El Cajon Boulevard was built for the automobile.
By the 1950s, the long east-west thoroughfare had become one of San Diego’s busiest commercial strips, lined with motels, drive-in restaurants, a drive-in theater, and businesses catering to motorists.
By 1950, 48 motels had been constructed along El Cajon Boulevard. The Boulevard also had eight drive-in restaurants, a drive-in theater, and two drive-in liquor stores. Automobile sales and repair businesses had more than quadrupled between 1940 and 1960…