Author: admin

(Note: I wrote this in 1977, although I am doing some editing now).

As late as 1916 [and when the Ocean Shore was four years from bankruptcy), it wasn’t unusual to see six trains whisking passengers down the coast on weekdays. On Sundays picnickers lined up to fill space on as many as eight trains.

Competing with the Ocean Shore was the Red Star Auto Stage, a “chauffer” service which kept five autos in their garage with a furnished waiting room in San Francisco.

They came to the Coastside to consider building vacation homes and to enjoy the climate and surf bathing. Surf bathing became all the rage leading the owner of a bath house on the cliffs of Granada Beach to add 40 more dressing rooms to his building to keep up with the demand of new “bathers.”

In 1916, on Sundays, as many as 3,000 autos were counted rolling down the coast, stopping here and there to catch a special ocean view. On one busy weekend, owners of the Mabey Hotel in North Granada publicized the grand opening of their establishment catering to visitors wanting to fish, hunt or boat.

………….to be continued……….

Burt and I went on a pumpkin adventure this morning, walking around Half Moon Bay looking for everything big and orange.

(Photo below: Michelle Walford)

We watched an arty scarecrow contest being set-up on Main Street and met Michelle Walford who works for a local law firm.

Half Moon Bay High, the “Half Moon Bay Review,” the Rotary Club, individuals and organizations submitted their best version of a scarecrow. Here’s a couple of samples–the one with the camera is entitled “Half Moon Bay Tourist.” Very funny.

(Photo Leon Kunke)

(Photo courtesy Spanishtown Historical Society)

[Note: I wrote this in 1977]

Granada’s two depots–maybe three, if you count the platform at the southern end of the Ocean Shore’s showplace–were impressive. The elegant one greeted passengers at North Granada [in 1977 home to Lane Realty], the other had a homey look and stood near the present-day post office.

[And here’s some place-name gossip: The “El” was added to Granada when locals stopped taking the Spanish language seriously. Correct usage is La Granada. Other locals told me that when the madam Maymie Cowley ran the local hotel, her live-in macho lover changed the name of Granada to the more male sounding “El Granada,” in honor of himself.]

Of course not everybody who arrived in Granada aboard the Ocean Shore bought lots. Many enjoyed the beautiful ocean views, fresh air and lonely stretches of deserted beach.

The advertised adventurousness of the train ride attracted all kinds of people who looked forward to visiting the Coastside at a time before major subdivisions cut through the agricultural land.

….to be continued….

Aloha, I am presently living on Maui, HI. In a few years time, I am planning to move back home to where my heart is – San Francisco Bay Area. The coast specifically. I am a fourth generation San Franciscan, and as much as I have enjoyed my time here on Maui, I miss home. I read as much history of California as I can find and have time to read. I just happened on your page and I love it and will continue to stayed tune. Aloha for now. Beth (Anderson) Wyatt **I graduated from Capuchino HS in 1972.

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Photo: Trying to get you in the mood: This isn’t Maui–it’s Kauai, close enough!

As I’ve been re-reading my Granada article, I have more thoughts and more questions.

How could the Ocean Shore promise lot buyers that two schools would be built in Granada? It is true that if there was a county building department they did not keep track of construction on the Coastside. You can’t find building dates for a lot of pre-1906 earthquake buildings–and post-earthquake as well.

Perhaps, like the educational publisher, Harr Wagner, who attempted to develop an artists-only colony at Montara, the Ocean Shore Railroad had the same idea in mind for Granada–more than their showplace….There is no place on the Coastside like Granada, with its Daniel H. Burnham street plan, a plan, that incidentally, confuses many people driving through, looking for a friend’s home.

who worked at the “Half Moon Bay Review” when I used to turn in my historical columns. If you know her name, please tell me, I’ve forgotten.

(Photo: Jerry Koontz, circa 1980.)

having a Sea Glass Festival at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk this weekend, John Vonderlin tells me.

Hi June,

…I saw it online. I became acquainted with the details of the collection of this most mainstream of the branches of non-buoyant marine debris collecting, when I and my friend attended a book signing of “Pure Sea Glass,” the sea glass Bible, by Richard Lamotte in Half Moon Bay.

I don’t collect it myself, unless it has artistic potential for me, but by reserving it for my beachcombing partner, who’s collection these photos are of, I assure I get all of the treasures shown in the last photo, part of one of the many collections I have from Neptune’s Vomitorium at Invisible Beach. Though I must admit the natural glass valentine shown in the last photo is collectible even in my odd world. Enjoy. John

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Mary Beth writes:
Good morning June,
I caught your blog this morning while doing my dialy “sea glass” Google searching. I and was interested to see that you’ve mentioned the Sea Glass Festival. Just a friendly FYI, it is being put on by the North American Sea Glass Association. And I love the idea of having a Norther Cal. chapter.

Richard will be there and he’d probably sign your book for you. Someday soon perhaps we’ll get those chapters formed 🙂
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[Note: I wrote this in 1977. I did a lot of research at the San Mateo County History Museum….then I began to study old newspapers and talked to some oldtimers, now gone. It was great fun and very satisfying work.]

Every weekend crowds arrived to celebrate the most recent progress along the Ocean Shore line. Locals often joined the out-of-town speculators who hoped to turn a fast profit when the resort skyrocketed. To provide additional incentives for wavering buyers, developers offered what they guaranteed as a perfect sewer system and water supply.

Before the first summer houses appeared on the scene, building contractors poured cement sidewalks and curbs at no extra cost to the purchaser. Promoters also pointed out to potential lot buyers that they reserved land for two public schools.

…to be continued…