Jacumba
Long before European settlers arrived in the region, Kumeyaay natives used this valley around the natural hot springs which they called 'Jacum' (there are many possible translations, including 'Dangerous' or 'Magic' Water). A mail station was established in the 1850s along the route between San Diego and Fort Yuma, and through the later part of that century ranchers arrived to graze cattle in what became known as Jacumba Valley. After grazing led to the depletion of Kumeyaay food sources, they began to steal cattle, which culminated in the "Jacumba Massacre" on February 27, 1880, wherein several of the natives lost their lives in addition to one seventeen-year-old settler, Will McCain.
After the turn of the twentieth century, and especially after the designation of the new Bankhead Highway (later Highway 80) in 1916 and the arrival of the San Diego & Arizona Railway in 1919, the promotion of purported health benefits of the natural springs led to the formation of the new community of Jacumba. Bert Vaughn was instrumental in developing the hot springs, and completed a new bathhouse, swimming pool, and the sixty-five room Vaughn Hotel in 1925, as well as apartments and an auto court. The new resort boomed, attracting such celebrities as Clark Gable and Marlene Dietrich.
Unfortunately, after decades of success, Jacumba (like many others) experienced a sharp decline in business after it was bypassed by the new freeway in the 1960s. The hotel was closed due to fire damage in 1983, and ultimately razed in 1991. Though little Jacumba has since dwindled to a quiet community of around 500 and many businesses have closed, travelers are still able to take advantage of the mineral springs at the newer Jacumba Hot Springs Motel. As of 2023, the motel (and much of the town) are under new ownership, and plans are underway to restore and revitalize the once popular destination.
