USA > California > San Diego County > San Diego > City of San Diego and San Diego County : the birthplace of California, Volume I > Part 47
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In 1909 a Catholic parish was formed in National City and in 1910 a church was built on Fourth Avenue, just south of Eighteenth Street. The building is 32x60 feet and well arranged. The Rev. 11. Eummelen organized the church and was the first acting priest. The present priest is Father Michael Egan.
Near the Fourth Avenue station of the carline, the Spiritualists erected a church several years ago. Their leader is Rev. Lee Morse. There was, in the late '80s. a Presbyterian Church on Eighth Street East. The congregation was small; only one of the original members is now living here. She is Mrs. Ida Wallace. now the wife of Capt. M. J. Hogarty of East Eighth Street. For several vear they carried a heavy burden of debt and finally decided to join with the Congregationlists. The experiment was not a success. Nor have the local Presbyterians ever reorganized. The Congrega- tional Church bought the Presbyterian Church building and added it to their own original structure where it houses the Sunday school and the social hall with dining room and kitchen.
The Seventh Day Adventists maintain a chapel in connection with the Paradise Valley Sanitarium.
At the close of the canvass of the park bonds election. July 13. 1909. National City was in possession of a fifteen-acre park site. extending along the east side of National Avenue, from Twelfth Street. Of this site, landscape architect Cook said that it embodied all the features to be found in the best parks of the world and that its topography is such as to admit of extensive and varied land- scape gardening. Under the watchful eyes of William Russell, the
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park developed into a spot of beauty. It contains many rare shrubs and in season is gorgeous with dahlias and poinsettas. The park forms a beautiful setting for the Carnegie Library and the firehouse. National City's library was started in 1895 in the Boyd build- ing and was established as a free public library in 1896. The present building on National Avenue was constructed from a fund from the Andrew Carnegie corporation and cost $10,000, exclusive of the furniture. Construction was started in June, 1910, and was com- pleted in November of the same year. The building is of two stories and has seven rooms, with a book capacity of 20,000 volumes. The affairs of the library are handled by five trustees, elected for three- year terms, the present board consisting of Mrs. . E. Thelen, Dr. Theodore F. Johnson, president ; Mrs. Carl S. Owen, Dr. E. S. Hill and Mrs. S. Herbert Boal. The library on July 1, 1921, had 6,993 volumes, the total circulation for the year ending at that time was 26,542, and the number of card holders was 1,072.
The first bank established in National City was the Bank of National City, on Seventh Avenue. It was organized in 1887 with Frank A. Kimball as president, Warren C. Kimball as vice president and J. Gordon, as cashier. Its capital stock was $300,000, of which $30,000 was paid in. The panic of 1893 caused the bank to close for a few months ; it opened again but closed permanently in 1895.
The People's State Bank, on National Avenue, was opened in 1888, with Elizur Steele as president and F. M. Carver as cashier. It was reorganized in 1890, H. Shaubut becoming president and E. Thelen cashier. The capital stock was then $50,000. In 1908 the bank was sold, Captain John L. Sehon becoming the new president and Bishop Edmonds the cashier. The capital stock was reduced to $25,000 and the bank was removed to Chula Vista. With the balance of the capital stock, $25,000, the People's National Bank was organized with Sehon and Edmonds in charge.
The National City State Bank, on National Avenue, was or- ganized in 1918, with a capital stock of $25,000. Edward Willoughby was its first president and J. W. Donohue cashier. The present presi- dent is San Francisco and the cashier is J. L. Matthews.
There are three women's clubs in National City, their mem- bership largely overlapping. The oldest of these is the Friday Club, said to be the oldest club in the county and known at the beginning of its existence as the Social Science Club. It is a literary, parlor club, active membership being limited to twenty and associate mem- bership to ten. Next in point of age, is the Olivewood Club, meeting at the Olivewood club house. This club has several departments, chief among these being arts and crafts. The third club is called The Three M's Club ; it is purely social and consists largely of members of the Friday Club and of the Olivewood Club. At present it has forty members. All three clubs frequently do civic work and during a part of the war a branch of the National City Branch of the Red Cross was maintained at the Olivewood club house.
After the death of Mrs. Warren C. Kimball, which occurred July 2, 1898, Mr. Kimball desired to erect some monument in com- memoration of her life and work. He finally decided that in view of all she had done for the advancement of women a clubhouse for
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women would be the most appropriate and would be most pleasing to his departed wife. He therefore erected, on land adjoining his home, a fine clubhouse with all modern facilities, having an auditor- ium with a seating capacity of 200. Mr. Kimball said it was to be "for all the club women of National City." So far as is known, the clubhouse was never offered to any club. The Olivewood Club, many prominent members of which lived near Olivewood, gradually assumed the management of the clubhouse and the fine dedication pro- gram, in 1910, was arranged by the members of that club. The building is generally spoken of as the "Olivewood Clubhouse."
On September 28, 1882, William Burgess established the first newspaper in National City, under the name of The National City Record. Previous to this time, a San Diegan, Will Christiance, issued a paper in San Diego which carried a column of National City items. Mr. Burgess issued the National City Record as a weekly, which it still remains at the present day. The name was later changed to the National City News.
Mr. Burgess was succeeded by H. A. Harbaugh and since then the paper had changed hands many times. The present editors are Cornelius and Raymond. The building is on National Avenue.
In November, 1919, the beautiful temple of the Masons of Na- tional City was fittingly dedicated. It is a two-story, straw colored, concrete building. The lodgeroom with kitchen and all other modern arrangements, occupies the second story reached by a wide, shallow staircase. The lower floor is occupied by the offices of the Sweetwater Water Corporation.
Previous to the dedication of this temple, the Masons met in a hall in one of the oldest buildings of the town, situated not far from the present site.
The following fraternal orders all in flourishing condition, exist in National City :
Southwest Lodge No. 283. F. & A. M.
Loma Lodge No. 159, K. of P., instituted October 4, 1888.
Woodmen of the World, organized July 10, 1901.
Fraternal Aid Association, organized July 2, 1898.
Silver Gate Court 4961, I. O. F., organized in 1909.
National City Firemen's Club, organized in 1908.
The Yeomen Lodge has a large membership.
The Eastern Star.
The Santa Fe began building its shops at San Bernardino in 1886, and they were completed in 1887. The moving of the shop forces was done gradually.
In 1912, taking advantage of the remarkably even climate of National City and its site on the bayshore, the Santa Fe established a lumber yard of about fifty acres there for the seasoning of ties. Lumber and ties are brought in from the north and other points. In 1912, the tie yard received 1.000,000 oak cross ties from Japan. In 1919, for example, thirty-seven boats brought lumber to the yard. In the first six months of 1921 there were sixty-three shiploads received. According to railroad officials, the Santa Fe in 1920 received at National City 10,000,000 feet board measure of lumber and 400,000 cross ties. In the same year. it shipped out to various
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points on the system 8,500,000 feet board measure of lumber, 920,000 cross ties and 70,756 lineal feet of piling, which placed end to end, would extend over thirteen miles.
In 1920 the Santa Fe shipped out 603 carloads of freight from National City.
An institution of importance not only to National City but to San Diego and other nearby places as the Paradise Valley Sanitarium, established in April, 1904. It has a campus of forty acres laid out in orchards, fields and lawns. The main building is of three stories and will accomodate about sixty-five patients or guests, as they are called. Six physicians and forty nurses are employed and several visiting physicians are on the medical staff. The actual investment in buildings, furnishings and land has been stated as more than $150,000. A hospital to cost $50,000 is being planned.
The Ellwyn Sanitarium, started in 1912 by Dr. E. S. Coburn and his wife at Highland Avenue and Eighth Street, soon grew in re- sponse to the demands of the community and was removed in Feb- ruary, 1913, to a large concrete building at National Avenue and Seventh Street which had been opened as a hotel. On July 1, 1918, Miss N. R. Sallada, a registered nurse, leased the building and took charge of the sanitarium. It now has twenty-six beds and has been kept very busy. A large number of accident cases are handled there.
The Park View Sanitarium of National City was opened in 1917 by Dr. Carl S. Owen. It is operated by Mrs. Bina Clarke as a maternity hospital.
The recent growth of National City is shown plainly in figures compiled by the San Diego Consolidated Gas & Electric Company. which serves the community with gas and electricity. Service of electricity was begun in June, 1904, gas in August, 1906. From 1912 to 1920 the number of gas consumers grew from 479 to 774, and consumers of electricity from 404 to 836.
National City has an active Chamber of Commerce, reorganized in the spring of 1921 with Ernest L. Bullen as president and an enthusiastic membership.
National City, in addition to such business enterprises as are found in most towns of its size, has a $10,000 Carnegie Library, a fine fifteen acre park, an adequately equipped fire department, a commodious movie house up-to-date in every respect, many miles of paved streets and walks, and a complete lighting and sewer system.
Added to these National City has several important industries including poultry raising and packing and treatment of citrus fruits, and these have all grown steadily. In 1921 a count of birds owned by eighty-nine persons showed 32,278 laying hens, the flocks ranging from twenty to 4,000 to a person, most of the plants costing from $600 up. Citrus fruits, with sufficient water provided, thrive in and about National City. Many years ago the San Diego Fruit Company. owning several hundred acres of the finest citrus orchards in the county, built a large packing house on the west side of Ninth Avenue. and thousands of cars of lemons and oranges have been shipped from it. Near this plant is that of the W. J. Bush Citrus Products Com- pany, originally, in 1898, the California Citrus Products Company.
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In the years following 1898 the plant has turned out large quanities of citric acid, beverages and other by-products of the lemon. Thous- sands of tons of lemons have been used by the concern. By-products from apricot kernels have also been made with what is reported to be a great success.
Blackman, Inc., in 1919 established on First Street, National City an enterprise in turtle products. Pasadena capitalists bought the plant in 1920. Another plant established by the Blackman interests is an extensive fish fertilizer plant, said to be the largest in the United States. Large quantities of the product have been used in nearby citrus orchards, while large shipments have been sent to other sec- tions. The McManus Citrus Products Company, close to the packing house, has been started recently.
CHAPTER XLIII
OTHER TOWNS OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY
In the pages immediately following an attempt has been made to present at least a sketch of the history of the principal San Diego County communities outside the city. It has not been possible, in the time allotted to the writer, to prepare such a sketch for every community, but the largest and most important have received careful attention, and a sincere effort has been made to set down the most essential facts regarding each town.
CORONADO
Coronado Beach was opened up in the '80s by E. S. Babcock, H. L. Story, Jacob Gruendike and Joseph Collett, who organized the Coronado Beach Company, with the idea of making a city of homes. The townsite was laid out in 1886, and during the boom, and while the Hotel del Coronado was being built, water pipes were laid over the island and many residences were built.
Coronado Tent City, famous throughout the United States, was started in a small way in the summer of 1900 and grew rapidly in popularity. Its music, aquatic sports, bathing and other attractions have made the resort one of the most popular in the United States.
One of the periods of Coronado's greatest advancement came in 1909 and 1910. In the former year John D. Spreckels built his fine residence, whose reported cost was $100.000. The Coronado Public Library, an imposing structure on Orange Avenue, was built and furnished and given to the people in the same year by Mr. Spreckels ; it was dedicated in June, 1909. At about this time A. B. Daniels and other wealthy men bought or built imposing residences in the beautiful city across the bay from San Diego, and building in the suburb received a great impetus.
Coronado residents have always enjoyed an excellent ferry and car service, owned and operated by the Spreckels interests.
Coronado Tent City is another of the Spreckels enterprises. Started as a unique summer resort, not so much perhaps for profit as to attract to the vicinity of San Diego the best class of summer visitors and to provide for San Diegans a place where they could enjoy beach life, it has always been a notable part of the community's life. The band concerts given by some of the nation's best musicians at Tent City have given pleasure to thousands and have been a great advertisement for both Coronado and San Diego.
Coronado always has been essentially a place of residence rather than of commerce and business. With broad streets, beautiful resi- dences, some of them costly and magnificient, rich lawns, gardens and
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foliage, it has presented to prospective residents a real and lasting attraction.
The great Hotel del Coronado, famed throughout the United States, has been a landmark not only for all Southern California since the erection of this fine structure in the late '80s, and at the same time has done much to attract to the community those seeking ideal climatic conditions and the best that can be had in the great life of the outdoors. The Coronado Country Club, started and maintained as a joint attraction for hotel patrons and residents of Coronado, has been instrumental for years in providing polo, tennis and golf tourna- ments which have attracted wide interest.
SCHOOL BUILDING IN CORONADO
The heavy sea wall which protects Coronado from the ravages of high seas and which effectually stopped a gnawing-away of one of the most attractive parts of its beach, was erected at a cost of about $215,000. The property owners in 1906 voted a bond issue of $135,000, with which work was started in December of that year. A second bond issue of $75,000 continued the work.
Coronado's streets are well paved, providing a superb attraction for residents and visitors.
Coronado Lodge No. 441, F. &. A. M., obtained its charter October 15. 1914. The Masonic Temple of Coronado was dedicated November 25, 1916.
Coronado's city officers have been as follows :
City Trustees.
1906-7-George Holmes, Charles W. Carr. B. W. Mckenzie. Joseph H. Stanton, W. H. Nicholson. 1908-9-George Holmes, F. H. Furnald. B. W. Mckenzie, J. H. Stanton, W. H. Nicholson.
1910-George Holmes. F. H. Furnald, Wilmot Griffiss. J. H. Stanton, W. H. Nicholson.
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1911-George Holmes, A. B. Cunningham, Wilmot Griffiss, H. B. Hakes, Admiral Uriel Sebree.
1912-Wilmot Griffiss, George Holmes, A. B. Cunningham, H. B. Hakes, Earl Cameron.
1913-Wilmot Griffiss, A. B. Cunningham, W. C. Harland, H. B. Hakes, George Holmes.
1914-Wilmot Griffiss, A. B. Cunningham, John D. Morgan, H. B. Hakes, George Holmes.
1915-Wilmot Griffiss, A. B. Cunningham, Newton S. Gandy, H. B. Hakes, George Holmes.
1916-17-W. C. Harland, S. Adolph Johnson, Huber A. Collins Lawrence S. Chamberlain, George Holmes.
1918-Lawrence S. Chamberlain, W. C. Harland, Huber A. Collins, George Holmes, S. A. Johnsin.
1919-Lawrence S. Chamberlain, W. C. Harland, Nat Rogan, George Holmes, A. E. Holloway.
1920-Lawrence S. Chamberlain, Dick Henderson, Arthur Dewar, R. H. Pickford, W. C. Harland.
1921-Lawrence S. Chamberlain, Dick Henderson, A. E. Holloway, R. H. Pickford. W. C. Harland.
City Recorder.
1906-9-Reginald Fenton. 1910-James H. Dean.
1914-15-A. A. DeWitt. 1916-18-Robert S. Anthony.
1911-Karl Lamb. 1919-Dick Henderson.
1912-13-William H. Johns. 1920-21-Albert H. Foret.
City Clerk.
1906-21-W. Tilden Clark.
City Attorney.
1906-17 -- J. C. Hizar. 1920-21-David R. Esrey.
1918-19-J. W. Puterbaugh.
City Treasurer.
1906-7-H. C. Stocking. 1915-21-Arthur A. Mathewson. 1908-14-W. E. Ingelow.
City Health Officer.
1913-21-Dr. Raffaele Lorini.
City Engineer.
1909-16-A. Ervast. 1919-G. F. Hyatt.
1917-18-H. A. Kuehmsted.
City Manager and City Engineer. 1920-21-G. F. Hyatt.
City Marshal and Tax Collector.
1906-11-J. L. Cameron. 1915-Fred L. Chew. 1912-13-P. H. Vondenberg. 1916-21-Jolın H. O'Donnell. 1914-Henry W. Davis.
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The organization of what is now Christ Church, canonically recognized May 2, 1888, as the Mission of St. Peter's was merged into and superseded by the parish of Christ Church ( Episcopal) on September 3, 1896, and the church was admitted into union with the diocese of Los Angeles in the following May. The Rev. George N. Deyo had been minister in charge of the mission from March 19. 1893. In September, 1896, on the recommendation of Bishop Nichols. the Rev. E. W. Meany was elected his successor. Mr. Meany remained only until January, 1898, and was followed by the Rev. Douglas F. Forrest. He left in January, 1899, being succeeded in February of that year by the Rev. F. B. Cossitt. He officiated until June. 1900. when he asked to be relieved. The Rev. Charles E. Spalding, at the suggestion of Captain Charles T. Hinde, a prominent member of the church, then was elected rector of the parish. Mr. Spalding's long pastorate ended May 1, 1921, when he resigned. The Rev. Robert A. Tufft of Washington, D. C., became rector late in 1921. The cornerstone of the church was laid September 19, 1894, and the first services in the completed building were held in the spring of 1895. The church was presented to the parish by the late Captain and Mrs. Charles T. Hinde as a memorial to their daughter, Camilla. who died at Evansville, Indiana, January 26, 1879. at the age of twelve years. The parish house and rectory and the land on which they stand were donated to the parish in August, 1912. by Captain Hinde. Mrs. Hinde died in 1899 and Captain Hinde in 1915.
Thel Coronado Presbyterian Church was organized March 18. 1888, under the Rev. I. L. Hoyt. The church was without a pastor in the fall of 1921.
A Baptist mission, established in September, 1888, was maintained for some time in Coronado.
The Coronado Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in 1888 with only twenty members. The first pastor was the Rev. Silas E. Sprowles. The present pastor is the Rev. Emerson Bristol Service. D. D., who took the pulpit in November. 1921.
The Church of the Sacred Heart, Coronado, owes its origin to the work done by a few Catholics, most of them employees of the Hotel del Coronado, who gathered together funds, some thirty years ago. to erect a little church. Under the guidance of the Rev. Father Ubach of San Diego, this work was successful, and on Easter Sunday morn- ing in 1891 a little chapel was dedicated. This was attended as a mission of the parish of St. Joseph's in San Diego until September. 1897, when the Rev. R. F. Byrne was appointed resident pastor. le remained in charge until July, 1899, when as the parish seemed to small to support a resident pastor, the work was taken over again by the Rev. Father Ubach. In 1901 the Rev. Father Stotters was appointed pastor. Then in succession came the Rev. Frs. McManus, Bettle and Sheehey, each serving a short time. On July 12, 1904. Father Bannon took charge, remaining about two years. On May 1. 1906, the present pastor. the Rev. James W. Collins, was placed in charge of the church and as the result of his untiring efforts he soon had the parish on a good working basis. On Thanksgiving day. November 25, 1920. a great ambition of the pastor was achieved when the fine home of the Church of the Sacred Heart was dedicated
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by the Right Rev. John J. Cantwell, bishop of the diocese. Father Collins' assistant in 1921 is the Rev. Charles O'Mahony.
EAST SAN DIEGO
One of the most remarkable examples of growth ever recorded by a San Diego County community outside the limits of the city of San Diego is that afforded by East San Diego. In 1910 and 1911 it was a little residence section with about 400 or 500 residents, counting all the noses of the place. It was then known as City Heights because of its fine location overlooking the magnificent harbor about five miles away. The postoffice department called it Teralta. It began to grow fast, many of the new residents, of course, having their work in the city of San Diego. The electric street railway was extended there, giving a good car service at a five cent fare, and building of homes, most of them small, went on with almost amazing rapidity. By the middle of 1912 it was estimated that the population was 4,000. Thereupon the community was incorporated as a city of the sixth class on November 7, 1912, taking the name East San Diego. These were the first trustees :
H. M. Holleman, president, from North Carolina, and bearing the courtesy title of mayor: Joseph Clegg, of New Jersey ; C. W. Quackenbush, of New York : F. W. Smith, of Colorado ; E. O. Hobson of Illinois.
Other city officers selected at the time were:
City Clerk-W. L. Kirby, of Iowa.
City Treasurer-T. B. Ferris, of Georgia.
City Attorney, L. D. Welch, of Michigan.
City Physician-Dr. E. A. Crokat, of England.
City Printer-C. A. Seav, of Arizona.
Chief of Police-C. W. Justice, of Texas.
Health Commissioners-C. O. Stensrud, of Wisconsin : Dr. Con- erly, of Texas; Thomas O. Moore, of Indiana.
Superintendent of Schools-D. A. Simpkins, of Pennsylvania.
An idea of the manner in which East San Diego was started may be gained from the following statement issued by the little city in January, 1913 :
"Two months old officially, and very little older in reality, it is the second largest city in San Diego County. It already has real laws. One of the first to be passed by the board of trustees was that prohibiting sale or gift of liquor, East San Diego being strictly a city of homes and schools and owing to peculiar conditions never will cater to manufactories or industries.
"San Diego has terminal and shipping facilities to satisfy thou- sands of factories. East San Diego has the ideal place of residence and by proper laws expects to maintain its high reputation as a home site, where the main feature of its government is founded on the golden rule-'Do unto others as you would that they do unto you'- a rule under which the board of trustees have drawn all the early ordinances of the new city. Its trustees are busy men, yet gladly give up two nights a week without compensation for the purposes of enacting laws of equal rights. The early history, now in the making.
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will be a story of the sacrifice of both time and money that its en- terprising citizens are giving to build up a model golden rule city, for success is already crowning their indefatigable efforts and tireless energy. None of the trustees draws any salary, but what is more valuable, they receive the able assistance of four thousand live wires who constitute the present population, all of whom are working like beavers to establish a clean, healthy, well govered community from which every citizen may receive equal benefit and share the same pride."
Early meetings of the city officials were held in the East San Diego observation tower, which was moved from its original site to make room for the East San Diego State Bank, organized by P. V. Morgan and H. M. Holleman.
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