12.21.24 Hot Chocolate & Stories About the Bonita Train . . .Yum!

Susan Heavilin
Dec 17, 2024
2 min read

The current display at the Bonita Museum and Cultural Center—4355 Bonita Road, Bonita—showcases the Bonita train. Did you know that a train once ran through Bonita? The Otay Limited ( National City & Otay - NC&O) ran through the Sweetwater / Bonita Valley. The train was used to build the Sweetwater Dam.

Oh boy! This looks like a real "train wreck"! Maybe the men in the suits and hats came out to check on their investment? I'm curious how you would get the train "back on track"? I think horses would be too skittish. Maybe mules or oxen? So many questions! I'll be sure to attend the Train Stories discussion at the Bonita Museum on December 21st from 12noon to 2pm . . . they're sure to have all the answers!

Otay Limited Train Map — *Otay Limited* Train Map

This map explains so much. I knew that a train ran up the Silver Strand to Tent City in Coronado but could never find much information on it. (I used to write Coronado Common Sense.)

This map shows the train route (dotted line) and all the stops. The train traveled along the San Diego Bay and south to San Ysidro and east to La Presa and the Sweetwater Reservoir. I'm curious about some of the names of the stops (Aloha, Avondale, Whitney's, Mungers) and if they referenced some structure present in those days. More questions for the presentation or maybe I can find something in Images of America - Bonita book written by Steven Schoenherr, Mary E. Oswell, and the Bonita Museum and Cultural Center. These books are available at the Bonita Museum and full of interesting photos about the history of Bonita. Here are a few:

These images may be found in Images of America - Bonita by Steven Schoenherr, Mary E. Oswell, and the Bonita Museum and Cultural Center. [Click on images to enlarge]

The exhibition runs December 7th - 30th. Artist Mehl Lawson has created a train set highlighting the winter village of Bonita. Recently had the privilege of seeing the train set. It is a must see for children and adults alike!