OFF THE MAIN ROAD, Revisited is the story of those who occupied and shaped events in the backcountry of San Diego County: Ramona, San Diego Country Estates and the Barona Indian Reservation. It covers the land area defined by the early Mexican Rancho Cañada de San Vicente y Mesa del Padre Barona. It is the first major revision since the book was initially published in 1983. It retains all the previous history of San Vicente and Barona from prehistoric Indians, through the Mission Period and the Mexican regime that defined the rancho. It chronicles early Anglo land speculators, gold seekers, pioneer farmers and ranchers. It explores the evolution, over the past 40 years, of the two divergent societies who occupy the major valleys of the 13,000-acre rancho.Thoroughly covered are the people of Barona - transformed by legalized gaming into a new era of affluence on the reservation - and the planning, building and growth of 10,000-person community of San Diego Country Estates. The original edition won a San Diego Historical Society INSTITUTE OF HISTORY AWARD in 1984 for its contribution to San Diego History. In addition to minor revisions to the original text, this 248-page, with 94 illustrations, edition includes updates that cover such events as the devastating Cedar Fire of 2003 and Witchcreek Fire of 2007 and other notable occurrences during the subsequent thirty years since its first publication.This book was the first of the author's 'backcountry historical trilogy, ' which also includes "RAMONA AND ROUND ABOUT" and "JULIAN CITY AND CUYAMACA COUNTRY."
