What a view! This is a shot from our archival collection. Any guesses specifically where this was taken and roughly when? #WhereIsItWednesday #beautifulview❤️

What do you know about this building? Extra credit if you can name the architect and tell us some of his/her other projects in La Mesa. #WhereIsItWednesday #lamesavillage

Roundtable video now available on YouTube
Did you miss the Home Tour Roundtable event last October 11th or are interested in revisiting the fantastic content provided by our historian, Jim Newland? The video of this event is now available on the La Mesa History Center's YouTube Channel. Check it out at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zMHpZ9Fkcg .

The talk showcases the work of notable architects such as Irving J. Gill, William Wheeler, Arthur G. Lindley, F.D. Harrington and pioneering local builders J. D. Davis, Harry Russell and the Dennstedt Company.

A Century Ago: January 3, 1926 Dedicating Talmadge Park
You likely awoke today to local headlines about rainy weather and a triple overtime SDSU basketball thriller.
One hundred years ago La Mesan's and San Diegans also were greeted with local news and sports coverage of note for the events of January 3, 1926.
One very notable story featured a special dedication event including one of Hollywood's most popular celebrity motion picture families--the Talmadge Sisters. Leading lady Norma Talmadge, along with her husband producer and banker Joseph Schenck, and sisters Constance and Natalie, and Natalie's famous director and actor husband Buster Keaton had come to dedicate one of San Diego county's newest suburban developments that was named for them--Talmadge Park. (Although they helped promote and market the development, stories of the Talmadges owning or living in Talmadge Park were not true--very similar to Babe Ruth and La Mesa's Windsor Hills).
Such is Talmadge's reputation and historical integrity that it now includes a National Register of Historic Places district.
Here, here is to our western neighbors as they commemorate their century old suburban origins.
Keep an eye out for other Centennial notes for the Greater La Mesa area--including our historically connected East San Diego neighbors.

Happy New Year 2026!
Let's look back a century to New Year's Day 1926. Along with a Benjamin Franklin "Poor Richard" quote, the big headlines featured the pavement of the Chollas Road (now University Avenue) from East San Diego to La Mesa, thus providing a second fully paved auto route between the two communities. Other stories included the offer of the old Murray lands (now site of Helix High and Eastridge community) as a possible location for a new SDSC campus (they didn't get chosen, but it did end up being the reason for the college street names nearby), and the upcoming dedication of the new Congregational Church at Third and Lemon.
But the really big story was the sale of the Cuyamaca Water Company to the local irrigation district (now Helix Water). Locals had voted for a $2.5m bond to make the purchase that would be finalized on January 4, 1926. Thus providing La Mesa and surrounding communities such as Lemon Grove, Spring Valley and El Cajon with the key to local control independence--water.
1926 would be the height of the 1920s real estate boom, and bring eastern San Diego and La Mesa several new developments including Kensington Heights, Talmadge Park, El Cerrito Heights and Rolando.
Keep an eye out as we commemorate those 1926 centennials.

As we count down to the new year, join us in one last #WhereisitWednesday for 2025. If you remember this place you also remember Elvis, Fats Domino and Little Richard. Tell us where this was and if you have any memories of it. #lamesa #historyisfun

50 Facts about the La Mesa History Center #50: Our Future
As we came to the end of 2025 we also wrap up our "50 Facts" series with a look to the future!

Thank you for your engagement with the first 50 years of the La Mesa History Center. We look forward to the next 50 years of promoting, collecting and educating on and about the history of Greater La Mesa area for the benefit of the community through the McKinney House Museum, Historical Archives and public programs. Thank you for sharing our vision to be an organization actively engaged in preserving La Mesa’s unique heritage for future generations to learn and enjoy.

In 2026 we will be celebrating our 20th Annual Home Tour in November. Look for new interpretive signage around the McKinney House property. And look for new exhibits in the House and online as well as new social media series!

Our volunteers are taking a well deserved break for the holiday season. We'll see you all when we reopen on Saturday, January 10th from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm at the La Mesa History Center and McKinney House Museum.

Merry Christmas to those that celebrate. This is a c1940s shot of Grossmont High School's Christmas Pageant Feast Scene. The pageant was introduced in 1925 (some sources say 1926) under the guidance of teacher Eva Quicksall. It ran through 1988 and was wildly popular. If you were ever in the pageant share your stories. #grossmonthighschool #merrychristmas