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Now we know who lived in the El Granada Bathhouse during Prohibition…

The Bathhouse at El Granada beach

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was built during the Ocean Shore Railroad era, in anticipation of serving beach-going visitors, but when the iron road failed, the Bathhouse became home for the Mearini family. This is the first I’d heard of anyone living in the Bathhouse–that no longer stands at El Granada Beach.
From the email I received today:

” Gino Mearini was a teenager, and helped to bring the whiskey ashore [during Prohibition] after it was unloaded from the boats that were anchored out in the bay. He and his family lived at the “Bath House” in El Granada. He can tell you about a high tide that caused waves to slam against the house, and wash away some of the out buildings and chicken coops into the artichoke fields, etc. etc…”

The El Granada Observer looks forward to visiting Mr. Mearini soon!

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I ran this photo

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in an earlier post. On the right stands Dante Dianda, the “Artichoke King” whose ranch was located in El Granada. But I did not know who the man beside him was. The photo was given to me by Mr. Vellutini, a wonderful man, who told me tales of rumrunning in Princeton. As a younger fellow, he had worked for Giovanni Patroni at the Patroni House, a Prohibition-era roadhouse.

Today the mystery of the unidentified man was solved in an email:

“Regarding the two pictures of Dante Dianda, the Artichoke King; the unknown man in the two pictures is my grandfather, Alessio Mearini, born in Arezzo, Italy and immigrated to the US in 1914. He was a partner and cook at the ranch. This information was given to me by my father, Gino Mearini, who is 95 years old and lives in Cupertino, CA.”

Today I received another message, this one from Ron and Judi Schmidt, also related to Dante Dianda, El Granada’s “Artichoke King.”

“Great News

“I also have news.

“My contact in Lucca, Italy, Diano Dianda, has informed me that his grandfather will take us, on our visit to Italy in April, to the town of Cassiano A Vico where my grandfather Dante Dianda was born.

“The home in which he was born is still there and we will be introduced to the people now living in the home.

“How is that for news, Ron”

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Ocean Shore Railroad’s “Yard” at Granada

The “yard” at Granada may have served as a third Ocean Shore Railroad station. The other two were located at North Granada, where the much remodeled building still stands, and in central Granada, now a private residence, which was moved several hundred yards from its original location.
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Ocean Shore Railroad El Granada: Which House was the Wiegels?

This is the bottom of page 142 where two photos of homes are displayed. Which one belonged to J. Mason Wiegel?

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In 1979, after publication of “Half Moon Bay Memories: The Coastside’s Colorful Past,” I received this letter from J. Mason Wiegel. Mr. Wiegel, an attorney, was also the publisher and editor of the Weekly Law Digest, headquartered in San Francisco’s Mills Building on Montgomery Street.

He wrote:

“…I lived in the house in the canyon that you picture at the bottom of your page 142 [see above photo] for a number of years ending in 1920. My father had purchased the wooded hills back of El Granada form the subdividers a few years earlier. I graduated from Miramar Grammar School in 1920, where one teacher taught all eight grades. We moved to S.F. when the railroad service terminated, and he sold the property in 1921.”

My best wishes, Sincerely J. Mason Wiegel

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Mexican Land Grants, San Mateo County

To see original, Click here

Mexican Land Grants
San Mateo County

Grant Number Name Patentee Patent Date Acres
150 Buri Buri Sanchez 10/17/1872 14,639.19
191 Butano Rodriquez 04/30/1866 4,439.67
151 Canada de Guadalupe la Visitacion y Rodeo Viejo Payson 12/15/1865 5,473.47
152 Canada de Guadalupe y Rodeo Viejo Pierce 09/22/1865 942.93
168 Canada de Raymundo Greer &Coppinger 07/18/1859 12,545.10
170 Canada de Verede y Arroyo de la Purisima Alviso 12/15/1865 8,905.58
551 Canada del Corte de Madera Thurn & Carpentier 06/13/1882 3,565.91
165 Corral de Tierra Palomares 04/07/1866 7,766.35
166 Corral de Tierra Vasquez 01/06/1873 4,436.18
173 El Corte de Madera Martinez 06/19/1858 13,316.05
153 Rincon de las Salinas y Potreo Viejo Bernal 12/31/1857 4,446.40
154 San Miguel Noe 03/30/1857 4,443.38
167 Feliz Feliz 06/21/1873 4,448.27
163 (map) Laguna de la Merced Haro 09/10/1872 2,219.33
169 Arroyo de los Pilarcitos or Miramontes Miramontes 07/21/1882 4,424.12
148 Pulgas Arguello 10/02/1857 35,240.47
205 Punta de Ano Nuevo Castro 12/.3/1857 17,753.15
190 San Antonio or Pescadero Gonzalez 06/07/1866 3,282.32
174 San Francisquito Rodriguez 06/08/1868 1,471
172 San Gregorio Castro 02/19/1861 4,439.31
171 San Gregorio Rodriguez 02/19/1861 13,344.15
149 San Mateo Howard 11/18/1857 6,438.80
164 San Pedro Sanchez 11/08/1870 8,926.46
551 Canada del Corte de Madera Thurn & Carpentier 06/13/1882 3,565.91
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Recognize Anyone? They’re the members of the Half Moon Bay Young Democrats Club, 1883

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Members of the Young Democrats Club pose for the camera in October 1883 in Half Moon Bay.

Left to Right: (top row) Patricio Silva, John Murray Frank Vasquez, Joe Gonzales “Crooked Neck” George and John H. Pitcher.
Middle Row: George Burston, Adolphe Pitcher, Ed Mullen, Archie McGinty, George Wyman.
Bottom Row: Ben Zaballa, Peter Zaballa, Richard Campbell, Charles Bowman, Peter Burke.