The following article on the buildings that burned during civil unrest in La Mesa appeared in the Fall Issue of Lookout Avenue, newsletter of the La Mesa Historical Society.  It is reprinted here with permission.  To learn more about the Greater La Mesa area’s history, visit lamesahistory.com or their Facebook site.

By James D. Newland, La Mesa Historical Society

Photo, above: First National Trust/Piggly Wiggly Building (1942), 4767 Palm Avenue, Edmund Dunn, master builder. Randall Lamb Engineering, rehab designers. May 2020.

September 20, 2020 (La Mesa) - Almost immediately after the tragic destruction of three recognizable commercial buildings on the evening of May 30th-31st, the Society and myself began to receive requests for information on the history of the three iconic architectural staples of downtown La Mesa’s historic landscape.  Upon gathering the stories of each of these prominent, long-standing commercial buildings it became clear that they had unrecognized historical connections to each other, as well as with other buildings and sites within downtown’s contextual history.

Photo, right: Imperial Savings/Chase Bank (1973), Richard George Wheeler, architect. 4791 Spring Street, May 2020.

For more recent La Mesa residents the presence of these three commercial buildings, the First National Bank/Piggly Wiggly Market (1942) at 4757 Palm, the Imperial Savings/Chase Bank (1973) at 4791 Spring, and the Southern California First National/Union Bank (1974) at 4771 Spring may have had little personal connection.  Unless you were a customer of the two banks or a client to the Randall Lamb engineering firm that had masterfully rehabilitated that Palm Avenue building, you may not have ever gone inside any of them.

Photo, below: Southern California First National/Union Bank (1974), 4771 Spring Street, Russell Forster, architect. May 2020.

East County News Service

September 22, 2018 (La Mesa) -- The La Mesa Historical Society, along with San Diego Home & Garden Lifestyle Magazine and Modern San Diego, will present the 13th Annual Home Tour on November 3 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Titled “Modern Mud,” this year’s tour highlights adobe, classic, and mid-century gems in La Mesa’s Eastridge and Mt. Nebo neighborhoods.

East County News Service

January 11, 2018 (La Mesa) – The La Mesa Historical Society will host a lecture on Saturday, Jan. 20 featuring local historian Jim Newland discussing his latest book on the history of Grossmont Hospital. The lecture, which is open to the public, will be held from 10 a.m. to noon at the Grossmont Healthcare District Conference Center, 9001 Wakarusa St., La Mesa. Requested admission donation is $5 per person. For more event info, visit www.lamesahistory.com or call (619) 466-0197. To RSVP, visit http://bit.ly/2BQFPzz.

East County New Service

September 20, 2016 (La Mesa) - The La Mesa Historical Society, in association with MODERN SAN DIEGO and San Diego Home and Garden, invites you to a showcase of seven hidden jewels, nestled in the hillside of Mt. Helix. The La Mesa Historic Home Tour is set for Saturday, November 5^th from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

East County News Service

May 17, 2016 (La Mesa) - La Mesa Historical Society has partnered with the Rotary Club of La Mesa in celebrating the unique and inspiring history of La Mesa with the installment of eleven new photo plaques spread throughout the downtown "village". The photo plaques are part of an effort to educate the community and its visitors of the rich La Mesa history. 

November 24, 2015 (Mt. Helix) - “Images of America: Around Mt. Helix” is on sale now. The Mt. Helix Park Foundation has partnered with La Mesa resident, author and historian James D. Newland to create this photographic history with evocative images.

June 4, 2015 (San Diego’s East County)--This week’s Destination East County includes a craft beer and wine festival, Shakespeare, night fishing, poetry by the river, a firefighters’ breakfast, Taste of La Mesa and more. Plus we’ll also have a preview of coming attractions including Julian’s Backcountry Dance and Barbecue, Boars and Brews at Lakeside’s River Park, and much more.  So stay tuned for all of these events and much, much more!

October 26, 2012 (La Mesa) – La Mesa Historical Society’ hosts its 2012 Centennial Home Tour on November 3, which will focus on 5 historic/classic homes in the Date Avenue/Mt. Nebo area.  The event will be from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. and will begin at the Shuttle Bus Stop at the City Parking Lot on the northeast corner of Date & Allison.

April 7, 2012 (La Mesa) – The La Mesa Historical Society has opened a new exhibit at its McKinney House Museum at 8369 University Avenue, La Mesa.  It’s featuring a new room display showcasing the history of old time toys and games from tiddlywinks to spinning tops, tin windup toys, kaleidoscope, checkers, jacks and many more to illustrate a child’s play time long ago.  All of the items come from the collections of the Society and are displayed in a classroom setting with old photos of students from Allison School and La Mesa Grammar School between 1910 and 1929.

September 29, 2011 (La Mesa) -- La Mesa Historical Society opens its Centennial year activities with the release for sale of its special edition 2012 Centennial Calendar at Oktoberfest, which runs Sept. 30 through October 2.

Calendars feature historic photos plus fun Centennial facts.

Historical Society Honors 100th Anniversary of Flying A Movie Studio

August 11, 2011 (La Mesa)-- Hollywood’s long-forgotten roots in La Mesa will be commemorated on the 100th anniversary of San Diego County’s first movie studio with two events honoring the Flying A Movie Company studios.