In the 1970s and early ’80s, Goldfinger and Dove often visited the famous magician Channing Pollock at his Moss Beach home–as well as at the “Worm Farm” in San Gregorio. Where are they today?
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Life Of The Ocean Shore Railroad (4)
From the San Francisco Call, December 7, 1912
“It is regrettable that the railroad commission found it advisable to permit the Ocean Shore railroad to discontinue the operation of a northbound train reaching San Francisco at 8:40 a.m. Morning communication is still maintained between Half Moon Bay and San Francisco, but at an early and inconvenient hour. Property owners who invested in homes along that railroad did so with the towns along the Ocean Shore would be actually suburban to San Francisco. The curtailed service will work serious hardship upon them during the winter months.
“Some day the Ocean Shore railroad will be a successful road. Natural conditions, the fertile land through which it passes, the scenic attractions of its route along the Pacific, the rapid transportation it will furnish, when completed, between San Francisco and Santa Cruz and the potential freight along its tracks and proposed route insure a remunerative traffic. But now it is in a bad way.
“Ultimately this road will be taken over by a bigger system, completed and made tributary to a continental line. California has room for the construction of new roads. The proposed line from Watsonville into the San Joaquin valley might make beneficial connnection with the Ocean Shore; the railroads now with San Francisco terminals might incorporate the Ocean Shore into their systems. The Ocean Shore has a future, but it deserves to have a present.”
Life Of The Ocean Shore Railroad (3)
From San Francisco Call, Nov. 6, 1912
“One hundred and thirty-six residents along the line of the Ocean Shore railroad petitioned yesterday to order the company to put on an extra train for the accomodation of those having business in San Francisco.
“They complain that the schedule the railroad proposes to inaugurate November 10 provides for insufficient service and businessmen living between San Francisco and Halfmoon Bay would be compelled to arise before sunrise in order to reach this city in the morning for work to take a train that would land them here at 7:40 o’clock.
“They ask that the schedule be arranged for arrival at 8:40.”
Life of the Ocean Shore Railroad (2)
(Photo: “Longbridge” at Tunitas Creek, courtesy Redwood City Main Library)
Cont’d from SF Call, Oct 17, 1908
“Contractors started to work yesterday on the bluffs between San Gregorio creek and Long Bridge [Tunitas Creek]. Several hundred men and teams are at work grading the right-of-way between these two points, and it is expected that this part of the route will be completed in about 90 days.
“Contractors are also preparing to grade the right-of-way between Pescadero and San Gregorio. Work will be rushed as rapidly as possible to open the line to Santa Cruz in time for next summer’s business.
“The earnings of the Ocean Shore are increasing monthly, and as soon as the rod is open to Long Bridge, a large increase will come from the fact that it will be more advantageous for shippers between San Gregorio and Pescadero to ship by railroad than over the mountains to Redwood City by team.
“The following statement of earnings during the past nine months shows a healthy state of business and indicates large profits for this railroad as soon as it is open to Santa Cruz and Watsonville. In March the road ran only to Pedro Valley, and since June to Granada.
“The earnings are as follows: January, $4,406.62; February, $5,325,33; March, $8,904.47; April, $8,392.32; May, $12,373.27; June, $12, 621.46; July, $18,558.76; August, $19625.35;Sept, $21,066.23.
…to be continued…
I Love This Email: Epic Pacifica Ride, See the Pix
June,
Just discovered your site. Love the old photos of Pedro Mountain Road! And the interview with Pete Douglas!
I and my friends often ride our bikes up the peninsula along Crystal Springs to Pacifica, and then over the old Pedro Mountain road instead of Devil’s Slide. From Montara, we cross the highway and ride the dirt trails along the cliffs above Mavericks and then down through Princeton Harbor back to HWY 1. It’s about a 70 mile round trip, with the highlight always being lengthy rest stop for coffee on the beach at The Ebb Tide Cafe. See photos from Feb:
http://www.54×11.com/photos/PacificaRide_021707/index.html
Great site! Can you post some of the old photos in higher resolution sometime?
Thanx,
Chris
June, I should have said in my first e-mail that we start and finish in
Redwood City. The particular day I took those photos, we went back over
the hill via Purissima Creek fire road and Harkins Ridge Trail (VERY
difficult!!) as you can see in the pictures near the end. We then
descended back to Woodside and then Redwood City via Kings Mountain.
The weather was incredible that day.
Chris
I Know Why The Soprano’s “Paulie” Survived…
Paulie’s survived cancer, he’s got emotional problems—he hates cats—- and while he’s pumped up, he’s got 20-year-old arms, he just doesn’t feel like his old self anymore. How does he keep on going?
I know! he’s got good connections.
The brother of “Paulie,” played by actor Tony Sirico–is Robert Sirico, an intellectual Roman Catholic priest and the founder of the Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty.
—of course Father Sirico has better connections than older brother “Paulie” has—
Map/Life of the Ocean Shore Railroad (1)
From the San Francisco Call, Oct. 17, 1908
“Ocean Shore Road Open To Half Moon
“Graders Are Working On Bluffs Between San Gregorio Creek and Long Bridge
“The Ocean Shore railway this week extended the running schedule of daily trains from Granada to Half Moon Bay proper and Arleta Park. The company is now operating at this end of the line 30 miles of railway, running four trains daily and eight trains on Sundays.
“The grading between Arleta Park and Long Bridge [Tunitas Creek] is about completed and this laying of rails will commence next week. Chief Engineer Rogers says the trains will run to Long Bridge, which is three miles north of San Gregorio, about Nov. 15.”
…to be continued
Secrets
Ocean Shore Railroad’s Office in San Francisco
The office building on the right is devoted to “Granada.”
Surfing: Interview with Mike McCreary (Long Version) Part II
In 1981 I interviewed Mike McCreary, a surfer who also owned a surf shop on Highway 1.
Michael McCreary (MM): When I first started surfing [at the jetty] in high school, I called it the breakwater but it’s becoming known as “Surfer’s Beach” or “El Granada Beach.” I call it the “breakwater” still. Generally, it’s a small spot, no big waves, sheltered from the open ocean so the swell has to wrap ’round the headland to get in there. By wrapping ’round it loses some of its strength, strength breaking on reef off Half Moon Bay so there’s not too many dangerous currents and it doesn’t get that big and it’s a beginner-intermediate surf spot.
MM: The more advanced surfers surf at Venice and Kelly Street…The waves get very large, too large to surf but you can surf to about six or eight feet. Last winter (1980?) was the biggest swell we’ve had since 1969…I’d say the swell got up to 20-25 feet.
MM: Nobody surfed. When the swell gets that big, you have to go to Santa Cruz or Monterey. There’s so many new surfers in Half Moon Bay, at least 100. A lot of young kids, a lot of kids who boogie board.
MM: Cowboy (Craig MacArthur) is probably one of the most famous [Coastside surfers] due to the fact he’s been surfing the area for a long time, since high school. He’s a good surfer and he makes boards. Cowboy’s kind of a legendary surfer. He stands out..he’s six feet tall…
MM: Cowboy makes his own brand of surfboards and he almost makes a surfboard for us [McCreary] called the Miramar surfboard. We have our own brand, Miramar surfboards, and we have a couple of people making boards, one of them lives in San Diego.
Note: Visit Cowboy here…http://cowboysurfshop.com
…to be continued…