Louis Rose

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For the Texas pioneer, see Moses Rose.

Louis Rose (March 24, 1807–February 14, 1888) is a San Diego, California, USA pioneer.

1 History
2 San Diego contributions
3 Post mortem
4 See also
5 References

[edit] History

Louis Rose was born in Germany and came to San Diego in 1850, via New Orleans, Louisiana and Texas. He traveled to California with Judge James W. Robinson's party. Rose was the member of the first grand jury and first County Board of Supervisors in 1850, President of the Board of Trustees for San Diego during 1853–1855, and served on the San Diego School Board. Rose was a volunteer in the Garra Indian uprising.

[edit] San Diego contributions

Rose realized that transportation would be important to San Diego. With his associate James W. Robinson, Rose founded the San Diego and Gila Railroad in 1855 and its treasurer. The railroad was never built.

In 1866 Rose bought land and laid out "Roseville", in the Loma Portal area of San Diego. He built a wharf. He thought it would be a future city, and for a time it competed with New Town, across the bay. He hoped to link Roseville to a railroad. Many were skeptical about the prospects for Roseville or San Diego, but he would always say "Just wait awhile and you will see." Roseville eventually became part of San Diego.

Rose was postmaster at Old Town San Diego during 1873–1883. This was an honor considering that he was appointed by Republican presidents even though Rose was a life-long Democrat.

Rose Canyon in San Diego is named for Rose, where he bought 650 acres (2.6 km²) in 1853. He had a ranch there with a tannery, and prospected for gold and copper without too much success.^[1] The tannery provided capital to build a wharf and to layout Roseville.

Rose died in 1888 and had one daughter, Henrietta a school teacher who never married. Rose is buried in Home of Peace Cemetery on Imperial Avenue.

[edit] Post mortem

In 2004, Louis Rose Point was dedicated in honor of Rose. It's located at the foot of Womble Street, on the grounds of the old Naval Training Center in Roseville, San Diego. The Louis Rose Society for the Preservation of Jewish History honors Rose.

[edit] See also

Louis Rose: San Diego's First Jewish Settler and Entrepreneur by Donald H. Harrison (2004). ISBN 0-932653-68-5
Biography (San Diego Historical Society) from Smythe's History of San Diego, pp. 285-286
Heilbron, Carl (1936). History of San Diego County. San Diego Press Club. Biography, p. 210
Louis Rose Society for the Preservation of Jewish History