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They Give In This Town

In 1868, at the advisement of his doctor, Frank Kimball went shopping for land in places like Santa Barbara and Pasadena. He settled for a large ranch just a few miles from the border with Mexico. A place called El Rancho de la Nacion. In order to buy the property he partnered with his brothers and borrowed money. From the beginning he labored day and night to make National City a success.

From his house he started a library, and lent it out for church services. He built wells, wharfs, orchards, and sold lots with conditions that the owner must improve the land. His biggest achievement was bringing the railroad to the area, and for a short time National City was the western terminus of a transcontinental railway. Frank Kimball was a brilliant and enterprising man of action who contended with the naysayers and scoffers of his day.

Today in National City we have dozens of Frank Kimballs giving back to the city. Some have been at it for decades. They love the town and contribute to it in positive ways. They're in the library and at city hall. Some are teachers, and some volunteers. They contribute music, theater, or their time in one of the many civic committees. Many, many are habitual givers.

For the record, National City is a wonderful place to live and thanks to the community and the many Frank Kimballs out there, it will continue to thrive. True, there are monumental challenges and mistakes of the past to overcome, but the city turned a corner a long time ago. And with all the good people of National City behind the effort as participants, good things will follow.

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In 1868, at the advisement of his doctor, Frank Kimball went shopping for land in places like Santa Barbara and Pasadena. He settled for a large ranch just a few miles from the border with Mexico. A place called El Rancho de la Nacion. In order to buy the property he partnered with his brothers and borrowed money. From the beginning he labored day and night to make National City a success.

From his house he started a library, and lent it out for church services. He built wells, wharfs, orchards, and sold lots with conditions that the owner must improve the land. His biggest achievement was bringing the railroad to the area, and for a short time National City was the western terminus of a transcontinental railway. Frank Kimball was a brilliant and enterprising man of action who contended with the naysayers and scoffers of his day.

Today in National City we have dozens of Frank Kimballs giving back to the city. Some have been at it for decades. They love the town and contribute to it in positive ways. They're in the library and at city hall. Some are teachers, and some volunteers. They contribute music, theater, or their time in one of the many civic committees. Many, many are habitual givers.

For the record, National City is a wonderful place to live and thanks to the community and the many Frank Kimballs out there, it will continue to thrive. True, there are monumental challenges and mistakes of the past to overcome, but the city turned a corner a long time ago. And with all the good people of National City behind the effort as participants, good things will follow.

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4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
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