Not too many cities would be able to make a large lemon their centerpiece. It seems natural for Lemon Grove though. The fiberglass lemon started life as part of a 1928 Rose Parade float and now sits in the central business district to remind residents of the community's roots.

 

The land that is now Lemon Grove was part of the 4,000 acres that Robert Allison purchased from the Arguello's in 1868. Allison's son Joseph laid out the first plot map, and his mother Tempa provided the name for the new town in 1892. Parcels were soon sold and lemon groves planted. The first post office was established in 1893.

 

The city of Lemon Grove also claims to have the "Best Climate on Earth." In the 1940s residents began to displace the lemon groves attracted by the climate and the location, just seven minutes from downtown San Diego. The city incorporated in 1977 and is now home to about 28,000 people. The community is pround of its shady streets and small town feel.