Bruce Wilson

Carolyn Coombs grandmother took this one, I think. I can't find her to confirm this. She is not however, with Dowayne.

Sweetwater Dam 1887.

Lower Otay 1901

Bruce Wilson

There is a lot of racing history of San Diego County. Much more than I ever realized, but it's time to move on.

One last one though.

Willie's Pie Wagon. Not Willie Stallings, the guy I would have chosen to accompany (i.e. protect) me in a bad neighborhood. Even Leon was afraid of him.

Apparently at Ramona.

Thanks for the El Cajon history Jim. I sure wish I'd made it to the Bostonia Ballroom. I seem to recall Bob tgelling me that kart was capable of 70 mph.

Bruce Wilson

CORONADO NATURAL MINERAL WATER  (from Otay, yes indeed that's where it came from)

OTAY WATER COMPANY

In 1888 Babcock's water plans took a sudden change when he found a better water supply in the Otay River Valley. He had hunted and fished in the valley since his arrival San Diego from Indiana in 1883, and organized the Otay Water Company in 1886 to develop sources of water in the valley, including building a dam across the Otay River. The dam project stalled but his search for natural spring water in the Otay Valley found success in June 1888. He was able to reverse the flow of water through his Strand pipeline, sending Otay water north to Coronado instead of pumping San Diego River water south to Coronado Heights. The boomtown of Otay had been founded a year earlier, and its local newspaper reported "Great success! 30,000 gallons every 24 hours. Babcock & Story are piping water to their numerous possessions." The wells operated by the Otay Water Company pumped water into the pipelines of the San Diego and Coronado Water Company. This Otay water was marketed by Babcock as "Waukesha Water" and was bottled for consumer sales as well as piped to Coronado and new subdivisions of Coronado Heights and South San Diego. 

Bruce Wilson

Bruce Wilson

Speaking of National City

I've been here exactly once.

Bruce Wilson

STILL CAN;'T FIND MUCH EVIDENCE OF JOHNNY CASH IN BOSTONIA (tapes, photos), BUT ...

“Jerry Lee Lewis? Oh, yeah, my dad was so ticked at him.” Andrea Long is the daughter of Andrew “Cactus” Soldi. She lives in the same house that Soldi bought in 1954 while he was co-managing the Bostonia Ballroom with his band partner, Eugene “Smokey” Rogers.

“Right before Jerry Lee came in, my dad had the piano tuner come out. And Jerry Lee Lewis just beat the hell out of it. He used his feet on it. He broke three keys.” Lewis played Bostonia Ballroom on a Sunday afternoon — February 9, 1958. Tickets sold for $1.75. Lewis was paid $850.

“Bill freakin’ Monroe. Slim Whitman. Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys. Lefty Frizzell. Marty Robbins, Patsy Cline, Bob Wills, Kitty Wells, Hank Thompson, Joe Maphis, Webb Pierce, Tex Ritter — they all played there. But, you have to understand that back then, there weren’t that many venues.

“Willie Nelson played the Bostonia Ballroom back when his hair was short. Before he was a hippie. He had a hit song then, ‘Sally was a Good Ole Girl.’ He probably wasn’t the headliner. He probably came in with somebody else. When Johnny was coming out there, he was called Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two. The Two were Marshall and Luther. People tell me, ‘Yeah, I remember seeing Elvis out there.’ No they don’t,” she giggles. “Elvis never played there.

Bruce Wilson

for our neighbor in La Canada

Rosalee May (Rosie) O'Day (Mason)

Hello Lancers,

Jerry Fike (CVHS) e mailed us to let us know that David Braswell passed away in 2013.  His name has been added to the "In Memory" section with the obituary as printed in his Texas hometown.  If you go to the link given, you will see a recent picture. 

He was a great athlete and an all around good guy.  RIP to another of our Hilltop classmates. Enough!!!

Stay well everyone! 

Bruce Wilson

Thanks Rosie.

Sad news.

I liked Dave alot, as long as he wasn't throwing a baseball in my direction.

The link given is not working.

This should work 

http://www.gabrielsfuneral.com/memsol.cgi?user_id=1204660

If it doesn't, here's Dave.

And his baseball buddy, Carl

Bruce Wilson

I couldn't find Dave's actual band, but here are The Parking Lot Pickers performing an appropritate number

Terry Lee Maple

Dave Braswell was the most feared pitcher in our community during his early years in youth baseball. He had a great arm and he was just a little bit wild at times. In high school Dave pitched, played catcher and eventually settled at third base on our Metro League championship team in 1964. He was a tremendous baseball player and a great team-mate on a team of allstars. He was also an excellent punter on the varsity football team. His obit was interesting. I didn't know about his musical talent. I often wondered about him and it was gratifying to learn that he led such a good life. I have no doubt that Dave could have played professional baseball at a high level. He could do it all. His unfortunate injury led to a successful military career and we can be grateful for his service to our country. RIP Dave Braswell, one of the greatest baseball players in Chula Vista history and a really good guy.

James Newton Perdue

Bruce Wilson

That's you all right Newt. Thanks. I do not recall suspenders being as popular as they apparently were. I'm counting six or seven.

I'm trying to recall what the boundaries were for Harborside. Phil Bryant (one year ahead of us) lived near Broadway and K.

I coul not pass this one up. Dick Dale on trumpet. BTW, despite very poor health Dick Dale continues to tour.

One hour show in April of this year in Tejas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1fxc5M3oYU

Bruce Wilson

Somebody must have had one of these. I had one bus, one bug. (at the Huntington Beach Surf Museum.)

I believe, but can't confirm that his is also from Huntington Beach.

Bruce Wilson

Mr. Tomlinson

A celebration of life his will be held at 2:00 pm on June 18 at the Chula Vista Golf Course. - See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/sandiegouniontribune/obituary.aspx?pid=185506034#sthash.uLCV2F6c.dpuf

He was a great teacher and I'm sure father also. 

Michele's dad is still with us, so we're going to have to miss the get together.

Bruce Wilson

Let me tell you the story of the Boston Ranch and early Bostonia as it was related to me (and subsequently confirmed), but not tonight.

Terry Lee Maple

Nice photo Newt. Beautiful bunch of kids. Was Longerbone in that class? I seem to remember that he went to Harborside. Jim was another great athlete and exceptional team-mate. Newt and I played together in ten-inch as I recall. His wonderful father was one of my first coaches and he encouraged me in the earliest stages of my baseball career. I'm sure Newt will remember that vicious fastball that Braswell used to fan so many of us. Its strange how we recall these early memories as if they occurred just yesterday. In so many ways we lived an ideal childhood.

Bruce Wilson

Chula Vista is the second largest city in the San Diego metropolitan area, the seventh largest city in Southern California, the fourteenth largest city in the State of California, and the seventy seventh largest city in the U.S. The population was 243,916 as of the 2010 census..

Here's a little update on Cee Vee elementary schools.

http://usyellowpages17.blogspot.com/2012/05/elementary-schools-in-chula-vista-ca.html

A design for a future Salt Works Interpretive Center by the Schmidt Design Group won the American Society of Landscape Architects 2009 Merit Award.

Bruce Wilson

The Boston Ranch was a vineyard developed by folks from (you guessed it, Boston). It evolved into Bostonia.

John Carleton Cowherd

If you are near any of these venues, you should check out this band.  My son Zach is the drummer.

Bruce Wilson

Hey John:

They're all a little too far north, but I will alert some friends in Chico.

Meanwhile

Chula Vista to get $1 billion resort hotel, convention center

http://www.10news.com/news/chula-vista-to-get-1-billion-resort-hotel-convention-center

Bruce Wilson

August 1, 1957 -  10 inch standings (partial) 

Red Sox

Wolves

Yankess

Tigers

Orioles

Bears

 along with Braswell, Lahaye, Gertsch, Fike,  et. al, it appears that maybe

Dowayne "Butch" Hindeman [sic]  (Marine Staff Sgt - 7th Motor Transport Battalion) was also playing.

Bruce Wilson

I found a list of 1957  Natl City & Cee Vee elementary school graduates.

Samples

Lilian J. Rice 

Dowayne Hindman and Phil Bryant 

F Street School

Dave Chalmers, Robbie Bartlett, Lyle Hitchcock, Keith Skaug, Linda Wilson, Danny Wolf

Lauderbach 

Barry Garner, Armando Cortado 

Montgomery 

Ernie Savala 

Ella B. Allen

Dennis Morinaka

Harborside

Ronie Daniels,  Danny Fox, Robert Gray?

Hilltop Drive Elementary

Roughly 50 boys and 36 girls

Bruce Wilson

Two more mystery murals - both Cee VEE

Bruce Wilson

Highlander is indeed becoming a beer bar. What would Finis Jones think.