A Brief History of Old Town San Diego
So far you might have heard that San Diego is a city in California, with beautiful beaches and perfect weather year round. If you are history lover this article may interest you as the History of Old Town San Diego is really fascinating and beautiful. The earliest sign of people living in San Diego was about 9,000 years ago to classify the Indians related with a mission, and the first people who started living in there called themselves Kumeyaay. In November 1602, Sebastian Vizcaino came to California’s coast to map it, on his flagship San Diego and inspected the port and now is what we call as Point Loma and Mission named the region for the Catholic Saint Didacus, a Spaniard more generally known as San Diego de Alcala and that was then when its name came to existence.
The history of Old Town San Diego
Old Town San Diego is considered the “birthplace” of California. San Diego is considered the first everlasting Spanish settlement in California. In 1846 it was the first time when the American flag was raised in the Old Town San Diego Plaza. Before that in 1769 it was Father Juniper Serra who came to found the very first operation among the other 21 missions that were to be the foundation of California’s colonization. Father Serra’s operation and Presidio (fortress) were built on the hillside overlooking what is now known as Old Town San Diego. Later in 1820’s a small community of Mexican people was formed by over a decade had attained the status as El Pueblo de San Diego.
To keep the rich heritage and the economy of San Diego the State of California Department of Parks and Recreation established Old Town Historic Park that portrays San Diego during 1821 to 1872, which consist of museums, the main plaza, exhibits and living history demonstration by the staff which takes you in the 1800s. There is a gross economy particularly depended on the tourism and hospitality division. The historic buildings contain
La Casa de Estudillo,
La Casa de Altamirano Pedrorena
La Casa de Bandini, and
The Mason Street School, the first one room school house
When you are at the Old Town San Diego Historic State Park you’ll find Heritage Park where a few of San Diego’s most prominent Victorian homes have been transferred and realistically re-establish to their original finery. Going further just a squat walk downhill San Diego’s avenue there is Whaley House, an authoritatively designated haunted house, the first Church in Old Town San Diego, the Little Adobe Chapel on Conde Street and El Campo Santo on San Diego Avenue, and 1850 Catholic Cemetery is all the heritage of the beautiful town. When you explore the town you will find that they are so well furnished and have been perfectly restored in such a way you would feel that you are yourselves present in the 1800s.
Annuals events of San Diego
Cinco de Mayo a celebration for the victory of the Mexican army over French forced at the Battle of Puebla is held in the Old Town every year. Likely the old town art festival Diego’s takes place in October and the San Dia de Los Muertos is a yearly community-wide celebration held every November. There is a two-way Christmas celebration in December the first known as Fiesta Navidad and the other one as Las Posadas which re-enacts the story of Mary and Joseph journey to Bethlehem.