Allied Gardens-Grantville

John Wayne memorabilia and buttermilk pancakes are just two special features
 

History: These two neighboring communities, part of the Navajo community planning area north of Interstate 8 and east of I-15, began with the relocation in 1774 of the San Diego Mission de Alcalá from Presidio Hill, founded in 1769. The Junipero Land and Water Company planned a 1,500-lot subdivision called Orchard in 1887, soon changed to Grantville. A third of the purchase price ($100 rising to $500 per lot) was to be set aside to build a $35,000 retirement home for Civil War veterans. The name stuck but the housing project failed when the 1880s boom turned to bust. Allied Gardens was a 1,000-acre subdivision set up in 1954 by two contractors, Louis L. Kelton and Walter Bollenbacher.

Today: Grantville is a mostly commercial and industrial area where the biggest employer, Kaiser Permanente, operates a hospital. In Allied Gardens, new subdivisions between Princess View Drive and Jackson Drive have been added to bring its general boundaries to the edge of Mission Trails Regional Park.

How it got its name: Grantville was renamed for Ulysses S. Grant, the Civil War general and president, by Juniper Land’s promoters to attract investors. Allied Gardens was not named in honor of World War II allies, but the partnership of the two contractors to build the housing project.

Did you know? A popular watering hole, Longhorn Bar & Grill is famous for its “John Wayne Room,” full of Duke memorabilia.

Things to do: Navajo Canyon contains a favorite trail, accessed at Adobe Falls and Waring roads. Brothers Family Restaurant is a popular gathering spot, known for its buttermilk pancakes once served up by Grandma Jennie, grandmother of the current owner.
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