Monday, April 28, 2008

Book: Images of America Chula Vista

A book of historical photographs of Chula Vista was recently written by Frank M. Roseman and Peter J. Watry, Jr. titled Images of America: Chula Vista, published by Arcadia Publishing, March 2008. The photographs were obtained from the Chula Vista Public Library and Chula Vista Historical Museum collections.

The book is absolutely beautiful! It sells for $19.99 retail at the Historical Museum, or on Arcadia's web site. I saw it on http://www.amazon.com/ for less than $16. Here's the front cover:



The back cover description reads:
"CHULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA
"In 1868, Frank Kimball and his brothers purchased a 26,000-acre Mexican land grant rancho in the San Diego area. The area comprised the present-day communities of National City, Bonita, and the western half of Chula Vista. Kimball developed National City first and secured a branch of the Santa Fe Railway. The railroad company financed the building of nearby Sweetwater Dam, thus allowing the development of Chula Vista in 1888 as a planned agricultural community. Chula Vista remained as planned until World War II when the arrival of Rohr Aircraft Corporation caused a population boom that would continue even after the war, creating the desirable 'bedroom community' that Chula Vista is today."

I attended the book selling and book signing at the Library tonight. Frank Roseman and Peter Watry gave short talks on their involvement with the book which were interesting. I hope that CVGS will have a Chula Vista History program one of these months.

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