During WWII, aircraft workers and their families poured into San Diego to build planes at the Consolidated Aircraft plant. From 1941 to 1942, the population of San Diego jumped from about 203,000 to over 300,000.
Concerned about workers’ poor living conditions (and how these conditions might affect productivity) the Federal government began the Linda Vista housing project in March of 1941. Linda Vista is Spanish for “pretty view.”
The first baby born to residents of the Linda Vista community arrived in late June, 1941. She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. D. E. Chapman and had two older siblings, Patricia and Gerald.
Her name? Linda, after Linda Vista.
Sources:
- “Linda Vista Baby Named for Project.” Los Angeles Times 29 Jun. 1941: 20.
- Linda Vista @ San Diego Daily Transcript
- Linda Vista @ SanDiego.gov
- Taschner, Mary. “Boomerang Boom: San Diego 1941-1942.” The Journal of San Diego History 28.1 (1982).
We lived near Linda Vista when we lived in San Diego. I think the Navy still has base housing in that area.
I lived there between 1942 & 45. Went to Kit Carson school, set a cayoan on fire. road the city buss all the time, no cars & next to no gas. I was 6 years old at the time. But where else could you watch the tracers rounds of a 40 mm AA gun at night. My mother worked for Consolated building B-24s, if pride in workman ship would have caped then in the air ,none would have crashed
I would like a map of the old Linda Vista
7
Hi East Texan,
The article from The Journal of San Diego History included some photographs. One was an aerial shot of Linda Vista from 1952. Not quite the same as a map, but here’s the link: Boomerang Boom: San Diego 1941-1942
I have a copy of a map of Linda Vista, dated March 1944. Let me know if the request from East Texas in 2011, is still valid.
Hi Bill,
Thanks for the offer! I’ve emailed East Texan to see if he/she is still looking for that map. If I get a response I will let you know.
-Nancy