Below is a collection of archival and present-day photos that illustrate the history of Asian immigrants in Escondido. Archived photos were obtained from the Pioneer Room at the Escondido Public Library.
Chinese workers constructing the Stevenson Bros. Department Store at the corner of Kalmia and Grand Ave., 1890. Photo Courtesy of the Pioneer Room, Escondido Public Library.
Chinese immigrant, Sam Wing, making a trek to an Escondido cemetery, year unknown. Photo Courtesy of the Pioneer Room, Escondido Public Library.
The red bricks used to construct the Methodist Episcopal Church (pictured on the left) was handmade by local Chinese immigrants, 1886. Photo Courtesy of the Pioneer Room, Escondido Public Library.
Hotel Escondido circa 1893. This hotel was once a prominent location in Escondido. It employed both Chinese and Japanese cooks. One Japanese cook named B. Itusga made fruit baskets and incorporated décor made out of manzanita roots into the hotel rooms. Photo Courtesy of the Pioneer Room, Escondido Public Library.
This 1893 ad from the Escondido Times promoted a bazaar that sold silk products, Chinaware, and other miscellaneous items from both China and Japan. Photo Courtesy of the Pioneer Room, Escondido Public Library.
This 1912 ad from the Times-Advocate showcases a price list for an Escondido Chinese laundromat. The business was owned by a local Chinese immigrant named Sam Key. Photo Courtesy of the Pioneer Room, Escondido Public Library.
The Sunkist Lemon House circa 1934. This packinghouse was once part of the Escondido Lemon Association. During the 1930s, the lemon house employed Filipino migrant workers to pick lemons in the fields and pack lemons into crates. Photo Courtesy of the Pioneer Room, Escondido Public Library.
Alex Agatep was a Filipino immigrant who moved to Escondido in 1931. During the 1930s, he worked for the Escondido Lemon Association. His duties mainly consisted of picking lemons in the fields from morning until nighttime. These photos were taken for a 2001 interview conducted by Susan D. Walter of the Escondido Historical Society. Agatep passed away in 2010. Photo Courtesy of the Pioneer Room, Escondido Public Library.
This building located off Maple St was once Center City High School. However, during the 1930s, it was designated as Plymouth Hall. On December 30, 1932, Filipino residents gathered at this location to celebrate Rizal Day, a Filipino holiday commemorating Filipino national hero, Jose Rizal. Photo by Chase Spear.
The Point Church at the corner of 4th and Orange. The church was constructed in 1887 and was once known as the Seventh Day Adventist Church. Like the Methodist Episcopal Church, the brick material was hand-made by Chinese immigrants at the local brick yard. It is one of the only buildings still standing in Escondido today that bears the hand-made red bricks of Chinese immigrants. Photo by Chase Spear.
