What San Diego looked like in the 1970s through these Vintage Photos

The 1970s dawned in San Diego against a backdrop of national uncertainty. The Vietnam War continued, inflation was rising, and concerns about the environment were growing louder. Locally, San Diego was still expanding rapidly, leading to intense debates about how to manage growth and preserve the region’s quality of life. This decade would bring significant challenges, including economic troubles and a major tragedy, alongside important community achievements and the first serious steps toward revitalizing the city’s core.

Aerial view of Geisel Library, looking south, UC San Diego, 1970

Aerial view of UC San Diego campus, looking north, 1970

Quince Street Pedestrian Bridge – 1973. It was designed by city engineer George A. d’Hemecourt and Bankers Hill residents. Built in 1905 at 236 feet long and 60 feet tall, it spans Maple Canyon between Third and Fourth Avenues. It was originally built to allow residents better access to the Fourth Avenue trolley line. In 1987, the San Diego Historical Site Board voted to designate the footbridge as an historic site. It was closed for 2 years for restoration, reopening in 1990 with beams and planks replaced by pressure-treated douglas fir.

Aerial photo of University of San Diego buildings and campus, 1972. USD was created in 1972 with the merging of the 1949 College for Women and 1954 College for Men and the School of Law. Today, the University of San Diego is a nationally ranked Catholic institution with more than 800 faculty members and 7,800 undergraduate, graduate and law students. The 180-acre campus now houses buildings that encompass more than two million square feet.

The City Rescue Mission operated in the Higgins Building, a former hotel, at 527 Fifth Avenue, 1970. Beginning in the 1950’s, the Mission used this building until the 1980’s. It is a three story brick building built in 1873 and was restored as part of the Gaslamp Quarter preservation. A restaurant is now on the ground floor.

The crowd in San Diego Stadium (now Qualcomm) for a 1976 Beach Boys concert. The band was on a 32-city tour which was documented in the film titled The Beach Boys: Good Vibrations Tour, also known as The Beach Boys: It’s OK. The 1976 biographical musical film directed by Gary Weis was originally aired as an NBC special. Filmed at Anaheim Stadium, it includes 1976 concert footage of The Beach Boys intertwined with interviews and other footage.

View of downtown San Diego looking up Broadway in 1976. Originally built in 1913, the Broadway Pier was remodeled in the 1970’s by architect Donald Innis. The innovative remodeling featured planter boxes with trees and foliage, which was one of the first of its type of above-water structures to do this. I n 2010, the 1970’s version of the Broadway Pier building was demolished and a cruise ship terminal was erected in its place.

Brian Stokes Mitchell as Conrad Birdie with other actors on stage in Bye Bye Birdie, 1973. Brian ‘Stokes’ went on to become a Tony award winner, leading man in Broadway theatre in New York. He got his start in Junior Theatre’s Bye Bye Birdie at the age of 14. Established in 1948 in Balboa Park, San Diego Junior Theatre is the oldest youth theatre program in the United States, producing shows acted and crewed by children ages 8-18.

Partial view of the Backesto Building at 5th and Market, 1970. Bank of America, Classy Cats Theater and the Saratoga Hotel are on the ground floor. It was built in 1873, modified in 1887, and was one of the first buildings in the Gaslamp Quarter to be restored during the preservation in the 1970’s. The 39 sleeping rooms, which were on the upper floor, were turned into business offices. Restaurants are on the ground floor.

Partial view of the Backesto Building at 5th and Market, 1970. Classy Cats Theater, the Saratoga Hotel and Bay Loans are on the ground floor. It was built in 1873, modified in 1887, and was one of the first buildings in the Gaslamp Quarter to be restored during the preservation in the 1970’s. The 39 sleeping rooms, which were on the upper floor, were turned into business offices. Restaurants are now on the ground floor.

Crowd at Balboa Stadium for an August 10, 1975, Beach Boys Concert. Jesse Colin Young and Pure Prairie League also performed.

Foxy and Casino Theatres in the 600 Block of Fifth Avenue Circa 1970. The Casino Theater opened in 1913. It was remodeled in the 1930’s into an Art Deco style. In the early 1970’s it was operated by Pussycat Theatre, but kept the Casino name. The buildings were restored as part of the Gaslamp Quarter preservation and are now retail shops.

The Star of India and many followers on July 4, 1976, U.S. Bicentennial Sail, her first sail in 50 years. Launched in November 1863 as the Euterpe, she is the world’s oldest active sailing ship. In 1926, she was sold to the Zoological Society of San Diego to be the centerpiece of a planned museum and aquarium. The Great Depression and World War II caused that plan to be cancelled, and it was not until 1957 that restoration began. She houses exhibits for the Maritime Museum of San Diego, is kept fully seaworthy, and sails at least once a year.

The 700 block of Fifth Avenue in 1970 was the site of the Kelsey Hotel, Lux Adult Theatre in the Llewelyn Building, King Neptune Clothes, Acapulco Cafe and Paul’s Loans. The Lux Theatre operated until the mid-1980s when the renovation of the Gaslamp Quarter began. The building is now home to an Italian restaurant. The 1887 Llewelyn Building is the only French Provincial building in the Gaslamp Quarter. Upstairs, the Louis Hotel was home to prostitutes and was considered one of the least savory addresses in the Gaslamp Quarter.

Aztec Theater at 665 Fifth at G Street Circa 1970. This 500-seat theater was built in 1905 as a meat market and entered the show business in 1919 as the ‘California Theatre’. It became the Fox Aztec in Circa 1930 and is now a retail store.

Skyline view of downtown San Diego taken from the bay in 1976.

View of the Botanical Building with the Lily Pond and Lagoon in the foreground, 1977. The building was designed by architects Bertram Goodhue and Carleton M. Winslow, Sr., and built for the 1915-1916 Panama California Exposition. It is one of the largest lath structures in the world, measuring 250 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 60 feet tall, made with spaced louvers to allow light to penetrate the 2,000+ plants inside. It originally included a long steel and glass greenhouse projecting from the back of the central portion, now removed.

The crowd at Balboa Stadium for a 1975 concert by Fleetwood Mac, Loggins and Messina, Rod Stewart and Faces, and Lynyrd Skynyrd, 1975. General admission lawn seats were $7.50. With a capacity of 34,000, Balboa Stadium was a popular 1975 venue. Other concerts that year included The Beach Boys with Jessie Colin Young and Pure Prairie League, and The Allman Brothers Band.

Participants preparing to launch in the 1973 Bathtub Races in Mission Bay. The races were held at Crown Point Shores as part of activities celebrating San Diego’s America’s Finest City Week, August 24 – 31, 1973. The boats are small watercraft designed around bathtubs or close facsimiles. The rules restrict the engine to 8 horsepower and the weight to a minimum of 350 pounds including the driver.

Tuna boats at Seaport Village, 1970. San Diego was once the tuna capital of the world. From the 1930s until the late 1970s, it was the city’s third-largest industry, behind the Navy and aerospace. Two of the three big tuna canning companies were here, and the waterfront was home to four canneries and many boats. Due to regulations, rising costs, environmental pressure associated with dolphins and other issues, all corporations had moved from the west coast by 1984.

New attractions added to the city’s appeal. In 1972, the San Diego Wild Animal Park (now the San Diego Zoo Safari Park) opened in the San Pasqual Valley near Escondido. Covering vast acreage, it offered a different experience from the main Zoo, allowing animals like rhinos, giraffes, and antelope to roam in large, naturalistic enclosures. It quickly became a popular destination for families and tourists.

The roller coaster in Belmont Park, then called ‘Earthquake’ now the ‘Giant Dipper’, 1977. Built in 1925, the roller coaster was slated for demolition in 1979. In the interest of keeping the bulldozers away, San Diego City Architect Consultant, Anthony Ciani, succeeded in having the Mission Beach Earthquake placed on the National Register of Historic Places in October of 1978. Successful efforts of the Save the Coaster Committee have guarded it from the wrecking ball through the years.

The American Freedom Train was in San Diego in January 1976 on its 48-state tour for the U.S. Bicentennial celebration. It was created to bring Americans the opportunity to review their heritage in 10 exhibit cars designed with special effects of sights, sounds and smells and a moving walkway that carried visitors from one exhibit to another. Historical documents and memorabilia of American achievements were gathered from private contributors, museums and historical societies. The tour lasted from April 1, 1975, until December 31, 1976.

I.O.O.F. Building (Independent Order of Odd Fellows), on Market Street at Sixth Avenue. Built in 1882 as a joint effort of the Masonic and Odd Fellows Lodges, this revival-style building required nearly a decade to complete due to a lack of money and materials. A parade kicked off the long awaited laying of the cornerstone, into which was placed a casket containing valuable coins, historic documents, and even a stone from Solomon’s Temple. The lodges shared the second floor until the Mason’s moved to a new hall in 1910.

The California loaded with passengers passing the United States Navy’s supercarrier USS Kitty Hawk CV-63 in San Diego Bay, 1977. The tall ship was operated by the San Diego Maritime Museum and was later replaced by The Californian, designated as the official tall ship of the State of California in 2003.

Shops in the 900 block of Fifth Avenue in the Gaslamp Quarter Circa 1970’s. Stan’s Men’s Wear at 920 Fifth is now Attic II Men’s Wear, and Joseph Imports at 924 is now Tahiti Felix’s Master Tattoo and Museum.

Aerial photo taken around 1970 of San Diego Bay, the Coast Guard Sector San Diego Buildings on North Harbor Drive, Harbor Island, Lindbergh Field and Point Loma.

The House of Hospitality and bronze statue of El Cid Campeador, 1977. The House of Hospitality is a National Historic Landmark. It was built to be the centerpiece of the 1915-16 Panama-California Exposition, and remodeled to add the inner courtyard for the 1935-36 California Pacific International Exposition. It houses the visitor’s center, gift shop, offices and The Prado restaurant. El Cid was created in 1927 by Anna Hyatt Huntington and installed in 1930.

The Follies Theater at 621 Fifth Avenue Circa 1970. Built in 1880, this 1,750 square foot building was restored as part of the Gaslamp Quarter preservation and is now a retail store.

Daily life in the 70s reflected broader cultural trends. Musically, the decade saw the rise of disco, punk rock, and funk, alongside enduring genres like rock and pop. Fashion featured bell-bottom pants, platform shoes, feathered hair, and bold patterns. The jogging craze took hold, with runners becoming a common sight along beaches and park paths. Despite the energy crises, car culture remained dominant. People enjoyed the beaches, surfed the waves, and spent time outdoors in parks like Balboa Park, home to the expanding Zoo and numerous museums.

Getting around the sprawling region remained heavily reliant on automobiles. Traffic congestion was a growing concern. Recognizing the limitations of a freeway-only system, transportation planners began seriously studying alternatives. Towards the very end of the decade, concrete plans started forming for a light rail system – the San Diego Trolley. The initial “South Line” connecting downtown to the border at San Ysidro was approved, setting the stage for its opening in the early 1980s.

The Cole Block (building on the left) at 702 Fifth Avenue at G Street, 1970. It was the original home of Lion’s Clothiers run by Samuel Fox in 1899 after the store’s founder, Isaac Kuhn, died. The store became so successful that Fox moved it in 1905 to a larger building on Fifth and E Streets. Designed by architect John B. Stannard in 1891, the building was restored as part of the Gaslamp Quarter preservation.

Fourth Avenue 1975, Gaslite Saloon, Altrude Hotel, Broker’s Bldg, 1975. Gaslite Saloon, Moon Cafe and the Altrude Hotel (now Monsoon restaurant) are on the East side of the street. Broker’s Building is in the background at 4th and Market, originally the site of Abraham Klauber’s and Simon Levi’s wholesale business. It was built in 1887 and rebuilt in 1989 after a fire. The third floor was added in 1909.

Downtown San Diego looking toward Harbor Island, 1973

Mercedes O309D 19-Passenger metro bus on Broadway near Horton Park in 1976. The buses were bought as part of ‘San Diego Action Plan 1974’ developed by San Diego Transit’s General Manager Tom Prior and his staff. The goal was to grow transit usage by 50 percent by 1975 via versatility and adaptability, inherent in small buses, by increasing frequency, extending routes and adding new ones. A 1975 ‘American City and County’ magazine article referred to San Diego as a model for the mass transit industry.

To kick-off the annual National Public Works Week in 1970, a large pipe was set up in Mission Valley Center with a sign that read ‘Come Walk Thru the Giant Pipe’. San Diego Optimist marching band entertained the crowd. NPWW honors the men and women in North America who provide and maintain the infrastructure and services known as public works. Started as a public education campaign by the American Public Works Association in 1960, it calls attention to the importance of public works in community life.

Former Central Library at Eighth and E in 1971. The San Diego Public Library was established in 1882 in rented space in a bank building at Fifth and G. The city received a Carnegie Library Grant in 1899, a building was built in 1902 at 820 E Street and the Public Library was moved from the bank building. In 1952, the Carnegie Library building was demolished and the new library opened at the same location in 1954, shown in this 1971 photo. It closed permanently in 2013 to begin the process of transferring collections to the new Central Library at 330 Park Boulevard.

Georgia Street Bridge in North Park, 1974. It was built in 1914 in one of the city’s earliest suburbs, crossing over busy University Avenue where streetcars once traveled. The bridge’s basic design is Romanesque Spandrel Arch with Mission Revival styling. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. The decades have taken their toll and a major overhaul will include seismic and structural retrofits and upgrades to the crosswalks and byways along University Avenue beneath it to help safeguard motorists and pedestrians.

Aerial view of Lake Sutherland Dam and Reservoir, 1978. Construction of the dam began in 1927, but it was not completed until 1954. Lack of funds and a disagreement over water rights halted construction in 1928 when it was about one-fourth complete. It resumed 1952. Lake Sutherland is located about 10 miles northeast of downtown Ramona and belongs to the City of San Diego. It is named after John P. Sutherland, realtor and farmer.

Sportfishing boat the ‘San Diego’ in the entrance channel to Mission Bay; Ocean Beach pier is in the background, 1970. Sportfishing has been popular in San Diego since the 1930s. The 75 x 23 foot vessel has been known as the crown jewel of the sportfishing fleet in ‘America’s Finest City’ for more than 40 years. It is owned and operated by Captain Ryan Bostian, a third generation San Diegan. Repowered in 2007 with 8.1 liter engines, the San Diego is fast, cruising at 12 knots, and is equipped with the latest electronics.

Gaslamp Quarter Parking Circa 1970. The rates were $1.50 all day or $1.00 per hour during weekdays, $0.50 all day on Saturday and in the evenings.

San Diego Junior Theatre’s cast of Cheaper by the Dozen, 1973. It was based on a biographical novel written by Frank Bunker Gilbreth, Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey, published in 1948. It tells the story of efficiency experts Frank Bunker Gilbreth and Lillian Moller Gilbreth, and their twelve children. The book was adapted to film by Twentieth Century Fox in 1950. The 2003 and 2005 films bear little resemblance to the original book or 1950 film.

Natural History Museum, Bea Evenson Fountain, 1974. The museum was founded as the San Diego Society of Natural History in 1874, originally organized at the Hotel Cecil on 6th Avenue. The society moved the museum to the park in 1917 into a building from the 1915-16 Exposition. They occupied 3 buildings before moving into this one in 1933, designed by William Templeton Johnson. A major reconstruction in 2001 more than doubled the facility’s size. It is oldest scientific institution in Southern California.

The McGurck Block at 611 Fifth Avenue at Market Street, 1970. Built in 1880, it was named after Edward McGurck. The first tenant of the Italianate Revival building was Speyer-Lesem Dry Goods, operating until 1891. After that Alda and Claire Ferris operated their Ferris and Ferris Drug Store until 1984. It was restored as part of the Gaslamp Quarter preservation. The ground floor is now restaurant.

Businesses on the corner of Sixth and Island Circa 1970. Zuniga Wholesale Produce at 509 Sixth was demolished to make room for condominiums, but San Diego’s oldest bar, Tivoli, established in 1885, is still operating at 505 Sixth. Abraham Klauber and Samuel Steiner recorded the deed from Alonzo Horton in 1869 for the lots on the southwest corner for Klauber Warehouse. It is now the site of Ballpark Self Storage, but part of Klauber Wangenheim Company’s building remains.

The Hubbell Building at 813-823 Fifth Avenue Circa 1970, showing the Clark Hotel, Little Boy Peep, Fun Hay Chinese Food and Albert’s Music City. It was built in 1887 and originally housed part of George W. Marston’s store. Restored as part of the preservation of the Gaslamp Quarter, it now has restaurants on the ground floor.

The Marston Building at 809 Fifth Avenue at F Street Circa 1970, occupied by China Doll Lounge and a nightclub. Built in 1881, it was George W. Marston’s store until 1898 and the first office of San Diego Federal Savings and Loan. The first gaslamp was placed on this corner in 1885, and on March 16, 1886, the first electric arc lamp was illuminated outside of this building. Restored as part of the Gaslamp Quarter preservation, it now has a restaurant on the ground floor.

View looking up Fifth Avenue from Island Avenue Circa 1970. The William Penn Hotel at Fifth Avenue and F Street is in the background. Built in 1904 as the elegant Oxford Hotel, this building was given a second life when it reopened as luxury apartments during the preservation of the Gaslamp Quarter.

Aerial view of Lake Miramar, a reservoir located in the Scripps Miramar Ranch community completed in 1960 as part of the second San Diego Aqueduct project, 1978. It is a popular recreation site. Activities include boating, fishing, picnicking, and the use of a 5-mile long trail wrapping around the lake. Fishing is allowed all year. Lake Miramar is stocked with largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, sunfish and trout.

Mercantile Building at 822 Fifth Avenue, 1970. Built 1894, it was an extension to the Ingersoll-Tutton building next door and is nearly identical. It was home of several retail and service-oriented businesses, including A.M. Ingersoll’s ice cream and confectioner’s store from 1895 to 1906. A restaurant is now on the ground floor.

A major shift occurred in city leadership when Pete Wilson was elected mayor in 1971. He championed a policy of “controlled growth,” aiming to manage the pace and location of new development rather than letting sprawl continue unchecked. This sparked considerable debate between developers eager to build and residents concerned about traffic, crowded schools, and the loss of open space. Despite these efforts, suburban expansion continued pushing north and east, with communities like Rancho Bernardo, Scripps Ranch, and Mira Mesa seeing significant home building. The tension between growth and preservation became a defining characteristic of San Diego politics throughout the decade. Late in the 70s, California voters passed Proposition 13 (1978), a statewide measure drastically cutting property taxes. This had major consequences for local government funding across California, forcing cities like San Diego to re-evaluate budgets for public services, schools, and infrastructure.

Paul Harney, winner of the 1972 Andy Williams San Diego Open, received the Mayor’s Trophy from Pete Wilson. Paul Harney played full-time on the PGA Tour from 1955 to 1962, and part-time from 1963 to 1973. During that time, he won six PGA Tour events. Andy Williams hosted the PGA Tour golf tournament, then known as the ‘Andy Williams San Diego Open’, from 1968-1988 at Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla, a 36-hole public facility owned by the City of San Diego.

Mayor Pete Wilson with event participants in front of a sailboat with a banner advertising the annual Jack Dorsee Go Fly a Kite and Sail Race, 1975. Jack Dorsee owned his sailboat sales and rental business on Harbor Island for more than 40 years. He was a life-long sailor and influential in the Mission Bay Yacht Club and the San Diego Yacht Club Sailing Foundation. He started the annual Go Fly a Kite Sail Race in 1969.

City Administration Building, Phil Swing Memorial Fountain, 1977. The plaque reads ‘The Father of Boulder Dam, All American Canal, San Diego Aqueduct, Metropolitan Water District, Dedicated this 6th day of July 1967 by the People of San Diego’ and lists the names of committee members who funded the fountain and city officials. Philip David Swing (1884-1963) was influential in bringing rivers and roads to the southwest. He was an attorney, a judge, in the House of Representatives where he focused on water issues, and a member of the California State Water Resources Board.

Fire, Balboa Park Electric Building, 1978

Ballroom in the historic Balboa Park Club Building featuring approximately 13,000 square feet of unobstructed wood dance floor, 1972. The Balboa Park Dancers meet twice weekly to learn and improve dancing skills. The building was built for the 1915-16 Panama California Exposition to house the State of New Mexico’s exhibits. It was later remodeled and enlarged for the 1935 exposition with WPA money. After World War II the City made extensive changes to the building. It was renovated again in the 1990s.

Looking West, El Prado Pedestrian Walkway at Casa del Prado, 1977. Completed in 1971, Casa del Prado is a modified reconstruction of the largest of the temporary exhibition halls built for the 1915-16 Panama-California Exposition. It was named the Varied Industries and Food Products Building, and later renamed the Food and Beverage Building. It is now home to many organizations and activities and has a number of venues that can be rented for events.

The completed city administration complex, 1973. Morley H. Golden, at one time known as Mr. San Diego for his community involvement, led the campaign to build the complex housing City Hall (now named Charles C. Dail Community Concourse), exhibit and convention hall (now named Golden Hall), the parkade, and the 3,000-seat Civic Theater, which his firm M. H. Golden Construction Company, completed in 1965.

INK Group Photo, 1971. Top row: Raul Ramirez, Marita Redondo, John Bennett, Walter Redondo, Janet Newberry. Bottom row: Chico Hagey, Vicki Jensen, Warren Eber, Sue Boyle. In 1935 Harper Ink, Sr. (1888-1953) started the Harper Ink Memorial Tennis Tournament to support and assist young tennis players financially. Losers were allowed to keep the balls, and the trophies came from Tiffany’s. Harper Ink’s contribution to San Diego tennis renews itself every year with the Ink Tournament which is now played at the Barnes Tennis Center.

The national economy faced significant headwinds in the 1970s, and San Diego felt the effects. Inflation eroded purchasing power, making everyday goods more expensive. Two major energy crises, in 1973 and again in 1979, led to gasoline shortages and long lines at gas stations, a frustrating experience remembered by many who lived through it. These shortages highlighted the region’s dependence on cars. While the military remained a huge economic pillar, and the research sectors linked to UCSD and Salk Institute continued to grow (especially in biotechnology), periods of recession caused job worries for many San Diegans.

Junipero Serra Museum in Presidio Park, 1971. The park was founded in 1769 as the site of the San Diego Presidio and the San Diego Mission, the first European settlements in the western United States. In 1907 George Marston bought Presidio Hill, and in 1925 built the park (planned by architect John Nolan) and the museum (designed by William Templeton Johnson). Marston donated the park to the city in 1929. The museum is operated by the San Diego Historical Society.

La Jolla Cove and lifeguard tower with Red Rest and Red Roost cottages in the background, 1978. The cottages, built in 1894, are rare surviving examples of beach cottages that once proliferated in La Jolla. They are the oldest structures there, designated as historic landmarks in 1975. Shortly after that, the owners sought to demolish them. They sat unoccupied for nearly three decades, with little to no upkeep. Sold in late 2014, a rehabilitation and reuse plan for the historically significant cottages began.

Balboa Park Electric Building (1915 Exposition’s Commerce and Industries Building), now Casa de Balboa, after the 1978 fire caused by arson. The Electric Building housed the Aerospace Museum and contained vintage airplanes, mementos and artifacts. San Diego’s contributions to the history of aviation and manned flight, dating from the construction of Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis by San Diego’s Ryan Aircraft Company, to rocks taken from the surface of the moon were destroyed.

Mayor Pete Wilson giving a proclamation to the ‘High Society’ Quartet during International Sweet Adelines Month, 1975. Their order in the photo is unknown: Bette Roberts (tenor), Kim Bone (lead), Sandy Shelver (baritone), Pat Morse (bass). The four original members of High Society were also members of the 1975 International Champion San Diego Chorus. They began singing together at a coffee shop after a chorus function and decided they wanted to be quartet champions. They went on to win the Sweet Adelines International 1976 Championship.

While suburbs grew, downtown San Diego continued to struggle. Many businesses and shoppers had migrated to suburban malls, leaving parts of the city center feeling neglected. However, the 1970s saw the beginnings of a concerted effort to turn things around. The Centre City Development Corporation (CCDC), formed in the late 60s, became more active in planning downtown’s future. Early concepts for a major retail center, which would eventually become Horton Plaza, started to take shape, though actual construction was still years away. Importantly, efforts began to preserve the historic Gaslamp Quarter. Activists worked to get the area recognized for its unique Victorian architecture, saving many buildings from demolition and laying the groundwork for its eventual transformation into a vibrant entertainment district. This marked a growing appreciation for the city’s history amidst rapid modernization.

Aerial View of Brown Field in 1973. Located in the Otay Mesa neighborhood of San Diego 13 miles southeast of downtown, named in honor of Commander Melville S. Brown, USN, who was killed in an airplane crash in 1936. The airport, originally named East Field in honor of Army Major Whitten J. East, opened in 1918. On September 1, 1962, the Navy transferred ownership of Brown Field to the City of San Diego.

Lake Hodges Dam and Reservoir located 31 miles north of San Diego and just south of Escondido, 1978. The reservoir was created after the dam was completed, a multiple-arch dam that sits on the San Dieguito River. It was commissioned by the Volcan Water Company and designed by John S. Eastwood and completed in 1918. The City of San Diego purchased the dam and reservoir in 1925.

On the sports front, the San Diego Padres baseball team and the San Diego Chargers football team continued to represent the city. Fans packed San Diego Stadium to cheer them on, though both teams experienced the typical ups and downs of professional sports, with seasons of hope often followed by disappointment. Nonetheless, they provided a shared focus and source of civic pride for many San Diegans. The decade was a mix of difficulties and advancements, shaping the city’s physical form and community spirit in lasting ways.

Mayor Wilson and the KGB Chicken at the Mayor’s desk during a press conference for America’s Finest City Week, 1978. The KGB Chicken became one the most irreverent and iconic mascots in sports history. The character originated as an animated TV commercial for KGB-FM Radio. In March 1974, Ted Giannoulas was hired to wear the first suit. At the time he was a 20-year-old journalism major at San Diego State University. The Chicken, no longer with KGB, continues to make appearances in the United States and abroad.

Youth fishing at Lake Chollas shoreline, 1972. As a reservoir built in 1901, Chollas Lake helped serve early San Diego’s water supply. In 1966 it was turned over to the Park and Recreation Department, and was designated a youth fishing lake for children ages 15 and under in 1971. (Photo courtesy of Bob Brown.)

The Balboa Park Club Building, 2144 Pan American Road West, taken in 1972. The historic building was first constructed for the 1915-16 Panama California Exposition to house the State of New Mexico’s exhibits. It was later remodeled and enlarged for the 1935 exposition with WPA money. After World War II the City made extensive changes to the building. It was renovated again in the 1990s.

The historic Jacob Weinberger U.S. Courthouse at F and State Streets, 1973. The Courthouse was completed in 1913 and opened in time for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition. In 1988, the Courthouse was renamed in honor of Judge Jacob Weinberger. In 1994, an award-winning restoration project renewed the historic lobby and main courtroom to their original beauty while creating new offices and courtrooms that evoked the elegant style of the 1913 period.

Mayor Pete Wilson at Jack Dorsee Sailboats Sales and Rentals with event participants in the Go Fly a Kite and Sail Race, 1975. Jack Dorsee owned his business on Harbor Island for more than 40 years. He was a life-long sailor and influential in the Mission Bay Yacht Club and the San Diego Yacht Club Sailing Foundation. He started the annual Go Fly a Kite Sail Race in 1969.

The original Point Loma Lighthouse is a historic lighthouse located on the Point Loma peninsula at the mouth of San Diego Bay situated in the Cabrillo National Monument, 1970. It is no longer in operation as a lighthouse but is open to the public as a museum. It was built in 1855 by the United States government after California’s admission as a state.

The Balboa Theatre at 868 4th Avenue, 1972. The historic theatre opened in 1924 as a vaudeville house. It was remodeled and reopened in 1934 as Teatro Balboa. In 1959, the Russo family acquired the building and operated it as an action movie house until 1985 when it was acquired and closed by the City’s redevelopment agency. After many attempts for private development, in 2002 the City committed to retain it as a community asset and invest in its renovation. The Balboa Theatre reopened in January 2008.

Palm Canyon is a tropical oasis, containing more than 450 palms (58 species) within its 2 acres, 1970. A hidden spot in Balboa Park, the winding paths lead into a shady, lush canyon. The original group of Mexican fan palms date back to 1912. In 2001, the California Conservation Corps restored the historic trail that connected Palm Canyon to the Old Cactus Garden. A picturesque wooden footbridge leads from the Alcazar Gardens parking lot to across the street from the Spreckels Organ Pavilion.

The Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theater, 1972. It was originally part of a large unit built for the 1935-36 California Pacific Exposition called the Palisades Building, which became the Hollywood Motion Picture Hall of Fame for the exposition. After World War II, the building was divided into three sections: an arts and crafts center, a recital hall, and the 234-seat theater, later named after puppeteer Marie Hitchock, who gave her first public performance there with her sister, Genevieve Engman, in 1947. Marie continued performing until she died in 1994.

Interior view of the Balboa Park Conference Building, 1972. It was built in 1935 for the California-Pacific Exposition, remodeled in 1949, and became the San Diego Automotive Museum in 1988, displacing clog dancers, Ping-Pong players and badminton boosters who had been using the building. The museum attracts about 100,000 visitors each year to view the collection of rare and vintage cars. Special shows cycle through every few months. While vehicles are not on display, they are stored in the museum’s repair shop in National City.

Red Roost Cottage, 1975. Red Rest (unshown) is located next door. The cottages, built in 1894, are rare surviving examples of beach cottages that once proliferated in La Jolla. They are the oldest structures there, designated as historic landmarks in 1975. Shortly after that, the owners sought to demolish them. They sat unoccupied for nearly three decades, with little to no upkeep. Sold in late 2014, a rehabilitation and reuse plan for the historically significant cottages began.

KGB Chicken in Council Chambers with Tom Gade and Larry Stirling, 1978. KGB Incorporated’s Chicken made a presentation for the development of a soccer field in Morley Field in Balboa Park. KGB donated $62,000 toward the construction. The KGB Chicken became an iconic mascot in sports. The character started as a TV commercial for KGB-FM Radio. In 1974 Ted Giannoulas, a San Diego State journalism major, was hired to wear the first suit. The Chicken, no longer with KGB, continues to make appearances in the United States and abroad.

Construction of the School of Medicine on the former Camp Matthews site, UC San Diego, 1977

Cars and a taxi drive along Main Street in downtown San Diego, 1970.

Tragedy struck the city on September 25, 1978. Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA) Flight 182, a Boeing 727 descending towards Lindbergh Field, collided mid-air with a small private Cessna aircraft over the North Park neighborhood. The crash resulted in the deaths of all 135 people on the PSA jet, the two occupants of the Cessna, and seven people on the ground. Debris rained down over several blocks near Dwight and Nile streets. It was, at the time, the deadliest air disaster in U.S. history and left a deep scar on the community. The event prompted major reviews of air traffic control procedures near busy airports.

PSA Flight 182 moments before it hit the ground at 300mph

After colliding with the Cessna, Flight 182 took 17 seconds to fall to the ground

PSA Flight 182: how a routine flight became an apocalyptic disaster.The jet came down in the working class San Diego neighbourhood of North Park.

Fountain in Revelle Plaza, UC San Diego, 1970

The environmental movement gained significant traction in the 1970s. Inspired partly by the first Earth Day in 1970, many San Diegans became more concerned about air and water pollution, coastal development, and preserving natural landscapes. The California Coastal Act of 1976 established regulations to control development along the state’s coastline, a measure with significant relevance for San Diego. Locally, efforts led to the formal establishment of Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, protecting the rare Torrey Pine trees and scenic coastal bluffs from development. Debates frequently erupted over proposed building projects versus the desire to protect canyons, beaches, and sensitive habitats.

SIO scuba divers at La Jolla Shores, Scripps Pier in background, 1970

Aerial view of Revelle College, looking west, UC San Diego, 1970

Aerial view of the Chester W. Nimitz Marine Facility and Scripps Institution of Oceanography fleet, Point Loma, San Diego, California, 1970

Communities found powerful ways to express their identities and fight for their space. In 1970, the Chicano community laid claim to the land beneath the newly built approaches to the San Diego-Coronado Bridge in Barrio Logan. Residents protested the planned construction of a Highway Patrol station on the site, demanding a park instead. Their activism succeeded, leading to the creation of Chicano Park. Over the following years, the park became famous for its stunning murals painted on the bridge support pillars, celebrating Chicano culture and history. It stands today as a powerful symbol of community resistance and cultural pride.

Other social movements continued to evolve. The Women’s Movement advocated for equal pay, reproductive rights, and greater representation in politics and the workplace. Chicano activists continued to work for educational reform, political empowerment, and social justice. The LGBTQ+ community became more visible, organizing events and establishing community centers, beginning the long struggle for acceptance and equal rights. The end of the Vietnam War in 1975 brought many veterans back to San Diego, a major military town. Their return involved complex adjustments for both the veterans and the community. The fall of Saigon also led to the resettlement of Vietnamese refugees in San Diego, adding a new group to the region’s diverse population.