The Montgomery Memorial is a monument dedicated on May 21, 1950, to the pioneering aviation achievement of John J. Montgomery and his early glider flights in the 1880s in Otay Mesa, San Diego. [1] It is situated adjacent to the Montgomery-Waller Recreation Center. [2] The monument features a 93-foot high stainless steel static test wing panel for the Consolidated B-32 Dominator mounted upright that is visible for miles. Because of this feature, it is also sometimes referred to locally as Silver Wing.
In 1945, the County of San Diego purchased 7 acres of land for the purpose of developing a monument to honor John J. Montgomery. By March 1946, this was expanded through the acquisition of 18 adjacent acres for the purpose of the development of Montgomery Park. [3] The land acquisition process was led by Paul Mannen and Gordon Wiggins of the San Diego Junior Chamber of Commerce. Bob Wilson served as research chairman for the project, he later became a Congressman representing California's 41st District. On April 1, 1946, Regina Cleary, Montgomery's widow visited San Diego to review the location and planned monument. [4]
The monument was designed by pioneering modernist Lloyd Ruocco. [5] Around the monument base is a terrazzo walk with the names of aviators who followed Montgomery set into the stone. Set nearby is a tablet with an inscription to Montgomery's winged flight. [6]
The Montgomery Memorial was officially dedicated on Sunday May 21, 1950 with John Montgomery's brother James Montgomery and sister Jane Montgomery in attendance. Robert Wilson was the Chairman of the Montgomery Memorial Committee, with William Brotherton [7] serving as Master of Ceremonies. Jerome Rudrauff presented the Memorial as President of the San Diego Junior Chamber of Commerce. It was formally accepted by James A. Robbins, Chairman of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. [8] [9] [10] [11]
The Montgomery Memorial is recognized as a California Historical Landmark (#711). [12]
It is also a Historic Landmark designated by the San Diego Historical Resources Board (#13). [13]
The Montgomery Park land originally acquired by the San Diego Junior Chamber of Commerce became the Montgomery-Waller Recreational Center in 1964 following the donation of another parcel of land next to the site by the family of Luckie Waller for a park named after her son. [14] In the 1970s, an early hang glider "Montgomery Meet" was held on the hill near the Monument.
In the 1970s another nearby recreation center was dedicated in the area as the Silver Wing Recreation Center. [15]
John Joseph Montgomery was an American inventor, physicist, engineer, and professor at Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, California, who is best known for his invention of controlled heavier-than-air flying machines.
San Ysidro is a district of San Diego, California, immediately north of the Mexico–United States border. It neighbors Otay Mesa West to the north, Otay Mesa to the east, and Nestor and the Tijuana River Valley to the west; together these communities form South San Diego, a practical exclave of the City of San Diego. Major thoroughfares include Beyer Boulevard and San Ysidro Boulevard.
The South Bay, also known as South County, is a region in southwestern San Diego County, California, consisting of the cities and unincorporated communities of Bonita, Chula Vista, East Otay Mesa, Imperial Beach, Lincoln Acres, National City, and South San Diego.
Otay Mesa is a community in the southern exclave of San Diego, California, just north of the U.S.–Mexico border.
The Otay River is a river in southern San Diego County, California. The 25 mi (40 km) river begins at San Miguel Mountain, flows through the Upper and Lower Otay Reservoirs, and continues on between the southern part of the Chula Vista and the Otay Mesa West district of San Diego, to its river mouth on San Diego Bay.
California's 52nd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California. The district is currently represented by Democrat Juan Vargas.
Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport is a public airport in San Diego, California, United States, six miles (10 km) north of downtown San Diego. The airport covers 456 acres (185 ha) and has three runways, one public helipad, and two private helipads. The runways are 28R/10L and 28L/10R (parallel) and 5/23.
Westfield Plaza Bonita, commonly known as Plaza Bonita and Plaza, is a shopping mall in National City, California. It is owned by Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield. Anchor stores at the center include Macy's, JCPenney, Target, Crunch Fitness, Nordstrom Rack and Round1.
Paradise Hills is an urban neighborhood in the southeastern area of the city of San Diego, California. It is an outlying neighborhood adjacent to the independent city of National City and the unincorporated communities of Lincoln Acres and certain portions of Bonita. The neighborhood is part of the Skyline-Paradise Hills Community Planning Area.
South San Diego is a district within San Diego, and is in the larger South Bay region of southwestern San Diego County, California. It is a practical exclave of San Diego, having no land connection with the rest of the city. It is the only part of the city which borders Mexico. South San Diego includes four of the city's official community planning areas: Otay Mesa, Otay Mesa-Nestor, San Ysidro, and the Tijuana River Valley.
Evergreen, also known as Evergreen Valley, is a large district of San Jose, California, located in East San Jose.
Gallant Journey is a 1946 American historical film written, produced and directed by William A. Wellman and starring Glenn Ford, Janet Blair and Charles Ruggles. The film is a biopic of the early U.S. aviation pioneer John Joseph Montgomery. Gallant Journey depicts his efforts to build and fly gliders, from his childhood through to his death in 1911. The chief stunt pilot for the film was Paul Mantz. It was produced and distributed by Columbia Pictures. It is also known by the alternative title The Great Highway.
Lower Otay Reservoir is a reservoir in San Diego County, California. It is flanked by Otay Mountain to the southeast, the Jamul Mountains to the east, Otay Lakes Road and Upper Otay Reservoir to the north, and the city of Chula Vista to the west.
Roseville-Fleetridge is a neighborhood in Point Loma, a community of San Diego, California. It is bounded by San Diego Bay and Rosecrans Street to the east, Cañon Street to the south, Catalina Boulevard to the west and Chatsworth and Nimitz Boulevards to the north. Neighboring communities are Point Loma Heights and Loma Portal to the north, Point Loma Village and Liberty Station to the east, La Playa and the Wooded Area to the south, and Sunset Cliffs to the west. It is actually two separate neighborhoods, Roseville and Fleetridge, which the city lumps together for policing purposes.
Egger Highlands is a residential neighborhood in the southern section of San Diego, California. It neighbors Palm City and Nestor to the east, San Diego Bay to the north, Imperial Beach to the southwest and Chula Vista to the northeast. Major thoroughfares include Coronado Avenue, Saturn Boulevard, and Palm Avenue.
Palm City is a neighborhood in the southern section of San Diego, California. Its neighbors are Otay Mesa West to the south and east, Egger Highlands and Nestor to the west, and Chula Vista to the north. It also serves as a gateway to the beach cities of Imperial Beach, and Coronado, by way of the Silver Strand isthmus, due to it being where California State Route 75 meets Interstate 5. Major thoroughfares include Coronado Avenue, Hollister Street, Beyer Boulevard, and Palm Avenue.
Otay Mesa West is a residential neighborhood in the southern section of San Diego, California. It borders Interstate 805 to the east, Interstate 5 to the west, and California State Route 905 to the south. It neighbors Ocean View Hills to the east, Nestor and Palm City to the west and Chula Vista to the north. The northern boundary of Otay Mesa West roughly coincides with the Otay River. Just north of the Otay River the community of Otay resides within the city of Chula Vista. Major thoroughfares include Palm Avenue, Coronado Avenue, Picador Boulevard, Del Sol Boulevard, Beyer Boulevard, and Beyer Way.
The Otay Mesa East Port of Entry is a planned border crossing between San Diego and Tijuana, approximately two miles east of the existing Otay Mesa Port of Entry. The crossing will connect the Otay Centenario borough of Tijuana with East Otay Mesa in unincorporated San Diego County, an as-yet undeveloped area slotted for future development including a business park. Although the crossing will allow cars and pedestrians, it is mainly designed for trucks and commercial vehicles.
Daniel John Maloney was an American pioneering aviator and test pilot who made the first high-altitude flights by man using a Montgomery glider in 1905.