Community Corner
Ramona Streets Have a History of Their Own
Have you ever wondered how the street where you live got its name? Maybe you already know, or perhaps you even had a hand in selecting the name. Here are just a few of the familiar streets that have ties to Ramona's history.
Reading over the street names on a map of Ramona is like a page out of the history books. Many of the streets were named for town leaders of long ago.
Sawday Street in Ramona Acres honors the pioneer family that began its roots in Ramona and Julian in the middle of the 19th century. Frederick Richard Sawday left his beloved homeland of England in 1840 and settled in Witch Creek 20 years later, known in those days as New London. The original Sawday home remains in the family; Betty Ann Telluch is Frederick’s great-granddaughter. Several phases of remodeling and additions have been done since the house was built in 1891.
Bruce Dye, a community leader for many years and a descendant of Capt. James Dye, is the namesake of Dye Road. The old Dye house was located near state Route 67 and Dye Road. In earlier days, Dye Valley was east of Ramona near Witch Creek and is now part of the George Sawday estate.
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Warnock Road brings back memories of Sam Warnock, who came from Ireland in the 1840s by way of Boston. Sam homesteaded in Ballena in 1855 on land that is now the Golden Eagle Farm. A double fireplace still stands where his house once stood. At the time, Sam was told the fireplace was built wrong and would never last. That was 156 years ago.
Etcheverry, a street with a catchy title, was named in honor of Bernard Etcheverry, a French immigrant who came here in the late 1870s. He was a sheep rancher in Santa Maria Valley. It wasn’t too many years ago when sheep could still be seen grazing on the same hills south of town where Etcheverry tended over 12,000 head of Marino sheep as far back as 1879.
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He also donated the land for one of the first schoolhouses in the valley. Named in honor of his wife’s family, the Earle School is now a private residence on Mussey Grade. Etcheverry’s son, Fred, was one of the first students at the school in 1897.
Jumping ahead to more present times, there is a very short road in San Diego Country Estates, long enough for only two houses. It is Cope Road, named for Marshall Cope, who ran the western equestrian unit when it started out in the barn at Ramona Oaks Park. When Marshall left the area, he moved to Oklahoma, where he died in 2004.
This story was researched at Julian Pioneer Library, with special thanks to Susan Fowler. The museum is open Saturday and Sunday at 2811 Washington St., Julian.
