John and Teresa Hawker

Lake San Marcos, California

The geographic area of San Marcos, California, was once part of a Spanish Land Grant. This fertile valley was named Los Vallecitos de San Marcos, or the Little Valleys of Saint Mark, by Spanish soldiers in 1797. The early inhabitants were Indians and Mexicans raising crops including onions and garlic. San Marcos Creek, fed by springs and runoff from the hills meandered through the area.

In 1840, Governor Juan Bautista Alvarado granted the land to a relative, Jose Mario Alvarado. After Alvarado died in 1846, his wife sold the land to Lorenzo Soto. In the late 1850's, Soto sold part of the land to Tennessee native and West Point Graduate Cave Johnson Couts. Couts also owned property in Vista, where in 1853 he built the Rancho Guajome Adobe home for his San Diego native wife Ysidora Bandini.
   
The San Marcos Land Company bought the land from the Couts family in 1887, and began to divide the land into tracts. By 1896, with the arrival of the Santa Fe Railroad, San Marcos developed into a community with stores, a school, and a post office. By 1905, telephone and rural mail delivery service was established in this farming community. In 1927 the Clemson and Wells families purchased the land around the lake and in 1946 built a dam at the South end of the creek, creating a 40 acre lake used for irrigation.
  
In 1963, three brothers, Don, Bob, and Gordon Frazar bought 1648 acres from the Clemson and Wells families for $5 million, and made plans to build a lakeside community in San Marcos. The San Diego County Planning Commission approved a tentative Lake San Marcos map. Citizens Development Corporation was the developer with Gordon Frazar as President, Don Frazar handling home sales, and Bob Frazar in charge of construction. Before coming to Lake San Marcos, the brothers had built about 6,000 homes in Riverside and San Bernardino. A master plan for the development was designed by San Bernadino engineering firm, Campbell and Miller. Architects Blurock and Ellerbrock of Corona Del Mar were hired to design the community. The best ideas of both firms were consolidated into a master plan. The lake shoreline was reshaped, moving 1.5 million cubic yards of dirt, and the lake was enlarged to 80 acres.

The engineering firm of Campbell and Miller won a state-wide competition in 1966 honoring the Lake San Marcos design as "The Best Planned Community in California". It was among the first communities in Southern California with all utilities, including television cable, under ground, under the direction of Bob Layton. In 1967, the National Home Builders Association Convention in Chicago awarded the Lake San Marcos design the title of "Best Planned Lakeside Community in the Nation". The quail became the symbol of Lake San Marcos when artist Frank Vecchio, of the advertising firm of Hogan and Vecchio in Riverside, visited the site seeking inspiration for the first brochure. Hundreds of quail flushed up from the fields, and Mr. Vecchio designed three quails, as the symbol of the lovely lakeside community.

Over the years, the individual blocks of development within the Lake San Marcos have resulted in over 20 Homeowners Associations and nearly 2500 homes. Original homes in 1963 sold for $30,000. Many lakefront homes have direct access to this beautiful 10-50 foot deep 80 acre lake, with over four miles of scenic shoreline. Lakefront homes currently sell for $600,000 to $1.4 million.

In 1979 the three Frazar brothers retired and turned over the management of the lake to their son/nephew, Ronald Frazar. Donald Frazar died at age 78 in 1998, Gordon Frazar died at age 83 in 2001, and Bob Frazar died at age 91 in 2014. In 2004, Ronald Frazar sold the lake to La Jolla Development Group, who began upgrading the lake environment. In 2010 La Jolla Development entered bankruptcy on the lake properties. During 2012-2013, Pacifica Corporation assumed the bankruptcy of the country club, golf courses. hotel and restaurant. Pino Vitti assumed the bankruptcy of the lake and recreational facilities. In 2013-2014, substantial rebuilding, remodeling, landscaping and other improvements in all areas have significantly improved the entire lake area. The remarkable visions of the Frazar brothers more than fifty years ago are being significantly enhanced by Pacifica and Pino Vitti. Lake San Marcos has clearly entered new phase providing residents and visitors with a beautiful environment to enjoy.
       
The many amenities at the lake include two golf courses, the Country Club, a par 72, 6500 yard championship course with a Pro Shop, putting green, driving range, and restaurant. Gordon's On The Green restaurant was renamed St. Mark's restaurant and banquet facilities. There also is an 18 hole par 58 executive golf course.

Other attractions at the lake are the beautifully remodeled Lakehouse Hotel with a new boat marina and several brand new boats, the Quail restaurant is undergoing a massive renovation. There is a convention center, Lake Security offices, the Pavilion recreation center, tennis courts, billiard room, club room, swimming pools, beach, medical, dental, Lake and Coast Real Estate, Bon-Bon yogurt shop, and other businesses. Leann's Café was sold and has been renamed The Lakehouse Café.

The south end of the lake remains undeveloped, and is a peaceful sanctuary for herons, egrets, ducks, swans, turtles and other wildlife. A wilderness picnic area, which has been in use for more than fifty years, is accessible only by boat and is used frequently by lake residents.

The City of San Marcos incorporated in 1963, however Lake San Marcos remains in the unincorporated area of San Diego County, 30 miles north of San Diego, and 8 miles east of the Pacific ocean. The area has over 340 sunny days a year, due in part to the "Pacific High", a stable high pressure system a few hundred miles west over the Pacific Ocean. This accounts for a range of about 20 degrees between the day's high and the night’s low. The Pacific breezes provide natural air conditioning, with temperatures seldom above 80 degrees. The few hot days a year are due to "Santa Ana" winds from the desert coming our way from the northeast. The Cerro de Las Posas Mountain on Lake property and the San Marcos Mountains to the North, with an eastern exit, create a wind tunnel preventing smog from settling in our valley.
      
Lake San Marcos, nestled among lush green foothills, is a beautiful, picturesque place to live, with a unique and peaceful lifestyle.

Thank you - Bob, Don, Gordon and Ron Frazar