prehistory

Proctor Valley of Churavista

The natural history of the area called Chura Vista can be traced back to millions of years through prehistoric fossils, either on land or on the sea. Archeological evidence shows that at least 10,000 years ago humans lived there. Around 3000 B.C., Yuman (Ketchan) speakers came into the area. Many American Indians in the San Diego region are now descendants of the Khmeye people who have traveled around the region for thousands of years.

Nueva Vispania and Alta California

In 1542, three small boats led by Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo entered the port of San Diego. In 1795, Churavista became a part of a Spanish land patent called Rancho del Rey, or "King's Ranch." When Mexico formed its own government in 1831, Rancho del Rey came to be called Rancho de la Nación, or "the rancho of the country." The ranch had spread to the current National City, Churavista, Bonita, Sunny Side and Sweetwater Valley. Rancho de la Nación was used as a place where Spaniards feed cattle and horses grass until 1845, and later it was allowed to be used by John (Don Juan) Foster, a brother-in-law of the Mexican governor Pio Pico.

19th century America

In 1847, the United States of America claimed the possession of California after the American-Indian War. Even after California became a state in 1850, land patents continued to be recognized as personal assets under American law.

After running a ranch for ten years, Foster sold it to a French land developer. The land was then sold to the Kimball brothers for $30,000 in 1868. The brothers Kimball of Frank, Warren and Levi were planning to develop the land into a productive American-style city and farm. Frank Kimball, who is in charge of pulling the Atchson Topica and Santa Fe Railroad to San Diego, was the first terminal station to become National City.

Several executives of Santa Fe Railway and city planner W.G. Dickerson have formed a San Diego land and town company. The company has embarked on the land development of the "state farm" for the new pioneers. He published an advertising document to attract potential pioneers, saying, "The best part of this land is to divide 5,000 acres (20 km²) of land into 5 acres (20,000 m²), and 80 feet (24 m) wide Avenue and Street runs in both directions, and the way of the steam engine runs in the center. This place is called Chula Vista and is only a mile (1.6 km) from the prosperous National City." This advertisement sparked the 1880s boom.

The five-acre plot of land was sold for $300 per acre (740 per hectare) in 1887. The purchaser was asked to build a house within six months. In 1889, houses were built and the sales of land was good. Thus the town of Churavista was established. James D. Skyler, a resident, proposed Churavista as the name of the town, and it was adopted by the San Diego Land and Town Company. Churavista can be translated as "a beautiful view" in Spanish.

Sweetwater Dam, circa 1907

In 1888, a dam on the Sweetwater River was completed, which brought water to the residents and farms of Churavista. Frank Kimball became an agricultural commissioner in the state and found that citrus fruits were the best crops in the region. Churavista became the largest lemon cultivation area in the world at that time.

A railroad was built to connect San Diego, National City, Churavista and Otai. The railroad called the National City and Otay Railway prospered for many years.

20th century

On October 17, 1911, a referendum was held to place the municipal system in Churavista, and the residents voted for it. California approved the Incorporation Act in November. The Council of Churavista held an election at the People's State Bank office and elected E. T. Smith as chairman.

The local farmers continued to make lemons as their main product and used more than eight packaging centers in the city. But the bad weather that has lasted for several years has caused great damage. The crops suffered severe frostbite in 1913, and a drought in 1914 and 1915 caused damage. In the 1916 flood, the Lower Otty Dam was destroyed and in two and a half hours millions of liters of water were released. A railroad track near No. 2 Avenue was washed away, and 23 houses were completely destroyed, killing more than 20 people.

In February 1916, Hercules Gunpowder Company started designing and constructing a Konbu processing plant on 30 acres (12 ha) of Churavista. Kelp was an ideal material for producing explosives. This factory produced potassium carbonate and acetone to produce smokeless powder, which was widely used by the British army in World War I. During the war, Hercules produced 46 million pounds of smokeless powder (21,000,000 kg) for the British government, and built the largest Konbu Mowing Fleet in the world at that time. The factory was now in a place called the Gunpowder Point. Currently, the Churavista Nature Center is located.

The Great Depression also had a great impact on Chula Vista, but agriculture brought a modest income to the residents. In 1931, Lemon Park sold $1 million and Celery Farm sold $600,000.

The Second World War made a permanent change in Churavista City. One of the main reasons for this was that in the early 1941, several months before the attack on Pearl Harbor, a roll aircraft company moved to Churavista. Roll hired 9,000 local workers at the peak of wartime production. The demand for housing increased, and the once-turned fruit garden never returned to its original form. The two areas that satisfied the demand for housing during the war are the Churavista Shopping Center, Hilltop Junior High School and fire station. In 1950 after the war, the population of Chula Vista was more than three times 16,000 from 5,000 in 1940.

post-World War II

After the war, many factory workers and thousands of service workers remained in the area, leading to large population growth. During this period, many schools, houses, banks, restaurants, gas stations, and shopping centers were established to serve the growing population. When Churavista became one of the largest communities in the San Diego area, the last citrus trees and production farms disappeared.

The following is demographic data from the 2000 census.

current estimate

According to an estimate by the San Diego Administrative Association, the median annual income per household was $64,110 at Churavista in 2005 (before inflation adjustment). After the inflation adjustment (in contrast to the US dollar in 1999 used in the 2000 census), the value is $52,084.

an area in eastern Churavista

Chula Vista has an on-stage playhouse, the only live theater in San Diego's South Bay.

In 1974, a comedy group called Possum played a new movie titled "Chura Vista" and made it a hit. This was about "The Magical Twanger" purchased by "Jeepsie's Magician" on the way to Churavista through Lajoya, San Diego to Harbor Drive, Highway 5. It was performed many times in "Doctor Demente Show" and was heard throughout San Diego County in the radio show "Hudson and Bauer" (Mac Hudson and Joe Bauer on AM radio KFBM in San Diego in the 1970s.

Marco Idargo, owner of the famous Argentine steak house PAMPA'S BAR AND GRILL, brought San Diego a local dish of Argentina. The restaurant has been recognized as one of the most successful nations at the San Diego Best Steak House.

Other attractions and events include Churavista Nature Center, J-Street Harbor, No. 3 Avenue Village, Olympic Center and Knot Sak City. In the central town of Churavista, there are many cultural events, including the famous lemon, Starlight Parade and Churavista Rose Festival.

local government

The city's most recent comprehensive fiscal report shows revenue of $322.9 million, spending of $287.5 million, total assets of $1.2327 billion, total liabilities of $258.6 million, cash and investment of $181 million.

The City Council is now headed by the mayor Sheryl Cox. There are five other members of the City Council.

politics

In California, Churavista is in the 40th upper house and 78th and 79th lower house constituencies. The Federal Government belongs to the 51st House of Representatives constituency in California. The Cook's Party Voting Trends Index stands at D+7, meaning that the number of voters who voted for the Democratic Party candidate in the previous presidential election is seven points higher than the national average. The number of registered voters in the city is 103,985.

According to the 2008 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top 10 employers for Churavista City are as shown below.

In the next few decades, Churavista will continue to expand eastward. There are various plans for housing development, including East Lake, Rancho del Rey, and Otay Ranch. In 2003, Churavista had a population of 200,000 and became the second largest city in San Diego County. As the city continues to grow, it will struggle to balance its attractive district with its strong business base, but it needs to maintain the sense of the community and the value of the small town at the time it was established.

Chula Vista is growing at a fast pace with large developments in the Otay Valley near the U.S. Olympic Training Station and the Otay Reservoir in the lake. A number of new houses are built in the Otai Ranch, Romans Verdes, Rancho del Rey, East Lake and Otai Mesa regions. The toll road South Bay Express Way, an extension section of California National Highway 125, opened on November 19, 2007, and from now on, the interstate expressway 805 and California National Highway 905 will be connected to Route 54 to connect closely with the areas of San Diego and East County, and the interstate expressway 8 and California National Highway 94 will also be linked.

On May 30, 2006, San Diego Chargers, a board member of Chula Vista and NFL, met to see the possibility of a new stadium being built to serve as the headquarters of the Chargers. However, in June 2009, the Chargers removed Chura Vista from the new stadium construction site.

The San Diego Regional Airport Authority examined the possibility of bringing a commercial airline from Lindbergh Field in San Diego to Brown Field in Otie Mesa. However, the plan was aborted because the mountain could be an obstacle to the full-scale operation of air routes. The airport, which is close to Mexico, was also judged to have a diplomatic backlash. However, two national airports are being considered, along with cargo airports and airports in Tijuana.

In 2009, Forbes Magazine listed Churavista as one of the most boring cities in the United States.

• Paul Ariola-footballers
• Ray Misterio Jr.-Pro Wrestler
• Charlie Whitingham - Trainer
• Christopher Karza-Figure skater
• Mike Jacobs-Baseball players
• John Jiso-baseball players
• Joel Zumaya-Baseball players
• Jenna Presley-Porn actress

• Odawara City, Kanagawa Prefecture
• Philippines, Cebu

• Chula Vista Public Library website
• Official City of Chula Vista website
• Chula Vista Schools Location and Phone Directory
• Chula Vista's service deaths