By Miriam Raftery

November 1, 2021 (El Cajon) --East County Magazine interviewed Rick Hall, President of the El Cajon Historical Society, via Zoom last week regarding the Society's efforts to preserve local history, funding challenges due to COVID-19, and encouraged residents including newcomers from around the world to share their stories as part of the city's ever-changing history.  The interview also aired on our radio show on KNSJ 89.1 FM.

Hall also talked about his own heritage as a descendant of one of El Cajon’s pioneering families and shared anecdotes from the city’s colorful past. 

Donations are needed to help sustain the Society’s efforts to keep history alive in our region, due to a loss of funds during the pandemic lockdowns.

By Larry Johnson, President, Mountain Empire Historical Society

July 16, 2020 (San Diego's East County) -- Have you driven down scenic Highway 80 through its eastern stretch of San Diego County and noticed a lone chimney standing like a silent sentinel in a field, or a very old building that appears to date back to a previous era and wondered about their history?

If so, a new book written by historian and author Cherry Diefenbach called Renegades, Rock Houses and Resorts…the Stories of Jacumba Hot Spring and Surrounds may be just the ticket.

This nearly 500-page book provides a comprehensive history of the area using more than 1,200 photos, hundreds of old newspaper articles, and personal accounts from the descendants of early settlers. Many of the photographs have not been published elsewhere.

Finished after nearly five years of research, the book chronicles the colorful history of local mountain and desert comunities including Bankhead Springs, Boulder Park/Desert View Tower, Boulevard/Manzanita, Hipass/Tierra Del Sol, Jacumba Hot Springs, Live Oak Springs, Mountain Springs, and Oasis.

By Chris Jennewein 

Reprinted with permission from Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association 

Photo:  The Kumeyaay flag is raised at the Presidio to celebrate San Diego’s 250th anniversary. Photo by Chris Jennewein

July 24, 2019 (San Diego) - San Diego officially celebrated its 250th birthday last week while also recognizing millennia of Kumeyaay Indian history before the European arrival.

East County News Service

Hear our interview with Del Hood:  https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/sites/eastcountymagazine.org/files/au...

June 27, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) – Recently, East County Magazine sat down with Del Hood, long-time news editor of the Daily Californian and author of the new book History in the Headlines: Half a Century of the Most Notable Events in the El Cajon Valley and Surrounding Areas 1950-2000.

He recalled some of the most memorable stories of his career, as well as the fascinating history of our region.  This interview originally aired on the East County Magazine Show on KNSJ 89.1 FM Radio. To listen online now, click the link above. (Note: sound files can take a few moments to load.)

January 26, 2012 (Lemon Grove)--The sound of drumbeats, horses' hooves and rifle fire, and the snap of flying colors amid the wide open spaces of the American West are yours on Feb. 2 at 7 p.m.   Descendants of the 9th and 10th Cavalry Regiments of the famous African American Buffalo Soldiers will relive the glory days, when they were the advance guard in the nation's Western expansion.