To enjoy their images, please click here
These are from Roswell: 
But today they visited the new Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park: 
Joel Bratman: Travel Vicariously to the Lost Coast
Visit the Lost Coast with Joel Bratman, please click here
Lynn McCloskey: Live from Limantour Beach
John Vonderlin: 1908 Activity at Montara
Story by John Vonderlin
Email John: [email protected]
Hi June,
This excerpt from an article about real estate happenings was from the May 23rd, 1908, issue of the San Francisco “Call.”
ACTIVITY AT MONTARA
“Much activity in building is shown at Montara, the first station beyond Pedro point on the Ocean Shore railroad. Twelve substantial houses are now being built and occupied on the Montara tract, and the foundations are laid for a college of arts and crafts, consisting of three buildings. A three story modern hotel will be under construction within a fortnight and four new cottages are now under way. The Montara company has graded more than five miles of streets and laid at its own expense more than a mile of modern cement sidewalks. The water system and reservoir of 80,000 gallons capacity is completed and in working order. This tract is the largest tract now opened which can be reached by the Ocean Shore railroad. The Ocean Shore company is running six trains a day and eight trains every Sunday to this tract.”
“Much activity in building is shown at Montara, the first station beyond Pedro point on the Ocean Shore railroad. Twelve substantial houses are now being built and occupied on the Montara tract, and the foundations are laid for a college of arts and crafts, consisting of three buildings. A three story modern hotel will be under construction within a fortnight and four new cottages are now under way. The Montara company has graded more than five miles of streets and laid at its own expense more than a mile of modern cement sidewalks. The water system and reservoir of 80,000 gallons capacity is completed and in working order. This tract is the largest tract now opened which can be reached by the Ocean Shore railroad. The Ocean Shore company is running six trains a day and eight trains every Sunday to this tract.”
There was also this ad in the same issue:
OCEAN SHORE TRAINS
Now Run to Montara
Come to MONTARA and see the City we’re building— Store, beautiful Hotel, Town Hall and seven Cottages now being built. One thousand lots have been sold in MONTARA
Come to MONTARA and see the City we’re building— Store, beautiful Hotel, Town Hall and seven Cottages now being built. One thousand lots have been sold in MONTARA
You can buy a large residence lot in Montara today at from $250 to $375 with improvements, on monthly payments. Even cement sidewalks are free. Every man should own his own home. Buy yours at MONTARA where enough are already interested to insure its success and buy at once before prices are raised. Ocean Shore trains leave Twelfth and Mission streets at 8:30. Sunday morning.
The Montara Company guarantees to grade the streets, put down cement sidewalks, water mains and main sewer, within a certain specified time at its own expense, and will furnish modern local transportation, and all the necessary improvements of a modern city. We will. loan money to these who desire to build. Go to this beautiful suburb next Sunday on the first.traln. Fare, $1 for the round trip, which includes the drive around the tract and dinner at Hotel Montara. (Phone: Market-1180.)
The Montara Company guarantees to grade the streets, put down cement sidewalks, water mains and main sewer, within a certain specified time at its own expense, and will furnish modern local transportation, and all the necessary improvements of a modern city. We will. loan money to these who desire to build. Go to this beautiful suburb next Sunday on the first.traln. Fare, $1 for the round trip, which includes the drive around the tract and dinner at Hotel Montara. (Phone: Market-1180.)
We will furnish the land and build a 5 room and bath Cottage for $1,500 on a 25 per cent payment, balance to be paid like rent.
MONTARA REALTY DEVELOPMENT COMPANY 201 Van Ness Ave.”
MONTARA REALTY DEVELOPMENT COMPANY 201 Van Ness Ave.”
I’ve also attached a newspaper photograph from the May 16th, 1908 issue of the “Call,” that has pretty much the same text as the ad above, except for this interesting coupon, that would almost be laughable in today’s sophisticated advertising world.
COUPON
Montara Realty Development Co. 201 Van Ness Ave.
Gentlemen—I am just an ordinary individual, trying to earn as much as I can and anxious to make a few honest dollars on the side through safe investment of a small amount in Real Estate—without binding or obligating myself in any way. I wish you would send me tickets to MONTARA. I’ll go down on the 8:30 A.M. Ocean Shore train from 12th and Mission streets.
Name…………………………………………
Address………………………………………
Still a round trip and a meal for a buck sounds like a good deal. I just wonder what ever happened to the reservoir? For that matter is there still an Arts and Crafts college? Enjoy. JohnOn 190
Frank Torres’s Beach Hotel On Fire
(Photo courtesy
Elaine Martini Teixeira.)
You may not familiar with this restaurant, owned by Frank Torres, which stood overlooking Montara beach and burned. Here’s what it looked like originally:
Did you see Neil Young play at Frank Torres’ Beach Hotel in December 1975 or January 1976???
Story by Marcy Gensic
Hi June!
I work with Neil Young and we are currently working on the Neil Young Archive Volume 2 Box Set. It goes from roughly late 1972 through 1982. In December of 1975 and January 1976 Neil did a bar tour in Northern California unannounced with Crazy Horse and he played at the Frank Torres Beach Hotel but we don’t have the exact date nor can I find any reviews or references to it anywhere. In all of your research, have you ever come across anyone ever mentioning this? In reading through your site, there was a gentleman, Bruce Pine and he seemed to be around about that time. Would he possibly remember anything or would you have contact info on that.
Also I was wondering if you know of anyone who would have photos from the 70’s of the hotel. I do have photos from much earlier time periods, but it would be nice to see it in the 70’s athough maybe it hasn’t changed that much.
Fun site to read through. Any suggestions or help you could give me would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for your time.
All My Best!
Marcy Gensic
John Vonderlin’s “Yellowed Pages”
Story by John Vonderlin
Email John: [email protected]
Hi June,
I found this directory on Archive.org. It has more then a thousand people from San Mateo, with their occupation and residence. It has all the post offices of the mentioned counties (Pescadero is still listed in Santa Cruz County) But, best of all check some of these ads. I’ll send more soon. Enjoy.John
Barry Parr: On Politics…And The Winner is Leonard Woren
Story by Barry Parr, Coastsider.com
n the final tally for the see-saw Granada Sanitary District vote count,
incumbent Leonard Woren won the third seat by a margin of ten votes, or
0.3% of the total. Other winners were incumbents Ric Lohman and Gael
Erickson.
Write-in candidate Charlie Hall received 153 votes, or 8.42% of the total,
for sixth place.
Complete vote counts at http://coastsider.com
Lisa Petrides: Big Ideas Fest 2009, Dec 6-9: Ritz Carlton, HMB
From Lisa Petrides, Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education (ISKME), Princeton-by-the-Sea
For more information on Big Ideas Fest 2009, please click here
Tim Mantoani: My Grandfather Manuel George Sousa was the Drillmaster of the Half Moon Bay Spanishtown Dons
To visit Tim Mantoani’s website, please click here