Water History

San Diego’s Old Town relied mostly on wells dug in Mission Valley, the floodplain of the San Diego River.The transfer of the civic center of San Diego from Old Town to its present harbor side location followed the growth of shipping commerce using the newly dredged harbor.

Delivering water from the San Diego River to the growing population in New Town required pumping it out of the valley and over the San Diego Mesa. Reservoirs were located in Balboa Park, University Heights,Bankers Hill and Mission Hills.

The name “Hillcrest” (which was originated by Laura Anderson in 1907) may have been inspired by the location where the water supply pipes changed from pumped to gravity driven.

For a Water History timeline – Visit HillQuest.com

Hillcrest Water History Timeline