Bruce Wilson

One more 1943. Note Rexall up the street.

Interesting timeline snapshot (found this looking for the year Hilltop Village was built):

Note that HWY 805 construction began in 1958 and supposedly ended in 1975, yet it continues today with the 1.4 billion project currently underway

1941 - Fred Rohr moved his aeronautical company to Chula Vista, contributing to the World War II boom that doubled the city population from 5000 to 10,000 by 1945. A government defense housing project was built at Hilltop and J Street, the 300-unit Hilltop Village.

1948 - In the Sweetwater Valley, Richard M. and Alfreda B. Allen created a subdivision called Bonita Acres out of orchard land in 1948. By end of 1949, there were 10 subdivisions and 181 building sites. Between 1956-1964, there were 16 subdivisions and 357 building sites in the Sweetwater Valley.

1950 - The population of Chula Vista grew from 16,500 in 1950 to 31,330 in 1955.

1951 - The Montgomery Freeway was built from the border to Harbor Boulevard in National City and was named in honor of aviation pioneer John J. Montgomery whose home and farm were in the right-of-way and were demolished. The home was the old adobe of Santiago Arguello that had been purchased by John's father Zachary Montgomery who owned a farm at the Fruitlands. By 1973 this freeway was expanded to 8 lanes and became the southernmost section of Interstate 5.

1956 - The City of San Diego annexed the part of Otay Mesa east of San Ysidro and south of Otay Rancho. In 1962 it purchased the deactivated Brown Field airport.

1958 - Interstate 805 construction began, completed 1975.

1960 - The population of Chula Vista grew from 42,350 in 1960 to 68,200 in 1970.

1961 - The Otay Municipal Water District that had been formed in 1956 (name changed to Otay Water District in 1982) formed the Improvement District Number 7 in 1961 and issued bonds to build pipelines to bring irrigation water into the mesa, stored in a 30-acre foot Roll Reservoir north of the Kuebler Ranch. Later, the 100-acre foot Upper Reservoir was built.

1962 - The Chula Vista Shopping Center at H and Broadway featured an mall 640 feet long and 40 feet wide. The center fountain duplicated the Alhambra palace in Granada, Spain.

1964 - Southwestern College was built on a new campus near Telegraph Canyon and Otay Lakes Road. It started at a meeting in November 1959 of a committee formed by the National City and Chula Vista Chambers of Commerce to create the county's 4th junior college, after San Diego (1914), MiraCosta (1934), and Palomar (1946). Classes met in the Chula Vista High School for three years, 1961-1964. The permanent college site of 157 acres at Otay Lakes Road and Telegraph Canyon was selected and purchased in 1961 for $860,228. At that time, the only house along Otay Lakes Road was the abandoned home of the Schutte ranch, founded in 1917 by three brothers Paul and Hugo and Ed Schutte. Ground breaking was Feb. 14, 1963, led by Sweetwater Union High School District Superintendent Joseph Rindone, Jr., and college president Chester DeVore. The college began the fall semester in September 1964 on the new campus. The offical dedication was Dec. 6, 1964.
 

Richard Thor (Dick) Holmes

Rosie - I went to Mr Benjamin's Junior Cotillion during my time at HJHS.  I think Bruce VanPatten, Bob Piety and I were all directed to go by our Moms.  We were all living on E. Sierra Way and were good friends through Jr & Sr High.  But Junior Cotillion did not help my dance skills.  I still have two left feet and no sense of rhythm.   I think the experience helped guide me to areas I could do better like math and science!

Bruce Wilson

Karen: I'll bite. Far left (or right) depending on how you look at things - Linda Keating?

Did anhone ride the city buses back then? Although enamored with cars, I didn't have one and so occasionally Bill Burger and I would hop a bus around town and as far out as to Pacific Beach where his mom had a store.

I also remember taking the bus with Dave Olmsted who went to CV out to Balboa Park for a day in the park, zoo and museums. "Get a Job" was playing on the radio. Pretty sure I met Dave though the Boys Club on I Street, baseball and my mom's connection with his mom, most likely through PTA and the link between my older sister and his older brother Fred. Fred I recall went to the Air Force Academy and Dave to SDSC, but I have been unable to track him down.

A bit later than this.

Probably about like this one.

Pamela Sue Bellevan (Selvig)

Moved to San Diego area the spring of my 7th grade and attended Dana Junior High . My sister and I commuted via bus from Point Loma to Chula Vista everyday after school. We also had to transfer at Horton Plaza to another bus. We moved to Bonita that summer and attended HJHS for 8th and 9th grade. My parents bought the La Tienda store in Bonita next to the Big Red barn. Do any of you remember that? I took my first riding lessons there that summer.

Haven't seen any posts from the Bonita classmates. I used to ride down thru the riverbeds where the golf course is today and we used to help ourselves to the watermelons that grew in that valley.

We lived on Acacia and recently had a chance to visit that street. I can't believe we used to walk from our homes all the way down to catch the bus. I have fond memories of Frank Gregory, Jan Ronis, Gary Pollard, Steve Smith and Claudia Eerebout who all lived on that street. Oh and Rick McCormick who lived on the corner for a short time.

I do enjoy reading about everyone's adventures and stories growing up in Chula Vista.

Michele Ruth Walter

FARRINGTON FARM

I'm sure that most of you remember driving by "Farrington Farm" off Sweetwater Road, home of one of our classmates, Georgia Farrington.  Bruce and I happened upon this greeting card at the Bonita Museum a couple of years back; it is called "Sunday Drive" and the card actually shows Georgia (a wisp of her hair as she sits in the back of the cart), her sister, Jaime, and their cousins, Cindy and Steve (sitting forward).  According to the card, "the painting was done from an actual photo showing Nell the pony and Hansel the goose."  The home on the farm was beautiful, originally built by the son of Ulysses Grant Jr.  as a family leisure home.  I have great memories of the home from my visits with Georgia. An interesting feature about it is that the walls were built so wide that you could literally travel from one end of the house to the other without being detected; they served the occupants as secret passages! true!! i always thought that was pretty cool!  The house has since been purchased to create a resort of some sort, although the plans have never really taken off.  Happily, our friendship with Georgia and Mike continues, and never ceases to bring lots of fun and laughter!  They are still hilarious, just like they always were! :)

Bruce Wilson

Pam: I remember the barn and the store. One of our favorite excursions was to ride out to bonita on our bikes.

Regarding the bus rides, Horton Plaza in those days was a real eye opener for a couple of yokels from Chula Vista.

Stanley John (Stan) Jasek

What a wonderful walk down memory lane. The memories being brought back are fantastic. It's amazing how much we have forgotten over the years. I remember our class as being pretty large so it doesn't suprise me the number of names I don't recognize. Lance and Pennon and the Annual Staff were the activities I was most involved with, Hi Chris, and hope to hear from more of them. Bob McAllister is no longer at the Veterans Home. We visited with him on Wednesday in his new retirement home in National City. If anyone wants the address, let me know. As a "nostalgic" collector of things I have a milk bottle from every dairy in Chula Vista. Cloyde's Dairy was on North 4th Avenue, and Golden Arrow Dairy was at 595 C Street. Wasn't there an airport on thge west side of National Cith Avenue? Cee Vee Pladium was just 8 lanes of bowling with food service, my wifes family, Cathy Steber, owned it for a couple of years in the 60's. As a result, she spent time on tv's "Bowling For Dollars". Right next door was a barber shop, the barber lived up the street from us on Arthur Ave. I spent most of my time after school at Hilltop Market, later Foodarama, on J and Claire as a bagboy and later as checker. I've met several people over the years that lived in Hilltop Village, the project, next door. Does anybody remember the miniature golf and trampoline operation on 4th and F St SW corner ? Or, as kids growing up with the Vogue as our babysitter, running across the street to the Leader Dept. Store and riding the only elevator in Chula Vista? Before it was Hilltop High School it was a truck farm. I hauled many vegetables out of there in my Little Red Wagon and sold them in the neighborhood.  

Bruce Wilson

Stan: Good to hear from you. Since you remember Cloyde's down on Highland and Golden Arrow on C, I'm thinking that at some point prior to 1965 Golden Arrow acquired Cloyde's since in 1965 Golden Arrow was listed at the Highland address.

I remember that trampoline facility and the associated arcade with pinball like baseball games. The trampoline setup never looked very safe to me so I never tried them out. I did try the trampoline at the gym, but I was never cut out for gymnastics I guess.

I lived in the project and my sister and brother went to kindergarten and first grade and kindergarten respectively at Hilltop Circle Elementary, before transferring to Lilian J. Rice and then Hilltop Drive.

Both my brothers were in the Retail Clerks, Woodie worked at Dee Gee on Broadway and Keith at Mayfair on H bellow Broadway.

There was indeed an airport north of the dairy. I've got a photo somehwere. I'll look for it.

Madeline Bazzel (Hooper)

Bruce

I remember going everywhere on the bus.  My mom didn't drive and dad was in the service.  When ever we had a doctors appointment we all, with my three brothers, packed up, did the transfer at Horton Plaza, and spent the day at Balboa Naval Hospital.

Anybody remember the big hayride we had?  Can't remember if it was sixth grade or junior high.

Gail Eileen Dillon (Boone)

I remember the skating rink in National City very well, but glad I didn't have to come up with the location.  A group of us took lessons, proudly wearing our skating skirts.  Rosie, I remember being envious, ok jealous, of the fact that you learned to skate backwards so much more quickly than I did.  There was an ice skating rink where my sister learned to skate, but it was probably actually in San Diego, on Harbor or whatever large street paralleled it.   I also remember Mr. Benjamin's dance class ("Ladies, when asked to dance by two gentlemen at once give your answer quickly because it means that another young lady is standing alone.") and the special evening cotillion dances.  Basic box steps, as I recall.  I would have said I took his class in sixth grade.

Bruce Wilson

Airport photos:

for anyone interested in airfields see:

Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: California - Southern San Diego area

http://www.airfields-freeman.com/CA/Airfields_CA_SanDiego_S.htm

Bruce Wilson

Bus-wise that makes at least three of us, Madeline. Hey hey, I have absolutely no recollection of a hayride. What was the route it followed?

Stan: That Leader elevator may well have been my first elevator ride. I also recall a family outing to San Diego (Sears) for our first escalator rides.

John Carleton Cowherd

Wow, so many posts in the last few days.

Rosie:  I was in Mr. Benjamins Cotillion as well.  If I remember, there were two sessions, 6:30PM and 7:30 PM.  I was in the 6:30 session, and remember Mike Swift and Claudia Ralph being in that session. It seems like we did it for two years, 6th grade and 7th grade.  Didn't we have a joint formal dance at the Sweetwater Womens Club with both sessions together?

Bruce: I remember riding the bus once.  After I earned my letter in Cross Country, my parents said that they would get my lettermans jacket as a christmas present.  Back then, you had to get them at Higgins and Crosswaite (sp) Sporting Goods in downtown San Diego.  Somehow, I convinced them that I could ride the bus to SD and pick up my jacket.  I remember wearing it all the way home on the bus.  Once I got home, my Mom took it, and I didn't see it again until Christmas Morning.

Stan:  I think the trampolines were part of the Miniature Golf Course on F Street.  I had many dates there.

The skating rink in National City.  When I was in the 7th grade, Cheri (you know who you are) invited me to go with her to a skating party with her church.  At the end of the night, I had a blister on my ankle that was as big as my ankle.  I don't think we ever went out again.

Chula Vista was a great place to grow up during the 50's and 60's.  We were lucky to have a brand new Junior High, an almost new High School, and a brand new Junior College waiting for us as we advanced to the next level of education.

I am looking forward to the reunion in September. 

Karen Etsuko Tachiki (Savel)

The answer to the photo mystery is Carol Anderson Jackson and Nancy Kuebler White. It was a great reunion to catch up with Nancy after many many years and to get to know Carol after all these years. And fortunate for me to see them, as they may not attend the reunion. 

And for Bruce, on page 167 of the 1964 yearbook, is a photo of the buglers and a bit of information about starting the day at HHS. The name of the buglers is not listed though you might recognize them. And I wish I could take credit for any memory of this, it is once again my younger brother with the younger and much better memory. And for all of you who seemingly have very good memories thank you from one whose memory is not so good.

One last amusing thought: I'm thinking about the fact that many of us living in the area, probably see one another from time to time at Costco or the super market or just on walks around town, and do not recognize each other. We need some sort of badge or other identifier. Every now and then it occurs to me that I am seeing old classmates but would not have any idea who anyone is! This message forum has been great. 

Bruce Wilson

Karen: Good point I would not have recognized Nancy or you, though if someone said Hilltop High I might have had a better chance. Anyway, I guess the identifier could be called be the red badge of courage (or maybe green, black & white). Alternatively, someone could invent a "quick scan" feature for this website so that a person could page quickly through the photos folks have posted here. Then, ..... folks who haven't posted one would need to.

Thanks for the Idyll tip. Looking through the book anew reveals some things overlooked. For example, the Key Club sponsored "Bruce Brown Surfing films" so one of those guys should step up and name the film that was showed in the gym. Appearing in the group, Mr. Phil Costello, of the 13-kid Costello family (no one guessed it). His family alone could have comprised more than 1/2 a Key Club.

Speaking of Phil, he also appears on the CSF life membership page, a page I was barred from by Cap'n East awarding me an A\D in Advanced Algebra (the D was due to things he didn't like about my behaviour  that occurred outside the classroom and would have been A\F, but he opined it would look 'funny'). In this day and age he would have been looking at a nasty lawsuit. In any event, you win some, you lose some.

I was looking for info on a couple of my profs at Berkeley and I came across this set of in memoriam pages. They seem to have the entire UC system since a found several from Irvine also.

http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/uchistory/archives_exhibits/in_memoriam/catalog/index.html

[better huh! DC]

SD Zoonews: Joanne (with mom Imani) born in the zoo is now four months old. They don't shop at Costco much, but here they are anyway..

George Bracey Gillow

BOOKS ON BONITA HISTORY

A good book on the history of Bonita is:  Images of America, Bonita  by Steven Schoenherr and Mary E. Oswell.  It can be found on Amazon.com and sometimes ebay.  Also copys are available at the Bonita Museum near the Bonita Library and Golf Course.

A booklet called Bonita Stories covers stories of some longtime Bonita Valley residents.  I can't find it on-line, but it is available at the Bonita Museum. Their website does not work, but the phone number is (619) 267-5141.

Here again are books on CV history that I recommended in previous Posts:

• Images of America Chula Vista  by Peter Watry and Frank Roseman
• Chula Vista Then and Now by Peter Watry and Frank Roseman
• Chula Vista Centennial: A Century of People and Progress, 1911-2011 by Dr. Steven Schoenherr  (This is a very detailed history with great pictures and maps)
• Chula Vista Heritage 1911 - 1986 by City of Chula Vista

Also the Chula Vista Centennial site has lots of history information at: http://www.chulavista100.com/

Bruce Wilson

George: I've seen all those books. I really did not care that much for the Centennial book. I think some of his other CV history research is great. I just didn't like the presentation in that book. The others I liked quite a bit.

Gassaway gals on the cover. What is it with Bonita and Sunnyside and horses and ponies?

Anyone guesses these I'll be really impressed.

Madeline Bazzel (Hooper)

Karen, your so right about Costco and seeing people.  I ran into Rosies husband one day.

Bruce, my family used to make the trip to Sears in San Diego every year, right before school started.  What a full day we had getting clothes for all us kids.

Patricia Lee Leckman (Banner)

Karen,  Thanks for sharing the photo of you with Nancy and Carol. Where did you see them?  

It is so much fun to see the changes we have all made during these 50 years.  You are right when saying we may walk right passed someone we have known years ago and not recognize them! I even have trouble with that when I look in the mirror.  Our daughter just turned 40 and was complaining about how old she is.  I have to laugh at the thought of being old at 40!

John,  Mr. Benjamin's Cotillion was part of my past also.  What fun it was to learn the new dance steps.  I grew to love doing the Cha-Cha.  My partner and I won a little keychain one evening.  Married a darling man who does not dance even after going to Mr. Benjamin's classes. I don't remember the time of the class I attended.  Can't imagine we will do any dancing at the reunion Saturday night--more talking and catching up, I assume.  Am very much looking forward to it!

Gail, I found two of Rosebank class photo composites and you are in them.  I think you and Michelle are very easily identified.  Since there are no names listed, not like Rosie's composite where a wise person wrote the names down, I thought we could tell the names of who we remember.  Some of them were not around by the time we were at Hilltop High. Who can help?

Barbara Sindelar (Seagren)

Karen Etsuko Tachiki (Savel)

Patty, The mini reunion of Carol, Nancy and Karen happened at Carol's house in San Diego just five days ago. Carol and Nancy have maintained contact with each other over the years but I have not seen Nancy since shortly after we graduated from college. Carol and I recently made contact about 3 years ago when we learned her daughter was married to the son of a good friend of mine I met through work. And this same friend was briefly the sister-in-law of Dean Butterfield in the 1960's. The coincidences of life are remarkable to me and never cease to amaze me. 

Bruce Wilson

Bruce Wilson

Fair play for Cuba, fair play for Ann and Judy (on Comet, 1948). That tiny image upstream didn't do them justice. Although this one doesn't either, it's better. Gotta get that scanner back on line.

BTW, Anne was a friend of my sister Diane and both were outstanding members of the first graduating class of HHS (CSF Treasurer and CSF Charter Commitee, respectively). I find it more than slightly annoying that her name is mis-spelled not once but twice in this book. I may explain later.

Pam: If you get a hold of a copy of this book there is a photo of La Tienda (p. 55). I never knew it was yours. Additionally, there is a nice photo of the "Old Red Barn" (frontispiece I believe is the correct nomenclature).

Michele Ruth Walter

Rosie:  

how well I remember Miller's dance studio...!  I loved the acrobatics and dance lessons so much!  Little did I know that I had absolutely NO rhythm and when I tapped, my mom says she laughed so hard that tears rolled down her cheeks!   We still laugh about it!  To this day, I have no rhythm!  

Patty:

 Tell  your husband he should dance anyway...it's so much fun, and nobody cares if you can't get it right!  Bruce just looks the other way; he thinks I'm crazy!

About Farrington Farm:

 we found a photo of the Farrington Farm in the Images of America:  Bonita, page 32 if you're interested.  It goes as follows:  "U.S. Grant Jr., son of the former president, built a home on Sweetwater Road designed by William Sterling Hebbard on a 5 acre tract in 1894, near the dam.  A group from Hollywood, including producer Carl laemmle and music director Max Rabinowitz, bought the house in 1926. After 1945, it was owned by Convair executive G. Louis Farrington."  

Rosalee May (Rosie) O'Day (Mason)

Michele,

You didn't need rhythm.  You were SO BEAUTIFUL in those costumes!  By the way, is that your yellow hot rod you are standing next to?