Historical Photographs

View of Spring Valley looking south-southeast across Campo Road and orchards of Helix Farms, circa 1895. The Bancroft adobe is in the clump of trees to the right of large barn (at left). The photographer's daughter, Aimee Patterson is in foreground. Fan palms and olive trees line the south side of Campo Road. The orchard covered hill at right later became part of the La Mesa Country Estates golf course. A portion of Dictionary Hill is at left, in the distance. 

View of Spring Valley, circa 1895, looking northeast towards El Cajon; Mt. Helix is at left; citrus orchard of Helix Farms in the valley. In foreground are Freda Nicolai (standing) and Aimee Patterson (sitting on hay bale; photographer's daughter). 

View of the northwest end of Spring Valley in 1897, looking northeasterly towards the Merritt Ranch on the low hill. The horse-drawn buggy is at the point where present day Broadway becomes Campo Road. White building in center is the Spring Valley General Store owned by Charles Cheeseman, located near the present intersection of Campo Road and Spring Street. The drainage in the foreground is the creek Brookside was named after. Mt. Helix is at far left. 

View of Helix Farms, circa 1890, looking northwest with slope of Hartzel Hill at left. Bancroft's Cactus Cottage is on hill to right above ranch buildings; adobe structure is under trees in center (in line with the faint peak of Cowles Mt. in the far distance). Next to dog in foreground is a newly planted olive tree (row of trees barely visible); low bushes transecting middle of photo mark a natural drainage channel. Photo taken from the approximate location of Lamar St., near Helix St.

The home of William and Susannah (Green) Fisher, located where Tyler St. is today near Central Ave. in the southern half of Spring Valley. Mr. Fisher was one of the most successful grain farmers in the area. He built the house in 1883 before the birth of their first child. They had seven children, five boys and two girls. This photo was taken circa 1890. Hartzel Hill is behind the house (at left), to the north.

View of Helix Farms, circa 1890, from base of "Cactus Hill" looking westerly towards Hartzel Hill. Hubert Howe Bancroft bought four adjoining ranches in 1885-86, acquiring roughly 515 acres and had many improvements made such as the large barn (far right). The 1863 original adobe structure is hidden by trees at far left.

Hubert Howe Bancroft's fruit crate label designed in 1897

Looking up Cactus Hill from near Hubert Bancroft's Rock House. Bancroft's house "Cactus Cottage" is on the summit (now at the end of Sinclair Lane.). Midway up the hill, Bancroft had a water storage "olla" built, made of river cobbles; it fed water down hill to the Helix Farms ranch operations. This structure still exists on private property on Helix St.

Spring Valley, looking northeast from near the southern base of Hartzel Hill across olive orchards on Hubert Bancroft's Helix Farms, circa 1920. Mt. Helix is mostly out of view at the far left. Cactus Hill is just right of center with Bancroft's "Cactus Cottage" barely visible in the trees on the summit. The 1863-built adobe is hidden among the clump of dark trees to right (southwest ) of the large barn. Bancroft planted the date palms lining both sides of Bancroft Dr. (traversing through photo). A wooden flume used for irrigating the olive tree is shown in left foreground.

View, looking northeast, of historian Bancroft's stone guest house/studio above the spring-fed reservoir circa 1895. The building, built by the Hinck brothers, was also used as a school room by the Bancroft children when they lived here intermittently. Enclosed vegetable gardens are behind the structure, today known as the "Rock House" (located on James Circle, and restored by the County). Bancroft's residence, the Cactus Cottage, is on top of Cactus Hill (now transected by Helix St.) — today accessed by Sinclair Lane.

Looking across the north end of Hubert Bancroft's Helix Farms and northern end of Spring Valley, ca. 1895 (Bancroft Dr. runs past the house left of center and intersects with Campo Rd. out of view, behind the olla). Bancroft's water storage "olla," made of river cobbles is prominent at right. A pipe transported water down hill to the Helix Farms ranch operations.

Children playing in Alderson's reservoir, circa 1900. William C. Alderson owned approximately 50 acres, planted in citrus and eucalyptus trees, located at the northeast corner of Bancroft Dr. and Campo Rd. Looking northwest, the tip of Cowles Mt. can be seen in the distance (at center); a slope of Mt. Helix is barely visible at far right upper edge.

Cowboys in Spring Valley (San Diego County), July 4th 1909. Included are the sons of William and Susannah Fisher who had a large farm at the south end of the valley. The Fisher boys grew up in the valley, living near the northern base of Dictionary Hill where Tyler St. is today.

Hooded horses on road on Dr. Hammond's ranch located in the northeastern end of Spring Valley in an area known as Calavo Gardens. Photo taken in May 1897, looking northerly.

The Fisher boys bailing hay in the early 1900s. They are facing Tyler St., behind them to the northwest is where Sweetwater Road now exists.

The second Spring Valley school house, built in 1889, in the location of present day Faith Chapel Church on Campo Rd. The building measured 25 by 40 feet with a 14-foot ceiling and had 39 desks. The first school building was built in 1881 and was located on Bancroft Dr. between Olive Dr. and Lamar St. This photo of Miss Derby's class was taken in 1893, looking west. It was typical for children to ride donkeys to school.

View down Campo Road to the southeast, taken in the 1890s. Olive and palm trees line the south side of Campo Road, where Aimee Patterson is standing. The second Spring Valley school house can be seen on the horizon, left of the line of trees. Lyons Peak is in the far distance (left) and San Miguel Mountain is on far right.

The Patterson family picking five tons of lemons at La Vida Rancho in February 1897. Francis Elliotte Patterson purchased the 41-acre ranch, located on the northern edge of Helix Farms, from Charles Crosby for $9,200 in 1888. The ranch had vineyards as well as many varieties of fruit trees. Patterson named the ranch after his middle daughter Vida. Thanks to Patterson's photographic skills, much of the rural life existing in the valley in the late 1800s was documented for posterity.