ebruary, 1887 – The Women’s Home Association is founded, Downtown San Diego Due to a “land boom” from 1885 to 1887, the population in San Diego multiplied by 7x in those two years alone. Our city had the dubious distinction of hosting 200+ saloons and brothels in the region and city government was very overwhelmed with providing law enforcement and public services. Many women were abandoned, widowed, poverty-stricken and living under horrible conditions.