1920
19,370,401
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SCENE IN VAST LANDLOCKED HARBOR OF SAN DIEGO Showing United States warcraft in foreground.
Until the city took over its water-front area, as has been told before, the state had control of all the harbor. The first board of harbor commissioners for San Diego was appointed in 1889 and was made up of Clark Alberti, president : W. W. Stewart and J. H. Bar- bour. Later members of the board included D. C. Reed, C. W. Pauly, N. H. Conklin, F. H. Dixon, W. J. Prout, G. B. Grow, George M. Hawley, Charles W. Oesting. W. H. Pringle, Eugene De Burn and others well known to San Diegans. The present board (1921) consists of : W. B. Gross, F. L. Richardson and Edward Willoughby. Other harbor officials in 1921 were :
The state board of pilot commissioners, W. S. Dorland, W. M. Colburn and Mayor John L. Bacon, ex officio.
The city harbor commissioners: Rufus Choate, president ; M. A. Graham and J. W. Sefton, Jr.
Collector of the port, Clarence D. Sprigg.
U. S. immigration officer, D. S. Kuykendall.
U. S. quarantine officer, A. H. Clennan.
The city in 1921 had docking space on all its piers of about 10.330 feet. The depth alongside these piers averages from 22 to 35 feet.
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CITY OF SAN DIEGO AND SAN DIEGO COUNTY
The piers are as follows :
The municipal pier at the foot of Broadway, length 800 feet and width 130, with lineal feet of docking capacity, 1,730;
The Spreckels Brothers' pier at the foot of G Street, length 1,400 feet, width 75, docking capacity 1,400 lineal feet ;
The East Santa Fe wharf, at the foot of Market Street, length 600 feet, width 80 feet, docking capacity 960 lineal feet ;
The West Santa Fe wharf, at the foot of Market Street, length 400 feet, width 75 feet, docking capacity 1,700 lineal feet ;
San Diego Lumber Company pier, at the foot of Sixth Street, length 125 feet, width 24 feet, docking capacity 250 lineal feet.
Benson Lumber Company wharf, at the foot of Sigsbee Street, length 350 feet, width 75 feet, docking capacity 600 lineal feet ; McCormick Lumber Company wharf at the foot of Dewey Street, length 200 feet, width 75 feet, docking capacity 400 lineal feet.
Standard Oil Company pier, at the foot of Schley Street, length 150 feet, width 25 feet, docking capacity 200 lineal feet.
In early years the channel through the outer bar was about 500 feet wide and 21 feet deep. The main channel, lying west of the middle ground, was of ample depth. The channel inside the harbor was about a third of a mile wide, and not less than 30 feet deep.
The first project for the improvement of the harbor was author- ized by Congress on August 30, 1852. The act appropriated $30,000 to build a levee across the mouth of the San Diego River and thus turn the river back into its original channel, into False (now Mission) Bav. This work was started in July, 1853, by Lieut. George H. Derby, who became more famous as a humorist than as an engineer. He did the work with about 100 Indians. The embankment was of loose soil, faced with stones. It was washed away in two or three years, and the river went back into its old course.
By the river and harbor act of March 3, 1875, there was appro- priated $80,000 to divert the river, and an earth dike 7,735 feet long, faced with rubble stone, was completed in 1876. This dike, with minor repairs, held the river to its course.
The river and harbor act of September 19, 1890, authorized the maintenance of the dike, the construction of a jetty 7,500 feet long on Zuninga shoal, across the harbor entrance, and the dredging of the middle ground channel to obtain a channel 500 feet wide and 24 feet deep at mean lower low water. This work was completed in February, 1905, at a total cost of $543,283. Repairs were also made to the Los Angeles River dike at that time.
The river and harbor acts of 1905, 1907, and 1909 appropriated further sums of which $59,904 was spent.
The river and harbor act of June 25, 1910, appropriated $125,000 for dredging through the outer bar to make a channel 600 feet wide and 30 feet deep. This work was finished in May, 1913.
Under the appropriation made in 1913 the outer bar channel was dredged again and work also was done on the middle ground channel. To repair the damage done in the river dike by the 1916 floods, 137 wagon loads of boulders were placed as riprap on the river side.
Up to January 1, 1917, the government had spent $1,304,136 in preserving and improving the harbor. This includes the item of
CITY OF SAN DIEGO AND SAN DIEGO COUNTY 369
$220,000 in the act of July 27, 1916, for dredging in front of the municipal pier.
Since 1917 the following sums have been voted for dredging in the harbor :
Middle ground
$ 48,500
Area A
74,447
Area C
288.636
Marine Corps base
283,226 1,750
Fuel depot
Repair base, foot 32d Street
201,500
Naval training station.
450,000
Marine Corps base
250,000
For pier at North Island.
50,000
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The first sum for the Marine Corps base in this table was for a task completed in 1918. The work for the naval training station and for the second contract on the Marine Corps base was let under one contract, and in December. 1921, the sum of $380,230 had been actually spent on the work.
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CHAPTER XL
HIGHWAYS OF THE COUNTY
To tell the whole story of San Diego County's contribution to the excellent highways of the state and to give full credit to all of the loyal San Diegans who have contributed of time, effort and money to the furtherance of this great work, in which San Diego County stands among the leaders in the Golden State, would take much more space than can be allotted to the subject in this volume. Even in the outline, however, the story is full of the achievement which can come only through the display of public spirit and determination to make that spirit count.
As a result of this work by the people of San Diego County that county now has over 260 miles of state and county paved highways, not including city streets, and 680 miles of good dirt road, properly graded, bridged and drained. San Diego County has done a great work in encouraging tourists to travel to the southwest corner of the United States, either down the coast highway from the north, or from the east, by way of Imperial Valley. The building of these roads has also done much to help the ranchers to get their produce to market easily and quickly and has of course brought the remotest section of the county within a few hours' drive by automobile from the city, whereas fifteen years ago the trip either could not be made safely by the automobile, then rare, or had to be made by horse-drawn vehicles. It is not so many years ago that Julian, sixty miles away in the mountains, for instance, was a two-day trip from the City of San Diego. Now it is easily reached by automobile over good roads- more than two-thirds of the distance is already paved-in three hours. Travel in other directions in the county is developing on the same relative basis.
The coming of the automobile compelled the building of good roads. Early in her experience, San Diego County learned that in most cases good roads meant paved roads-highways of concrete or some such surface, which couldn't be washed away easily by the torrential winter rains of the mountain sections or blown. away in dust in the summer. The knowledge cost San Diego something, for much of the early highway building was not of the permanent kind; it could not be made with the money then available.
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