FOUR BRIDGES RENAMED TO HONOR EAST COUNTY PIONEERS

By Miriam Raftery

Photo by Cherry Diefenbach: Pine Valley Bridge on Old Highway 80  is among the bridges receiving honorary names.

August 6, 2023 (San Diego’s East County) – San Diego County Supervisors in July unanimously voted to approve honorary naming of four bridges to commemorate pioneering leaders in East County.  The request was made by District 2 Supervisor Joel Anderson, in response to requests from community members, petitions signed by at least 100 residents, and approval by each community’s planning group or sponsor group.

The honorees include Isola Hook, who rode on cattle drives and served as an early school trustee in Campo; Charles S. Judson; the developer of Pine Valley; Bert Vaughn, Jacumba’s town father; and Patricia Fauble, who served as a volunteer fire chief in Jacumba.  

"Our Mountain Empire Historical Society took the lead and proposed that the bridge on Buckman Springs Road be named for a great lady from that very vicinity who contributed much to the East County; her name was Isola Hook," says Larry Johnson, president of the Mountain Empire History Society. "We had good support from our Campo/Lake Morena Planning Group. Soon after, the Pine Valley Planning Group and the Jacumba Sponsor Group, organized by Cherry Diefenbach, proposed three more bridges to be named after their local citizens. It was not an easy process and it had several delays but we managed to succeed in the end. Sup. Anderson came through and helped get it passed by the Board of Supervisors."

The bridges to be renamed are:

Isola Hook Bridge on Buckman Springs Road at mile marker 6.5, south of Old Highway 80 near the former Hook Ranch, at the recommendation of the Mountain Empire Historical Society, supported by the Campo-Lake Morena Planning Group.

Charles S. Judson Memorial Bridge, the 1929 Pine Valley Creek Bridge on Historic Highway 80, at the recommendation of historian Cherry Diefenbach, supported by the Pine Valley Community Planning Group.

Bert Vaughn Memorial Bridge, the 1931 county bridge on Historic Highway 80, 200 feet east of mile marker 33.5, supported by the Jacumba  Community Sponsor Group.

Patricia Fauble Memorial Bridge, a 1931 county bridge on Historic Highway 80 about 300 feet east of mile market 33.5,supported by the Jacumba Community Sponsor Group.

Below is more information on these fascinating historical figures:

Isola Hook

Isola was born in Texas, the oldest daughter of William Henry Derrick and Lucy Ann Webb. About 1887, the Derrick family homesteaded in the Clover Flat area of Campo where they raised cattle. In 1893, after Isola’s father was accidentally shot, he was buried in the Milquatay Pioneer Cemetery.

With her father’s untimely death, Isola’s brother, Anderson B. Derrick, assumed additional responsibilities for managing the Derrick livestock and Isola watched her younger siblings while their mother, Lucy ,worked at the Campo Hotel.

In 1895, Isola married Charles Hook, a local Campo rancher (1872-1940). Early in their marriage, Isola would accompany her husband on cattle drives to Imperial Valley. In addition to raising cattle, poultry, and hogs at their 480-acre ranch along Buckman Springs Road, they raised six children. Isola was a truly remarkable pioneer woman who could ride a horse, chop wood, plant a garden.

An excellent cook, Isola canned her own fruits and vegetables and was always willing to set an extra place for visitors. When the Glencoe School District was formed at the east end of their ranch, Isola boarded the local schoolteacher in the Hook home. She even served as a Glencoe School Trustee.

After most of her children married and moved away, Isola became involved in a variety of community service groups. She volunteered at the local children’s hospital, served as president of the Mountain Empire Home Center group, which was part of the County Farm Bureau. Isola was also an active member of the San Diego Cow Belles, the County’s Pioneer Society, and the Ramona Chapter of the Eastern Star. Isola was a pillar of the community of Campo for nearly 75 years and all who knew her respected and admired her.

Charles S. Judson

Born in Connecticut in 1879, Charles S. Judson graduated from Yale University in 1903. By 1917, Charles, his, wife, Katherine, and their children were living on a ranch in Bostonia (El Cajon) where they sold citrus and avocados.

In 1923, Judson purchased 1,200 acres in the Pine Valley area to develop a mountain resort. Hethen built a restaurant (the Pine Valley Cabin), a general store, a garage, riding stables, a nine-hole golf course, a swimming pool, tennis courts, and numerous rustic rental cabins. He also donated the land for the Pine Valley School, started the Pine Valley Water Company, and subdivided parts of the valley into one half acre lots that he sold for individual residences.

In 1958, the C.S. Judson family sold their resort holdings in Pine Valley to three business partners, Johnson, Tyson, and Lynde. Today, the former Pine Valley Cabin (now called the Pine Valley House Restaurant) and a number of charming cabins still reflect Charles Judson’s lasting vision and legacy, nearly one hundred years after their creation.

Bert Vaughn

In 1918, Bert Vaughn (1879-1976) purchased 320-acres in Jacumba Hot Springs which he developed into a first-class resort. Vaughn built an iconic bathhouse that offered medicinal mineral baths, a large concrete swimming pool or plunge, a 2-story apartment building, a swanky 3-story hotel called “Hotel Vaughn,” a large dance hall–called the Jacumba Casino, as well as a variety of commercial buildings; shops, restaurants, and a garage. He also provided electrical power and drinking water to the town’s businesses and residences. Vaughn generously donated land for the Methodist Church and the Jacumba school house. Additionally, he provided a station where early motorists could obtain emergency first aid.

A very successful entrepreneur and businessman, Vaughn began building the nearby Desert View Tower (DVT) in 1936. Today the DVT is a designated California historical landmark and a popular highway attraction.

In 1939, Bert was appointed as the California Highway Commissioner by Governor Olson.While serving as commissioner, Bert Vaughn was responsible for implementing many road safety improvements in San Diego and Imperial counties. These improvements included the realignment of the U.S. 80 through Mountain Springs Grade.

Largely due to Vaughn’s astute promotion of Jacumba, it gained notice by the 1930s Hollywood crowd, often drawing in as many as 5,000 visitors during holiday weekends. Bert operated Jacumba Hot Springs as a desert resort until 1944, when he sold his interests in the town.

Patricia Fauble

Patricia Fauble (1928-2021) moved to Jacumba Hot Springs around 1968. Small in stature, Pat Fauble was a real powerhouse when it came to serving her community. During the 53 years that she lived in Jacumba, Pat was an active member in a variety of community organizations. These included the Jacumba Friends of the Library and Jacumba Women’s Club. Pat also served for many years on the Jacumba Community Service District (JCSD) Board of Directors, on the Jacumba Sponsor Group, and she volunteered as a voting poll worker.

But without a doubt, Pat Fauble’s biggest contribution to the town occurred during 1984 to 1999 when she served as Jacumba’s Volunteer Fire Chief. Pat was one of the earliest fire chiefs in San Diego County. Under her competent leadership, Pat, and her all-volunteer fire crew, responded to many local fires and medical calls. It was also during her tenure as fire chief that the Jacumba Volunteer Fire Station transitioned into the San Diego Rural Protection District.

Funding and Equity

Supervisors also approved $4,000 from the Community Enhancement program budget to fund two signs at each bridge.  

Each nominee was researched by the Office of Equity and Racial Justice.  According to Supervisor Anderson,  “This Board Letter honors individuals that embodied equity principles by providing their respective communities with opportunity, fair treatment, and advancement for all. These individuals spent the majority of their life and careers working with underserved and disadvantaged groups.”

This article was revised August 26, 2023 with corrected photo of  the Pine Valley Bridge on  Old Highway 80 (not I-8).