San Diego County CA Archives History - Books .....Rise Of San Diego City 1888
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Book Title: The City And County Of San Diego

CHAPTER IV.
RISE OF SAN DIEGO CITY

   THE first settlement made in California was on San Diego Bay. In July, 1769,
the first mission in California was built at Old San Diego, now called Old Town,
some three miles west of the present city, and the old ruins on the hill above
the town are the oldest relics of the first year of civilization in this State.
Old Town is also the oldest municality [sic] in the State. In January, 1835, the
city government was organized. Ten years afterward the city lands, to the extent
of forty-seven thousand acres, were surveyed and mapped and granted to it by the
Government of Mexico. This grant was afterwards confirmed and patented by the
United States, and hence the magnificent proportions of the present city limits.

   For many years the only business done at Old Town was the shipment of hides
and tallow. The population was then almost entirely Mexican, though a very few
Americans and other foreigners were there. When California was admitted as a
State and divided into counties, Old Town became the county seat and remained so
for many years. A few more Americans came about the same time; some of the most
prosperous and respectable of the present citizens of San Diego, E. W. Morse,
James McCoy, O. S. Witherby, Thomas Whaley, Joseph Mannasse, and others were
among the first to settle there. For many years Old Town contained all the life
upon San Diego Bay, and the old plaza and old adobe buildings surrounding it
could tell high tales of the olden time if they could talk. Until after the
establishment of New San Diego, it remained substantially a Mexican town.
Spanish was the principal language spoken, and the tinkle of the guitar, the
jingle of spurs, and the clink of coin on the monte blanket were the principal
sounds of civilization. The country was then full of cattle, which, after the
inflow of the gold-seekers in the North, brought for years a good price. Money
was abundant, coming easily and going easily, and kept well in circulation
through the active medium of cards and horse-races. The old Spanish settlers
were lavish and reckless, borrowing at any rate of interest, and many of the
best ranchos thus passed into the stranger's hand.

   As early as 1850, an attempt was made to colonize the present site of San
Diego. Several houses were then built near the present Government barracks. The
barracks were built about the same time for a depot of military supplies, the
soldiers being then quartered at the old mission. San Diego was then the base of
military supplies for Fort Tejon, Fort Yuma, and other points to which wagon
trains were run from San Diego. About this time the first wharf on San Diego Bay
was built at this point by William Heath Davis, for which he received a grant of
land around it from the city. This first settlement was made without any
railroad expectations and solely on the strength of harbor and climate. The old
Californian of that day saw the importance of these and sought even then to
realize on his foresight. But he shared the common fate of foresight when not
sufficiently backed with such little aids for waiting as youth and wealth. The
excitement soon died out, most of the houses were moved up to Old Town, the
wharf speedily fell before the teredo, and the cayote and wild cat were again
left in possession. In the year 1867, foresight again appeared upon the scene in
the more substantial shape of A. E. Horton. For twenty-six cents an acre he
bought one hundred and sixty acres where the central part of San Diego now
stands, and laid out the city. In the meantime two or three railroads had been
projected, one of them as far back as 1854, but little had been done beyond
organizing a company. Soon after the founding of the new city by Mr. Horton, the
projected Memphis and El Paso Railroad began to look like a certainty and the
first "boom" in San Diego began. Railroad meetings were the order of the day,
the steamers brought many new-comers from the North, and many of the present old
residents came here first upon the strength of the bright prospects. The new
city grew rapidly to a town of twelve or fifteen hundred, when suddenly the
shining bubble burst. There was then but little settlement in the back country
to support a town, and but for the numerous quails and rabbits about town, there
would have been more than one slim larder in the new city.

   In 1871 the Texas Pacific Railroad was organized and the luxuriant mushroom
of brief hope again sprung up. A handsome subsidy was voted Colonel Scott for
the road, ten miles of it were graded—much of which may still be seen—strangers
poured in, and the population rapidly grew to nearly four thousand people.
During this time the Horton House, Horton's Hall, Horton's Bank, and several
other buildings, beside a large wharf, were built by Mr. Horton, and various
enterprises and churches were aided by his liberality. Many buildings were built
which look highly respectable beside the more modern ones of to-day. Some of
these were very large for the size of the city at that time, and some on an
extravagant scale, such as the building now occupied by Hamilton & Co., which
was built for a city market and was large enough for a city of ten times the
size. In the meantime the county seat was moved from Old Town to "New Town" and
the present Court House built. Most of the American settlers and many of the
Mexican residents moved down to the new city and Old Town became more of a
curiosity than a town. Some of the older American residents have still clung to
it, partly because of past associations and partly because it has the best
climate on the bay. When the old adobes and other ancient rookeries are removed
it will be very desirable residence property, but these now stand in the way of
its progress.

   Soon after the city was begun by Mr. Horton, Frank Kimball and Warren Kimball
had also a severe attack of foresight, which was quite as well founded as that
of Mr. Horton. The lands of the National Ranch were better in quality and more
free from gravel, gullies, etc., than those immediately surrounding Mr. Horton's
new city. Four miles south of New San Diego was as good a water front, with as
deep water, with thousands upon thousands of acres of fine land sloping gently
away into lofty and fertile table-lands. The Kimballs saw that some day those
slopes would be covered with fine residences, surrounded with groves of orange
and lemon and everything that in Southern California can be grown at all. They
bought the rancho, containing some twenty-seven thousand acres, built a fine
wharf and several other buildings, put the tract on the market, laid out
National City, and made many sales. For a time it looked as if it would be a
formidable rival of San Diego, and a foolish envy then sprung up, which for
years has been an injury to both places, but which is now about dead. Many
settlers came in and bought the lands, and the first attempts made by the
Americans to raise anything upon the coast lands were made in Paradise Valley
upon the rancho and in Chollas Valley adjoining it. In the brighter light of
to-day those first experiments appear extremely crude. Nevertheless they were a
sufficient answer to the laughers and sneerers, who for a time had things all
their own way and declared that nothing could be grown here even with water. The
finest places and best orchards, vineyards, and gardens to be found upon the bay
of San Diego, are to be found upon that rancho to-day; not because they cannot
be equaled on the fine table-lands about San Diego, but because the lands of
National City were so much lower that water was easily obtained by windmills.


Additional Comments:
From:

THE
CITY AND COUNTY
OF
SAN DIEGO.
ILLUSTRATED,
AND CONTAINING
BI0GRAPHICAL SKETCHES
OF
PROMINENT MEN AND PIONEERS.

SAN DIEGO, CAL.
LEBERTHON & TAYLOR
1888


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