After completing the house and moving in I am finally catching up on my final “If These Walls Could Talk blog posts”- so sorry for the delay! Let’s go back to the period of 1944 – 1960 when the Gentilella family took the reigns of the house and then transferred it to the family I purchased it from.
1945
World War II ends. San Diego soon experiences recession.
1945
San Diego voters approve 2 million dollar bond issue to begin development of Mission Bay.
1946
San Diego assumes responsibility to finance completion of San Diego Aqueduct. Voters approve $2 million water bonds and annexation of County Water Authority to Metropolitan Water District.
1946
George White Marston dies at age of 95.
1947
San Diego Aqueduct opens, bringing first Colorado River water to San Diego.
1948
Palomar Observatory opens in June. Construction on the 200-inch mirror had begun in 1934.
1948
Sit-in at U.S. Grant Hotel to protest racial discrimination.
1949
San Diego’s last electric streetcar completes its run from Union Depot. “Fiesta Bahia” celebrates opening of Mission Bay Park.
1950
City of San Diego population is 333,865. San Diego County population is 556,808.
1951
Passenger service on San Diego & Arizona Railway is discontinued.
1951
Jack in the Box gets its start. Robert O. Peterson opens first drive-through restaurant at 63rd Street and El Cajon Boulevard. Peterson had previously operated Oscars.
1952
California Western University is founded at site of Tingley’s Theosophical Society on Point Loma.
1954
San Diego’s new Public Library opens.
1954
University of San Diego is founded in Linda Vista.
1956
General Dynamics takes over Convair. Campus in San Diego’s La Jolla area proposed for a University of California site. El Cortez Hotel adds the world’s first outside glass hydraulic elevator, designed by C.J. Paderewski.
June 11, 1957
First test of USAF Atlas A missile is launched, built in San Diego by Convair. First successful test firing occurs on Dec 17, 1957 (on the 54th anniversary of the Wright brothers’ first flight), the missile landing in the target area after a flight of some 500 miles. The first operational missile, the Atlas D, will serve for launching Mercury manned spacecraft into orbit. Atlas becomes the workhorse of the space program, launching John Glenn in Mercury 7 for the nation’s first manned orbital flight in 1962.
1957
Minor League Padres begin playing at Westgate Park in Mission Valley. Theodore Seuss Geisel, long-time La Jolla resident writing as Dr. Seuss, publishes “The Cat in the Hat”, changing the way American children learn to read. He had been given a 225-word list, with a challenge to develop a book which would improve children’s literacy. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1984 and two Academy Awards, Seuss was author and illustrator of 44 children’s books.
1958
Interstate Highway 8 opens in February, following ancient Indian trails through Mission Valley.
Construction begins on San Diego’s second aqueduct.
1959
Billy Wilder’s feature film Some Like it Hot is filmed at the Hotel Del Coronado, starring Jack Lemmon, Marilyn Monroe, and Tony Curtis. Architect Lloyd Ruocco founds what will become Citizens Coordinate for Century 3 environmental group.
1960
City of San Diego population is 573,224. San Diego County population is 1,033,011.
State approves proposition to deliver water from northern California as far south as San Diego.
If you’re ready to discuss the sale of your home, please send me an email or call me at 619-888-2117. I can help you prepare for the successful sale of your property!
San Diego Real Estate LAB 
