Coronado became its own city 130 years ago today CORONADO GOES.
On Dec. 11, 1890, Coronado officially incorporated as a city of the sixth class after voting in October to break away from the city of San Diego.
The news of the vote for independence was splashed across multiple pages of The San Diego Union on Oct. 7. The newspaper editorialized the move as the “the bright dawn of a new era of assured prosperity,” for the free people of the island.
Unspoken was the reality that at the time, the Union’s publisher, John D. Spreckels, owned nearly all of Coronado and North Island including the fabulous Hotel del Coronado, the ferry, the trolley, and water systems.
From The San Diego Union, Tuesday, Oct. 7, 1890:
Coronado goes. The people decided yesterday by a majority of 482 that Coronado should be segregated form San Diego, and the people are supreme. It was one of the prettiest fights that has taken place in the city in a long time and some very hard work was done by both sides. Popular interest was enlisted to a far greater extent than in the water bond election on Saturday. In every ward the activity was equal to that displayed in the Congressional primaries in July.
In the evening another good natured and deeply interested crowd gathered about THE UNION’s bulletin and very general satisfaction was expressed over the results as set forth by the white figures on the board. “It’s the best thing that ever happened in this town,” was the general verdict. “Coronado has been clamoring for this for two years or more, and now that she has it everybody should be satisfied. It will be a very easy matter to take the Beach back again if she wants to come, by and bye, and it would have been all wrong to make her stay against her desire; that was what the people said. Everybody was glad the majority had been so decisive, leaving no possible room for doubt or quibble.
Only one ward gave a majority against segregation — the Seventh — and that was only 53, not enough to cut any figure in the grand total. The total number of votes cast was 2,672; 1,577 being for segregation and 1,095 against ...
Soon after dinner a large number of enthusiastic San Diegans procured torches and spontaneously formed a procession headed for Coronado to assist the good people of the
Beach to celebrate the event. Through the generosity of Receiver Flint of the Street Car Company, all were carried free to the ferry and free transportation was kindly provided by Mr. Babcock across the bay ....
THE RIGHT PREVAILS.
Bayard Taylor said that “prosperities can only be enjoyed by them who fear not at all to lose them.”
The prosperities which should follow, and follow and be enjoyed by all who, fearing not to lose for themselves, by a generous majority gave justice to Coronado yesterday ...
The bright dawn of a new era of assured prosperity, and renewed good feeling, begins with the rising of the sun this morning. Justice and enterprise go out today hand in hand to meet a welcome future ...