• State Theater
• Til Two
• Drive-Ins
• Gas Stations

• Bicycle Shops
• Hotels
• Retail

• Auto Dealers
• Union Ice
• Professional

The State Theater opened August 28th, 1940 as a state-of-the-art facility. The building was designed by architect S. Charles Lee. The 125 foot spire was the tallest in San Diego at the time and the flashing multicolored beacon could be seen for 5 miles. It was the first building interior completely illuminated by black light. The marquee was the largest in Southern California and used 946 letters in 64,050 square feet of neon illuminated area. It was touted as the most original architecture ever attempted outside a World's Fair- Facts from the opening day brochure, donated to the Boulevard BIA by Moreta Cyphert.

Moreta Cyphert in front of the State Theater she managed

The only remnant of the State Theater is this section of the terazzo sidewalk that once graced the front of this majestic theater. The Theater was demolished in 1987.

Moreta Cyphert and the State Theater

On December 6, 1935, Moreta Cyphert caravanned with a team of used cars from Dallas, Texas to Los Angeles to visit her brother in San Diego. From the moment she stepped foot in California, it seems that everything fell right into place. Before she knew it, Moreta worked her way up to being the first female manager of the State Theatre, the ultimate Motion Picture Theatre, which opened on El Cajon Boulevard in 1940.

Moreta arrived with nothing but a cardboard box filled with her most important possessions. At the train station in Los Angeles, a wealthy old woman in a car with a chauffeur offered her a ride towards San Diego and then another man in a convertible drove her the rest of the way. She remembers arriving in San Diego so sun burnt that her brother hardly recognized her.

In those days, only men were hired to work in theaters, so when Moreta spotted this groundbreaking advertisement in the paper that the Fox West Coast Theatres were hiring usherettes, she decided to give it a shot. Her brother drove her to the North Park Theatre where they were holding the interviews, and when they pulled up, there was a line of beautiful women wrapped around the block.

Once she finally sat down for her interview, Moreta was asked whether she had experience. Moreta knew that if she said no, she would not get hired. Moreta remembers that the man interviewing her never looked up, until and she said, "Yes, at the Savoy Theatre in Sherman, Texas," and she scored herself the job.

Moreta was first assigned to the Orpheum, a beautiful theatre that was located downtown on 5th and B Street. Soon enough she was promoted to the box office and then it wasn't long before she was transferred to the Adams Theatre. An article was printed in the paper announcing Moreta's promotion, "Usherette to Manager." Moreta was put in charge of hiring staff for all the branches. It was at this theater on Adams Avenue that a second floor apartment was built just for Moreta, rent free. This theater is still in existence today, but is now a fabric supply store.

After a few years at the Adams Theater, the manager of the State Theatre was sent overseas, and again Moreta was granted the first female manager, but this time with the State Theatre. Moreta remembers opening nights because she had a special spot in the theatre where she sat to check the sound. In those days children paid 10 cents for a ticket and adults paid 25 cents. Her customers always wondered why the popcorn was served hot at the State Theater and nowhere else. It's because Moreta kept the popcorn in a hot oven upstairs before the theater opened.

Moreta has fond memories of the theater's neighboring businesses, including Oscar's Drive-in, located on the southeast corner of Euclid and El Cajon Boulevard. Right next door to the theatre was a bar and restaurant called Til Two where the Beauty Bar is now located. Mike, the man who owned this bar, took an immediate liking to Moreta and it wasn't long before they got married. Mike encouraged Moreta to stop working, so after her many years with the Fox West Coast Theatre company, Moreta left. At the age of 94, Moreta still carries with her great memories of working in the theatre industry in the height of her independence during an evolutionary period for women in the working world.

The State Theater was demolished in 1987. The only thing the community was able to save was the terrazzo flooring that once graced this beautiful venue.

The Boulevard BIA would like to thank Moreta for the use of her photos and for sharing her important story with us.

 

In 2007, Sara Knook invested in the Beauty Bar. While sharing the story of her new business venture with her grandfather, a San Diego native, he immediately recalled the bar and restaurant that once existed at the same address. It was called Til Two. The bar wasn't actually open until 2 am, but it certainly helped attract customers who thought it was open late till the evenomg. The reason he was so familiar with the location was because two of Sara's great, great uncles were chefs of the Til Two. This was Sara's first glimpse at the history of this establishment, and of course she was enthralled that two of her family members once worked in the very same location.

Six months ago Sara received a phone call from Moreta Morin, and by the sound of her voice Sara knew she was older and had a great story to tell. Moreta told Sara that her husband owned Til Two and she used to manage the State Theatre right next-door. In fact, Moreta was actually the first female theatre manager in San Diego!

The next evening Moreta walked into the bar using her walker; she was speechless with tears in her eyes. She told Sara that she was so happy to see the exact same layout with a new lovely décor, which is what everyone first notices when they enter the oh so beautiful Beauty Bar. It was the evening of Morita's 94th birthday and she was accompanied by nine other family members. They stuck around for almost two hours celebrating this joyous occasion. Sara described her encounter with Morita as love at first sight!

A couple days later Moreta and her family returned to the Beauty Bar with pictures to share. While looking at each photo Moreta recalled memories of her husband who worked behind the bar, right where Sara was standing. She also told stories of the neighboring businesses at that time, including the State Theatre and Oscar's Drive-in! Sarah was thrilled by all the pictures which depicted the charming character of the Beauty Bar and the magnificent State Theatre. The question of why it was ever torn down still resides in her mind.

The Beauty Bar- 4746 El Cajon Boulevard

In the good old days, when a hamburger, fries and milk shakes weren't the make-up of a fast-food nation, it was all about the Drive-in, not the drive-through. Once drive-ins restaurants opened in the 1930s, new possibilities for dining out captivated the America lifestyle. No longer did one have to dress up to dine out, parents could enjoy eating out with their children, and the art of casual dining immerged. Good food, automobiles converted into tables, and waitresses maneuvering around on roller skates signified a new era of American dining and El Cajon Boulevard was were it was at.

There was Glenn's, Waikiki, Keith's, and Oscar's. Waikiki was the most elaborate with their luau theme. Oscar's, run by the Peterson family, eventually waved goodbye to their old fashion drive-in restaurant enterprise and became the founders of the fast food chain, Jack n the Box. Keith's was the longest running drive-in along the Boulevard until the construction of the I-805 freeway in the 1970s.

As fads move in and out, entertainment options evolve. Rising land value, highway development, and fast-food corporations all took their toll on the drive-in restaurant industry. What remains now are distant memories of a prior vibrant atmosphere along the Boulevard, but with the help of a local artist Rudy Gonzalez, the Boulevard's old-time eateries including Oscar's, Glenn's, and Chicken in the Rough are back in the form of a painted utility box located on the south side of the Boulevard, just west of the Boulevard Transit Plaza.

The Gables Cafe was located at 5027 El Cajon Boulevard

 

Step back in time to the days when gasoline was 18 cents per gallon. In a very detailed discussion with Jim Cooley, owner of the J. A. Cooley Automotive Museum on 4233 Park Boulevard, it is evident there was a lot more to a gasoline station then simply filling up the tank back then.

Forget self-service, do you remember when the gas station was a one stop shop for all your car needs? Most likely, before the attendant even walked up to your window, your windshields were already cleaned. Then in the process of filling your tank, public service continued. "Please pop you hood sir, would you like me to check your tires?" On the spot, the average gas attendant could recommend an oil change, spark plugs, new tires, or even a new radiator hose.

It paid to go the extra mile because in those days, the gas station included a mechanic shop with a full stock of car parts. Because every car in this country was built in the United States, they were designed with the same parts. Back then local entrepreneurs to owned the gas stations, whereas now the oil industry maintains ownership.

Independent businesses such as Richfeild, Phillips 66, Golden Eagle, Standard Oil, Union 76, and Hancock might ring a bell. This era of independent gas stations revealed a pride of ownership. Not only was full-service an everyday amenity, the bathrooms looked immaculate, the fueling tanks were always clean, and gas station attendants made a point of greeting their customers by name.

Thanks to Jim Cooley for his historic understanding of the gas station, showing us that life was just a bit more simple in those days.

The Lafayette (formerly Imig Manor and Inn Suites). Click here for more on the Historic Lafayette.

The Berkshire at 2500 El Cajon Boulevard is still open for business

The La Cresta Motor Court at 4980 El Cajon Boulevard

Meyer Pharmacy at 2947 El Cajon Boulevard

Retail shops at the Lafayette.

Now that Highway 80 is designated historic, step back in time and imagine which types of notable businesses which no longer exist were once focal points in peoples live. For instance, what did people use to keep their food cold? Before the refrigerator, every house hold had an ice box, which looks similar to a small wooden cabinet. The top shelf held a large block of ice and food was stored on the bottom shelf.

Depending on the quality of your ice box, the ice might last for two or three days. If you lived in San Diego, most likely a Union Ice delivery man would stop by your house several times a week to drop off a block of ice using iron tongs. Union Ice on El Cajon Boulevard and 38th Street was in business for decades, until it closed in the 1970s. They maintained four delivery trucks and were open for drive-in service.

Believe or not, the delivery of ice occurred during an era when most families in Kensington had a chicken coupe in their backyard and our government encouraged people to maintain a 'Victory Garden' to sustain themselves. When Jim Cooley, owner of the J. A. Cooley Automotive Museum family bought their first refrigerator, a delivery truck pulled up to their house, and immediately all the neighbors became very curious. The Cooley family even invited some of the neighbors over to have a look at their new refrigerator. For many years, people would still refer to their refrigerators as an 'ice box.' Just like many retailers along Historic Highway 80, Union Ice, which began as a successful enterprise was later phased out by modern day technology.

RW Caldwell Realtee at 3072 El Cajon Boulevard