Early National City

By Marilyn Carnes and Matthew Nye

Below the surface of bustling National City lies the story of olive and citrus orchards, grand Victorian homes, great wealth, and the coming of the first railroad. Founded in 1868 by Frank Kimball, National City is credited with multiple distinguished firsts. On the county level, the San Diego County Fair originated here, the first novel published was by a National City pioneer, the first free kindergarten opened here, the first automobile was built here, and the first railroad terminus was located here. On the state level, the first woman to serve as an elected member of a school board lived in National City. Today the city is home to 61,000 residents; and as an accessible and diverse community, all eyes now look upon National City as it begins to experience a renaissance of growth and commerce.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Release date: Nov 17, 2008
• ISBN: 9781439620748

Marilyn Carnes

Matthew Nye and Marilyn Carnes have both kindled their love of National City history while working in the Morgan Local History Room of the National City Public Library. Combining his degrees in History and Library Science, Nye was the librarian for the Museum of Photographic Arts in San Diego. He is currently a librarian for the National City Public Library. Carnes has lived in National City for over 30 years while restoring her Victorian home. The vintage photographs they have gathered are largely from the collection of the National City Public Library.

Book preview

thank-you.

INTRODUCTION

The story of National City is closely tied to that of Francis Frank Augustus Kimball, a small man (5 feet, 3 inches) with a large heart and a never-ending abundance of energy with which to promote his city. While Frank, Warren, and Levi Kimball purchased the National Ranch together, Frank led in all endeavors and so deserves the largest share of credit for the city’s success, for he paid the biggest personal price.

The Kimballs of Hopkinton, Contoocook Village, New Hampshire, were a close-knit family of five brothers and two sisters. The boys worked with their father, Asa, on the family farm as well as in the construction trade. In 1861, Frank and his older brothers, Warren and Levi, sailed to California, where they became active in the construction trade in Oakland, eventually owning their own business. By 1868, the brothers had decided to invest in acreage in Southern California, and the National Ranch, below San Diego, was chosen as the ideal spot. In June 1868, Frank wrote in his diary that he had agreed to buy 26,632 acres from Francois Pioche for $30,000, one-third in cash, with the balance in three annual payments at eight percent per annum.

The Kimball brothers purchased a former Mexican land grant known as Rancho de la Nacion. This name, anglicized to National Ranch as California became a state, denoted what are now National City, Chula Vista, and Bonita. In the early years, National City referred to the more densely populated area bounded roughly by the bay to the west and Highland Avenue to the east, and from north to south by Division Street to Thirtieth Street. What was referred to as the National Ranch, or more simply the Ranch, lay east and south of this area and contained larger tracts of land.

Frank was representative of the many New Englanders who migrated to National City in response to his persistent entreaties. He was a hard worker, doing much physical labor, but he also enjoyed literary and cultural pursuits; Frank was well read and enjoyed music. In his diary of February 1, 1874, he notes, Herding sheep in town plat all day. Singing in the evening. From his diaries, it seems that he had a weekly evening sing at his home, with Elijah Valentine on the organ. Kimball faithfully kept a diary for over 50 years; it is through these invaluable records that one is able to glimpse the lives of the early residents.

As promoters of a new community, the Kimballs were quick to provide for the needs of new settlers. They established a lumberyard, a wood planing mill, and brick kilns, all to supply the demand for material with which to construct new homes and barns. When Almira Wincapaw died in February 1870, they immediately set aside land for a cemetery, and then graded a road up the hill and dug the first grave, in what we know today as La Vista. As children arrived, the need for a school was apparent. Frank Kimball sent to San Francisco for Elizabeth Starr, giving her land in payment for teaching duties, and then built the schoolhouse out of his own funds. As new churches formed, the Kimballs could be counted on to lend financial support.

The county of San Diego is most indebted to Frank Kimball for his major part in bringing the railroad to the area, establishing National City as the terminus of a transcontinental line. After over a decade of unsuccessful attempts to negotiate a deal, Kimball took out a mortgage on his home to finance once again a trip east, representing the interests of National City and San Diego. This time, he was successful, and in October 1880, the agreement was signed, with the Kimball Brothers donating 10,000 acres of land to the railroad syndicate and also one half of the unsold lots in National City, in contrast to San Diego’s contribution of 4,500 acres.

Frank became a very wealthy man but was never willing to sit back and enjoy the fruits of his labors—rather he continually furthered the growth of his new city by advertising its attributes to Easterners, by serving as a state agricultural commissioner and as an elected member of the school board, and by promoting local business enterprises. These activities all were at a cost to his personal fortune. In 1888, at the height of the land boom, Frank reported a net worth of $1.4 million. Ten years later, after several of his commercial interests failed and a dishonest employee had signed his name (without his knowledge) on several bank notes that Kimball couldn’t cover, Frank and Sarah were forced to sell their orchards and property and finally their house. In 1897, they moved out of their beloved home of almost 30 years into a nephew’s drafty upstairs apartment over a restaurant. He begged several businessmen to repay what he had formerly loaned them but to no avail. At the age of 70, Frank was doing manual labor, anything he could get, to put food on the table. Slowly he was able to acquire a home of his own. At the end of his life, he was able to say (in his diary), I spent the best years of my life trying to make those around me happier, and the result is unsatisfactory. I am confronted at every step by ungrateful people, but I look back and thank God I have lived. As far as I know, I have done my best. And he did.

FRANCIS AUGUSTUS KIMBALL. Known to all as Frank, Kimball was born on the family farm in Hopkinton, Contoocook Village, New Hampshire, in 1832. After purchasing Rancho de la Nacion in June 1868, he spent the rest of his life promoting his city. He was a man of integrity and foresight who made great contributions in the areas of rail transportation and agriculture.

One

MAPS AND VISTAS SAGE SCRUB TO CITY