This plaque is placed on the 250th anniversary of the birth of California’s Apostle Padre Junipero Serra O.F.M., to mark the Southern terminus of El Camino Real as Padre Serra knew it and helped to blaze it.
1713 – November 24 – 1963 . . . — — Map (db m11958) HM
El Campo Santo once included The Adobe Chapel on Conde Street, in which is buried Jose Antonio Aguirre and where funeral services were held for Maria Victoria Dominguez Estrillo, Cave Johnson Couts, and many distinguished early San Diegans, between . . . — — Map (db m11672) HM
A landing near this point was used on May 1, 1769, by men from the San Antonio and San Carlos to bring fresh water from the San Diego River close by to the anchorage in the bay. For almost a century the landing and channel were used by . . . — — Map (db m51079) HM
“the heart of a nurse, the courage of an astronaut and a capacity to give both generously and wisely” – Thomas O. Scripps
The philanthropist Ellen Browning Scripps (1836—1932) holds a special and endearing place . . . — — Map (db m142943) HM
Estudillo House
has been designated a
Registered National
Historic Landmark
under the provisions of the
Historic Sites Act of August 21, 1935
This site possesses exceptional value
in commemorating or illustrating
the . . . — — Map (db m11781) HM
Antonio Dominic Ubach, passionate advocate for California Native Americans, and defender of Indian rights, ran St. Anthony’s Indian School on this site from 1856 to 1891. Father Ubach, created programs to help hundreds of Indian children adapt to an . . . — — Map (db m11647) HM
The steam ferryboat "Berkeley" was the first successful west coast-built and operated ferry to be driven by a screw propeller as opposed to side-wheels. Built by the famous Union Iron Works of San Francisco in 1898, the ferry operated until 1958 as . . . — — Map (db m51330) HM
This bronze statue of the first Emperor was created and cast in China by the famous sculptors Guo Xuanchang 郭宣昌 and Cheng Yunxian 程云贤 . The first Emperor unified China and standardized the written language, . . . — — Map (db m204226)
This boulder erected November 12, 1932 by Court San Diego de Alcalá, No. 1099 of the Catholic Daughters of America, to commemorate the first Holy Mass celebrated in California, November 12, 1602 upon the arrival on this site of Sebastián Vizcaíno . . . — — Map (db m81238) HM
On this site the United States Flag was first raised in Southern California by Lt. Stephen C. Rowan U.S.N., Commanding Sailors and Marines July 29, 1846. — — Map (db m145635) HM
1847 First fire-brick structure in San Diego. Constructed by Mormon Battalion.
1849 Headquarters of the U.S. Boundary Commission
1850 Served as courthouse, church, school, and polling place over next two decades. . . . — — Map (db m84183) HM
An outpost of Spain's far flung empire at its greatest extent, this fort was completed before 1800 from plans drawn by Alberto de Córdoba in 1795. Its major action came under Corporal José Velásquez on March 22, 1803, in the "Battle of San Diego . . . — — Map (db m143528) HM
President Millard Fillmore's executive order of 1852 created a U. S. Preserve on Point Loma. From 1870 to 1873 the coast artillery corpsmen evicted whalers from the site in order to begin the military installation. In 1899 it was named for William . . . — — Map (db m81222) HM
A burial ground before 1847, this graveyard became an Army post cemetery in the 1860s. It is the final resting place for most who fell at San Pasqual in 1846, and for the USS Bennington victims of 1905. It became Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in . . . — — Map (db m82324) HM
Fortified briefly by Carlos Carrillo in 1838. This site became Fort Dupont (July – November 1846) after American forces took Old Town during the Mexican War. Retaken and held briefly by the Californios, it fell once more to the Americans, who . . . — — Map (db m229661) HM
In this ancient Indian village of Cosoy Discovered and named San Miguel by Cabrillo in 1542 Visited and christened San Diego de Alcala by Viscaino in 1602 Here the first citizen Fray Junipero Serra Planted civilization in California Here he . . . — — Map (db m13055) HM
The Frey Block Building contains a rich ethnic history. In its first few years, the Frey brothers from France operated a second hand store here. The site later housed several Oriental restaurants. Near one entrance, one can find a tile advertisement . . . — — Map (db m52690) HM
This three-story structure was built to replace the landmark Horton’s Hall, which was partially destroyed by fire. The building was designed for five storerooms on the first floor, and thirty offices on the upper floors. The San Diego Normal School, . . . — — Map (db m51597) HM
Piece by piece through many years he acquired these acres, the site of the first Spanish settlement in California. He erected this building. He planted the trees and shrubs and nurtured their growth with tireless devotion, and when the barren . . . — — Map (db m84997) HM
The two larger mounts are 5-inch 51 calibre guns which were found on older battleships. This gun was designed to engage surface craft, especially swift torpedo boats that were too fast to be tracked and destroyed by a battleship’s large main guns. . . . — — Map (db m52029) HM
The three weapons are 3-inch 50 calibre duel purpose guns. Developed in the 1930s, the design was light weight for its time and used until automatic anti-aircraft weapons were perfected. This weapon was favored on smaller ships such as support . . . — — Map (db m52030) HM
Sergeant John Basilone was one of the first enlisted Marines to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor of World War II. He was also posthumously awarded the Navy Cross.
He was born to Italian immigrants, Salvatore and Dora Basilone, in . . . — — Map (db m83897) HM WM
When Cabrillo entered this harbor in 1542, only a few native villages bordered the bay. Today about 3-1/2 million people live in the San Diego metropolitan area.
The key to the city's vitality is its close association with the sea. The . . . — — Map (db m192113) HM
No lighthouse kept vigil over the harbor four centuries ago when Cabrillo sailed into the bay. There were no channel buoys, fog horns, or local charts to guide mariners safely to anchor. Today, however, the Coast Guard and Port of San Diego provide . . . — — Map (db m84888) HM
San Diego’s oldest Victorian hotel, the Grand Hotel was renamed the Hotel Horton in 1907, and is now the Horton Grand. In 1981, the Horton and the Kahle Saddlery, both located at different sites and slated for demolition, were disassembled, moved . . . — — Map (db m51358) HM
The House of Charm was designed as a temporary exhibition building along the "El Prado” of the Panama-California Exposition held in 1915-1916. The building facades combine ornately sculptured elements with a "Mission” style architecture. The public . . . — — Map (db m209483) HM
A joint effort of the Masonic and Odd Fellows Lodges, this Classical Revival-style building required nearly a decade to complete due to a lack of money and materials. A parade kicked off the long awaited laying of the cornerstone, into which was . . . — — Map (db m51620) HM
En homenaje a la expedición española
integrada por los buques
San Salvador, Victoria y San Miguel
que arribó a San Diego
el 28 de septiembre de 1542
a mando de
Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo
quien tomó posesión de estas tierras
en . . . — — Map (db m85405) HM
1st United States Dragoons
Company C
Sergent. John Cox • Corporl William. C. West • Private George Ashmead • Private Joseph T. Campbell • Private Williamm. Dalton • Private John Dunlop • Private Joseph B. Kennedy • Private William. C. Leckey . . . — — Map (db m82318) HM WM
whose members made the longest military march in U.S. History of over 2000 miles from Iowa to San Diego in 1846 – 1847 during the war with Mexico.
Albert Warren Dunham
Private – Company B
23 May 1828 – 11 May 1847
. . . — — Map (db m82319) HM WM
Panel 1 This plaza is dedicated to the memory of Osmond K. Ingram Gunner's Mate First Class United States Navy who sacrificed his life in an effort to save his ship and shipmates during an engagement between the U.S.S. Cassin and . . . — — Map (db m51535) HM
Established in 1862 by George Alonzo Johnson. The residence and later additions were used as a hotel, bunkhouse, and quarters for a working cattle ranch into the 1960's. Acquired by the County of San Diego in 1974, added to the National Register of . . . — — Map (db m74495) HM
[Upper Marker]
Dedicated to
Juan Bandini
1800 – 1859
Patriot and Friend of the United States
[Lower Marker]
This structure has been
recorded by the
Historic American
Buildings Survey
of the United . . . — — Map (db m143529) HM
On this hill July 16, 1769, Padre Junipero Serra and the soldiers of Spain set the royal standard raised the cross and dedicated the Mission San Diego de Alcala — — Map (db m51993) HM
This plaque commemorates the life and influence of a woman who envisioned San Diego beautiful. On this site she operated a nursery and gained world renown as a horticulturist. She was the first woman to receive the International Meyer Medal in . . . — — Map (db m51098) HM
This Romanesque-style structure was financed by George Keating, but he passed away before its completion. His wife Fannie directed the completion, which is evidenced in the more feminine and decorative appearance of the upper floors. In 1893, San . . . — — Map (db m51740) HM
1829 Large adobe-block townhouse built by José Antonio Estudillo. Included servants' quarter, work and storage rooms, living and dining rooms, and Roman Catholic chapel.
1884 Helen Hunt Jackson's Ramona published, linking the . . . — — Map (db m145304) HM
c.1835 • One-story adobe built by José Manuel Machado, a
corporal at the presidio.
1845 • Jack Stewart, a carpenter by trade, married youngest
daughter Rose and moved in with the family.
1911 • Home completely remodeled.
1932 • . . . — — Map (db m239780) HM
c. 1830 One-room adobe built by family of Juan Rodriguez, former presidio soldier.
1851 George Tebbetts, a future son-in-law, opened Exchange Hotel.
1869 Canadians Alexi J. Racine and Charles Laramie opened general store . . . — — Map (db m137319) HM
Burial site of Sailors and Marines in 1782 when San Diego Bay was surveyed & charted by Don Juan Pantoja y Arriaga, pilot, and Don José Tovar, mate, of the Royal frigate "La Princesa" and "La Favorita" under command of Don Augustin de Echeverria. — — Map (db m51076) HM
This building was the meeting place for various unions, including those for bartenders, cigar makers, theatrical employees, and the Women Union Labor Leagues. Also home to the San Diego Machine Shop, which operated here for four years during the . . . — — Map (db m172609) HM
This building was the meeting place for various unions, including bartenders, cigar makers, theatrical employees, and the Women Union Labor Leagues. Also home to the San Diego Machine Shop, which operated here for four years during the 1920s. Other . . . — — Map (db m180801) HM
Designed by Bertram Goodhue and built for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition the "Laguna de las Flores" is one of the most photographed sites in Balboa Park and the City of San Diego. It consists of a northern smaller pond "La Lagunita" and a . . . — — Map (db m209306) HM
On September 28, 1542, Juan Rodriguez Cabríllo and his crew sailed into this harbor and became the first Europeans to set foot on what would later become the west coast of the United States. The exact landing area is not known, but many believe that . . . — — Map (db m85068) HM
Hurriedly built in two months by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) for $25,000 in 1936, this wooden, green painted and later termite-infested ballpark was the original home of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) San Diego Padres. The breeze that . . . — — Map (db m83871) HM
The first floor of this building has a colorful tenant history. The Goodwill Bar operated from 1906 to 1945. In 1945, Mike McIntosh and Sam Dini purchased the business. They were responsible for the "McDini" corned beef sandwhich of local fame. In . . . — — Map (db m52682) HM
The Little Italy Landmark Sign was dedicated and lit at the 7th Annual Little Italy Festa on the evening of October 8, 2000. The landmark sign was constructed as a tribute to this immigrant neighborhood which, until the late 1960s, was the hub of . . . — — Map (db m207223) HM
Lloyd T. Lowrey was a parks designer and landscape architect. he was a designer of the Blue Ridge Parkway, which connects the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to the great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina, and Director of San . . . — — Map (db m51787) HM
To a store in San Diego's Little Italy, Vincent DePhilippis (1903 - 1957) and Madeleine Manfredi (1904 -1993) brought their version of the American Dream.
Vincent was born in New York and raised in Naples, Italy. Madeleine was born and raised . . . — — Map (db m109345) HM
This building began as two businesses - Cundell's Meat Market and Omaha Fruit & Vegetable Market in 1918. Cundell's Meat Market remained until 1931. The other storefront was a variety of businesses over the years including Grenawalt Grocers, . . . — — Map (db m203697) HM
In 1881, George Marston located his third department store in this two-story Victorian Italian-style building. It remained here until 1896 when it was relocated to a larger building. Until the 1970s, Marston’s was the largest and most successful San . . . — — Map (db m77092) HM
First public schoolhouse in this county. Erected at this site in 1865 and known as “Mason Street School – District No.1” when San Diego County covered an area larger than three New England states. Restored by popular subscription . . . — — Map (db m149193) HM
The Mercantile Building is an extension of the Ingersoll-Tutton building to the north. This is evident in its matching architectural beauty. This structure housed several retail and service-oriented businesses, including A.M. Ingersoll’s ice cream . . . — — Map (db m51952) HM
Has been designated a
National
Historic Landmark
This site possesses national significance
in commemorating the history of the
United States of America
— — Map (db m145282) HM
After many attempts dated back to 1774 to provide a reliable source of water for crops and livestock for Mission San Diego de Alcala, a dam and flume system was finished between 1813 and 1816 by Indian laborers and Franciscan Missionaries to divert . . . — — Map (db m51074) HM
On Sunday, July 16, 1769 Fathers Junipero Serra, Juan Viscaino and Fernando Parron raised and blessed a cross to establish Alta, California’s 1st Mission. Relocated from Presidio Hill to this site in August 1774 the Mission was the mother of those . . . — — Map (db m15262) HM
John J. Montgomery made mans
first controlled winged flight
from this hilltop in August 1883.
He opened for all mankind the "great highway of the sky" — — Map (db m51097) HM
This one-story building with 12-inch-thick walls was used as John Young's morgue from 1881 to 1885. John Young was the County Coroner, and claimed embalming to be his specialty. The basement vault was surrounded by ropes used to lower caskets into . . . — — Map (db m109363) HM
Moreton Bay Fig
(Ficus Macrophylla native to Australia)
In 1904 the House of Representative legislated protection of this tree. Requested by President Theodore Roosevelt after a visit of the area.
This tree is now over 200 years old. — — Map (db m70319) HM
No. 7
Dedicated
in commemoration
the heroic sacrifice and
history-making achievements
of the
Mormon Battalion
"whose march over 2000 miles
from Council Bluffs, Iowa to San Diego
help to win California for the Union
and open a . . . — — Map (db m51992) HM
On December 7, 1846, day following Battle of San Pasqual fought five miles east of here, General Stephen Kearny’s command while marching on San Diego was attacked by Californians. The Americans counter-attacked, occupied hill until December 11 when . . . — — Map (db m40829) HM
Completed in 1942, The North Chapel Building featured leaded glass windows representing the 41 different training schools on site and one window representing the recruit. As the recruits at the Naval Training Center practiced many different . . . — — Map (db m50742) HM
D.C. Collier bought the land and then built Ocean Beach Elementary which opened in 1909 as a 2-room school for students grades one through eight. One room housed the administration office while the other served as the classroom and auditorium. The . . . — — Map (db m202360) HM
Originally named San Diego Fishing Pier, the Ocean Beach Municipal Pier was built in 1966. The OB Pier is the longest concrete pier on the west coast, extending 1,971 feet with a T-shape platform at the end of the pier adding 360 feet to the south . . . — — Map (db m147233) HM
Dedicated to all veterans living or dead who have served in the armed forces of the United Sates of America and shared a portion of their lives to preserve the honor and integrity of this great nation — — Map (db m203688) WM
Established Aug. 1, 1890, Ballast Point Light Station was a fine example of “railroad Gothic” and lasted until 1866, when it was replaced by a light on top of a slender steel tower, and new quarters were built for the Coast Guard personnel who . . . — — Map (db m238819) HM
From 1915 to 1970, San Diego Fire Department's Original Fire Station 6 proudly served the community of Little Italy. In the workshop on this site some of America's most significant fire service innovations were created by the specialty trade-skilled . . . — — Map (db m109341) HM
From 1770 to 1870, this was San Diego's port. Over the Brookline hide house, Americans unofficially raised a U.S. flag in 1829. At that time La Playa was a thriving trading and shipping village. Richard Henry Dana's account of the hide . . . — — Map (db m51077) HM
This lighthouse built in 1854, was one of the first eight lighthouses on the Pacific Coast. It continued in use until 1891, when the new Pelican Point Lighthouse began operating. The Point Loma Lighthouse became the site of the Cabrillo National . . . — — Map (db m36602) HM
Settled by pensioned soldiers from the presidio and their families, Old Town grew into a cluster of adobe houses and garden plots in the early 1800s. By 1835, "it was composed of about 40 dark brown looking huts." The Stars and Stripes were first . . . — — Map (db m51101) HM
The stone pilings seen in this archaeological excavation unit are part of the original foundation of the Casa de Aguirre built circa 1853. The original adobe mansion extended ten feet to the east of where the current building ends. The 21st century . . . — — Map (db m71058) HM
This building has been the home to several hotels beginning with the Midland in 1914. Later it was known as the New York, Seery, and finally Pacifica. In the 1930’s, it catered to San Diego’s military personnel. From 1917 to 1928, part of the . . . — — Map (db m52426) HM
The Pioneer Truck Company was the first occupant of this building owned by Roscoe Hazard and Elwyn Gould. It was used as a furniture and van storage warehouse. In order to avoid extra handling the San Diego & Arizona Santa Fe Railroad spur tracks . . . — — Map (db m191981) HM
In commemoration of the early aviation pioneers that flew American designed and manufactured sailplanes in San Diego. These aviators are remembered by those who flew after them and the citizens of San Diego.
John C. Barstow •
William Beuby . . . — — Map (db m156384) HM
The old lighthouse you are approaching protected sailors off the San Diego Coast for 36 years, from 1855 to 1891. It was a lonely outpost on a barren headland. In January 2004, the National Park Service completed restoration of the grounds of the . . . — — Map (db m157422) HM
San Diego's first lighthouse guided ships along the coast and marked the entrance to the harbor for over 30 years. A captain reported seeing the light from as far as 39 miles (63km). For many years it was the highest coastal light in the country — . . . — — Map (db m157361) HM
Holding true to its name, the Produce Market building has been the home to various produce companies. One of its more notable proprietors was the Nason Sales Company. They were the first company to import bananas into San Diego directly from . . . — — Map (db m191978) HM
In 1930, this Spanish Colonial Revival style structure was built in the heart of Chinatown for Thomas A. Quin. The top portion had two apartments, and the bottom floor was a combination storefront and storage space. Seven years after its . . . — — Map (db m52687) HM
The Quong Building is not only an historical structure, it has also been the site of archeological digs. The building gets its name from Mow Yuen Quong, a business man who operated the structure from 1889 to 1928. The building has been listed in . . . — — Map (db m52948) HM
Originally known as the San Diego Steam Cracker Factory, this brick structure has remained a bakery since its construction in 1884. During the first part of the 20th century, when the Gaslamp was deteriorating into a red-light district, the upper . . . — — Map (db m109361) HM
An army supply depot for Southern California was established on this site in 1850. Designated New San Diego Post, it was garrisoned by troops from December 2, 1858 to May, 1866. Reoccupied December 1869. Name changed to San Diego Barracks April 5, . . . — — Map (db m51094) HM
One of the world’s finest natural harbors plays host above and below the surface
Homeport to America’s Finest City
One of the most beautiful and exemplary natural harbors in the world, San Diego Bay is steeped in rich maritime heritage . . . — — Map (db m73905) HM
Philip Morse, 1845-1932, Started the first major lumber yard in San Diego at this site in 1884 with financing from Dolbeer and Carson's Mill at Eureka, CA. This location served a large pier where sailing, and later steam, vessels unloaded great . . . — — Map (db m141057) HM
Soldiers, sailors, Indians, and Franciscan missionaries from New Spain occupied the land at Presidio Hill on May 17, 1769 as a military outpost. Two months later, Fr. Junípero Serra established the first San Diego Mission on Presidio Hill. . . . — — Map (db m11134) HM
In 1960 the state legislature authorized the California State colleges to grant honorary doctoral degrees to individuals who have made unusual contributions toward learning and civilization. On June 6, 1963 San Diego State College was the first of . . . — — Map (db m51099) HM
When war was declared in 1941, the city's civilian population exploded by more than 50,000 as workers streamed into the city. Transportation and housing facilities were soon overwhelmed. Trailers crowded once-empty land on the outskirts of the city. . . . — — Map (db m109695) HM
As military installations were closed due to post-World War II reductions, the Navy concentrated its West Coast operations in San Diego. During the Cold War, the area became a major training center for supplying men, ships, and aircraft to the . . . — — Map (db m109696) HM
In 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt sent America's battleships, called the Great White Fleet, on a world cruise. Dispatched largely as a goodwill gesture to Japan, the Fleet was scheduled to make San Francisco its first U.S. stop.
Led by . . . — — Map (db m114833) HM
Over the next four days the city's reception committee, headed by William Kettner, who would one day become the region's representative in the U.S. Congress, welcomed the men of the Fleet with an endless series of balls, guided tours, dinners, teas, . . . — — Map (db m114841) HM
Six weeks after the arrival of the USS California in San Diego Harbor, aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss established a flying school in an inlet just across the bay to your left where you are standing. There he trained Lieutenant Theodore Ellyson and . . . — — Map (db m122905) HM
In November 29, 1924, the Navy’s first aircraft carrier, the USS Langley, tied up to the pier at the naval air station at North Island. A converted coal transport, she had a flight deck 500 feet in length and could carry more than 30 aircraft.
By . . . — — Map (db m123044) HM
Traditionally the earliest planted tree in California. Directly in the rear, beneath the brow of the hill, lie the dead of the sacred expedition of 1769. Burial place of our first unknown soldiers. — — Map (db m11959) HM
