History of Encinitas In 1881, Jabez Pitcher settled in Encinitas and is considered to be the father of the town. Pitcher came to San Diego and filed a claim for 160 acres on a mesa near the railroad tracks where the Encinitas Civic Center is now located. In 1870, a few miles north of the railroad tracks, English spiritualists named their settlement Leucadia after one of the Greek Isles. The name means "Isle of Paradise" or "Place of Shelter." The five-acre tracts were named after Greek gods and mythical figures.
The City of Encinitas was founded over 100 years ago and is now made up of five communities that take pride in their own distinct personalities. "Historic Encinitas" fills the Highway 101 Corridor that parallels the beautiful beaches and ocean. "New Encinitas" centers on El Camino Real ("The Kings Highway" founded by the early missionaries from Spain). "Cardiff-by-the-Sea" is made up of quaint homes dotting the hillsides overlooking the sea. "Leucadia" is famous for its giant eucalyptus trees that line the main thoroughfare on the Coast Highway. "Olivenhain" (which means "olive grove" in German) boasts plenty of open horse country, pastures, and a rural way of life. |