A Lemon Grove Historical Society program this week will look at one of East County's more unusual local-history stories: whether a lion once lived at the end of a Lemon Grove street.

Helen Halmay, a past president of the Lemon Grove Historical Society and editor of Adelante, will share research on "The Lion at the End of the Street" at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 3, at the H. Lee House in Treganza Heritage Park on Olive Street, according to East County Magazine.

Halmay grew up in a Lemon Grove neighborhood where the story of a rumored pet lion circulated. Her research looks at the early 1930s and includes connections to Ringling Bros. Circus, World War I, the founding of the San Diego Zoo and Hearst Castle.

For Santee readers, the event is a nearby chance to catch a piece of East County history that is more neighborhood mystery than formal lecture. East County Magazine reported the program as part of the historical society's History Alive series.