The 1818 Santa Ysabel Asistencia is located here, a Spanish missionasistencia (sub-mission) of Mission San Diego de Alcalá. The town site is within the former Rancho Santa Ysabel, an 1844 Mexican land grant to José Joaquín Ortega and Eduardo Stokes. In 1878, what began as the town of Santa Ysabel began with a store owned by C. R. Wellington, and grew to include a hotel and a blacksmith.[1] By June 26, 1889, it had acquired its own post office.[2]
Other notable sights of the small town include the famous Dudley's Bakery and the Julian Apple Pie factory. The town serves as a gateway to the mountain areas of San Diego County, including the Laguna Mountains, Julian, and Palomar Mountain.