The Glory Years, 1865-1899

CHRONOLOGY: 1865-1898

1865   Lee surrenders at Appomattox; Civil War ends, April 9.

1865   Lincoln assassinated; Andrew Johnson becomes president, April 14.

1865   Second great westward migration begins.

1867   Alonzo E. Horton arrives at San Diego, April 15.

1867   Horton pays $265 for 960-acre city site at auction, May 10.

1868   Kimball brothers buy Rancho de la Nación; lay out National City.

1868   The San Diego Union publishes first edition, October 10. 1868 Ulysses S. Grant elected president.

1868   Construction begins on Horton’s wharf.

1869   Old Town battles New San Diego to retain county seat.

1869   Central and Union Pacific Railroads meet at Promontory Point, Utah, May 10.

1869   New San Diego has its first major July 4th celebration. 1870 Coleman discovers gold at San Diego River headwaters. 1870 Gold Rush camp named Julian; mining district formed. 1870   Horton House completed and opens, October 17.

1870   San Diego’s first bank founded.

1870   New Town’s first school building erected.

1870   Western Union’s San Diego telegraph line completed.

1870   Immigrants forced out by drouth.

1871   Julian-to-Banner toll road completed.

1871   County seat moved to Horton’s Addition.

1871   County Court House constructed.

1871   Texas & Pacific Railroad chartered.

1871   San Diego votes Republican for first time.

1871   The San Diego Union begins daily publication.

1872   “No Fence” law repealed.

1872   Reincorporation of city provided by a new law.

1872   Old Town fire destroys business buildings.

1873   Texas & Pacific Railroad work begins at San Diego.

1873   San Diego Water Company formed; first major water system since Mission days.

1873   “Black Friday” stock panic wipes out Texas & Pacific Railroad.

1873   San Diego economy sinks to doldrums.

1874   City’s final patent to pueblo lands received.

1875   Bank of California fails; statewide discontent and depression.

1875   Gunfight at Gaskill’s Campo store.

1876   President Grant sets up San Diego Indian reservations. 1876 New City Charter adopted; provides five trustees.

1876   Rutherford B. Hayes elected president.

1876   Southern Pacific Railroad connects Los Angeles and San Francisco.

1877   Severe drouth in San Diego County.

1877   Anti-Chinese riots sweep California.

1877   San Diego River dike completed.

1879   New State Constitution formulated, effective January 1, 1880.

1880   James A. Garfield elected president.

1881   California Southern Railroad construction starts.

1881   President Garfield dies in office; Chester A. Arthur becomes president.

1882   San Diego Telephone Company begins operation.

1882   California Southern Railroad service begins.

1883   Mexican colonization law opens Baja California for settlement.

1883   John Montgomery makes world’s first controlled airplane flight at Otay.

1884   Flood wrecks California Southern Railroad.

1884   Stephen Grover Cleveland elected president.

1885   A. J. Meyers founds Oceanside.

1885   Babcock and Story buy Coronado.

1885   Transcontinental railroad reaches San Diego.

1885   San Diego Flume Company organized.

1886   First electric street lights installed in city.

1886   New City Charter; San Diego becomes sixth-class city.

1886   First public transit system with horse cars.

1886   Construction of Hotel del Coronado begins.

1886   National City & Otay Railroad incorporated.

1887   National railroad rate war starts westward land rush.

1887   Land stampede begins.

1887   Santa Fe Railroad terminus established at National cCiy. 1887   Vice and corruption grow with the boom.

1887   San Diego & Old Town electric street cars start operating.

1888   Hotel del Coronado opens.

1888   Land boom collapses, population declines.

1888   Benjamin Harrison elected president.

1889   New City Charter; San Diego becomes fourth-class city.

1889   Cable cars begin operating.

1889   San Diego Flume brings mountain water to San Diego.

1891   Coronado secedes from San Diego.

1891   Floods wipe out Temecula railway and Tia Juana City.

1891   California National Bank fails.

1892   Spreckels buys transit systems.

1892   Klondike gold rush begins.

1893   National depression brings bank failures.

1893   Riverside County formed and absorbs large area of San Diego County.

1895   Evening Tribune founded.

1896   Kimball brothers go bankrupt.

1896   Harbor fortifications work begins at Point Loma.

1896   William McKinley elected president.

1897   First major Navy celebration held in San Diego.

1898   Battleship Maine sunk at Havana, February 16.

1898   Spanish-American War starts, April 24.

1898   Spanish-American War ends, August 12.

1898   “Age of Confidence” begins.