what Atlantic City is to Philadelphia–what Coney Island is to New York–what Long Beach is to Los Angeles.”
[From 1900s advertisement, Chas. H. Kendrick Co., as it appeared in “The Last Whistle” by Jack Wagner–My story was written in 1977.]
AS the conductor announced the last call for Granada, a family of Sunday picnickers elbowed their way through the noisy crowd. After stepping off the train, the foursome followed other passengers walking toward the lovely new North Granada train station, with its graceful architectural touches– the arches– reminiscent of Stanford University’s Quad– finished off with a fine Spanish red tiled roof.
Many regular train-takers described the North Granada station as the most attractive on the entire Ocean Shore line–there were pretty ones in Moss Beach and Montara, too.
In the middle of the colorful scene at the train station, all heads looked up as a balloonist, suspended high above the ground, scattered a paper shower of pamphlets. One woman wearing a beribboned hat and full, long dress bent down to pick up the booklet which promised to reveal the bright future of Granada: the jewel of the coast.
Sales reps from Charles H. Kendrick Co., who identified themselves as the sole agents for Granada, attracted a swarm of interested home buyers. The men from Kendrick followed a script, warmly welcoming everyone to Granada–quickly advising that few had seen this spectacular part of the coast before. One real estate agent emphasized that the Ocean Shore Railway had chosen Granada as the centerpiece of an ambitious plan including a seaside resort, unlike any seen before.
…..to be continued…