Historical Facts:
Many of you were here when San Diego was a sleepy military town. San Diego is now
the seventh largest city in the United States, with nearly 1.3 million residents. The
population of San Diego County is nearly 3 million, and Tijuana
adds nearly 1.5 million more. San Diego County stretches from Orange County
(the southern Los Angeles-Anaheim area) to the Mexican border.
Perhaps you'll remember some of the major events listed below from San Diego or Scripps history.
Selected data is courtesy of the San Diego Historical Society and Scripps Archives.
[ 1836 1899 ] [ 1900 1950 ] [ 1951 2000 ]
 1836
Ellen Browning Scripps born in London.
1854
Edward W. Scripps born on a pioneer homestead near Rushville, Illinois.
1856
William E. Ritter born on a pioneer homestead in Hampden, Wisconsin.
1885
Indiana railroad promoter Elisha S. Babcock and Chicago piano manufacturer H.L. Story buy the
peninsula of Coronado for $110,000. Construction of Hotel del Coronado begins in 1886. At an
auction on November 13, 1886, they sell a million dollars worth of Coronado lots to some of
the 6,000 buyers on hand. With the proceeds, they establish a ferry system, water service, and
the Coronado Gas & Electric Co.
1886
First electric street lights are installed in San Diego.
1886
San Diego's first transit system, the San Diego Street Car Company is organized by a group led by
Babcock and Story. First streetcars begin operating over two-mile track on Broadway.
1887
San Diego population hits estimated 35,000-40,000.
1887
Railroad rate war leads to population boom and land stampede. San Diego's Victorian Santa Fe railway
station opens downtown, built by the California Southern Railroad.
1888
San Diego's 1880s real estate boom ends. By the end of the decade the population has dropped from 40,000 to 16,000.
1888
Entrepreneurs Elisha Babcock and H.L. Story open the world-famous Hotel del Coronado, although construction continues on much
of the building.
1890
City of San Diego's population drops to 16,159. San Diego County population is 34,987.
1891
A new lighthouse is built on Point Loma at sea level, where it remains, along with a set of lights at Ballast Point to guide
incoming boats.
1891
Ritter marries physician Mary Bennett and honeymoons at the Hotel del Coronado, where he collects zoological specimens at
the seashore. He meets San Diego physician and shell collector Fred Baker.
1892
The University of California provides Professor W.E. Ritter and students with a fund of $200 to establish a summer
instruction program in marine zoology. With this money, Ritter purchases a tent and a few instruments and sets up a seaside
laboratory at Pacific Grove.
1893
Wall Street panic leads to lengthy depression.
1893
Irving John Gill, widely regarded as San Diego's most prominent and innovative architect, arrives in San Diego.
1893
A tent marine biological laboratory was established for the summer season at Avalon on Santa Catalina Island.
1894
Earthquake of 5.75 magnitude hits East of San Diego
1899
Andrew Carnegie donates $60,000 to build San Diego Public Library, first of his libraries west of Mississippi, opens in 1902
at Eighth and E.
1899
Army establishes Fort Rosecrans, named after General Rosecrans, an 1842 graduate of the US Military Academy. It remains an
Army base until transfer to the Navy in 1959 for the purpose of building a submarine base on Ballast Point.
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