Logan Heights, San Diego

Central portion of San Diego and neighborhood boundaries

Logan Heights is a neighborhood in central San Diego, California. It is bordered by Interstate 5 on the south and west, Interstate 15 on the east, and Imperial Avenue on the north.

History

In 1871, Congressman John A. Logan wrote legislation to provide federal land grants and subsidies for a transcontinental railroad ending in San Diego. A street laid in 1881 was named Logan Heights after him, and the name came to be applied to the general area. Plans for a railroad never successfully materialized, and the area was predominantly residential by the start of the 20th century, becoming one of San Diego's oldest communities. Its transformation began in 1910 with the influx of refugees of the Mexican Revolution, who soon became the majority ethnic group. For this reason, the southern part of the original Logan Heights neighborhood came to be called Barrio Logan.

From the early 1920's until the early 1990's Logan Heights was home to the largest black community in San Diego. One can easily visit Logan Heights today and still see black churches on every corner. The oldest church built by the black community is the big Pink Church (seen from the I-5 freeway) on 25th Street (now known as Cesar Chavez Prkwy) which was built in 1912. Blacks still come back and worship every Sunday at the many churches still standing in Logan Heights. Parts of "Barrio Logan" was home to many black families during the 1950's. Many blacks built homes in the Logan Heights area beginning in the 1920's. Logan Heights was home to many famous black citizens from the 1920's until the 1980's when blacks started to move to neighborhoods such as Encanto, Emerald Hills, Skyline and Oak Park areas buying homes there. Dr. Kimbrough has an elementary named after him in the Logan Heights/Sherman Heights area. He was known all over the US as a civil rights leader. Black businesses such as Dr. Ford's medical office (which stands today across from the Central Police Division), was well known as a leader in the community.

FOR FURTHER HISORY FACTS about Logan Heights and the BLACK community, PLEASE go to San Diego Historical Society/Journals/Baynard Collection.

Governance

It is part of City Council District 8 and is represented by Councilman David Alvarez. The city is currently (2010) updating the community plan.

Culture

Barrio Logan is known as the home of Chicano Park. A new Logan Heights branch of the San Diego Public Library opened in 2007. .

See also

• Chicano Park

References

4. sandiegohistory.org/journal, click on Norman Baynard's Logan Heights 1939 - 1985, plus other journals on blacks in Logan Heights and San Diego