El Cajon CA Moving Companies

El Cajon, California

El Cajon, California, does not pretend to be a hot-and-happening big city trapped in the landscape of a small town. In fact, the city is rather proud of its warm and friendly small-town atmosphere and has prioritized local business promotion as a vital aspect of its economic development plan. But that doesn’t mean that people moving to El Cajon will find themselves in dead-end suburbia. As part of the San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos metro area, El Cajon is located within a high-growth Southern California corridor dominated by high technology, manufacturing, and health care industries. Moving to El Cajon especially makes sense for people who wish to take advantage of affordable housing in a city with a strong sense of community while participating in the competitive labor market of nearby San Diego.

Economy:
Historically, the economy of El Cajon developed around its role as the agricultural and communications center of San Diego. Up until the 1950s, El Cajon was the social, cultural, and business center of East County. After World War II, extensive suburban development eroded the downtown district and drew businesses away from El Cajon, which resulted in downtown El Cajon becoming listed as “blighted” by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. A revitalization plan initiated in 1996 has brought El Cajon’s luster back and the city is now on track to becoming a dynamic urban center. Construction, manufacturing, health care and retail are the major industries in El Cajon. Median family income is $42,759.

History:
In the early 1800s, Spanish mission padres maintained pasture lands in the area that is now the El Cajon Valley. After the secularization of the Spanish missions in 1843, California Government Pio Pico confiscated the lands of Mission San Diego de Alcala in 1845 and granted 47,000 acres of the valley to Dona Maria Antonio Estudillo, wife of Don Miguel de Pedrorena, to repay a $500 government obligation. The land grant included the present communities of Lakeside, Santee, Bostonia, Glenview, Johnstown, El Cajon, and part of Grossmont.

The land grant eventually became a property of San Francisco entrepreneur Isaac Lankerhim, who subsequently hired Amaziah Lord Knox to oversee wheat ranching in the area in exchange for ten acres of land. The discovery of gold in Julian brought a steady trek of freight traffic hauling equipment and supplies and ore between San Diego and Julian. Knox saw the potential for El Cajon to become a stopover for the teamsters and miners who traveled back and forth Julian and San Diego, so he built the city’s first hotel in 1877 on his ten acres. Later, more buildings were built to accommodate the newcomers who were moving to El Cajon. The City of El Cajon was incorporated on November 12, 1912.

Tourism:
Located along the foothills of the Cuyamaca Mountain range to the east, El Cajon enjoys a Mediterranean-like climate that is ideal for natural and outdoor recreational pursuits. A short drive away is the Cleveland National Forest, which covers 430,000 acres of protected woodlands and mountains with many camping sites and hiking trails. Downtown is where you will find the Knox House Museum, the oldest commercial building in El Cajon dating from 1876. Originally built as a home for teamsters and miners making their way to the Julian gold mines, the museum offers tours and sells handmade crafts, ornaments and other goods reminiscent of life in turn-of-the-century Southern California. Another attraction that’s worth a visit is the Warbirds West Air Museum, which offers sightseeing rides and airshow performances using former military training aircraft. If you are moving to El Cajon with your family, you’ll want to take the kids to the Boomers!, an amusement and entertainment center featuring mini-golf, game arcades, bumper boats, go-cart racing and other fun diversions for the young and the young-at-heart.

Colleges/Universities:

• Grossmont College – El Cajon
• Cuyamaca College
• San Diego Christian College
• Valley Career College
• Southern California Seminary
• Newbridge College – San Diego

Interesting Facts:

• The name “El Cajon” comes from the Spanish word for “box,” in reference to the city’s being surrounded or “boxed in” by mountains.
• Famous people who were either born or grew up in El Cajon include former Olympian Greg Louganis, rock critic Lester Bangs and four-time Major League All-Star Bob Boone.
• El Cajon has a land area of 14.6 square miles and an estimated population of 95,546 I 2009.