Lemon Grove Historical Society

The State of California has issued a Regional Stay Home Order that affects San Diego County, beginning Monday, December 7th. It prohibits private gatherings of any size and closes museums along with other facilities. In keeping with best practices, the Lemon Grove Historical Society and the Parsonage Museum will be closed through the holidays. We wish you a Merry Christmas and hope to see you in the New Year. https://www.sandiegocounty.gov//dc/2019-nCoV/reopening.html

In 1940 Irving Berlin penned this classic Christmas song. First heard on radio in 1941, it was featured in the 1942 movie Holiday Inn. When the movie hit the theaters in 1942, America’s involvement in World War II was less than a year old. US soldiers were fighting in North Africa. Marines were slugging it out on Guadalcanal. As Christmas neared, service members everywhere were dreaming about Christmas back home. And their loved ones were dreaming about the Christmases they u...se to know. The tone of the original was song was both sweet and melancholy. It struck a chord with the American public spending eleven weeks on the top of the Billboard charts and winning an Academy Award for Best Original Song for 1942. In 1954, The Drifter’s rearranged the song for a public relieved that another war the Korean War was over. Here a modern day rendition of the ’54 arrangement by the United States Navy Band. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPAqyC6GMw8

The Lemon Grove Historical Society mourns the passing of Margaret Southwick at age 95. Margaret and her late husband James were heroes of the effort to preserve Lemon Grove's heritage. Both were the very first to become docents in the 1999 new Parsonage Museum of Lemon Grove. Both donated precious artifacts on display and in use today. Both generously shared their memories of coming to Lemon Grove as newlyweds after World War II, of building the beautiful adobe brick house on... Palm Street with its thriving orchard and of Jim's many clever innovations to help the household to run smoothly. The Southwicks represent the post war boom period of Lemon Grove history. Jim was a Navy veteran. Margaret trained as a pilot during WWII. Jim worked for Ryan Aeronautics. Margaret raised a family, then worked at a San Diego real estate agency. Both were active in church and community. They had such character, humor, charm, independence, can-do spirit, and kindness toward others, truly representative of the Greatest Generation--and a key part of the modern history of Lemon Grove. The photo below was Margaret’s favorite photo of her family.

Congratulations are in order for Mayor Racquel Vasquez both for her reelection and for being named a Phenomenal Woman in government by the San Diego Union Tribune. Mayor Vasquez was named along with retiring Supervisor Dianne Jacob, State Assembly members Shirley Weber and Shirley Horton, and Congresswoman Susan Davis, all who have represented Lemon Grove. Mayor Vasquez is San Diego County’s first female Black mayor. She began her career in public service as a Lemon Grove p...lanning commissioner. She was elected to the city council in 2012. She was elected mayor in 2016 and reelected this year. The Lemon Grove Historical Society salutes these women of distinction. A special thanks goes out to the Women's Museum of California who inspired a compilation of San Diego women in elected office and contributed to the research. Illustration by Michelle Guerrero, San Diego Union-Tribune. Read the full story at https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com//phenomenal-san-diego

A few months ago I was driving down Broadway on a Saturday afternoon. I saw women sitting outside under trees getting their nails done. The barber shop was giving hair cuts on the sidewalk. I wished I had stopped to take pictures. As a new board member, I am just becoming acquainted with our archives. We have such a rich collection of images and stories from our little town. How much has changed this year! ... We want to keep a record of what this year has been like for the people of Lemon Grove. Please send us your pictures and stories! What has this year been like for you and your family? Please share your experiences so we can preserve the story of 2020 in our archive collection. And share this post with friends and family and on social media. Questions or stories to share? E-mail me at [email protected]. I am looking forward to reading and preserving more of our town's story! Sarah Lewis Board Member LGHS

December 7, 1941 the date that will live in infamy On this date 79 years ago the Japanese Navy attacked Pearl Harbor and Lemon Grove residents were there. Today we honor the service men of Lemon Grove who endured the bombs, the gunfire, the confusion and/or the aftermath of the historic event.... Richard L "Hal" Halverson Combat Photographer Clarendon R. Hetrick USS Arizona Bennet Wilson Kerfoot Dell Lake USS Harris Ira Dwight Putnam USS Thornton Wayne D. Ring USS Maryland If you know of a name we missed, please let us now so we can include it in our role of heroes. Photo: USS Maryland (BB-46) alongside the capsized USS Oklahoma (BB-37). USS West Virginia (BB-48) is burning in the background. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

It is the 23rd Annual Holiday Bonfire - pandemic style!. On Friday, December 4th from 5:30 - 7:30 pm, your historical society’s "reindeer" and Santa will join City staff for a drive-through holiday festivity in Treganza Heritage Park. Roll down the car windows to hear the caroling and receive candy canes.... For more about the Lemon Grove Historical Society and its many activities, visit www.lghistorical.org or contact 619-460-4353.

This charming bit of history has been going around the internet for awhile, but it is so true, we just had to share.... Our thanks to Luis and Raquel.

When Life Hands You a Virus, Make a Garden! Volunteers in the Lemon Grove Historical Society (LGHS) labored in record heat in September and October and, now, in calmer sun and cooler temperatures in November. They will be back tomorrow (November 28th) for the fourth session. Missionaries from Lemon Grove's Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints will join with volunteers from Helix High School to continue rejuvenating the grounds in Treganza Heritage Park, home of the Pa...rsonage Museum, 3185 Olive Street, and the adjacent H. Lee House, 3205 Olive. In past sessions, the team replanted ailing jasmine ground cover, power washed walkways, removed weeds, trimmed trees, restored roses and, best of all, raked and spread huge piles of mulch over bare ground to help retain water and boost the health of existing landscaping. Laura Hook, president of LGHS, organized the mulch and succulent garden. Sarah Lewis, vice president for membership, organized the volunteer crews. Barbara Soto, secretary, brought bottles of water. Volunteers Roberta Bulling and Andres Romero scrubbed porches. Athlete Lankford Alvarez provided needed muscle--and the century-old Hunter's Nursery donated the jasmine plants. Leading the charge is Gary Elbert, whose stewardship of successive Americorps teams in 1998 led to the creation of the Parsonage Museum, which won your historical society a 2001 Governor's Historic Preservation Award (the museum was formerly the decrepit first church in Lemon Grove, a landmark in the town since 1897). "I'm so proud of the teams," enthused Elbert. "They took ownership of the project from day one and are a shining example of what people of good will can achieve even in the midst of a horrible pandemic." Hook chimed in: "We wear masks, socially distance and the whole project is in the great outdoors. You can tell we love our park and our two historic sites -- and we send a special shout-out to our City Public Works - City Government of Lemon Grove - for their help in removing all the green waste. Since 1997 our City has been right there with us."

It’s that time of year again! If you shop at Food-4-Less or Ralphs grocery stores, October means it’s time to reauthorize your donation designation for the Lemon Grove Historical Society. All you need to do is call: 1 (800) 433-4438. If you do not have a Food-4-Less or Ralphs rewards card, you can pick one up the next time you shop. Participation in the Rewards program costs you nothing, but it provides needed support for the work of your historical society.... We really appreciate your help. For further information see https://www.lghistorical.org/rewards/

The Lemon Grove Historical Society salutes the efforts of Lemon Grove's VFW Post 1512 Encanto. This is what community is all about!

94 years ago, he made history! Lemon Grove’s Ed Fletcher was a tireless community booster. He realized that for San Diego to have a thriving economy, it needed to be linked to eastern markets. There was just one problem. The mountains east of San Diego made travel by road or rail difficult. In the 1920’s there was intense competition between San Diego and Los Angeles for the building of roads to the east. Both communities championed all-weather transcontinental routes to pro...mote economic development. To demonstrate the feasibility of traveling from coast to coast by car, Fletcher embarked on a record breaking 2,743 mile transcontinental trip. Between October 10 and 13, 1926, he drove from San Diego to Savannah, Georgia in 71 hours and 15 minutes. To promote another route, he returned starting at Jacksonville, Florida traveling along the romantically named Old Spanish Trail Highway. Conceived in 1915 to open travel across the Southern United States, the roads took 14 years to complete. Route markers were set out and road sections were built between milestone markers. The San Diego milestone was set in 1923 bearing a plaque which read: "THE CITIZENS OF SAN DIEGO IN DEDICATING THIS PACIFIC MILESTONE NOVEMBER 17, 1923 HEREIN GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGE THE UNERRING EFFORTS OF COL. ED FLETCHER ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF A SOUTHERN TRANSCONTINENTAL HIGHWAY"

The Grossmont Union High School District is 100 years old! Why is it called a Union High School District? The answer lies in the manner in which it was formed. ... Before 1920, there were 14 small school districts in the valleys and mesas east of the City of San Diego. Among them were two high school districts El Cajon and Riverview. In July of 1920 after a spirited campaign, residents of the 14 districts agreed to consolidate the instruction of high school students into a new union district. The eight teachers from the El Cajon and Riverview districts became the first teachers of the new district. Prior to formation of the new district, Lemon Grove, La Mesa, Spring Valley and Jamacha students who went on to high school, attended San Diego High School, commuting by train or boarding with a family living in San Diego. Two years later in the fall of 1922 a new high school opened on Grossmont Summit, making high school attendance more easily accessible for the students of east county.

Stop by and say "Thanks" to the men and women who are keeping us safe. Join with your community at the National Night Out!

We are indebted to Gary Elbert and the volunteers from Helix High School and the local L.D.S. church for their efforts to spruce up the grounds around our Parsonage Museum. Working every Saturday in September, they removed weeds and undergrowth in front of the museum, removed invasive roots and planted new ground cover along the side and back walkways, then power-washed the museum building and adjacent sidewalks. We thank Hunter's Nursery for donating soil amendment and jasmine plants, Sarah Lewis, board VP/Membership for assembling the student teams, and Gary Elbert, board chair of buildings and grounds, for organizing the whole effort.

The Lemon Grove Incident In honor of Hispanic Heritage month, the Lemon Grove Historical Society is pleased to announce its collaboration on two outstanding books about our city's 1931 school desegregation case--the first in the U.S and a landmark in the history of civil rights. Cited as precedent by Thurgood Marshall et al in Brown v. School Board, Topeka, Kansas, 1954, the local case involved some 75 youngsters of Mexican heritage, most of them born in the U. S. ... The case was lovingly captured by author-illustrator Christy Hale in her award-winning, bilingual book (Lee & Low 2019), "Todos Iguales/All Equal." Coming soon is: "Without Separation" (Calkins Creek Books 2021) by veteran children's writer Larry Dane Brimner, whose you-are-there approach brings the case to new life. Hale's book is available now from the Lemon Grove Historical Society and wherever books are sold. Brimner's book will be widely available in 2021, including from this historical society.

For a decade our friend Pam Glover has held a High Tea at the H Lee House to raise funds to pay for the awards for the Annual Treganza History Essay Competition for Third Grade. This year, sadly, we had to cancel this important event. We are inviting you to help Pam raise the funds for the awards by making a contribution. Persons attending her tea paid $25.00 to attend, but contributions of any size are gladly accepted. This year will mark year 31 of continuous essay competi...tions. Last year, after ten classes in four schools saw a special slide presentation of our town’s history, 121 children submitted essays. Five winners were chosen--first, second and third place, and two honorable mentions. Books and other goodies were awarded to the winners, including their certificates of merit. Please help us keep this tradition alive. Roberta Bulling Past President Education Outreach Chair

They were the Trojans. They were the Lemon Grove Trojans Marching Band. A half century ago, Lemon Grove Junior High School had a thriving marching band program. Under the direction of legendary music director Harry Weisgerber, the band won awards year after year. ... Lemon Grove band graduates went on to form the core of the Mount Miguel Matador and the Helix Highlander high school marching bands. It was all made possible by the active involvement of the Lemon Grove Music Parents who were tireless supporters. When the trophy case at Lemon Grove Middle School was repurposed four years ago, the Lemon Grove Historical Society preserved some of the band’s trophies and memorabilia .... so we can all remember when Lemon Grove had a marching band.

The cows are back! We are back! The Parsonage Museum is open again! And we have a wonderful new exhibit for you: Miller Dairy Remembered.... With the passing of the last of the Miller brothers we have new - never before seen - material on Lemon Grove’s Miller Dairy. In the mid-1920’s Catherine Miller got a cow to save the arduous, round-trip walk with small children from their Golden Avenue home to the Sonka Bros' General Store on Main Street. Her cow was prolific, giving more than enough milk for all the Miller kids. You can see how great ideas evolve. Why not bottle and sell the pure, organic real deal to the neighbors? Charles added three more Holstein cows and Miller Dairy was born. "Miller Dairy Remembered" brings it all back. The exhibit, replete with family photographs, the German family Bible, bales of hay and copious artifacts, was designed by Laura Hook, written by Helen Ofield, and made possible by the generosity of the Gale LaGace Endowment for the Parsonage Museum. The Lemon Grove Historical Society is grateful to all who have donated exhibit materials, especially June Miller and Claudia Motal Miller. The exhibit shows the German immigrant family, patriarch Charles Miller on the job in a Cleveland shoe factory, ace drummer Bill Miller at Grossmont High School, and much more in this classic making-it-in-America saga. Come visit us on Saturdays between 11 am and 2 pm (except the 4th Saturday of the month we close at 1pm). Children 12 and under are free and must be accompanied by an adult. A $2 donation is suggested for others. Covid-19 rules are in force for masks and social distancing, with plenty of hand sanitizer available. More information: 619-460-4353

The Lemon Grove Historical Society notes the passing of George William Linzey (1951-2020), pastor of the Lemon Grove Community Church. Pastor Lindsey was responsible for construction of The Lagoon at Main and Central Street on the site of Lemon Grove’s first school house. The Community Church is the heir of Lemon Grove’s first church the First Congregational Church of Lemon Grove founded in 1894. The church sits adjacent to Treganza Heritage Park. A "Celebration of Life" for friends will be conducted on Tuesday, Sept. 8 at 10am. Please visit link for details & to RSVP (required): https://bit.ly/3lq2s1H

It’s 1932 and you are on your way home to Lemon Grove from the Imperial Valley. You are running low on gas and the climb up the Mountain Springs grade has left your car running hot and in need of water for the radiator. Where do you stop? At the Mountain Springs Station! Mountain Springs was a water stop for travelers crossing the eastern slopes of the mountains between San Diego and the desert floor of what is now Imperial County. In 1909, a road through Mountain Springs ...replaced the stage and wagon route. This gas station and café operated on Highway 80 until 1955 when the road was realigned. Thanks to former Lemon Grove resident Paula Southwick for sharing this family photo.

Last Thursday the Crown Colony Chapter of the National Society Colonial Dames 17th Century presented us with a gorgeous plaque honoring your historical society for the rehabilitation and continuing preservation of the Parsonage Museum. Carrie Beinert, Vice President of the Crown Colony Chapter presented the plaque to newly installed Lemon Grove Historical Society President Laura Hook. Also present for the event was Jo Ann Cornelius, Honorary State President of the Colonial Da...mes. The plaque was unveiled by Lemon Grove City Manager Lydia Romero, who gave a proclamation from the City of Lemon Grove to the historical society. Lemon Grove City Councilman Jerry Jones attended the event. The Parsonage Museum is owned by the City of Lemon Grove and operated by the Lemon Grove Historical Society. It sits along with the restored H Lee House in Lemon Grove’s Treganza Heritage Park (formerly Civic Center Park). The unveiling ceremony was intentionally kept small due to the heat and restrictions created in response to the ongoing pandemic. A larger community celebration to mark the official renaming of Treganza Heritage Park is planned for later this year when pandemic restrictions allow.