PREFACE

San Diego is a city with an extraordinary history. Founded by Spanish missionaries in 1769, this “birthplace of California” has grown from an impoverished frontier seaport to become the eighth-largest city in America. In the nearly two and a half centuries in between, the region has seen bitter war and restless peace, civic pride and municipal scandal, gifted leaders and bizarre personalities. Many of the more fascinating stories from this history are recounted here in San Diego Yesterday.

Like a predecessor volume—The Way We Were in San Diego—the articles here first appeared in a weekly newspaper column for the San Diego Union-Tribune. They are presented here in their original length, often with added historical photographs. Many individuals and institutions have generously provided reference help and historical images for this volume. I would like to thank the Naval Historical Foundation; Robert Ray, Special Collections, San Diego State University Library; Ronald W. Evans, San Diego State University; Steve Willard and Tom Giaquinto, San Diego Police Museum; Steven Coy, Special Collections, University of California–San Diego; Bruce Semelsberger, Pacific Southwest Railway Museum; Carol Myers and Natalie Fiocre, San Diego History Center; Sarah Hartwell, Rauner Special Collections, Dartmouth College; Robert Finch, San Diego Electric Railway Association; Lisa Glandt, Vancouver Maritime Museum; and Therese Garcia, Portuguese Historical Center. Individuals who have kindly provided from their own collections include Jeff Madruga, Lucile Madruga and Bob and Tennie Bee Hall. I am sincerely grateful to you all.