Generations on the Land: A Great-Great-Grandson’s Story
Not many people can say their family history is woven into the very roots of San Diego’s backcountry. But for one longtime San Diego Country Estates resident, that connection runs deep.
Shawn Davis, along with his wife Marie, has been an SDCE homeowner for 25 years. His great-great-grandfather, Edward H. Davis, known for his ranching and dedication to preserving Native American culture, was among the early settlers in Santa Ysabel. Now, after 25 years of making his own home in SDCE, the great-great-grandson carries forward not just a family name, but a legacy of living close to the land.
Edward H. Davis was born on June 18, 1862, in Brooklyn, New York. Between 1917 and 1930, Davis worked as a field collector for the Museum of the American Indian, which is now part of the Smithsonian, documenting over two dozen Indigenous tribes across Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, and northwestern Mexico. His extensive collection includes approximately 5,600 photographs, 62 notebooks, and numerous artifacts.
Shawn owns a copy and printing service called Print Professionals with locations in Escondido and Poway. Marie is a schoolteacher in Escondido. They moved from Utah to Ramona in 2002 and bought a house in 2005. “My family has been here a long time,” says Shawn. “They are some of the originals.” He spent summers at the family ranch, located off Black Canyon Road. He added that his great-great-grandfather had accomplished a great deal in his prime, which is why Shawn moved back to be part of the community where his family's roots are located. Shawn’s father, Jim Davis, is a cattle broker, which is how they keep the farm in Santa Ysabel going.
Edward H. Davis worked for the County of San Diego as a land surveyor in the 1800s. He also assisted with the engineering of the Hotel Del Coronado before it was built. In addition, Shawn says his great-great-grandfather used to hang out with Mark Twain at the Hotel Del Coronado, and they have a whole signed first edition book collection by Mark Twain.
He purchased 600 acres in Santa Ysabel and converted it into a hotel Resort in 1915, called Powam Lodge, using adobe and rock. The lodge was part of Edward H. Davis’s development of Mesa Grande. He moved there in 1885, built his ranch and orchards, and later constructed the lodge to attract visitors and enjoy the countryside. His lodge served as a hub for cultural exchange until it was destroyed by fire in 1930.
According to Shawn, his great-great-grandfather helped a lot of local Indigenous people in Santa Ysabel and Mesa Grande. He was named the Great White Chief and was given a Chief headdress. He did a lot of work and helped many people, which is why he is referenced in numerous books, according to Shawn. He is represented in both the San Diego Historical Society and the Smithsonian’s collections via the National Museum of the American Indian. Shawn says the family has donated a lot to the Smithsonian collection.
Edward H. Davis’s photographic work provides a rare glimpse into the daily lives and cultural practices of Indigenous communities during the early 20th century. The San Diego History Center’s Edward H. Davis Photo Gallery offers a selection of his images, including portraits and scenes from Santa Ysabel and surrounding areas.
Nearly half a century after Edward H. Davis built his Mesa Grande Ranch and the Powam Lodge, the SDCEA was founded in 1972, transforming Ramona’s rolling hills into a planned community. For Davis’s great-great-grandson, who has called SDCE home for 25 years, it means living at the intersection of past and present, carrying the legacy of one of the backcountry’s earliest settlers while making a life in one of its newest neighborhoods. It’s a reminder that San Diego’s history is layered, from ranching and Native traditions documented by Davis to the modern development of communities like San Diego Country Estates that continue to shape life in the backcountry today.
Photo courtesy of Shawn Davis.
