San Diego History
From San Diego Wiki
The history of San Diego involved a lot of events, events that changed and improved the city's culture and foundation. Going back through time, San Diego started out with humble beginnings. Humble as it may seem, the city has become a hot spot because of its sceneries and rich resources. Advancing and keeping up with the times, the City of San Diego has lived up to its name in the fast paced changing times.
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20,000 BC
Northeast Asian hunters followed herds of Caribou, mammoth, and bison across what is now referred to as the Bering Strait, and then further south into the north and south American continents. Many believe humans first settled in the San Diego area up to 12,000 years ago in the desert areas and 20,000 years ago in the coastal areas.
12000 BC to 7000 BC
The original residents of the San Diego area are referred to as the San Dieguito people in our modern society. The earliest San Diego culture on record, dated at about 7500 B.C., is referred to as the San Dieguito Paleo-Indian culture.
1000 BC to 1000 AD
There is evidence of stone tools, ceramics, pictographs, and detailed stone walls from this era in San Diego. It is believed that some stone walls were built for defense while others were used for irrigation. Outsider Yuman-speaking people cross over to intrude upon and assimilate the culture of the La Jolla residents. Diegueños, the Indian tribe located nearest to the San Diego Mission, begin to gather acorns and grind them into flour for a healthier form of nutrition.
1000 AD to 1600 AD
The Shoshonean and Yuman people migrate to the northern area of San Diego. During this era in the northern areas of San Diego, the Shoshoneans occupy much of San Diego – from the Luiseño in North County, to a small region around Warner's Springs, from the San Dieguito River Valley to Mission Valley, and from Mission Valley to Ensenada in Mexico. The Shoshonean limit on the east side was around the the Salt Hills in Imperial County and the Cocopa Mountains in Mexico
San Diego has one of the best natural harbors on the west Coast. The recognition of the bay as a land of endless summers roused the interest of the early explorers to this distant region as the western water route entrance from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Slowly, San Diego grew into a developed port and a village grew around its primary industry, fishing. Still today, the port serves as home to the 3rd Fleet of the U.S. Navy.
World War II and after
San Diego entered upon unprecedented growth and revamped its own lifestyle. The discovery of San Diego exploded into tremendous activity and development in industry. The pattern became clear that every generation of San Diego requires a new history with new characters, new problems, new responses, and approximate doubling of the population with each new generation.
Native Americans
Have better claim than the Spaniards to be called the first Californians. San Diego County was first inhabited by the Kumeyaay tribe; furthermore, they continued to be the only residents of the area after the Europeans arrived in 1542. Sailing under the flag of Spain, Juan Rodriquez Cabrillo named the county as San Diego San Miguel.
Present-day San Diego and the bay were given their current name by Sebastian Vizcaino while he was mapping the coastline of Alta California for Spain in 1602. Vizcaino described area as the best port that could be desired, as the trees in the surrounding area could replace broken masts and the water was in grand quantity, and all near the shore.
The generation of the Missions was the real hope of the region. In 1769,Gaspar de Portola and his expedition founded the Presidio of San Diego as a military post. Later on, three Franciscan friars led by Junipero Serra rose and blessed a cross to establish the first mission (Mission San Diego de Alcala) on this site. By 1797, the mission became the largest in California after a rebuild effort. The original mission was burned to the ground during a rebellion.
Spain recognized Mexico’s independence in 1821. The governor of Alta California and Baja California moved the capital from Monterey to San Diego. In 1834, townsfolk petitioned Governor Jose Figueroa to form a pueblo or a community. Jose Maria Osuna was elected as the first alcalde or mayor of the San Diego region by winning in an election over Pio Pico.
San Diego’s population shrank during the 1830s as the area was deemed inhabitable and often called the “Great American Desert.” The region lost its township to the province of Alta California. Following the defeat of Mexico in the Mexican-American War, San Diego became part of the United States in 1850. Incorporated as a city, San Diego was re-established in the newly formed San Diego County.
The presence of the U.S. Naval Service in San Diego began in 1907, with establishment of the Naval Station. Since World War II, the military had played a leading role in the San Diego economy. Following the end of the Cold War in the late 1980s, the military presence had diminished considerably in San Diego. The closure of the Naval Training Center was finally completed in 1997.
The 1931 charter incorporated the manager-council form of government for San Diego. The original form of the council comprised of six council members and a mayor. There have been several revisions to the original charter. In 1963, the voters approved the additions of two districts to the council board. In 1974, the jobs of the mayor and council members became full-time positions. And in 2004, the voters approved the strong mayor form of government to rule San Diego.
In 2003, the citizens of San Diego were alerted of an ongoing pension fund scandal that left the city with an estimated $1.4 billion gap in the fund. Despite the city financial failures, incumbent Mayor Dick Murphy won a controversial re-election.
The controversy entailed with the votes for City Councilmember Donna Frye in the general election. Frye was allowed to run as a write-in candidate for mayor despite not having run in the spring primary. The voters intending to vote for her failed to completely fill the “bubble” next to Frye’s name, thus, the votes were disqualified as legitimate votes.
In April of 2005, under mounting pressure Mayor Dick Murphy announced his resignation from office. The following July, Frye won a special election to replace Murphy but could not take the position of mayor due to the fact that she did not receive 50% of the vote that was needed for election. Then, Frye lost a runoff election to former San Diego Police Chief Jerry Sanders in November of 2005.
The emerging biotech and telecommunication industries are calling San Diego home, as their corporate offices and research facilities are housed in the La Jolla and Sorrento Valley regions of San Diego County. The San Diego economy is also affected by the manufacturing and tourism industries.
Under the initiative of the Centre City Development Corporation, the downtown area of San Diego has rebounded with vitality. It began in the 1980’s, with the opening of Horton Plaza, continued with the revival of the Gaslamp Quarter, and the construction of the San Diego Convention Center.
The boom continues with the construction of condos and skyscrapers in and around Little Italy. A milestone occurred with the opening of PETCO Park and the redevelopment of East Village, thus continuing the blossoming of the downtown area. By the end of the decade, the population of downtown San Diego is expected to grow to 90,000 residents. Currently, 30,000 people call the Gaslamp Quarter home.
