About Poway :

In 1859 Philip Crosthwaite built an adobe house and took up ranching. He is believed to be the first white settler in the Poway area. By the year 1869 a sufficient number of settlers had come into the valley to warrant a post office. The growth of the town did not really get underway until the late 1950?s, when Poway Valley Homes opened the first subdivision. In 1971, a dam was constructed, creating Lake Poway, to provide residents with a more permanent source of water. In October 2003, the Cedar Fire, the largest fire in the history of San Diego County, destroyed 54 homes and caused thousands to evacuate.