Half Moon Bay Memories

Locke/Nelson property, Higgins-Purissima Rd

…Meanwhile at the Josiah Locke’s Purissima Canyon ranch, love was in the air. Flo’s brother, also called Horace, met and married Della Mae Johnson–the Coastside’s first woman dentist with offices in Pescadero and Half Moon Bay.

One day Ralph Feusier’s great grandfather, Henry Feusier, a United States Geological Surveyor (USGS), came to Half Moon Bay and met and married Flo’s sister, Emily. And it was through that union that Ralph, the retired insurance executive, has a connection to the house on Main Street.

Even before Ralph’s visit in 1930, Uncle Horace had demonstrated that he was much more than a farmer. During Prohibition Horace helped found the Bank of Half Moon Bay which had a branch office in Pescadero. In 1927 the two small town banks were taken over by A.P. Giannini’s famous Bank of America.

Always seeking a business challenge, Horace Nelson looked at Half Moon Bay’s water company, bought it and later sold it.

In 1938 Horace Nelson died at age 81 in Half Moon Bay. Ralph, then an adolescent, returned to the Coastside to attend his Uncle Horace’s funeral.

Ralph Feusier didn’t locate the house on Main Street on his visit more than 50 years later in 1993–but he didn’t return to New England empty-handed. I had provided him with a possible trail. Katherine Pitcher Valentine was a retired teacher and the daughter of John Pitcher, the pioneer Coastside judge. She had a wealth of knowledge about lcoal history. Ralph and Katherine talked on the phone.

“I spoke at length with Katherine Valentin,” Ralph wrote me. “She was a great friend of Carrie Reynolds, the housekeeper. David (brother of Josiah) Locke is buried in the Half Moon Bay Cemetery. When she visits her father’s grave, she always places flowers at David’s gravesite. I think she had fond affection for him.”

Most importantly, Mrs. Valentine had provided the essential clue–the location of the Nelson’s Victorian house. She placed it kitty-corner to what is now the lovely new Cetrella Restaurant on Main Street.

Finding the location of the Nelson house validated Ralph Feusier’s precious boyhood recollections. His search was complete–and he has since passed away.

Photo: Shipwreck of the New York, March 1898.

The Coastside of the 1880s was a place defined by legend and lore, of wild bears, colorful rancheros and mountains that reminded some of the recent Italian immigrants from the old country.

But the most popular legends were those surrounding the shipwrecks, unfortunate vessels–that due to fog and poor technology lost their way, often crashing on the jagged rocks. These disasters brought the community together. There was a system in place for alerting the locals, providing medical help and unbounded hospitality to survivors….as well as the always profitably salvage operations that redistributed the ship’s assests to the locals.

Horace Nelson had romanticized about being part of an exciting rescue and salvage shipwreck operation. He had married well–and was respected as a successful cattle rancher when, March 1898, his wish came true and the famous iron vessel “New York” was stranded on the beach at Half Moon Bay. This ill-fated ship carried a full cargo from China, including silks, cloisonne, firecrackers, rice and tea–perhaps providing locals with the biggest salvage operation ever.

It seemed fitting that Horace Nelson salvage the “New York’s” bell, placing the magnificent symbol among his beloved dahlias and artichokes in the front yard of the his Victorian house on Main Street for all to see.

…To Be Continued…

Photos: When they were young L-R: Josiah, David and Silas Locke. The Josiah Locke family lived in a home on Purissima Canyon Road–known as the Locke/Nelson Ranch. And [below] when they were old.

Originally from New Hampshire, [Ralph Feusier’s Uncle] Horace Nelson was in his 20s when he traveled to San Francisco in the 1870s. He worked at the John Ray Dairy for five years and somewhere along the way met flour mill Superintendent Josiah Locke.

This encounter changed Horace’s life. He met and fell in love with [Ralph Feusier’s Great Aunt] Flo, Josiah’s daughter and the couple were married at the Locke’s Grove Street, San Francisco home in 1883.

The newspaper listed the many guests–including Flo’s sister, Emily, and brother, also called Horace–as well as the Farnsworths, their Purissima canyon neighbors. Also present were Uncles Silas and David.

….To Be Continued…