La Jolla History
Local Native Americans, the Kumeyaay, called this location mat kulaaxuuy 'land of holes'..What sort of topographic feature the description "holes" refers to is uncertain (.little did they know what lay ahean on Mt. Soledad), but it may be the sea-level caves on the north facing bluffs which are visible from La Jolla Shores. This was apparently corrupted by the Spanish occupiers to "La Jolla". An alternate suggested origin is that the name is a corruption of the Spanish La Joya, meaning "the jewel". Although disputed by scholars, this origin of the name is widely cited in popular culture, and has given rise to the nickname "Jewel City.
Historical Timelines of La Jolla
1850 - the area of La Jolla was incorporated into the City of San Diego
1880s - the area was surveyed and subdivided by Frank Botsford, "the father of La Jolla"
1890s - railroad arrives in La Jolla
1893 - the La Jolla Park Hotel opened
1909 - The Bishop's School was founded
1911 - electricity came to La Jolla with 4 customers
1912 - the first motion picture in town was shown
1913 - the first La Jolla Light newspaper was printed and the Orient Theater opened on Girard and Wall
1922 - La Jolla High School was founded
1926 - La Valencia Hotel opened
1926 - La Jolla Country Day School started
1944 - the first stop sign was installed at Girard Avenue and Torrey Pines Road
2007 - SURE Real Estate set the record for the highest priced property sold via auction in La Jolla history