Tuesday, December 12, 2017, 1:00 pm

Location: Thornton Theater, San Diego History Center
Tickets: Free with Give Forward admission

Community Historians are trained volunteers and staff who bring their passion for San Diego history to your community meetings and organizations through informative talks. Our speakers can introduce visitors and tourists to San Diego history or else dive deep into the details of a unique San Diego topic.

Program presentations are illustrated with historic photos and documents from our Research Archives.

On the second Tuesday of each month, watch a Community Historian presentation at 1 pm in our Thornton Theater. Each lecture is free with “Give Forward” admission.

This week’s topic:

San Diego History to 1915: This presentation tracks the history of the region from its indigenous beginnings to 1915. It looks at the arrival of Spanish colonizers and their impact on the region, the role of the Mexican government in shaping San Diego, and the early American era. The presentation stops in 1915, just as the city has prepared for a grand exposition they hope will put them on the map.

UPCOMING TOPICS

January 9, 2018, 1:00 pm

Dam the Water and Pray for Rain: The story of San Diego is inextricably bound up with the story of water; people cannot long survive in a region without access to this most vital resource. This presentation starts by looking at water access prior to American arrival. With an increasing population, water agencies, plans, and infrastructure blossomed after California joined the United States. This brings the presentation to the modern era and leaves the audience with questions to ponder.

February 13, 2018, 1:00 pm

San Diego History 1900-1985: This presentation picks up where the presentation “San Diego History to 1915” ends. Moving forward in time, this presentation looks at some of the major regional, national, and international forces that shaped the city – the Great Depression, World War II, and the post-war trends of urban-flight and redevelopment.