Old Town: It was Once San Diego!

Before it was the second largest city in California, San Diego was native land, and then a small Mexican pueblo at the base of Presidio Hill. What we now know as Old Town San Diego developed slowly as people moved from the Presidio into the burgeoning town. Though the population rose and fell with the decades—reaching no more than about 700 people by California statehood in 1850—Old Town remains a center of San Diego community and history. This presentation explores Old Town’s layered past, one of pioneering, investment, and shared stories.

About the Speaker
Barry Goldlust is a former pharmaceutical researcher and, since 2014, a volunteer docent at the San Diego History Center, and our first graduate of the Community Historian Program. Community Historians are trained volunteers who bring their passion for San Diego history to your community meetings and organizations through informative talks. Our speakers can introduce visitors and tourists to San Diego history or else dive deep into the details of a unique San Diego topic.