This photo was taken from Presidio Hill looking toward Point Loma. I thought it must be circa 1850, since LT George Horatio Derby was charged with building a dike to divert the San Diego River into Mission Bay in 1853. It turns out that heavy rains overran the dike on a regular basis, including 1874 when this photo was taken. You can see the river running from right to left on the west side of town. The two-story building at the far edge of town appears to be the McCoy House, which has been restored and is now a museum. (Photo courtesy of the San Diego History Center)