San Marcos History

Westerners first discovered the area now known as San Marcos in the late 1700’s. Historical documents show that a small band of Indians routinely raided the flocks of the San Luis Rey Mission, prompting a call for assistance from Spanish troops. Fleeing from the Spanish soldiers, the Indians disappeared into the eastern hills. While pursuing them, the Spaniards discovered a lovely, fertile valley they named Los Vallecitos de San Marcos (Little Valleys of St. Mark) on April 25, 1797.

In 1840, Los Vallecitos de San Marcos was given as a land grant to Sgt. Jose Mario Alvarado, a relative of the Spanish Governor Juan Bautista Alvarado. In 1846, Don Jose fought in the Battle of San Pasqual. Captured, he was tortured and then killed by the Indians. With his son’s permission, his widow, Lugarda, sold the 8877.5-acre parcel to Larenzo Soto, who was given a patent to the land. The land changed hands a number of times. In the late 1870s, Maj. Gustavus F. Merriam from Topeka, Kansas, made the first permanent settlement, homesteading 160 acres in the north Twin Oaks Valley, where he began wine and honey production.

In early 1875, as Maj. Merriam’s settlement thrived, German and Dutch immigrants began moving into the area. In 1883, John H. Barham founded the first town a few miles to the south, calling it Barham. Within one year, his town had a post office, a blacksmith, a feed store and a weekly newspaper, called Our Paper. The first school opened in Barham in 1880 and was moved to San Marcos in 1889.

In 1887, the San Marcos Land Company bought almost the entire former Los Vallecitos de San Marcos land grant. The company divided the land into tracts, sold them, and soon the beautiful hills began attracting settlers. Originally, the town of San Marcos rested at the intersection of what is now Grand Avenue and Rancho Santa Fe Road. In that same year, the Santa Fe Railroad announced that it would lay tracks through the valley, but, to the disappointment of the local citizens, the tracks were laid one mile away from the town.

By 1903, many people of San Marcos had built up businesses near the railroad tracks at what is now the junction of Mission Road and Pico Avenue. By 1905, the town had rural mail delivery and telephone service. The general store and the post office were the most popular buildings for casual gatherings on market day. Farming became the main commerce in San Marcos in the late 1800s and first half of the 1900s. Dairy and poultry production also became a big part of the economy. In 1950, the Barn, the first true community center for San Marcos, was built at Mission and San Marcos Boulevard. Today the structure resides at Walnut Grove Park, still being used as a gathering place for people of all ages.

The city began to grow more rapidly in 1956, when the first water from the Colorado River arrived to supply the city. The population quickly increased to 2,500, and small businesses opened all over town. In 1960, the construction of Hwy. 78 began, and San Marcos High School was built. During the 1960s the city grew by only a few thousand, but by 1980 San Marcos became the third fastest growing city in California with a population of 17,479. During the 1990’s, San Marcos doubled in population to today’s figures of more than 63,500 people.

Situated between the state’s two largest cities, Los Angeles and San Diego, San Marcos is perfectly located for all types of business. The community provides an excellent environment for business, as well as a haven in which families can grow, far from the congestion of major metropolitan areas. Please, come discover and experience the San Marcos business community. For your business, your family and your life.

The San Marcos Historical Society is located at 270 W. San Marcos Blvd,
(760) 744-9025.