When El Cajon Avenue Became a Boulevard

I frequently walk the streets of North Park. Recently, when repairs were being done to the sidewalk, the imprinted street names in the concrete were preserved by cutting the cement around them, removing them, and then returning them to their original locations.

I was walking down the 2300 block of El Cajon Boulevard, and at the corner where it met Louisiana Street, I looked down and saw “El Cajon Ave” imprinted in the sidewalk. My first thought was someone really screwed up, and I kept walking. The next block (2200), I looked down and the curb was painted red and worn, but it was clear enough to see the words “El Cajon Ave.”

No longer figuring this was a mistake, I set out to find out about the name. The El Cajon Boulevard Business Improvement Association website, theboulevard.org has historical info and photos, but I was unable to figure out the name mystery. I did see a photo of JFK in a motorcade on the boulevard.

I sent an email to info@boulevard.org, and Steve Aldana was kind enough to respond to my question — What year did the name change from Ave to Blvd? In 1937, the city council voted to change its name and designation to note its significance as a major thoroughfare.

Photo credit: So Cal Metro (please contact us: stories@sandiegoreader.com — Robert Mizrachi)