Mission Hills can trace back its roots to February, 1869 when Captain Henry James Johnston, bought 65 acres of land from the City of San Diego. The area he bought was Pueblo Lt. No. 1121, and that total sale price was $16.25.

Capt. Johnston was a seafaring man, whose ship the Orizaba regularly ferried passengers from San Francisco to San Diego. He longed to build a home overlooking the harbor below, but realized he had so much land that he decided to sell 50 acres of the parcel to his first mate on the Orizaba.

The sale price was $50, or a mere $1 per acre.

Capt. Johnston never lived to see his house built. The Captain died in 1878, and left his property to his daughter, Sarah Johnston Miller. In 1887, she broke ground on her new home, Villa Orizaba, which came to be the very first home in Mission Hills. Villa Orizaba exists today, recognized as a historical landmark by the City of San Diego.

Mission Hills (or Johnston Heights, as it was known back then) grew slowly. Most of the area was privately held, until Capt. Johnston's grandson, Henry Miller, got to work. In 1910, he resubdivided most of the area, adding street names and changing street lanes, in hopes of further defining the community. He even named the area Inspiration Heights, as memorialized by a marker that still stands on Sunset Blvd. Soon after, more homes began to build around Villa Orizaba,

Miller was not the only one trying to encourage development in Johnston Heights. A syndicate was formed to purchase 60 acres of Johnston Heights, which was subdivided in 1908. The cost of the land had skyrocketed, with 60 acreas selling for $36,000. Individual lots were sold for $800, with the provision that every house built would have to cost at least $3,500.

It was about this time that George Marston, a leader in the San Diego community, and Charles Hamilton bought a 22 acres by Ft. Stockton Drive and Arden Way. Marston then took the bold step of giving the area the formal name of Mission Hills.

Mission Hills really began to thrive as the population of San Diego grew. In 1908, San Diego's population topped 30,000. Many were drawn to the area because of its convenience and proximity to the downtown area. In 1908, the San Diego Electric Railway came to town, extending to Lewis and Stephens Streets.

With more people drawn to the area, the land rush in Mission Hills was on. One of the original lots that sold in 1908 for $800 was re-sold two years later for $6,500. Mission Hills counted many of San Diego's civic leaders among its residents. George Marston was hailed as one of the pioneers of early San Diego development. Kate O. Sessions, often called the "Mother of Balboa Park," setup her residence on Lark Street. Her brother built an expansive home right next door, which still stands today. Ms. Session also established the Mission Hills Nursery in 1910, and continued to operate it until she sold it in the late 1920s.

Mission Hills as a community is thriving and prospering. Learn more about events going on, and own your own piece of Mission Hills history by ordering a 2010 Mission Hills Calendar today!