The Gilded Mosaic Pillar combines a variety of colored and textured glass.The larger rectangles represent the early development of Escondido into blocks in a grid pattern. The smaller gold pieces are a reference to Escondido’s namesake, which derives from a “hidden” gold mine.

Development of Escondido depended on two things: gold and water. Early Southern California was considered far off and isolated from the rest of the country by desert, mountains and ocean.

The promotion of Escondido, the “Sunkist Valley,” with its fertile soil, sunshine and abundant citrus groves is well documented on citrus box labels. The golden era of California was just beginning.