Perhaps they should change it back to "Gay Ranch".

Great history Suzanne, but to get the "real" story on how Ms. Eve Fletcher submitted the winning name, where the name came from, one has to go back to 1898 when the "Normal College" was established in the area that would become known as Normal Heights. A "normal" school was a college created to train teachers. Its purpose was to establish "norms" in teaching standards, thus the name Normal.

And of course Normal College later became . . . . . . . . . San Diego State University.

"And now you know the rest of the story" - Paul Harvey

A big enough building, Normal College, in 1904 to get the area known as Normal Heights?

Did Ms. Fletcher work at Normal College? If not, it has to be said that the school was not located in what is now Normal Heights, it sat in the southern portion of University Heights, almost in Hillcrest (now the San Diego Unified district headquarters). So I'm thinking the "Normal" name is more coincidental with the two than anything else.

Found no employment history for Eve Fletcher. Yes, the Normal School was in University Heights. That fact was established over 100 years ago, and the name "Normal Heights" may be coincidental. Wish someone had interviewed her after she won the lot. Then we'd be certain.

I live in Las Alturas Normales.

We call the house, Casa Normal :)

Good points. Normal Collage was big enough, it didn't have to be in the future Normal Heights area to be taken notice of. Back then there was nothing in between these neighborhoods. Large buildings such as these would have attracted attention from folks miles away.

Ken, one promoter envisioned an archway illuminated with incandescent light bulbs at the east end of Adams Avenue before the bridge and trolley were built across Ward Canyon to Kensington. That's a story for another day.

The promoter turned out to be a first class con man who took the money and ran-----to L. A.