Lincoln Acres, California

Lincoln Acres was first settled during the Great Depression, mainly by farmers from the Midwest, to have small farms. It was named after Abraham Lincoln.{{cite book|author=Erwin Gustav Gudde|title=California Place Names: The Origin and Etymology of Current Geographical Names|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M-22djGNuhwC&pg=SL3-PA178|year=1960|publisher=University of California Press|page=3|id=GGKEY:403N5Z6QERG}}
{{cite book | last1=Capace | first1=N. | last2=Somerset Publishers | first2=I. | title=Encyclopedia of California | publisher=Somerset Publishers | series=ENCYCLOPEDIA OF CALIFORNIA | year=1999 | isbn=978-0-403-09318-2 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5wGpZagXWlsC&pg=PA306 | access-date=18 July 2022 | page=306}} Over time the farms became residential homes, and the population became mostly Mexican Americans. During World War II, there was one combat casualty from Lincoln Acres, Jerry Lee O'Hagen.{{cite book | title=Alabama through Missouri | publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office | series=Combat Connected Naval Casualties, World War II, by States | year=1946 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cJgJrCkvrxgC&pg=RA3-PA197 | access-date=19 July 2022 | page=3-PA197}} In 1967, there was an unsuccessful attempt to annex Lincoln Acres into National City for zoning and sewer system purposes.{{cite news |author= |agency=County News Association |date=17 August 1967 |title=County Denies Nat'l City Land Annexation |url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=NCSN19670817.2.70&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN--------1 |work=National City Star News |via=University of California, Riverside California Digitial Newspaper Collection |location=National City |access-date=18 July 2022 }} In 1981, the community was considered as a potential location for adult businesses displaced by redevelopment of downtown National City to relocate.{{cite book | title=National City Downtown Redevelopment CDBG: Environmental Impact Statement | year=1981 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D6Y4AQAAMAAJ | access-date=18 July 2022 | page=25 }} By 1975, the community had largely expanded to its limits, and only saw an 11% growth of population from 1975 to 1995.{{cite book|author1=Stanley K. Smith|author2=Jeff Tayman|author3=David A. Swanson|title=State and Local Population Projections: Methodology and Analysis|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D_fZBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA162|date=11 April 2006|publisher=Springer Science & Business Media|isbn=978-0-306-47372-2|pages=162–164}} In 2019, a county commissioned approved the annexation of a quarter acre, adjacent to the Interstate 805 and California State Route 54 interchange, of Lincoln Acres into the City of National City.{{cite news |author= |date=31 December 2019 |title=Lincoln Acres loses land to National City |url=https://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2019/dec/31/stringers-lincoln-acres-loses-land-national-city/#:~:text=All%20of%20Lincoln%20Acres%20falls,the%20Commission%20approved%20the%20annexation. |work=San Diego Reader |location= |access-date=18 July 2022 }}
{{cite report |author=Keene Simonds |author2=Robery Barry |date=2 December 2019 |title=7a Agenda Report Public Hearing |url=https://www.sdlafco.org/home/showpublisheddocument/4676/637102834232470000 |publisher=San Diego County Local Agency Formation Commission |page= |docket= |access-date=18 July 2022 |quote=}}

The largest plot of land in Lincoln Acres is filled by the La Vista Cemetery.{{cite news |last=Florido |first=Adrian |date=31 August 2009 |title=Stumbling Upon Lincoln Acres |url=http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/topics/public-safety/stumbling-upon-lincoln-acres/ |work=Voice of San Diego |access-date=4 May 2017 }} The cemetery has a large section that is considered an endowed cemetery, meaning money is set aside for regular maintenance and upkeep, and a non-endowed side, known as Rest Haven, where no money is set aside for maintenance, and therefore the families of those buried there are responsible for maintaining their grave sites. This means that in the Rest Haven side, there are tilted headstones and old, off-kilter wooden crosses marking the graves. People construct their own headstones for the inexpensive plots, creating a personal, individual experience for family and friends of those interred there.[http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20041128/news_1m28cemetery.html Personal plots | The San Diego Union-Tribune]{{cite news |last=Florido |first=Andrian |date=30 August 2009 |title=A Small Piece of the City Where Goats Roam |url=http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/people/a-small-piece-of-the-city-where-goats-roam/ |work=Voice of San Diego |access-date=2 May 2017 }}

The first library in the community began in 1940. Lincoln Acres is served by a branch of the San Diego County Library system, and the previous building was originally built in 1945.{{cite news |author= |title=Construction halted at Lincoln Acres' new library |url=http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-construction-halted-lincoln-acres-new-library-2011jul15-htmlstory.html |work=San Diego Union-Tribune |date=15 July 2011 |access-date=2 May 2017 }} It was purchased from the Civil Conservation Corps in Vista, and moved to its final location in 1961. At the beginning of construction of the new library building, the branch was the smallest in the County Library system.{{cite web |url=http://www.sdcl.org/PDF/sdcl_la-faq.pdf |title=The New Lincoln Acres Branch Library Frequently Asked Questions - FAQs |author= |website=San Diego County Library |access-date=2 May 2017 }}

On August 6, 2010, ground was broken for a new library which would be more than three times larger than the old location.{{cite web|url=http://gregcox.com/news/press-releases/pr100806/ |title=Greg Cox, San Diego County Board of Supervisors - A Library and More for Lincoln Acres |access-date=2012-09-13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131201033046/http://www.gregcox.com/news/press-releases/pr100806/ |archive-date=2013-12-01 }}{{cite news |last=Donohue |first=Andrew |date=9 August 2010 |title=Revisiting a 'Small Piece of the City Where Goats Roam' |url=http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/topics/public-safety/revisiting-a-small-piece-of-the-city-where-goats-roam/ |work=Voice of San Diego |access-date=2 May 2017 }} It opened in 2013, and tripled the size of the branch from its 854 square feet original size.{{cite news |author= |title=$3 million library opens in Lincoln Acres |url=http://www.cbs8.com/story/20714889/3-million-library-opens-in-lincoln-acres |work=KFMB |location=San Diego |date=26 January 2013 |access-date=2 May 2017 }} It includes a reading room named for a late volunteer of the library, who was killed in Chula Vista in 2007; a scholarship is also awarded in his name yearly to a child within the community.{{cite news |last=Graham |first=Marty |title=Lincoln Acres assassination leads to scholarship |url=http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2016/dec/05/stringers-lincoln-acres-assassination-scholarship/ |work=San Diego Reader |date=5 December 2016 |access-date=2 May 2017 }} After it was completed, Chicano Park muralist Sal Barajas worked with members of the community to create a mural on the new building.{{cite news |last=Sampite-Monecalvo |first=Allison |date=28 August 2015 |title=Lincoln Acres Library gets mural |url=http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-lincoln-acres-library-gets-mural-2015aug25-story.html |work=San Diego Union-Tribune |access-date=2 May 2017 }}

While Lincoln Acres relies on the County of San Diego for governmental services, there is one elected body that is exclusive to Lincoln Acres; the Lower Sweetwater Fire Protection District. In 1945 the fire district was formed, and a firehouse was erected next to the site of the library. {{as of|2008}}, the fire district owns no fire trucks nor has any firefighters on its payroll. This special district has a board of three members who have the sole task of administering a $155,473-a-year contract with the National City Fire Department, which provides fire protection to the community. The contract is paid for by Lincoln Acres landowners' property taxes.

After the November 2006 elections, only one person was currently serving on the fire district board: Butch Fimpel. On January 9, 2007, the County Board of Supervisors appointed Mary Martinez to the board. Martinez had been previously serving on the board, but did not run for re-election in November 2006. The third remaining seat on the board remains vacant. The board meets monthly and the positions are unpaid, though in the past the board members were paid $20 per meeting.

In 2002 there was an attempt to dissolve the Lower Sweetwater Fire Protection District, "Proposition R," but the measure failed when 156 Lincoln Acres residents voted against dissolution, defeating the measure by 62%. Only 29% of the community's 882 registered voters went to the polls that day, but many of those who did vote feared dissolution of the fire district would lead to the community's annexation to National City.[http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20070111/news_6m11lincoln.html Enthusiasm to serve on board of fire district hasn't been so hot | The San Diego Union-Tribune] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070325232545/http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20070111/news_6m11lincoln.html |date=2007-03-25 }}

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• {{cite book | last1=Schoenherr | first1=S. | last2=Dyjak | first2=T.A. | last3=Miller | first3=D. | last4=Strathman | first4=T. | title=Lincoln Acres: A Centennial History | publisher=San Diego Historical Society | year=2001 | isbn=978-0-692-08840-1 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eO93zgEACAAJ }}

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• {{cite web |url=http://southbaycompass.com/lincoln-acres/ |title=Lincoln Acres |last=Zaragoza |first=Barbara |date=1 April 2015 |website=South Bay Compass }}

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Category:Unincorporated communities in San Diego County, California

Category:South Bay (San Diego County)

Category:Unincorporated communities in California