CONNECT with the CityNew Discoveries
Welcome to the New Discoveries blog! City of San Diego City Clerk Archives staff use this area to upload newly rediscovered documents from San Diego’s history. In their duties, staff often find unique and interesting pieces of history they want to bring to the public. Those documents are uploaded here and then organized into their appropriate Collection, or a new Collection is created. Please check back frequently for fascinating new finds and discoveries!
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January 1976- “Riding in Style”
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Please look at his photo of a Mercedes O309D 19-Passenger metro bus on Broadway near Horton Park in 1976. The buses were bought as part of 'San Diego Action Plan 1974 developed by San Diego Transit's General Manager Tom Prior and his staff. The goal was to grow transit usage by 50 percent by 1975 via versatility and adaptability, inherent in small buses, by increasing frequency, extending routes, and adding new ones. A 1975 'American City and County' magazine article referred to San Diego as a model for the mass transit industry.
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February 7, 1968- The Beverly Hillibillies Co-Star
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Here is an interesting photo of Max Baer (known as Jethro in The Beverly Hillbillies) at the 1968 Andy Williams San Diego Open Pro-Am Award ceremony. Held at Vacation Village, Baer was the honorary award winner that year. Pictured is his wife, Joanne Kathleen Hill, Fred MacMurray and his wife June Haver, and an unidentified man with a hat on. Max was an athlete and avid golfer.
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1909- “The Bronze Eagle”
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1909- “The Bronze Eagle” Check out this historical photo of an eagle sculptor designed by Felix Peano. This unique sculpture sat on top of the Horton Plaza water fountain. Alonzo Horton gave Horton Plaza to the city in 1870.
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Undated- “A Bicycle Built for Four Riders”
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Undated- “A Bicycle Built for Four Riders” Here is a group photo of four ladies riding a bicycle built to ride four riders. The first bicycle built for four riders was invented by Mikael Pedersen in the late 1800’s It weighed 64 pounds and was used as a mode of transportation for wealthy individuals.
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1973 - First San Diego Female Lifeguard
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In 1973, Carol Tyler made history as the first female lifeguard in San Diego. Her achievement marked a significant milestone for women in the field; however, the lifeguard profession largely remained male-dominated until the premiere of the original title "Baywatch" from 1989 to 1999, which helped to bring more visibility to women in lifeguarding roles.
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2025-"Museum Month"
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February 1, 2025 - "Museum Month" invites you to discover the enjoyment of exploring local culture throughout the month of February. Over 70 museums in the San Diego area will be offering a 50% discount on admission.
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1939-"The Guardian of Water Fountain"
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Here is beautiful statue of the Donal Hord's Guardian of Water Fountain at the County Administration Building after installation was completed in May 1939. Hord spent two years forming the Guardian from a 22-ton granite block from a Lakeside quarry. The combined statue and base rise 22 feet, 3 inches, with the statue itself reaching a height of 13 feet, 3 inches. The Guardian of Water was dedicated on June 10, 1939. It symbolizes San Diego's guardianship over one of its most precious resources - water.
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1889- “The San Diego County Courthouse”
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In 1889, the San Diego Court Courthouse was built and donated by downtown founder Alonzo E. Horton. The Italianate-style building was designed by architects Comstock and Trotsche of San Francisco and included a bell and clock tower, statues of four presidents, a 10-foot gilded statue of Justice and 42 stained-glass windows honoring the states of the Union at the time. It was demolished in 1959.
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Undated- “The History of the Ballot Box”
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Checkout out this metal ballot box used in the early elections. Typically made of wood or metal, ballot boxes feature a hinged top which is secured with a lock during the time votes are cast. A thin slot is cut into the top, which is large enough to accept a paper ballot. The slot was narrow enough that the ballot cannot be removed manually through the opening. Small and portable, ballot boxes were delivered to designated polling places during election season.
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1930-The Gutierrez Spanish Tent Show
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Here is a tent show pamphlet advertising the infamous “Gutierrez Tent Show”, or Gutierrez Show Compañía Mexicana de Autómatas y Variedades, which was a traveling tent show that came regularly at least during the 1930s and 1940s to the Barrio Logan section of San Diego.
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February 2, 1895 - Street Signpost
In 1895, the Office of the Board of Public Works Department submitted a petition to the City Common Council for approval to construct and design the “City’s First Official Street Signpost.” Here’s to one-hundred and twenty-nine years of signs that provided information on direction and distance!
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1969-Fire Alarm Communications Building
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Take a glance at this historical image of the “San Diego Fire Department's Fire Alarm Telegraph Communications Center,” 1969. This center location provided services from 1928 - 1970 when the city moved its fire alarm communications network into the new city hall complex downtown. The building was designed in 1927 by Robert Snyder and his partner William Templeton Johnson and constructed by J. A. Hunt and Company.
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1930- The People’s Bridge
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Here’s a historical image of the original First Avenue Bridge crossing over Maple Canyon. Erected at the urging of property owners under the Improvement Act of 1911, replaced with a steel arch bridge in 1931 that had been completely assembled on the floor of a mid-western fabrication plant, dismantled, and shipped to San Diego. It was renovated and retrofitted in 2010. The bridge is located in Bankers Hill on First Avenue, between Nutmeg and Palm.
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1929 – S.S. Ferry “Coronado” on Trial Trip
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S.S. Ferry “Coronado” was running trials in San Francisco Bay prior to arrival in San Diego. It was constructed for the San Diego and Coronado Ferry Company by the Moore Dry-Dock Company on April 11, 1929. In order to accommodate the growing number of people visiting the Coronado peninsula from San Diego, Elisha S. Babcock, Jr. and Hampton L. Story created the San Diego & Coronado Ferry Co. in April 1886 and the ferry completed its first run in August.
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October 31, 1932 - Construction of Portal of Diversion Tunnel
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Here is an interesting photo of the diversion tunnel at El Capitan Dam. In 1932 Tom Connelly and Wilhelm Rohl formed the Rohl-Connolly Company to bid on the construction of El Capitan Dam. After successfully winning the contract, the new joint venture completed the project in 1934. After that, the El Capitan Reservoir was created and connected to the City's water system via the El Capitan Pipeline. Located approximately 30 miles northeast of San Diego on the San Diego River, it has the largest capacity in the City's reservoir system.
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November 3, 1903- Saloon Limitations
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Please look at this historical blueprint map. Here is an illustration on how many saloons were allowed to conduct business under Ordinance No. 1434, which was issued and approved by the Common Council.
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June 9, 1910- First Prohibit Boxing Contest
See the application from manager of the Dreamland Pavilion asking for a permit to hold a boxing contest.
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December 18, 1911 – Vending Machines
Back in 1911, the Autosales Gum and Chocolate Company inquired with the City Council for a license for vending machines. Fast forward to today, vending machines are everywhere, serving up all sorts of tasty treats and snacks! But did you know that vending machines have a really fascinating history? Coin-operated machines that dispensed tobacco were being operated as early as 1615 in the taverns of England. In 1867, stamp vending machines made their debut, and by 1883, we had the first modern postcard vending machine. The real boom, though, came between the 1920s and 1960s, when it felt like you could find just about anything in a vending machine! Honestly, there’s nearly no limit to what these machines can offer—it's only limited by our imagination!
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1935 – A Genuinely International Exposition
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Check out this photo of three Chinese ladies from the California Pacific Exposition in 1935! Doesn’t it capture a beautiful moment? Two of the ladies are elegantly sporting traditional cheongsams, while the one in the center looks all set for adventure in her stylish pilot outfit. The California Pacific International Exposition was held from May 29, 1935–November 11, 1935 and February 12, 1936–September 9, 1936. It was such a fantastic showcase of international culture, with ladies in traditional costume from various countries really bringing that global flair to the exhibition!
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1919 – Municipal Camp Grounds in Balboa Park
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Take a look at this amazing historic photo from circa 1919 that captures camping at Balboa Park! After serving as the site for the Panama-California Exposition from 1915 to 1917, the park became a temporary military base during World War I. Once the war was over, Balboa Park happily returned to its role as a spot for recreation and public events.
