With a Depiction of Selwyn's Early Homestead.
An interesting map showing part of the route of the California Southern Railroad, through urban San Diego. The map features the route of the track (in wash red color) as it runs through Old Town and Middletown, along the eastern side of present Mission Bay (here noted as False Bay), roughly following the path of present I-5, before turning east through Cañada San Buenaventura (Rose Canyon), past the current site of University City High School and on toward Miramar into Ex-Mission land. The numbered Pueblo lots traversed are indicated, illustrating the required right of way. Blue wash color indicating San Diego River and False Bay.
Several features and homesteads noted:
- Barn, G. Selwyn's House
- Cañada de las Llegua (present San Clemente Canyon near University City)
- San Diego River
- False Bay (Mission Bay)
- Rose Canyon Creek
California Southern Railroad
The latter half of the 19th century witnessed a period of rapid expansion and development in the American West. Infrastructure projects such as railroads were pivotal in spurring economic growth and attracting settlers. The California Southern Railroad (CSRR), a subsidiary of the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway (Santa Fe), played an interesting role in the early development of San Diego, particularly in the context of the region's speculative real estate boom in the 1880s. While the CSRR was initially spurred by San Diego-based businessmen seeking a transcontinental rail link for the city, the line would eventually mainly serve as the Santa Fe's entrance into the competitive California market.
Formally organized in 1880, the CSRR embarked on a plan to connect San Diego with points north, intending an eventual connection to the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad for a coveted transcontinental link. Beginning construction in 1881 in National City, just south of San Diego, the CSRR etched a path northwards, stretching to Oceanside before veering northeast through Temecula Canyon. It subsequently snaked its way through present-day Elsinore, Perris, and Riverside before connecting with the formidable Southern Pacific in Colton. The line was completed on November 9, 1885, through Cajon Pass to present-day Victorville and Barstow.
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