Poway, California
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Poway is a city located in San Diego County, California. As of the 2000 census, the city had a population of 48,044.
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History
General Overview
Like many early San Diego settlements, Poway used to serve as home to a local Native American tribe, the Diegueños. Artifacts such as arrow heads, spear points, metates, grinding stones, and pottery found along the bed of Poway Creek all indicate an early Diegueño presence. Various pictographs adorn many of Poway's boulders, and modern techniques suggest that these paintings date back to the 1500s or earlier. Poway's contemporary history began in 1758, when padres from the Mission San Diego de Alcala kept cattle in the valley. The name "Paguay," one of many original spellings, appears on mission documents in 1774. The name, also written as Paguai, Paui, Pauai, Pauy, Powaii, and finally Poway, has incurred dispute as to its meaning. While one Native American linguist insists that it means “here, where the waters meet,” the consensus has traditionally translated the word as “the two little valleys.” For approximately a century Poway served as a stock range for the mission, until settlers began to come to the valley for farming purposes in the late antebellum period. Few records of this time have survived, and not until 1894 and the inception of the Poway Progress did the town's history become a thing of record. In 1887, about 800 people lived and farmed in Poway. Around the turn of the century Poway farmers had moderate success in the production and vending of fruit, grain, and dairy products. Expansion, however, failed to follow agricultural success. Though the farmers prospered, the town existed in a static state for decades, varying only slightly in population, demographic, crop selection, and the like. Poway has a creek and fertile soil, but the lack of easily available water prevented the settlement from attracting large-scale farmers and the accompanying population growth. Not until 1954 did the town establish the Poway Municipal Water District, which utilizes water from the Colorado River Aqueduct to irrigate all of Poway's 10,000 acres. When water came to the town, people did as well. In 1957, following the sewer system's completion, developers built housing tracts, and modern Poway grew from there. In 1980 Poway incorporated and officially became the City of Poway (nicknamed the City in the Country) rather than a part of San Diego. Today, according to the 2000 United States census, the town boasts a population of 48,044 residents, largely comprised of white family units. Poway no longer depends on agriculture for its primary source of income, and has instead transitioned into a residential community for those who commute to jobs in and around the downtown San Diego area.
Agriculture
Though many residents today mistake Poway for an old Western-style cowboy town, its original roots lie in agriculture. The Homestead Act of 1862 encouraged Westward migration, and accordingly many of Poway’s first white settlers came to farm. The fecund soil proved well-suited to a variety of crops, including peaches, Muscat grapes, apricots, pears, hay, and alfalfa. Some farmers captured swarms of wild bees and cultivated honey. Dairying also proved lucrative. Most families kept a cow for milk and butter, chickens for eggs and meat, and perhaps a hog as to sustain them personally whilst they farmed. Crops sold well around the San Diego area. Between the seasons of 1894 and 1896, the Poway Progress reported bits of agricultural information such as:
Muscat grapes are beginning to ripen, and the San Diego market is getting a supply of the fine article Poway always produces.
The season has been a prolific one for bees, thirty of forty stands the present season from a single captured swarm a year or two ago.
The peach is a good article, and Poway produces it to perfection. Poway pears will compare with any grown in the state.
The success of these crops depended on the annual winter rainfall, however, and so remained subject to precipitation until the establishment of the Poway Municipal Water District in 1954. With water readily available, the town’s farming interest shifted to two principal crops, avocados and citrus fruits. Ironically, despite the relative success of these ventures, Poway ceased to exist as a farming town once the water needed to make it a true agricultural haven appeared. With water came new residents, and the former farm town transformed into a locale full of small commercial businesses and modest shopping centers.
Religion
Then as now, religion mattered greatly to Poway residents. The Community Church of Poway, the town’s first church, has remained in operation since 1883. During the time of the town's inception, most Powegians practiced Methodism, and the International Order of Good Templars (IOGT) controlled most of the town. In the 1890s, church meetings on Sunday nights drew the entire community together to worship. Socials, speeches, fundraisers, bees, and graduations all took place at Good Templars hall. The congregation suffered the continual loss of members, however, due to the uncertainty of crops from year to year. Few Poway residents stayed for a long time; after perhaps five years of crops dependent on uncertain weather, many residents moved to Escondido, San Diego, or even Los Angeles, where irrigation proved more stable. The church, left with a vague base, floundered accordingly. Not until the 1960s, with the water problem truly resolved, did the church steadily grow in size. Today, Methodists, Presbyterians, and Mormons constitute the majority of Poway’s religious demographic.
Education
Poway established its school district in 1871, but did not have a schoolhouse until 1885. Turn of the century teachers conducted school in the traditional one-room style, with first through eighth graders included in one classroom. Children learned to read and write using slates, and eventually progressed to study subjects such as arithmetic, spelling, English, language (German or Latin), grammar, history, and geography. Students did not usually attend high school, and had to travel to Escondido if they wished to do so. In 1909, only three students from Poway graduated from high school. Women who went on to more school from there usually had teaching ambitions. Education, while compulsory and considered a worthwhile pastime, had few far-reaching applications for Poway’s farmers’ children. Enrollment in the Poway School first through eighth grades did not reach 100 until 1936.
Transportation
Poway’s transportation history parallels that of early California. In 1888 the first stagecoach began to service the towns from San Diego to Escondido, including Poway. The stage made one stop in town, at the Poway Post Office, and also delivered mail to the farmers who would wait along the road for its arrival. The men would trot alongside the coach and inquire as to the state of the mail, and thus receive letters without requiring it to stop. Eight to ten passengers could accompany the stagecoach on its three-day journey for a modest $1.00 fee, or purchase a round trip for the bargain price of $1.50. The route itself, though not treacherous when passing through Poway, did pose a significant challenge to the team and driver at various points. Windy mountain trails often caused the stage to turn over, spilling both mail and passengers onto the rocky turf. The city of San Diego discontinued the stage line in 1912, when the advent of the automobile facilitated an easier and less time-consuming method of mail delivery. Poway established a County Road Station in 1920, to oil and maintain the roads so that automobiles could use them with ease. The road station remained in operation until 1961, when Poway achieved an 80% paved road rate. To this day, though, the town still boasts a number of dirt roads, for use by both cars and horses.
The Railroad Incident
Perhaps the most famed incident in Poway’s transportation history comes from an event that never actually took place. The story goes as follows: in October of 1895, representative from the Pacific Beach Railroad Company approached the citizens of Poway with the prospect of directing their railroad route through the center of town. A.K. Cravath and C.B. Boyd, company superintendents, met with town leaders and discussed the prospect, piquing the community’s interest, as the Poway Progress reportage of November 23rd, 1895 demonstrates:
Superintendent Boyd of the PBRC returned recently from an extended trip throughout the east… he says the prospects of a largely increased tourist traffic during the coming season are especially good. As the years go by, Southern California is becoming more and more advertised, and Mr. Boyd says that everywhere he heard people talking of this region and not forgetting to place San Diego on the itinerary of their proposed travels. The prospects for the extension of the road to Santa Maria, he says are brighter than ever and the road will undoubtedly be built and in running order within a year.
The newspaper’s editor, L. E. Kent, met with Boyd and Cravath on many occasions, and obviously caught the flavor of their sales patter. His enthusiasm for the subject of the railroad, based on repeated assurances from the PBRC that the cars could not fail to run, spread like wildfire to the townspeople. On the first of December the town held a “Railroad Social” wherein, according to plan, the PBRC representatives would meet with the entire town and, after a considerable amount of entertainment and hubbub, present the railroad contract to the townspeople for their approval and signatures. The night began without a hitch. According to the December 7th Poway Progress, “a program of good and appropriate things was provided by local talent, which furnished fun and amusement to all. Following the entertainment, a sumptuous supper was served free to the hungry crowd, after which games and youthful antics continued into the late hours.” (31) The “entertainment,” according to the evening’s program, published by the newspaper the following morning, surpassed all expectations. Local residents performed vocal duets, played the violin and the organ, and even sang a “Railroad Song” en masse. Perhaps the most telling entertainment came in the form of a “recitation” by Flora Kent, L.E. Kent’s wife, who composed an original poem on the subject and performed it for the crowd. Her proud husband esteemed his wife’s literary talents so highly that he published the full text of her poem in the Progress the next day. The following excerpts (two out of a total six stanzas) give an adequate representation of the work’s flavor:
Have you heard the news, Josiar? I declare, it makes me young, It sets my heart on fire, And loosens my old tongue, And I feel jest like a talkin’ and shoutin’ jest for fun, For I shan’t do no more walkin’ When the cars begin to run.
…Then Hip Hurrah! for old Poway, Her slumber has been long, But every dog must have its day, And every bird its song. Then let us give a mighty cheer, And shout, “The battle’s won.” For she’s a comin’, don’t you fear, The cars is bound to run!
Poetical talents notwithstanding, the poem gives an excellent indication of Poway’s general excitement concerning the new railroad. The comment that Poway’s “slumber has been long,” especially, suggests that Poway residents recognize the sleepiness and overall torpor of their town, and long for an agent such as the railroad to awaken them from their doze into a new world of economic prosperity. This new reality, however, seemed dubious when, on the very night of the Railroad Social, with all the town’s residents in attendance, the PBRC representatives failed to materialize. “There was one disappointment that shadowed the whole affair—” the Progress reports: “the nonappearance of the gentlemen who were expected to be present to give the railroad talk, setting for the plans, purpose, and contracts of the enterprise.” The fact that the superintendents never attended the contract signing should have, perhaps, indicated to the Powegians that the PBRC did not act entirely in good faith concerning the venture. The same newspaper article, though, states “In justice to the gentlemen named, we are authorized to state that they fully intended to be present at the social, but other engagements prevented them—explanations promised.” At this time in the venture, Poway had collectively given upwards of $100,000 worth of bonds and land to the PBRC. Gullible as the superintendents doubtless expected to find them, Poway residents continued to pursue the railroad project for another year in its entirety, with the paper constantly reporting news such as this, in July of 1896. (39)
Although there is at present a death-like sentence as to our railroad project, we are glad to note indications that the enterprise is not abandoned, nor at a standstill entirely. Mr. Boyd… [said] that they would “get there” without fail. He gave the impression, in short, that the construction of the road can be depended on.
Not until October 1896 did Poway finally abandon hope for the project and demand its money back. Remarkably, the sum of $85,000 worth of land and notes came back into the town’s coffers. The financial losses incurred by the townspeople, then, did not prove devastating, but the town’s spirit never fully recovered from the blow. L.E. Kent himself took the news so poorly, having had the personal assurances of Cravath and Boyd many times, and having staked his journalistic reputation, such as it was, on these assurances, that he only continued to publish the Poway Progress until 1897, one year after the railroad fiasco concluded. After all, progress did not seem imminent in Poway’s future any longer. When news of the coming railroad spread, an English firm, Baird and Chapin, came to the valley and laid out a subdivision plan called Piermont. A plan filed in 1887 shows such elegant names as Devon, Norwalk, Aubrey, Edgemoor, York, Rydal, Windsor and Midland Avenues. Residential areas were planned around small parks: Ashton Court, Chatham Court, Hampton Court, St. Alban's Court and many others. Poway’s new railroad would bring the grandeur, elegance, and cultivation that the town currently lacked, and the developers named the areas accordingly. When the railroad did not materialize, though, the valley began to lose some of its settlers, and the developers left as well. Poway existed in a stagnant inertia for close to three quarters of a century before water revitalized the town.
Water
Poway's greatest change started in the 1950s when water came to the valley. On January 29, 1954 an election was held on the formation of the Poway Municipal Water District, which passed with an overwhleming majority of 210 ayes to 32 nayes. At a second election on March 25, 1954, the citizens voted to annex to the San Diego County Water Authority. At a third election held April 22, 1954, the citizens voted to incur bonded debt of $600,000 to build a water system. The first water delivery was made in July, 1954 to Gordon's Grocery on Garden Road. In 1972 Poway Dam was built to provide a dependable supply of water.
In 1957, the Pomerado County Water District was organized to provide sewer service to 1,610 acres along Pomerado Road. In 1959 the first subdivision homes were built and sold as Poway Valley Homes and Poway's population began to climb.
On December 1, 1980, the City of Poway incorporated and the two districts, Poway Municipal Water and Pomerado County Water, became part of the City structure.
Modern Times
In 1980, Poway incorporated and became the City of Poway, an entity separate from the City of San Diego. It justifies its nickname of the "City in the Country" despite its burgeoning population because it is a Tree City U.S.A. and also houses the Blue Sky nature preserve, beautiful Lake Poway, and many hiking and riding trails, thus maintaining much of its original flavor even in modern times. Poway High School, home of the Titans, is famous for its academic excellence. The Emerald Brigade, the school's marching band, competes actively throughout the year and frequently wins sweepstakes and top honors. The jazz bands frequently perform in and around the community, to great acclaim. Also an athletic powerhouse, the Titan wrestling team has amassed a nationwide reputation through its dominance of the San Diego County wresting circuit. The team has won 25 consecutive CIF San Diego Section Championships, placed in the top five statewide 16 times, and won three CIF State Wrestling Team Championships, in 1986, 1999, and most recently 2005. Poway as a community continues to grow and yet maintain its traditional charm as it modernizes for the 21st century.
Geography
Poway is located at 32°58'12" North, 117°2'19" West (32.969895, -117.038479)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 101.9 km² (39.3 mi²). 101.6 km² (39.2 mi²) of it is land and 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.25% water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 48,044 people, 15,467 households, and 12,868 families residing in the city. The population density is 473.0/km² (1,224.8/mi²). There are 15,714 housing units at an average density of 154.7/km² (400.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 82.86% White, 1.67% African American, 0.48% Native American, 7.46% Asian, 0.28% Pacific Islander, 3.27% from other races, and 3.99% from two or more races. 10.35% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 15,467 households out of which 47.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.8% are married couples living together, 10.5% have a female householder with no husband present, and 16.8% are non-families. 12.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 4.7% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 3.08 and the average family size is 3.35.
In the city the population is spread out with 30.7% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 25.5% from 45 to 64, and 8.6% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 37 years. For every 100 females there are 97.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 93.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $71,708, and the median income for a family is $77,875. Males have a median income of $53,322 versus $34,742 for females. The per capita income for the city is $29,788. 4.3% of the population and 3.1% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 4.9% of those under the age of 18 and 3.7% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Current estimates
According to estimates by the San Diego Association of Governments, the median household income of Poway in 2004 was $87,059 (not adjusted for inflation). When adjusted for inflation (1999 dollars; comparable to Census data above), the median household income was $77,965.