City of Poway history

He built an adobe house and took up ranching in 1859.

A sufficient number of settlers had come into the valley by 1869 to warrant a post office.

The first post office opened in 1870.

Whether Porter ever knew that his locomotive was not really built in 1878 is unknown.

In Poway, the 1880′s presented a prosperous and well-populated valley.

In 1887, developers Baird and Chapin laid out plans to develop a town in the area of today’s Old Poway Park, based on these expectations.

Close to the turn of the century, Poway began to transform into a town, being documented as such in 1894.

The engine was really completed in April, 1907, at the Baldwin factory in Philadelphia, Pa.

After 45 years of hard service, locomotive number 3 was auctioned in 1952 along with the other Cowell engines as the company’s fortunes declined.

In January 1960, the elderly locomotive was rescued by Charles B. Pollard of Vista, Ca.

The Poway Municipal Water District established the Poway Fire Department in October 1961.

He brought it to Pollard’s Machine and Manufacturing shop on old Mercantile Street in Vista, and in 1962 he started a major rebuilding and facelift project on the engine that took a year to complete.

The railroad was called the “P&H Short Line”, and the locomotive was named the “Robert E. Lee”. Plans were made to add a second coach, but Pollard’s death in 1966 ended any expansion hopes.

In 1976, firefighter / paramedics began operating the ambulance.

The bond issue passed with 79% of the voters in favor, and Station One and Station Two were moved to their existing locations. As a result of this study completed by the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) in 1978, a bond issue was placed on the ballot to relocate both Station One and Station Two and to purchase new apparatus.

He died in 1980 without the venture coming to full fruition.

The City of Poway acquired the land from the Porter family in late 1986.

After extensive negotiations, the City of Poway acquired the property, including the railroad and locomotive, in December of 1987.

In February of 1988 the city announced plans for the train’s restoration, hoping to have it operating again in a few years, this time on greatly expanded tracks. . . .

A group of volunteers met at the Hamburger Factory in February of 1991 and formed the Poway-Midland Railroad Volunteers, their prime purpose being to resurrect a railroad for the people of Poway.

With the additional demand for services, the City of Poway added a second paramedic ambulance which was located in an old doctors office off of Monte Vista Road in 2001.

In 2003, Engine 53, was placed into service and station one became a dual house running two engines until a temporary station 3 was set up on Pomerado Road at Leone Way.

The current station 3 opened up in 2005 and currently houses Engine 3713, Truck 3773 and Medic 3793.

Beginning in November 2018, Councilmembers will be elected by district, instead of at large (view map and see below for more information). Annually, the City Council reorganizes, selecting a Councilmember to serve as Deputy Mayor.