San Diego History Center Acquires Borrego Sun Newspaper Archives

The Borrego Sun newspaper, which has covered the Borrego Springs area since it was first established in 1949, has found a new home for its archives.

Its decades of history — articles, images, maps, and clippings documenting 70 years of history — will now be housed at the San Diego History Center.

“We are honored that Patrick Meehan, owner and publisher of the Borrego Sun, recognizes the important role the San Diego History Center plays in preserving this rare resource,” said Bil Lawrence, the history center’s president and chief executive, in a statement.

“Our goal is to not only preserve this history but to make it available to students and researchers.”

The Borrego Sun news is still in publication and is available through subscriptions and purchase throughout the Borrego Springs community. It also covers the communities of Julian, Ocotillo Wells, and the Salton Sea.

The San Diego History Center is seeking financial support in order to catalogue and digitize the collection.

The Sun was owned for decades — between 1954 and 2008 — by Copley Press, the former publisher of The San Diego Union and Tribune, plus papers in Illinois and elsewhere.

Borrego Springs is a desert community about 85 miles northeast of San Diego, surrounded by Anza-Borrego State Park. It boasts sweeping views of desert and mountain landscapes and was the first certified Dark Sky Community in California.