A copy of “An Illustrated History of Southern California,” a weighty tome of more than 900 pages and published in 1890, was recently donated to Friends of the Poway Library. It made its way to the Poway Heritage Museum for evaluation.
The book devotes two pages to a glowing description of Poway in the last decade of the 19th century.
The Friends of the Library will be finding a new home for the massive volume. We fortunately have access to a digital version, which we were have ed for the museum from an academic site.
The description of Poway pretty much corresponds with coverage in the Poway Progress newspaper of the 1990s.
We’ve taken excerpts for a look back at what was then Poway.
“Twenty-two miles northeast from San Diego and twelve miles from the Pacific Ocean, sheltered from the sea winds and banked round against the inflow of the frosty air currents descending seaward from the high interior altitudes, lies Poway valley. In the old mission records it is alluded to as “Paguay,” and known as a resort of the herds of the padres.
This title also appears in documents of the departmental government at Monterey. Being an Indian name, it obviously existed only as a sound prior to the Spanish occupation, when it must have been given its first written expression.
The early pages of the present county records afford curious illustration of how assessors and other county officials, ignoring the Spanish orthography, had recourse to various spellings to indicate the recognized pronunciation, among which the present form of “Poway” has finally been adopted by general usage…
The neighborhood embraces about 60,000 acres of fine tillable land, having an average elevation of 500 feet, above which the immediate surrounding elevations mostly rise 300 feet higher. Added to this may be estimated at least an equal extent of land adapted to pasturage.
Only a fortunate combination of circumstances prevented Poway being caught in the strangling loop of a Mexican grant, which, like a lariat, was thrown about and held in relentless bondage nearly every considerable tract of tillable land in San Diego County. Remaining a part of the Government domain, the valley was occupied as a stock range by Philip Crosthwaite in 1858, and by his successors…”
“It is a valley without a saloon, but with a Good Templars’ organization of over fifty , which has maintained its weekly meetings without omission, except from stress of weather, during its entire existence of over eleven years, and built itself a commodious lodge hall at a cost of some $800, which, with the complete finishing, will soon be increased to $1,000.
Three church societies, Methodist Episcopal, Congregational and Baptist, with resident pastors, sustain regular services and secure an attendance of over one-third the people residing within the area of convenient access.
The Methodist Episcopal Church [Community Church], costing $2,500, is noticeable as one of the most tasteful structures in the county’s settlements. An excellent school, whose numbers will soon require graded departments, is well maintained.”
The article cites many crops for which Poway gained renown, notably peaches and muscat grapes, and nursery crops. However…
“The absence of irrigating and railroad facilities chiefly s for the limited planting of citrus fruits now apparent but it has been of sufficient extent and duration to prove the flattering possibilities of the future. Present prospects warrant confidence that these possibilities will soon receive a stimulus which will result in their assuming the tangible form of accomplished facts.
Situated upon the announced routes of both Pamo and the San Luis Rey water companies in their approach to the extensive table lands of the ex Mission and to San Diego, Poway may be congratulated upon its prospect of an early and abundant water supply under the most favorable conditions.”
The arrival of an outside water supply wouldn’t happen here until 1954.
“With its average annual rainfall of nearly fifteen inches and copious wells of excellent water at easy depth, it is less dependent upon such facilities than many other localities, yet its residents are not indifferent to the advantages of a liberal resource of this character at ready command, and important plans are already matured awaiting its possession.
Surveys of both the California Central and Southern Pacific railroads extend through this place, and it is on the projected route of the Poway, Elsinore & San Diego Railroad. Early transportation facilities, however, are more promisingly foreshadowed in the survey now being made via Poway to Escondido in the interest of the Pacific Beach Railroad and in the application of Governor Murray for terminal facilities in San Diego for a proposed line whose preferred route is indicated by his previous attempt to purchase the Pacific Beach Railroad.
Should this result in the not improbable connection with the Utah coal fields, the ability to procure cheap fuel may be looked upon as likely to lead to the establishment of smelting works at this point for the reduction of the deposit of fine iron ore known to exist on the edge of the valley.”
This was the dream upon which Poway was built. Its failure in the mid-1890s sent the valley into a decline from which it wouldn’t recover for nearly 60 years.
“In common with many other localities Poway developed a town site during the excitement of the now much disparaged boom. But, unlike many other such attempts, this one, known as Piermont, answers a natural demand and has demonstrated its natural right to an existence and a name, by its concentration and control of the business facilities of the community in whose geographical center it is located.”
“…a post office with mail by daily stage lines between San Diego and Escondido afford(s) ready communication with the outside world. A general and drug store, large and well-equipped hotel, the Terrace, of irable location, public hall, livery stable and blacksmith shop, furnish customary conveniences.”
The Piermont subdivision is the site of today’s Old Poway and Old Poway Park. A map of the subdivision is on display there in the Poway Heritage Museum, complete with the proposed rail lines.
Shepardson is president of the Poway Historical and Memorial Society.
