BARRIO LOGAN
(Taken by Juan Villegas)
Barrio Logan as it was before the construction of the I-5
Chicano Park QTVRChicano Park QTVR
Perkins Elementary QTVRPerkins Elementary QTVR
After the Mexican-American War of
1846 it didn’t take long for the Western Expansion to change and form the
cities that we know today. In 1850 William Heath Davis was the catalyst for the
development of New Town in the vicinity of today's Broadway, Front and the
harbor but it failed. By 1954 the San Diego and Gila Railroad was proposed to
connect San Diego with one of the possible transcontinental routes being
planned after the 1853 Gadsden Purchase. Charles Poole made the first survey in
1850 of a possible route from Yuma to Otay and north along the bay into New
Town. It was Alonzo Horton who on May 10, with local merchant Ephraim Morse as
auctioneer, Horton acquires 800 acres of the 47,324 acres of pueblo land, which
would become New San Diego, for $265 ($.33/acre). Horton returns to San Francisco
and opens a land sales office on Montgomery Street and he gave maps, brochures
and a spiel to anyone who appeared solvent and would listen to him. He hired
runners to help spread the word and Horton collared anyone who showed some
interest. Over the next 25 years 80% of the 47, 324 acres of pueblo land was
sold to private owners, 1440 acres was saved for a city park (which later on
became Balboa Park), and other portions would be reserved for attracting a
railroad to San Diego. With that in mind, Mathew Sherman formed a committee “to
solicit gifts of land to induce the Memphis and El Paso railroad to locate its
terminus in San Diego. That project did not materialize however. The following
year, Sherman, along with Alonzo Horton, E. W. Morse and others, organized the
San Diego and Los Angeles railroad, a paper corporation with a land grant from
the City Trustees with which they hoped to lure a transcontinental railroad to
San Diego. In 1871 Sherman went to Washington to lobby for passage of the legislation
chartering the Texas and Pacific to build a rail line from Texas to California.
While Sherman was in Washington, Congressman John A. Logan worked out the final
details of the bill, which provided Federal government land grants and
subsidies."(7)
(From Barrio Logan Outline)
The Texas Pacific Land that later became Barrio Logan
Incidentally
one of the major streets in the subdivision laid out in 1886 on railroad lands
was named “Logan Heights” and gradually the whole area in southeast San Diego
was renamed “Logan Heights “(this area used to be known as the East End). The
Texas and Pacific bill was passed so Tom Scott, president of the railroad, came
to California. Officials and business leaders in San Francisco, Los Angeles,
and San Diego treated him like royalty. The terminus of the Texas and Pacific
in San Diego was agreed upon but only in exchange for title lands previously
granted by the City Trustees to other railroad corporations, among the lands
included in this arrangement were four Pueblo Lots (1158, 1159, 1162, 1163)
that covered the area from Commercial Street to the waterfront between 24th and
32nd streets. Unfortunately the Texas and Pacific rail line terminus was never
complete due to the stock market crash of 1873, which ruined the company. This
was bad for San Diego because it’s growth was being fueled by they speculation
(or assumption) that there would be a railroad in San Diego. Despite this
setback other people still kept speculating, like Frank and Warren Kimball who
purchased 26, 632 acres of the old Rancho de la Nacion and called it National
City. They laid out a 100-foot Wide path six miles long for a railroad with the
assumption of railroad service to an eastward connection in 1885, which created
a real estate boom in San Diego. People were buying up lands without even
laying eyes on the property and there was a waiting list just to try to buy
land in San Diego. "People lived in tents on their lots until they could
clear away the brush and cactus. More frequently they sold out at fancy prices
before they could settle on the land. Buyers bought from maps without
inspecting the purchase, and in turn sold to other speculators sight
unseen." (2) The boom came to a sudden end in 1889 when the Santa Fe
Railroad passed up San Diego and decided to make Los Angeles the western
terminus. The land that was saved for railroad development (Texas and Pacific
Railroad land) remained under developed. John D. Spreckels led a corporation to
build San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railroad to Yuma, which was finished in
1919 but was never successful.
(Left pic from San Diego Historical Society Archives and right pic taken by Juan Villegas)
28th and National
as it was in 1910 and this is how it is now
Logan Heights began it's transformation into a
predominantly Mexican-American Community between 1910 and 1920 because many
immigrants fled Mexico due to the revolution and the poor Mexican Economy. Due
to WWI there were many jobs and the Navy started to make to move into San
Diego. On January 27, 1917 the U.S. Navy opens the most powerful radio station
in the Western Hemisphere at Chollas Heights and in 1919 they decided to make
San Diego Bay home base for the Pacific Fleet. Because San Diego was so close
to the bay it was gradually becoming a Navy Town. On September 3, 1919 the city
of San Diego deeded the land on which the present Naval Station is now located
to the U.S. government for the purpose of building a docking and fleet repair
base. By 1922 the Base had 84 WWI destroyers and the primary mission of the
Destroyer Base was the upkeep and preservation of the decommissioned
destroyers. In the 1930 the Base acquired water front land and gradually took
over the bay. During the 1920's close
to half a million Mexicans entered the U.S. on permanent visas and thousands
more entered without (under the Treaty of Guadalupe they were free to go in and
out as they wished) before the borders were reinforced and restrictive
regulations created. More then 30 percent of Mexican born U.S. residents lived
in California by 1930. In the 1920's Mexican-Americans (Chicanos) constituted
for up to two-thirds of the work force in many industries, mainly because they
worked in unskilled or semi-skilled jobs. Chicano communities known as barrios
and colonias were created and fostered expansion of small businesses like
grocery and dry goods stores, restaurants, barber shops, and tailor shops.
Barrio Logan (Logan Heights) became such a place where there was no need to go
out of the neighborhood because everything you needed was right there. The rent
was cheap, they lived close to their jobs and it wasn't necessary to know much
English. The Great Depression reversed the Mexican American population. During
the 1920’s immigration was at nearly 500,000 and by the 1930’s it fell to
32,700 and that same point in time nearly 500,000 persons of Mexican descent
moved to Mexico or in some cases were deported due to recent shortage of jobs.
In 1938 there was a pier and community beach along the bay front, which
wouldn’t last very long. By 1940 Logan Heights contained 15 percent of San
Diego's Spanish Speaking population and it was one of the largest
Mexican-American communities on the West Coast. When WWII began, the Navy and
defense industries moved in along the bay and Barrio Logan lost their pier and
community beach. To residents of Barrio Logan this was viewed as the first step
that would result in the dismantling of their community because this was the
beginning of the mixed zoning laws, which would forever change Barrio Logan.
Since then the area has experienced tremendous development due to the capital
investment in the military and industrial complexes. In 1941 the Destroyer base
experienced great growth and on October 19, 1943 the designation of the U.S.
Destroyer Base was officially changed to the U.S. naval Repair Base and it
became a part of the U.S. Naval Base, San Diego. From 1943 to 1945 the Base
received and trained 43,000 for repair duties. On September 15, 1946, the U.S.
Naval Repair Base was redesignated (reassigned as) the United States Naval
Station, San Diego, California. Due to the war effort there was a labor
shortage in the 40’s (unlike the 30’s labor surplus) and this had an impact on
agriculture and transportation. In the 30’s many Mexican’s were returned to
Mexico and now the U.S. turned to Mexico for help out of which came the Bracero
Program in 1942 and lasted till 1964, in 1959 it reached it peak with 450,000
workers. Since this was a seasonal agricultural labor force they had to move
around a lot so they had to find stable jobs in order to settle down and raise
their families. In 1945 NASSCO (originally known as National Iron Co.) was
moved to the water front (In 1944) and began building ships. Unlike the Navy,
NASSCO employed civilians among then were many Chicanos that resided in the
area. During the 1940’s and 50’s Barrio Logan remained California’s second
largest Mexican American community which had about 20,000 residents which would
soon change.
(Taken by Juan Villegas)
In the
1950’s Barrio Logan was turning into an industrial area instead of residential,
due to the change in city zoning laws, which made Logan a mixed zone. This
happened because downtown San Diego’s are expanded and the city and state
wanted to takes steps towards modernization. Anglo owned junkyards were
immediately setup next to schools and homes, gradually dismantling Barrio
Logan. The city hoped that the residents would also gradually move out in order
to completely develop the area as an industrial one. It didn’t happen that way
because many residents couldn’t afford to live somewhere else. The destruction
continued and residents didn’t know what to do. In 1962 The National Farm
Workers Union was founded by Cesar Chavez. At the time he was just trying to
organize the farm workers into a union due to the unfair treatment, bad working
conditions and low wages that many farm workers families suffered. He left his
job and his wife became a fruit picker to feed their children. Within six
months he only gathered 300 workers and with this they had their first meeting
in Fresno and approved their flag and La Causa (The Cause) was born! With
Chavez the workers began to demand their rights, which were better working
conditions and fair pay. The grape growers didn’t listen to the Union’s demands
so the next step was to strike and the workers left the fields for picket
lines. Illegal workers were hired, strikebreaker’s and thugs were brought in,
Union members jailed, and they still continued. Public officials, religious
leaders and ordinary citizens from across the U.S. came to California to march
in support of the farm workers. This was what began Cesar’s long career as a
Union Leader and as an icon to many Chicanos and later on he would inspire them
to fight for what they believed in. Even though this happened many miles away
it shaped the minds and cultural identity of many Logan Chicanos. Barrio Logan
underwent many changes, primarily the destruction of many houses and small
business in order to construct Interstate 5in 1963, which divided the community
and the construction of the Coronado Bay Bridge that helped decline the
population from 20,000 to 5,000 residents within the next 10 years. Residents
were not given any notice before their houses were demolished in order to
construct the I-5 and the Bay Bridge. Even though many of their civil right
were being violated, Barrio Logan residents didn’t know they had the right to
protest or petition the city council. They weren’t a part of the decisions that
the city made and therefore they were not being represented. The “United States
was in the midst of massive social change that would find it’s way in to Barrio
Logan.” (4) Leaders of the Chicano community became inspired by the Black civil
rights movement and by the United Farm Workers Union (UFW) led by Cesar Chavez.
Which sparked a new political awareness in Chicanos that led to the formation
of organizations of all types including MEChA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano
de Aztlan), which was a student movement that helped the Chicano youth create a
political movement of their own. They had their first National Conference in
Denver, Colorado, more then 1,500 youths attended, including several of the
young artist that would become some of the original muralists of Chicano Park.
The Conference served to empower the youths to create political and social
planning at the grass roots level in their communities and El Plan Espiritual
de Aztlan was created (The Spiritual Plan of Aztlan), all of which helped to
affirm their Chicano culture. Many young people were returning to the barrio
after leaving for college or the military and they came back with a sense of
activism, which spread around the neighborhood.
(From the Journal of San Diego History)
Barrio Logan residents protesting So that
the city would give them
their park
They began in 1967 by petitioning the city for a
park under the bridge, which was approved in 1969 but nothing was done and the
land remained a vacant lot. Much to the resident’s surprise, they awoke on the
morning of April 22, 1970, to find that the state brought bulldozers in order
to begin the construction of a California Highway Patrol Substation. In the San
Diego Area. This made the residents mad and they reacted they only way they
knew how. By 7am they had demonstrators gathering around the site to challenge
the construction crew. They created human chains around the bulldozers and many
residents came out to protest. After 12 days of occupation the Assistant City
Manager Meno Wilhelms announced that the city and state officials had agreed to
negotiate with protestors. On June 31, 1970, the city authorized a contract for
$21, 814.96 for the development of he 1.8-acre plot of land that is now known
as Chicano Park. Even though some problems arised in the creation of the park they
were resolved and in March 23, 1973 Chicano artist began to work on their
murals. In March of 1980, Chicano Park was officially designated a San Diego
Historical site. The Park how ever meant a lot more to the Chicano residents of
the area, because it was the first time they had stood up and fought for their
rights and they won. Every April there is a celebration in Chicano Park to
commemorate the take over. In 1981 the San Diego Trolley began service south to
the border, stopping at Barrio Logan and it was built on the rail line of the
defunct San Diego and Arizona Railroad. Even though residents won a great
victory, that didn’t change the mixed zoning laws that allowed industries,
junkyards, scrap yards and other businesses to ruin their neighborhood. In1990
the population of Barrio Logan was at 13,488 and 44% of the residents lived
below the poverty line. Crime, drugs, and unemployment were among the top
problems that plagued the community. Then in 1993 it was discovered by a
Communities at risk report published by the Environmental Health Coalition that
Barrio Logan was a toxic disposal site. Toxic pollution, and intense odors that
emanate from the sewage pumping station owned by Kelco Corporation that is
adjacent to Perkins Elementary school in Logan. Since then the Environmental
Health Coalition has taken steps to help Barrio Logan to relocate some the
chemical intensive industries. In April 2000 Chicano Park celebrated its 30th
anniversary and till this day is a symbol of pride to all the Residents of
Barrio Logan.
(Taken by Juan Villegas)
In the early 90’s the retrofitting of the bridge was going to destroy the murals in Chicano Park but the residents fought and won. Many residents are proud of their Chicano Identity and have chosen people to look up to , like Cesar Chavez and Che Guevara