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The city of Encinitas, sitting right on the coastline and in between the Batiquitos Lagoon and San Elijo Lagoon has only been incorporated for two decades, but the history of the area goes back much deeper, much like the rest of Southern California. Its first inhabitants were San Dieguito, La Jolla, and Diegueno Indians, who had settled on the lands for centuries before the Spanish arrived. During the building of the Spanish Missions, an expedition led by the Governor of Baja California, Gaspar de Portola in 1699 came through the area on the El Camino Real. Because of the small oak trees, de Portola named the area “Encinita Canada”, meaning “Hills of Live Oaks”. When the Spanish relinquished control of the area to Mexico, land grants were given out to any ranchers who wanted to settle in the region. One rancher, Jabez Pitcher, settled in Encinitas in 1881 on over 160 acres of land – he is now considered to be the father of Encinitas, and his arrival as the beginning of the trend to inhabit this beautiful area. In 1986, the city was incorporated to combine the communities of Old Encinitas, New Encinitas, Cardiff-by-the-Sea, Leucadia, and Olivenhain. With a temperate climate and fertile land, Encinitas became perfect for farmers and the agricultural industry; a practice that still fuels the local economy today. What’s so unique about Encinitas real estate is that you can still see the echoes of history in the day-to-day life. It’s an indescribable energy that you will feel even in the smallest of moments.
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