The Best 19th-Century Illustrated Book on San Diego -- An Extraordinary Rarity
The most impressive early illustrated book devoted to San Diego County, notable for its wealth of wonderful full-page lithograph views of area ranches and homesteads. The text is a nice mixture of local history, biography, and general overview of significant events related to the settlement of the two counties of San Diego and San Bernardino. The text covers the main industries and agricultural productions, including the then flourishing beekeeping and honey business personified through pioneer San Diego bee man John S. Harbison. At this time Temecula was still part of San Diego County, and Riverside was part of San Bernardino County.
Much of southern desert interest in this huge old record book of 1883....references are noted to many interesting localities and topics - Death Valley, First Settlement by Mormons, Overland Mail, Stages, San Bernardino County... Temecula Hot Springs, Fort Yuma, and others - A. I. Edwards.
There is an excellent essay on Cave Johnson Couts, prominant Mexican War veteran, and surveyor of the San Diego pueblo lands in 1848. There is also an account of Native American tribes, with the Coahuillas and Serranos described as “inveterate gamblers, and observe Sunday by getting drunk and playing their favorite game, ‘peon.’ After betting away all their money, they gamble their horses off” (page 149). “The marriage relation among the Indians is very sacred, and this tie is never dissolved between them except for reasons laid down in the Bible. Adultery is so common among them that many of the squaws do not marry, and some of the Indians do not live with the wives who have become dissolute” (p. 149).
The 3 maps:
Map of California Published by W.W. Elliott & Co. Lithographers. 619 Montgomery St. San Francisco. 1881. Full original color.
Map of San Bernardino and San Diego. Compiled for Illustrated History. W.W. Elliott & Co. 618 Montgomery St. [small untitled inset of San Diego Bay at lower left] San Francisco. 1882. Full original color.
Map of Etiwanda, San Bernardino Co., Cal. Chaffey Brothers, Proprietors. Township plat map. San Francisco: Elliott & Co.
A selection of the fine lithograph views, several of which are bird's-eye-views:
- Oak Dale Vineyard and Ranch of S.G. Blaisdell, Poway.
- Condor's Nest, Residence of Victoria de P. Magee, San Diego Co. With large apiary of beehives, San Luis Rey Mission in the distant background.
- Ocean View Home of W.G. Riffenburg, 3 miles east of San Diego.
- Cajon Villa, Country Residence Orcharda and Vineyard of Maj. Levi Chase, El Cajon Valley
- View of Judson's Warm Mineral Springs, Corral de Luz, San Diego Co.
- Los Penasquitos, Residence of J. S. Taylor, San Diego Co.
- Hemet Valley Stock Rancho of Chas. H. Thomas, San Jacinto Mountain
- Santa Rosa Ranch, Near Temecula, San Diego Co.
- Jomu Farm and Stock Ranch of Peter J. Filanc. San Bernardino
- Brockton View, Home of T. W. Cover, Riverside, San Bernardino Co.
- Swimming Bath-Lake & Sanitarium Buildings of Arrowhead Hot Springs
- Etiwanda & Surroundings, Showing its Position South of Mr. Cucamonga, Chaffey Brothers, Props. San Bernardino Co. Two-page centerfold view.
- The Times Office, San Bernardino, Cal.
- Interior View of the Index Office, Daily & Weekly. Warren Wilson, proprietor.
A selection of the essays contained herein:
- Adobe Residences Described
- Agua Caliente Springs
- Beekeeping
- Bee Culture in San Diego
- Colorado Desert
- Cuyamaca Mountains
- El Cajon Valley
- Founding of San Diego Mission
- Industries of Native Californians
- Jamul Valley
- Quartz Mines in Julian
- Pala and Surroundings
- California Southern Railroad
- Springs and Pleasure Resorts
- Biographical Sketch of Bernardo Etcheverry, Ballena, San Diego County.
- The Advantages of San Diego for Residence or Business by T. S. Van Dyke.
- Temecula Hot Springs
- Mormon Settlers in San Bernardino
- History of San Bernardino County by Warren Wilson.
Two Editions of this Book
Prominent bibliographers, including Cowan and Rocq, failed to adequately describe the two versions of this book issued simultaneously by the publisher Wallace W. Elliott & Co. One focused on San Diego County, the other on San Bernardino County. While the total pagination between the two editions is identical (204 pages), we note that the present San Diego-focused edition contains 140 pages devoted to San Diego, with the remaining 64 pages relating to San Bernardino. The distribution of pages to subject is switched in the San Bernardino edition.
Rarity
Original examples of this work are increasingly hard to find in the market in any condition. Only a single example noted in RBH during the last 25 years (a "fair copy only" with extensive waterstaining and tears), which sold for $10,200. A facsimile edition of the San Bernardino County version was issued by the Riverside Museum Press in 1965.