Duckville: San Diego’s Lost Settlement on Mission Bay Marshlands
Duckville was an informal settlement of shacks that existed from the mid-1880s to the early 1930s on the marshes of old False Bay, now Mission Bay, in San Diego. Associated with duck hunters and fishermen, this ramshackle community, which included…
San Diego, CA, October 2, 2026 —
Duckville, an informal settlement characterized by shacks, once occupied the marshlands of what is now San Diego’s Mission Bay. This community existed for approximately five decades, from the mid-1880s until the early 1930s, on the former marshes of a body of water known as False Bay.
The settlement was closely associated with duck hunters and fishermen who utilized the area’s natural resources. This ramshackle community was home to various structures and establishments, notably including the Hotel de Mallard, which served as a focal point for its inhabitants and visitors.
Over time, the landscape of False Bay and its surrounding marshes underwent significant transformation. As San Diego developed, the area that once hosted Duckville was redeveloped and ultimately became the modern Mission Bay Park. The informal settlement of Duckville faded away as part of this larger urban and environmental change, disappearing by the early 1930s.
Details regarding the specific individuals who resided in Duckville or the exact processes of its dissolution beyond the general transformation of the area were not provided. The narrative of Duckville represents a historical layer of San Diego’s waterfront development, contrasting the community’s humble, informal origins with the expansive recreational park that exists today.
Story summarized from the original created by Debbie L. Sklar • Times of San Diego on timesofsandiego.com, see more information here.
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