Add MY Family To This Page
History of San Diego, California, USA
Journey back in time to San Diego, California, USA
Visit San Diego, California, USA. Discover its history. Learn about the people who lived there through stories, old newspaper articles, pictures, postcards and ancestry.Do You Have San Diego Roots? Share MY Ancestral Story!

San Diego, San Diego, CA
In San Diego, it’s illegal to shoot jackrabbits from the back of a streetcar.
There are fines issued for leaving your Christmas lights up past February 2nd.
The Hotel Del Coronado is not only the oldest wooden structure in the USA, it was the first to feature an electric lit outdoor Christmas Tree in 1904.
trolleytours.com
There is MUCH more to discover about San Diego, California, USA. Read on!
San Diego Nostalgia: Vintage Photos, Ads, and Postcards

San Diego, California, USA
Postcard

Inner Court, Ramona's Marriage Place, San Diego, Cal.
"In 1906, businessman and sugar magnate John D. Spreckels acquired the c. 1825 hacienda of Spanish aristocrat and important early San Diego citizen Don José Antonio de Estudillo and funded a restoration of the building that was supervised by architect Hazel W. Waterman. Operating under the name "Ramona's Marriage Place," it opened as a tourist attraction along Spreckel's streetcar line in 1910, and was influential in increasing the popularity of both Mission Revival architecture and the legend of "Ramona," a character from Helen Hunt Jackson's 1884 novel of the same name. The only problem with that scenario is that in Jackson's novel, Ramona was married not in the Estudillo House, but at another building in Old Town, the Adobe Chapel.
Now a museum, the Adobe Chapel, located at 3950 Conde Street, is still the perfect setting to make any wedding a historic occasion..."
www.sohosandiego.org

San Diego, California, USA
Postcard

Boggs Bros
"The 'Diner' is part of an actual train that operated between San Diego and Old Mexico years ago," and that it is "Famous for Steaks - Chicken - Seafoods." Located at the "Corner" of "Pacific Highway and Laurel Street, San Diego," the diner was across from Lindbergh Field (the San Diego Airport), and was also known as the Boggs Brothers Airway Diner, that was said to be "two railroad cars end-to-end with a streamlined locomotive nose," with one of the cars "set up as a 'coffee shop,' with a counter and stools," and the other with "table and booth service." After 1942 the drive-in restaurant portion were added. The Boggs Brothers (Herb and Ray) owned several restaurants in San Diego."
digital.sdsu.edu
Discover San Diego: History, News, Travel, and Stories

1769 - July 16 - Father Junipero Serra founds Mission San Diego, 1st mission in Calif
historyorb.com
historyorb.com
1854 - San Diego
San Diego, a post-town, port of entry, and capital of San Diego county, California, on a buy, and on the main road from Sacramento City, about 470 miles in a straight line nearly S. E. from San Francisco. Lat. 32° 44* 41" N. Lon. 117° 8' W. The harbor afforded by San Diego bay is said to be the best on the coast after Acapulco. The bay is about 6 miles long and from 1 to 2 wide. The foreign arrivals at San Diego for tho year ending June 30th, 1852, were 29, (tons, 19,010,) 28 of which were by American vessels. The clearances for foreign ports for the same period were 13, (tons, 5169,) 12 of which were American vessels.
A New and Complete Gazetteer of the United States: Giving a Full and Comprehensive Review of the Present Condition, Industry, and Resources of the American Confederacy ... Thomas Baldwin (of Philadelphia.) Joseph Thomas January 1, 1854 Philadelphia : Lippincott, Grambo & Company 1854.
San Diego, a post-town, port of entry, and capital of San Diego county, California, on a buy, and on the main road from Sacramento City, about 470 miles in a straight line nearly S. E. from San Francisco. Lat. 32° 44* 41" N. Lon. 117° 8' W. The harbor afforded by San Diego bay is said to be the best on the coast after Acapulco. The bay is about 6 miles long and from 1 to 2 wide. The foreign arrivals at San Diego for tho year ending June 30th, 1852, were 29, (tons, 19,010,) 28 of which were by American vessels. The clearances for foreign ports for the same period were 13, (tons, 5169,) 12 of which were American vessels.
A New and Complete Gazetteer of the United States: Giving a Full and Comprehensive Review of the Present Condition, Industry, and Resources of the American Confederacy ... Thomas Baldwin (of Philadelphia.) Joseph Thomas January 1, 1854 Philadelphia : Lippincott, Grambo & Company 1854.
1895 - San Diego
San Diego, a city and port of entry, the capital of San Diego co, Cal, and the second city in population and wealth in southern California, is situated on a beautiful bay of the Pacific Ocean, 450 miles S.S.E. of San Francisco, 127 miles S.S.E. of Los Angeles, and 15 miles from the Mexican frontier. Lat, 32° 41' N. The harbor of San Diego, one of the best in the world, formed by an inlet of the Pacific Ocean nearly 13 miles long, has a depth on the bar of 22 feet of water at low tide. Within its enri (unable to read) have been established a military post, quarantine station, 2 light-houses, a harbor jetty, and other government works and a system of fortifications for the locality has been approved by the war department.
San Diego contains a court-house, 6 banks, numerous hotels, 22 churches, an academy, 2 female seminaries." and electric street-railways, electric lights, &c. It is on the Southern California Railroad (Atchison system), besides which 5 other railways connect it with... Read MORE...
San Diego, a city and port of entry, the capital of San Diego co, Cal, and the second city in population and wealth in southern California, is situated on a beautiful bay of the Pacific Ocean, 450 miles S.S.E. of San Francisco, 127 miles S.S.E. of Los Angeles, and 15 miles from the Mexican frontier. Lat, 32° 41' N. The harbor of San Diego, one of the best in the world, formed by an inlet of the Pacific Ocean nearly 13 miles long, has a depth on the bar of 22 feet of water at low tide. Within its enri (unable to read) have been established a military post, quarantine station, 2 light-houses, a harbor jetty, and other government works and a system of fortifications for the locality has been approved by the war department.
San Diego contains a court-house, 6 banks, numerous hotels, 22 churches, an academy, 2 female seminaries." and electric street-railways, electric lights, &c. It is on the Southern California Railroad (Atchison system), besides which 5 other railways connect it with... Read MORE...
1906
San Diego, a city, health-resort, and port of entry, the capital of San Diego co., Cal., is situated on a beautiful bay of the Pacific Ocean, 127 miles SSE. of Los Angeles and 15 miles from the Mexican frontier, on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe, the San Diego, Pacific Beach and La Jolla and other railroads... The harbor of San Diego covers upward of 20 sq. m. and within its environs have been established a military post (Fort Rosecrans), quarantine station, government works, and a system of fortifications for the locality. San Diego has a mild and genial climate, in which the orange, the fig, and the olive flourish. The equable temperature and balmy atmosphere render this city an excellent place for a sanitarium. The mean January temperature is 54 degrees and August 69 degrees. The city has an important foreign commerce, with several ocean-steamship lines, and various manufacturing industries. Fruits, olive, orange and lemon oils, citric acid, fertilizers, etc., are among the... Read MORE...
San Diego, a city, health-resort, and port of entry, the capital of San Diego co., Cal., is situated on a beautiful bay of the Pacific Ocean, 127 miles SSE. of Los Angeles and 15 miles from the Mexican frontier, on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe, the San Diego, Pacific Beach and La Jolla and other railroads... The harbor of San Diego covers upward of 20 sq. m. and within its environs have been established a military post (Fort Rosecrans), quarantine station, government works, and a system of fortifications for the locality. San Diego has a mild and genial climate, in which the orange, the fig, and the olive flourish. The equable temperature and balmy atmosphere render this city an excellent place for a sanitarium. The mean January temperature is 54 degrees and August 69 degrees. The city has an important foreign commerce, with several ocean-steamship lines, and various manufacturing industries. Fruits, olive, orange and lemon oils, citric acid, fertilizers, etc., are among the... Read MORE...
1911 - January 10 - 1st photo in US taken from an airplane, San Diego
historyorb.com
January 10, 1911
historyorb.com
January 10, 1911
1915 - ARMY AVIATOR FALLS 1,800 FEET AND DROWNS. LIEUT. TALIAFERRO, WHO HELD RECORD FOR LONG FLIGHT, LOSES LIFE AT SAN DIEGO.
San Diego, Cal., Oct. 11. - Lieutenant WALTER R. TALIAFERRO, stationed at the United States army aviation corps school at North Island, fell 1,800 feet into San Diego Bay today and was killed.
TALIAFERRO ascended from the army hangars on North Island early today and had been almost continuously in the air, when about 11:30
o'clock his machine suddenly became unmanageable. The machine came down swiftly and fell into the bay about a quarter of a mile from shore. The water at this point is about fifty feet deep.
At nightfall divers from the U.S.S. San Diego had failed to bring to the surface the body of the Lieutenant. The aeroplane is fast in the mud 50 feet below the surface and a quarter of a mile from shore. The body is entangled in the machine.
Witnesses say TALIAFERRO was attempting to loop-the-loop when he lost control of the machine. Strapped fast to his seat, he had no chance to free himself.
The New York Times
New York, New York
October 12, 1915
San Diego, Cal., Oct. 11. - Lieutenant WALTER R. TALIAFERRO, stationed at the United States army aviation corps school at North Island, fell 1,800 feet into San Diego Bay today and was killed.
TALIAFERRO ascended from the army hangars on North Island early today and had been almost continuously in the air, when about 11:30
o'clock his machine suddenly became unmanageable. The machine came down swiftly and fell into the bay about a quarter of a mile from shore. The water at this point is about fifty feet deep.
At nightfall divers from the U.S.S. San Diego had failed to bring to the surface the body of the Lieutenant. The aeroplane is fast in the mud 50 feet below the surface and a quarter of a mile from shore. The body is entangled in the machine.
Witnesses say TALIAFERRO was attempting to loop-the-loop when he lost control of the machine. Strapped fast to his seat, he had no chance to free himself.
The New York Times
New York, New York
October 12, 1915
1927 - BLAST RAZES PLANT, 5 HURT. ACETYLENE WORKS WRECKED; FIREMEN, BOUND FOR SCENE, HURT IN CRASH.
San Diego, Aug. 8. - (AP) - Five persons are in hospitals as the result of an explosion of acetylene gas that wrecked the plant of the Pacific Acetylene company at Thirtieth and Main Streets and a collision between a fire engine and an automobile as the firemen were answering the alarm.
The explosion, resulting from unknown causes, demolished the gas plant, doing damage estimated at $36,000. So great was the force of the blast that a nine inch brick wall was thrown out, pieces of the roof were hurled 100 feet into the air, and windows in nearby houses were shattered. RAYMOND HOLST, an employee of the plant and his 10-year-old son, HALTON, were standing in the rear of the building when the explosion came, the former sustaining severe lacerations and burns about the body and the latter having his arm torn off.
Responding to the alarm of fire that followed the blast, squad company No. 1 collided with a roadster at Twelfth and Market Streets. H. B. HALEY, fire engineer, received... Read MORE...
San Diego, Aug. 8. - (AP) - Five persons are in hospitals as the result of an explosion of acetylene gas that wrecked the plant of the Pacific Acetylene company at Thirtieth and Main Streets and a collision between a fire engine and an automobile as the firemen were answering the alarm.
The explosion, resulting from unknown causes, demolished the gas plant, doing damage estimated at $36,000. So great was the force of the blast that a nine inch brick wall was thrown out, pieces of the roof were hurled 100 feet into the air, and windows in nearby houses were shattered. RAYMOND HOLST, an employee of the plant and his 10-year-old son, HALTON, were standing in the rear of the building when the explosion came, the former sustaining severe lacerations and burns about the body and the latter having his arm torn off.
Responding to the alarm of fire that followed the blast, squad company No. 1 collided with a roadster at Twelfth and Market Streets. H. B. HALEY, fire engineer, received... Read MORE...
1928 - FIVE ARE DEAD AS HOME MADE PLANE CRASHES.
San Diego, Cal., March 5 - Five men were killed Sunday afternoon when the home made experimental monoplane in which they were traveling nose dived 300 feet to the earth at Bernett flying field to avoid a midair smash with a big passenger plane landing at the same time.
The dead are W. W. BIRD, pilot and builder of the plane, Point Loma.
RALPH CRAIG, Coronado.
CHESTER H. KIDWELL, Ocean Beach.
CLIFFORD DILL, Coronado.
IRVING THOMAS, address unknown.
The pilot and his four passengers were thrown against the engine which telescoped through the framework as the plane crashed. All but one of the men were dead when taken from the wreckage.
Witnesses said BIRD apparently swung away from the field to give room to the passenger plane which had the right of way in landing. As the BIRD plane swung, its nose suddenly tipped forward and the plane half turned as it shot earthward.
BIRD'S passengers were recruited from among the men around the field.
The passengers were warned by... Read MORE...
San Diego, Cal., March 5 - Five men were killed Sunday afternoon when the home made experimental monoplane in which they were traveling nose dived 300 feet to the earth at Bernett flying field to avoid a midair smash with a big passenger plane landing at the same time.
The dead are W. W. BIRD, pilot and builder of the plane, Point Loma.
RALPH CRAIG, Coronado.
CHESTER H. KIDWELL, Ocean Beach.
CLIFFORD DILL, Coronado.
IRVING THOMAS, address unknown.
The pilot and his four passengers were thrown against the engine which telescoped through the framework as the plane crashed. All but one of the men were dead when taken from the wreckage.
Witnesses said BIRD apparently swung away from the field to give room to the passenger plane which had the right of way in landing. As the BIRD plane swung, its nose suddenly tipped forward and the plane half turned as it shot earthward.
BIRD'S passengers were recruited from among the men around the field.
The passengers were warned by... Read MORE...
1937 - March 21 - The first successful flying car, Waldo Waterman's Aerobile, makes its initial flight.
AEROBILE
This flying automobile, called aerobile by its builder, Waldo Waterman of San Diego, is shown with its inventor at the controls. He climbed to 1000 feet, circled, landed, detached the wings and drove away. Waterman said his craft will do 130 miles and hour in the air and 70 on the ground. It weighs 1900 pounds with wings attached and has a 165-horse power engine.
Spokane Daily Chronicle
Spokane, Washington,
August 27, 1957
March 21, 1937
Read more about Waldo Dean WATERMAN
AEROBILE
This flying automobile, called aerobile by its builder, Waldo Waterman of San Diego, is shown with its inventor at the controls. He climbed to 1000 feet, circled, landed, detached the wings and drove away. Waterman said his craft will do 130 miles and hour in the air and 70 on the ground. It weighs 1900 pounds with wings attached and has a 165-horse power engine.
Spokane Daily Chronicle
Spokane, Washington,
August 27, 1957
March 21, 1937
Read more about Waldo Dean WATERMAN

January 10, 1949 - Snow was reported at San Diego, CA, for the first and only time since 1882.
Snow was noted even on some of the beaches in parts of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Burbank reported 4.7 inches, and Long Beach and Laguna Beach received one inch of snow.
WeatherForYou.com
Snow was noted even on some of the beaches in parts of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Burbank reported 4.7 inches, and Long Beach and Laguna Beach received one inch of snow.
WeatherForYou.com
2023 - San Diego is a fantastic city with a lot to offer! Here's a list of places to go and things to do:
Balboa Park:
Explore the beautiful Balboa Park, home to museums, gardens, and the world-famous San Diego Zoo. The architecture alone is worth the visit.
San Diego Zoo:
Spend a day at the San Diego Zoo, known for its vast array of animals and conservation efforts. Don't miss the giant pandas!
La Jolla Cove:
Visit La Jolla Cove for stunning views, coastal walks, and the chance to see seals and sea lions lounging on the rocks.
Coronado Island:
Take a ferry or drive across the iconic Coronado Bridge to reach Coronado Island. Relax on the beach, visit the historic Hotel del Coronado, and explore the charming town.
Old Town San Diego State Historic Park:
Immerse yourself in the history of San Diego by strolling through Old Town. It's full of historic buildings, unique shops, and delicious Mexican cuisine.
Gaslamp Quarter:
Experience San Diego's nightlife in the Gaslamp Quarter. The area is filled with bars, restaurants, and live entertainment.
USS Midway... Read MORE...
Balboa Park:
Explore the beautiful Balboa Park, home to museums, gardens, and the world-famous San Diego Zoo. The architecture alone is worth the visit.
San Diego Zoo:
Spend a day at the San Diego Zoo, known for its vast array of animals and conservation efforts. Don't miss the giant pandas!
La Jolla Cove:
Visit La Jolla Cove for stunning views, coastal walks, and the chance to see seals and sea lions lounging on the rocks.
Coronado Island:
Take a ferry or drive across the iconic Coronado Bridge to reach Coronado Island. Relax on the beach, visit the historic Hotel del Coronado, and explore the charming town.
Old Town San Diego State Historic Park:
Immerse yourself in the history of San Diego by strolling through Old Town. It's full of historic buildings, unique shops, and delicious Mexican cuisine.
Gaslamp Quarter:
Experience San Diego's nightlife in the Gaslamp Quarter. The area is filled with bars, restaurants, and live entertainment.
USS Midway... Read MORE...
Discover MY Roots: San Diego Ancestry
Ancestors Who Were Born or Died in San Diego, California, USA
We currently have information about 73 ancestors who were born or died in San Diego.View Them Now (sorted by year of birth)
Ancestors Who Were Married in San Diego, California, USA
We currently have information about ancestors who were married in San Diego.View Them Now
Genealogy Resources for San Diego
Our San Diego Gift Ideas


California Dreamin' Ancestry Coffee Mug - Genealogy
Showcasing a witty caption that reads, "I'm from California! That explains a lot about my love for surfing at sunrise and wine tasting at sunset," this mug is designed to bring a smile to your face with every sip.

Lake Tahoe Shower Curtain - Crystal Clear Waters with Mark Twain Quote - Nature-Inspired Bathroom Décor
Transform your bathroom into a serene escape with this Lake Tahoe Shower Curtain, featuring the breathtaking crystal-clear waters of Lake Tahoe and an inspiring quote from Mark Twain. Whether you want to relive your favorite Tahoe memories, bring the beauty of the lake inside your home, or add a stunning touch to your Lake Tahoe vacation rental, this shower curtain is the perfect addition to any nature lover’s space. Designed to complement a Lake Tahoe home, it enhances the ambiance with a refreshing, tranquil vibe that captures the lake’s timeless allure.

Patriotic Memories: Memorial Day Vintage Postcard Coffee Mug
Remembering the Brave, Honoring the Fallen Celebrate the spirit of Memorial Day with this stunning ceramic coffee mug featuring vintage postcards commemorating the holiday. Perfect for honoring the brave men and women who served, this mug is both a functional keepsake and a nostalgic work of art. Whether you're sipping your morning coffee or enjoying an afternoon tea, this dishwasher-safe and microwave-friendly mug is a timeless way to show your patriotism. Ideal as a gift for veterans, history buffs, or anyone who cherishes American traditions, this mug makes Memorial Day even more meaningful.
Not the place you are looking for? Try again!
Search for MY Family by Place
Our Genealogy Gift Ideas

Ancestry Family Tree Search
Search for MY Family by Name
NOTE: If you don't know your ancestor's whole name or are unsure of the spelling, specify part of the name.Updated: 3/21/2024 1:53:49 PM