It's the History
The San Ysidro area has gone from Native American, to a Spanish rancho to the site of a utopian agriculture community called Little Landers modeled after William Ellsworth Smythe’s principles of cooperative irrigation farming and shared community life. Little Landers was the first community established in San Ysidro and existed roughly from 1909 – 1916.

After the so called “Hatfield Flood of 1916 a portion of the Little Landers community was wiped out and struggled for a couple more years after that, but never really recovered, and the development of the community began to change and became more residential.

During the prohibition era, San Ysidro became the stopover and transit point for those wanting a little excitement in their life. Tijuana offered the famous and luxurious Agua Caliente resort. There you could gamble in the casino, bet at the race track, pamper yourself at the spa, and enjoy drinks with dinner. All the “vices” the US had outlawed.

Charles Howard owner of Seabiscuit had a small ranch in San Ysidro and now has a street named for him. The street is named after Mr. Howard, not Seabiscuit. Go figure.

From the 1920’s onward San Ysidro has grown into the community it is today. It has become home for many families. It has provided and continues to provide services to the southbound traveler. It provides services to the northbound traveler and is a shopping destination for all.

For more information on San Ysidro history and more historical pictures visit the following websites:

www.sandiegohistory.org/journal
www.sandiegohistory.org


 El Toreador Motel – El Toreador Motel was built in 1949. This Spanish Colonial building served as a resting spot for many celebrities including Buster Keaton, John Wayne, and Jay Silverheels. Many elite travelers from Mexico and the US stayed in the Motel because of its nearness to the Casino Agua Caliente in Tijuana. El Toreador owes its name to the Spanish word torero which means bullfighter. It is believed that bullfighters who stayed at the Motel prayed at the grotto of the Saint of Lourdes. The Motel was closed in 1985 and was later turned into a shopping center.
   

US Customs House – The first Customs House was built in 1874. The present day Customs House was constructed from 1932-1933 and was designed by James A. Wetmore. In 1983 the US Customs House in San Ysidro entered the National Register of Historical Places.

   

San Ysidro Public Library – The San Ysidro Public Library was built in 1924 in Little Landers Park. It was constructed with a $7,000 donation by Frank Beyer. Mr. Beyer was a mining engineer, a partner in the Southern California Jockey Club and a philanthropist. The construction of the library was just one of his many contributions to San Ysidro. The library is currently one of San Diego’s smallest branch libraries.
   
Hotel San Ysidro – The construction date of the Hotel San Ysidro is unknown. It is believed that it was constructed around the early 1900’s. The land was formerly owned by George Balcher who later sold it to William Smythe. It was the original ranch house for the Little Landers Colony. Later it was turned into a hotel by Mr. Smythe because the settlement grew and accommodation for potential buyers was needed. Currently the hotel acts as a boarding house.
   

Hardware and Grocery Store – This building used to be known as the San Ysidro Commercial Co. It was built in 1927 and designed by Louis J. Gill. R.W. (Bob) Smith owned the building and business and went into partnership with his brother-in-law Dave Horowitz. In 1935 Bob and his family started a business in San Diego named R.W. Smith and Co. He sold his partnership to Dave Horowitz and moved to San Diego. Dave maintained the business until 1949 when he sold the building and retired.