Alonzo Horton, known to be the father of San Diego, saw the potential in our now beautiful city. Born in Union, Connecticut in 1813 and grew up in New York. From a young age Horton had a feel for business , transporting grain in New York to trading land and cattle in Wisconsin. From there he moved on to real estate investment and developing.
He came to San Diego in 1867, purchasing 960 acres of waterfront. He built a wharf and sold commercial and residential lots. Not only did he ask for the first public city park to be developed (which is now Balboa Park), but also built San Diego’s first bank (which he was named president).
Unfortunetly, Alonzo Horton lost most of his fortune when land values crashed in the 1890’s. But we can thank him for a many beautiful aspects of our city.
Comments (1)Subscribe to CommentsComment