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Chula Vista History, California

Chula Vista is a great city in the southern parts of San Diego County, United States. It is considered as the 2nd largest city of San Diego County.

A great natural history

The great natural Chula Vista’s history can actually be traced millions of the years back through the prehistoric fossils of sea and land both. There are strong archeological evidences that prove that there was human inhabitation approximately 10,000 years ago as well in that region.

The Spanish coming

In the year of 1542, three ships sailed in to the harbor of San Diego. These were the explorations that led the Spanish in claiming the land. By 1795, Chula Vista was a part of Spanish land grant that was called “The King’s Ranch” or the Rancho del Rey. Once the Mexico actually formed its government, Rancho del Rey began to be called as the National Ranch. It was known as the Rancho del la Nation. This ranch encompassed all the area that is now known as the National City, Chula Vista, Sweetwater Valley, Bonita and the Sunnyside. This Rancho del la Nation was widely used by Spanish as the grazing lands for their horses and cattle till the year of 1845. In that year the land was granted to a man named John Forster, the son- in- law of Pio Pico, the Mexican Governor. United States then claimed for California which was followed by Mexican- American war of 1847. Although California became one great state by 1850, the land grants continued to be allowed as private properties under the American law.

American boom

John Forster continued operating the granted ranch for nearly a decade and then sold it off to some French developer. In the year of 1868, it was sold again to Kimball brothers who intended developing the land as a productive American style city and a farm. A professional planner of town, W.G. Dickerson (Colonel) along with some directors of Santa Fe Rail road formed the famous San Diego, Land and Town Company. This amazing company then set out for developing the lands of National Ranch for the new settlers. In fact, they also issued valued promotional material for attracting the settlers.

Orchard period

In the year of 1888, Sweetwater Dam got completed and was fit for bringing the water to the land of Chula Vista. With the discovery of the citrus trees as a successful crop of the area, Chula Vista became a popular and largest centre for lemon growing of the world for quite a considerable period of time.

After the building of the railroad that connected San Diego, Otay, Chula Vista and the National City, there was much prosperity to be seen in the land. On 17th October, 1911, elections were held in the land of Chula Vista and E.T. Smith was elected as the President.