The 1900s, the first decade of the 20th century, was a time of optimism and progress for San Diego. The city was shaking off the economic slump of the 1890s. It was embracing new technologies and looking forward to a bright future. This decade set the stage for San Diego’s growth into a major American city.
The Great White Fleet Visits
One of the biggest events of the decade was the visit of the Great White Fleet in 1907. This was a fleet of sixteen U.S. Navy battleships, painted white, that circumnavigated the globe. Their mission was to demonstrate American naval power.
San Diego was one of the fleet’s stops. The arrival of the ships was a huge spectacle. Thousands of people lined the shores to watch the ships enter the harbor. There were parades, celebrations, and a general sense of excitement.
The visit of the Great White Fleet had a lasting impact on San Diego. It highlighted the strategic importance of the city’s harbor. It also helped to solidify the Navy’s growing presence in the area. This visit played a crucial role.
The Timken Building on Sixth and E Street, 1907Loma from Coronado Beach, San Diego, 1900Fifth Street in San Diego showing a double-decker streetcar, 1905Fifth Street looking south between E Street and F Street, San Diego, 1903Fifth Street looking south between E Street and F Street, San Diego, 1903U.S. Government Quarantine Station, Ballast Point, San Diego, 1904View of San Diego from Old Courthouse, 1900Russ High School, later known as San Diego High School, in San Diego, 1908.Ruins of the Mission San Diego Alcala, as seen from the rear, 1900Ruins of the Mission San Diego Alcala, as seen from the rear, 1900Ruined channel of an old San Diego Mission, 1900Four residences on Upper Front Street in San Diego, 1900Military unit marching in San Diego’s July Fourth parade on Fifth Street, July 4, 1903View of Fifth Street in San Diego showing a double-decker streetcar, 1905San Diego’s State Normal School, 1904Coronado Beach and entrance to San Diego Bay, 1900.
John D. Spreckels
John D. Spreckels was a businessman who had a huge influence on San Diego during this decade. He invested heavily in the city, building infrastructure, businesses, and transportation systems. He was a driving force behind much of San Diego’s development.
Spreckels bought the Coronado Beach Company, which owned the Hotel del Coronado and much of the land on Coronado Island. He developed Coronado as a resort and residential area. He also built a streetcar line connecting Coronado to downtown San Diego.
Spreckels also invested heavily in San Diego’s water system. He understood the importance of a reliable water supply for the city’s growth. He helped to finance the construction of new dams and reservoirs.
He built the Spreckels Theatre, a grand and opulent theater that hosted plays, concerts, and other performances. It was a major cultural addition to the city. It became a center for entertainment.
People outside Blochman’s New Store, 1900View of old town San Diego, showing the ruins of the old jail and the mission church, 1906San Diego Normal School, San Diego, California, 1903.View of San Diego’s 5th Street in the Chinese division with a 4th of July parade, 1903Exterior view of U.S. Grant, Jr.’s residence in San Diego, 1905Automobiles and trucks outside Thing Brothers General Store, 1907San Diego Normal School play area, circa, 1900A school on Market Street, 1907San Diego Normal School, circa 1900Four residences on Upper Front Street in San Diego, 1900Ramona’s marriage place in Old Town, San Diego, 1900.Aerial view of Marine Base, San Diego, 1900s.San Diego’s 5th Street in the Chinese division with a 4th of July parade, 1903Double-decker street car in San Diego, 1903View of San Diego Harbor at the foot of Seventh Street, showing the Pacific Steamship Company, 1900Independent Order of Oddfellows hall at Sixth and Market Street, 1905810 Ash Street, San Diego, 1909
The Beginnings of Balboa Park’s Transformation
Balboa Park, which had been set aside as “City Park” in earlier decades, began its transformation into the urban cultural park it is today. The 1900s saw the first major steps in this process.
A formal plan for the park’s development was created. This plan included landscaping, gardens, and the construction of buildings. The vision was to create a beautiful and functional park for the city’s residents.
The first buildings in the park were constructed during this decade. These included the Botanical Building, a large glass and wood structure for displaying plants. These early buildings set the stage for the park’s later development.
The park became a popular destination for recreation and leisure. People came to stroll through the gardens, have picnics, and enjoy the views. It was becoming a central part of San Diego life.
Spreckels Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park, San Diego, 1900s.The U. S. Government Quarantine Station in San Diego, 1904View of the piers and wharves of the San Diego Waterfront looking northwest toward Point Loma, 1900View of old town San Diego, showing the ruins of the old jail and the mission church, 1906Exterior view of the Sheperd residence in San Diego, 1905Exterior view of the restored San Diego Alcala Mission, 1900Ruins of the San Diego Mission, 1900.Portrait of Louis Morrison Stock Company members at the New Grand Theatre, San Diego, 1900s.Panoramic view of San Diego from 14th and B Streets looking southwest, 1900Album shows adobe houses, tents, camping, hunting, horseback riders, Native American women, families, and ranch scenes, 1900s.Ballast Point lighthouse, San Diego Bay, 1900.Approach of San Diego Mission, showing an arched wood plank entrance door under a Mission-style curvilinear gable, 1909.Four men standing in front of a San Diego Soda Works delivery wagon at the San Diego Soda Works, 1903Exterior view of the Sheperd residence in San Diego, 1905A synagogue on Second and Beech Street, 1901Side view of the schooner Alice McDonald along the coastline, showing the bluffs of Point Loma, 1907.Point Loma from Coronado Beach, San Diego, 1900Driving Alongside the San Diego Flume in 1905Downtown San Diego looking northwest from Seventh and Ash Street, 1905Night view at D St., corner of State St, showing electric lights illuminating buildings and the street, San Diego, 1909.Los Coronados Islands from San Diego, 1900.Fletcher home on 8th and Ash, San Diego, 1909Buildings at 5th Street and F Street in downtown San Diego, a horse-drawn carriage and distant view of streetcar, 1900s.Point Loma San Diego with New Point Loma Lighthouse in the background, 1900.
The Rise of Aviation
The 1900s were the early days of aviation. San Diego, with its mild climate and open spaces, became a center for early flight experiments. This was a very exciting new technology.
Glenn Curtiss, a pioneering aviator, conducted many of his early flight experiments in and around San Diego. He developed and tested seaplanes on San Diego Bay. He also established a flight school on North Island.
These early flights were daring and experimental. The airplanes were fragile and unreliable. But they captured the public’s imagination and pointed to the future of aviation. North Island would go on to become a huge naval aviation center.
Aerial view of downtown San Diego, 1900s.Entrance to the Theosophical Institute, Point Loma, 1902Men and delivery wagons outside the German Bakery at Thirteenth and Market Street 1908U.S. Government Quarantine Station, Ballast Point, San Diego, 1904The U.S. Grant Hotel on Broadway in downtown San Diego, streetcar is seen on Broadway, and palm trees at Horton Park, 1900s.Exterior view of Rancho La Punta, 1900Fremont’s Flag Monument, Old Town, San Diego, 1908Mission Dam on the San Diego River, showing water flowing through a stone dam opening, with rocks and boulders, 1900.A horse-drawn lumber wagon and construction workers, 1905Casa de Estudillo, also known as the Estudillo House, in Old Town San Diego, the house and central courtyard, 1900sThe Rancho La Punta in San Diego, 1900Horton House in San Diego, 1909Man and a woman on the rocks at Point Loma’s Lover’s Leap, San Diego, 1905Exterior view of U.S. Grant, Jr.’s residence in San Diego, 1905Ramona’s Marriage Place, San Diego, 1902Corner of San Diego’s Fifth Street and F Street, looking north, 1903Buildings on Broadway, San Diego, 1900s.Ocean Beach, 1907.People outside of the Machado House, Casa de la Bandera, in San Diego, 1900Buildings and grounds of the Theosophical Society headquarters in Point Loma, now Point Loma Nazarene University, 1906.Horton House in San Diego, 1900-1910San Diego Mission style curvilinear gable, adobe-walled building, bell, man tending to garden under trees, 1903.Old Mission Bells, Old Town, San Diego, 1909Two views of San Diego Mission, 1908.Buildings at Ash Street and Sixth Street in San Diego, 1900s.Point Loma Railroad streetcar, 1900s.Hotel Cabrillo and adjacent building in La Jolla, San Diego, 1904.Corner of San Diego’s Fifth Street and F Street, looking north, 1903A boat approaching a small pier in an estuary in South San Diego, 1900s.Double-decker street car in San Diego, 1903Arrival of train Santa Fe Depot, San Diego, 1907Two views of Old Point Loma Lighthouse, formerly named Old Spanish Lighthouse, now part of Cabrillo National Monument, Point Loma, 1906.Ocean Beach, San Diego, 1900s.Newly constructed Carnegie Library Building, San Diego Public Library, 1902View of Fourth Street looking north from D Street (Broadway?) in San Diego, 1900Busch House, San Diego, 1908Street view of University Avenue in East San Diego near 43rd Street, 1908San Diego’s State Normal School, 1904San Diego Mission and Indian Boarding School, 1905.View of Fourth Street looking north from D Street (Broadway) in San Diego, 1900La Jolla Caves, Plate No. 168, 1900.People gathered at a tent to commemorate the opening of the Adams Avenue line of streetcars, 1907The Egyptian-style entrance gate to the Point Loma Theosophical Society Headquarters and school, 1906.Order of Elks Groundbreaking at Second and D in 1906Los Angeles & San Diego Beach Railway motorcar in front of Hotel Cabrillo, La Jolla, 1909.Ruins of the Mission San Diego Acala seen from the rear, 1900Carillo house in San Diego, 1900
Challenges and Setbacks
Not everything was smooth sailing in San Diego during the 1900s. The city faced social and political challenges. One of the most notable was the “Free Speech Fight” of 1912 (although technically spilling over from the decade’s end, it had its roots here).
This conflict arose from a city ordinance that restricted public speaking in the downtown area. Labor organizers and socialists protested the ordinance, claiming it violated their right to free speech.
The protests led to clashes with police and vigilantes. There were arrests, beatings, and even deaths. The “Free Speech Fight” highlighted tensions between labor and business, and between different political viewpoints.
The Industrial Workers of the World, a radical labor union also known as the “Wobblies,” played a key role in the protests. They advocated for workers’ rights and challenged the power of business owners. The conflict attracted national attention.
Street parade, with men marching with musical instruments, and storefronts in the background, San Diego, 1905.Estudillo Adobe building where Ramona was married, 1900s.Two men standing in front of a Frowiss Brothers horse-drawn delivery wagon, San Diego, 1909.
Daily Life
Daily life in San Diego in the 1900s was becoming more modern and convenient. New technologies and infrastructure improvements were changing the way people lived.
Electricity was becoming more widespread, although it was still not available in all homes. Electric lights were replacing gaslights in many areas. Electric streetcars were providing faster and more efficient transportation.
Automobiles were beginning to appear on the streets, although they were still a rarity. Most people still relied on horses, streetcars, or walking to get around. The car was the new technology everyone wanted.
Telephones were becoming more common, connecting people and businesses. This improved communication and made life easier. It was still a relatively new technology for most people.
Homes were becoming more comfortable, with indoor plumbing and better heating. The standard of living was gradually improving for many residents. This was a major improvement over previous decades.
Street Scene at Fifth and E, 1900sIrving J. Gill: Wangenheim house, San Diego, 1904Two men driving a horse-drawn vacuum street sweeper, 1907Boats and buildings along the waterfront in downtown San Diego, 1905Exterior of San Diego High School, 1907A man seated in a horse-drawn Bay City Market delivery wagon at the northwest corner of Fifth and G Street [ 1900People and automobiles outside a branch office of the Pacific Building Company, 1907Exterior of the Eagles Building in downtown San Diego, 1900The US Grant Hotel and Horton Park, looking northeast, 1906People at the entrance to the McCloskey shell and curio shop, 1905Mission San Diego Alcala in ruins, 1905Horse-drawn carts outside the Muehleisen Tent and Awning Company, 1905Group of men crowded around the entrance to the Pacific Building Company at 1318-1320 D Street 1908Building and shops in San Diego, The San Diego Market, the Acme Meat Market and the Geo. M. Baron furniture store, 1909Downtown San Diego looking west from San Diego High School 1906Four views of San Diego Mission and area, 1909.Men and women passengers sitting in horse-drawn carriage with fringed roof; sign printed on carriage, “Kelly’s Tally-Ho / Cor. 3rd & F Sts.” San Diego, 1906.Kyles Plunge Tank Bathhouse, 1907Automobiles and horse-drawn carriages parked outside the McFadden Buxton Arcade 1908Women outside the Kings Daughters Boarding Club, 1901Excelsior Bottling and Extract Co. building in San Diego, horse-drawn wagons in front, the J. Daneri & Co, 1908.Carnegie Library, San Diego, California, 1903.Three children walking with a group of U. S. Marines during a parade in downtown San Diego, 1908Chinese procession in a 4th of July parade on Fifth Avenue 1903Burnell’s Curiosity Store, 1905Men working on a large water main in downtown San Diego, 1906Midway of street fair on an unidentified San Diego street, showing a Ferris Wheel, and striped awning covering booth, 1906.A group at the Richie Ranch, San Diego, 1905.Los Banos Bathhouse at 311 D Street, 1900Two women and two children standing in the road, with a three-story house behind them, San Diego, 1905.Carnegie Public Library, 1902View of the M. E. Church Block at Fourth & Broadway, 1905People in front of George P. Leonard’s Yankee Grocery store, 1907The US Army Barracks on Kettner Boulevard and Market Street, 1906Two views of an E.D. Wilson, Real Estate office, a single-story building, Ocean Beach, 1909.A Bath House, split-level wood frame building, viewing deck overhanging a bluff with beach below, La Jolla, 1909.Horse-drawn coach in front of the San Diego Excursion Bureau, 1905Automobile with three men on the side of the road with a team of horses approaching in the distance [1905Horse-drawn Studebaker sprinkler wagons at the Lyons Implement Company, 1905
A Growing and Diversifying Population
San Diego’s population continued to grow during the 1900s. The city attracted new residents from other parts of the United States and from other countries.
The city’s ethnic and cultural diversity also increased. Immigrants from Mexico, Europe, and Asia added to the mix of cultures. This diversity enriched the city’s social and cultural life.
The African American community continued to grow, although it still faced discrimination and segregation. Black residents established their own businesses, churches, and community organizations.
Horse-drawn wagons on Fifth Avenue and Broadway, 1905Dunnell’s Hotel at State and F Street 1902 JanStreet view of Fourth Avenue looking north from Broadway, 1901Horton Park and Horton House, looking northwest, 1905Children standing and on horseback in an open field, with trees and hills in the background, 1905Automobiles and a truck parked outside the San Diego Brewery, 1909Automobiles parked around the Spreckels Theater, 1909A large cannon on a railroad flatcar outside the Santa Fe Depot, 1903Downtown Storefronts on Broadway in 1906Ed Fletcher and his employees at the Ed Fletcher Company, 1905Bicycles and buildings in San Diego, California, 1903.Sales Department, Burton Electric Co, San Diego, California, 1909Fifth Avenue looking north from E Street, 1907School children outside the Middletown School on Elm Street, 1906Men working on a large water main in downtown San Diego, 1906View of the Stingaree district of downtown San Diego, 1905Automobiles parked in front of the Hotel Schneider, 1909By the side of Father Gaspara’s house, Old Town, 1900.University Avenue looking east from the Georgia Street bridge, 1900sExterior of the First Methodist Church at Ninth and C Street 1909Exterior of the Frances Apartments at the southwest corner of Tenth and Broadway 1905Union Building at Third Street and Broadway 1906Automobiles parked outside the original Santa Fe Depot, 1909The Cabrillo Bridge under construction, 1906The US Grant Hotel looking northwest, 1908Horton Park, US Grant Hotel, and the Spreckels Theater, 1909The US Grant Hotel looking northeast over Horton Park, 1908Old Town’s Serra Palm, 1905Maxwell automobiles gathered for a parade in front of the San Diego County Courthouse, 1906View of the Methodist Church Block at Fourth and Broadway 1905Delivery trucks parked outside the Snowflake Baking Company 1909Students outside the B Street School, 1903The Kuhn Building on Fourth and Broadway, 1909St. Joseph’s Sanatorium at Sixth and University Avenue, 1909The State Normal School, looking northwest, 1908Villa Montezuma at 1925 K Street, 1905View of the San Diego River, 1909San Diego looking north from the U.S. Grant Hotel, 1907Exterior of the Brewster Hotel at Fourth and C Street 1909W. B. Hage’s Creamery, 1909Exterior of the Hotel San Diego, 1907People watching a man standing on his head atop the sculpture on the roof of the County Courthouse 1909The Owl Drug Company on Fourth and Broadway, 1909View of San Diego High School, 1908The Savoy Theater at 236 C Street, 1909View of San Diego Harbor looking west from the roof of the US Grant Hotel, 1905Students outside the Sherman School, 1903People waiting to board a streetcar on Third Avenue in downtown San Diego, 1907Women in bathing costumes in the surf off the beach, La Jolla Cove and Alligator Head, 1900.Family posed outside, with hills, trees, and cactus in the background, 1905.San Diego looking east from the waterfront, 1904San Diego Harbor, 1905.View of San Diego from the roof of the St. James Hotel, 1900s.Two women, a man, horse and dog standing within flume. With children sitting atop the tunnel’s roof, 1905.Public library, palm-lined street, 1900sA man and a delivery wagon outside Kessler Machine & Supply Company, 1905Francis E. Patterson at his photography store, 1905Men, women, and children standing at the base of the Point Loma Lighthouse, 1905.Point Loma lighthouse, San Diego, 1900Water pouring over the Sweetwater Dam, San Diego, 1907Altar of the Mission Chapel in Old Town San Diego, 1903Pioneer Trucking Company in 1900Ruins of the Old Mission San Diego de Alcala in 1909Trams in downtown San Diego, California, 1903.Pierce Morse Building at Sixth and F Street, 1907American National Bank at Fifth and Broadway, 1907The Empress Theater at Sixth and B Street, 1907Cliffs along La Jolla coast, near San Diego, 1900s.San Diego Mission, 1900.
Image Credits: sandiego.gov, Library of Congress, New York Public Library, Calisphere, Wikimedia, USC Libraries
