Not too many cities would be able to make a large lemon their centerpiece. It seems natural for Lemon Grove though.  The fiberglass lemon started life as part of a 1928 Rose Parade float and now sits in the central business district to remind residents of the community's roots.

The land that is now Lemon Grove was part of the 4,000 acres that Robert Allison purchased from the Arguello's in 1868.  Allison's son Joseph laid out the first plot map, and his mother Tempa provided the name for the new town in 1892.  Parcels were soon sold and lemon groves planted.  The first post office was established in 1893. 

Lemon Grove, in East County near La Mesa, is a small city located about seven minutes from downtown San Diego.  The area used to be home to extensive lemon groves and even though the groves are now businesses and homes, the area retains its rural ambiance.  The single-family homes and large number of community activities enhance the small town atmosphere. The city was incorporated in 1977 and is home to about 25,000 people.

Lemon Grove is on the Orange Trolley Line giving its residents an easy commute to San Diego-Central and Mission Valley.  The trolley station is a replica of the original San Diego, Cuyamaca & Eastern Rail station that served the area from the 1870s to the 1940s.  The station replica is also home to the Chamber of Commerce offices.