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Jamul
The unincorporated area of Jamul/Dulzura is one of the largest in the East County, encompassing approximately 168 square miles of gently sloping hills, narrow canyons, creeks, springs, and rolling meadows. Known as "horse country," this distinctly rural region of grasslands and scrub brush is cherished for its natural beauty, and anchors what Sunset magazine referred to as the "70 perfect miles" of Highway 94.
Sparsely populated, rustic, and charming, Jamul stretches south of El Cajon to the border with Mexico, west to Otay Lakes, and east to the Cleveland National Forest. From the 1850s to the turn of the century, it played a part in many of San Diego's historical "firsts": The first overland route connecting San Diego with Yuma and beyond, the first place in the county to grow castor beans, and home to Southern California's first cement plant. The cement made at the Jamul Portland Cement Manufacturing Company was used to pave the sidewalks of downtown San Diego in the 1890s.
The mission padres used Jamul as a sheep pasture, but Western settlement of the area truly began with a land grant of two leagues -- 8,926 acres -- to Pio Pico in 1829. Rancho Jamul was the first of many grants to Pico, who would later become California's last Mexican governor.
Today, the area that took its name from the old Spanish land grant comprises over 107,000 acres of pastures and foothills, and supports a population of just over 5,000 people. Residents of this region appreciate the beauty and ruggedness of the open space, the rich history, the privacy, and the lifestyle. Many families in this area have lived here for generations.
Historically, this unincorporated area has been used for cattle and sheep grazing, dairies, and a variety of agricultural objectives. An 1890 publication noted that "the orange, in particular, reaches perfection in the Jamul valley." In the centuries since it was first settled by the Mexican aristocracy, residents have grown beans, grasses, grains, fruit and, in the early 1900s, even tobacco. The Jamul/Dulzura area is still a patchwork of ranches and small farms, but contemporary ventures include nurseries, apiaries, and horse, dog, and sheep breeders.
The lands of Pio Pico's Rancho Jamul are still an important part of the unincorporated area that bears its name. The kilns from the Jamul Cement Works -- California's oldest extant cement-burning kilns -- can still be found on the Rancho. Today, 3,500 acres -- almost half -- of what was once Rancho Jamul, including the kilns, are a part of the Rancho Jamul Ecological Reserve.
The tiny communities of Jamul, Indian Springs, Dulzura, Engineer Springs, Steele Canyon, and Barrett Junction flash by along the shoulders of rural Highway 94, which meanders through the region. Originally a Kumeyaay Indian trail and then part of the stagecoach route from San Diego to Yuma, the 2-lane road that begins at Jamacha Junction is a popular scenic drive.
For decades this route was the sole means of transport and communication from San Diego to all points east. Roadhouses, which once doubled as dance halls and meeting rooms, are still important fixtures to travelers and residents alike. "Let's make it clear," states Sunset. "State Highway 94 is one of the best backroad drives in California." Residents would say it's also one of the best places to live.