Santee dates to 1877, and 1 of its places is on the National Register
More historic than 28% of U.S. towns · #364 of 847 in California. What drives it
Most of Santee was built recently: 0.8% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1979. Its Register listing is the Edgemoor Farm Dairy Barn. Below: maps from 1893 on and the census since 1970.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1891.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Santee’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Santee is more historic than 28% of U.S. towns, #364 of 847 in California. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
C
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Santee’s overall grade.
Few California towns list much on the Register (a typical California town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Santee’s 0.2 sits near the middle of its state (65% of California towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D to C+. The pre-1940 share (±0.4 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1877.
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Santee’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Santee. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1893Elcajon sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Santee.
Places that used to be
Old corners and places now gone
Santee’s post office has been open since 1891.
Hamlets and corners on the map
Camerons Mobile Home ParkCarlton HillsGreenbrier Mobile Home ParkHawaiian Village Mobile Home ParkHighlands Mobile Home ParkMeadowbrook Mobile Home ParkMission del Magnolia Mobile Home ParkMission Gorge Villa Mobile Home ParkNew Frontier Mobile Home ParkPleasant Valley Mobile Home Park
Gone or out of use
Edgemoor County FarmlocaleFanita Ranchlocale
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
The region was the homeland of the Kumeyaay people. These original residents established the village of Sinyeweche on the banks of the San Diego River in the present-day Santee area.
In 1877, George A. Cowles, a pioneer rancher and businessperson, purchased 4,000 acres (1,600 ha) to develop his vineyards. The area became known as Cowlestown and was linked to the Cuyamaca Railroad. Three years after Cowles' death in 1887, his widow Jennie married Milton Santee. According to historian Harriette Wade, Jennie "lobbied hard" to rename Cowlestown to Santee in honor of her new husband, and a "reluctant vote of the citizens" approved the change in 1893.
In 1877, according to Wikidata. Santee’s post office opened in 1891, and the census of 1970 counted 21,107 people here.
How does Santee rank for history?
Santee is more historic than 28% of U.S. towns, #364 of 847 in California. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Santee?
One place: the Edgemoor Farm Dairy Barn (listed 1985).
How old are the homes in Santee?
0.8% of Santee’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 3.4% for a California town; the median home was built in 1979.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
