Half Moon Bay Memories

1957 (part of the paper is missing, so I am calling it a fragment)

Old Landmark in $35,000 Blaze

“A coastside landmark, the huge barn on the McNee Ranch at Montara was destroyed by a spectacular fire Monday night. Fed by tons of hay stored within, the burning structure sent flames towering into the sky that could be seen for miles. 

“Destroyed  by the blaze, according to firemen, was the barn, valued at $20,000, 100 tons of hay and farm implements valued at $15,000.

“First on the scene was the Montara Fire Protection District department which turned out in full force on the alarm. Firemen found the barn totally involved on arrival and concentrated on protecting nearby dwellings, standing by until the arrival of the county fire department. The McNee was not included in the recently formed Point Montara fire protection district.

“Three county fire trucks and six firemen were assisted by Montara volunteers who remained at the scene with one of their two trucks.

“Firemen reported the barn was located between the ranch house, leased  by Bruce Hart, and a dairy barn. Both of the latter buildings were threatened by the flames, but were saved from damage by firemen who doused them with a protective spray of water.

“Flames were discovered shooting from the barn at 8:30 p.m., but cause……” 

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Don’t you think this should be a poster?

[Image by Deb & Mike Wong]

[ Note: A j was a new one for me. It’s a wild pig! My friend, Silvia, sent me the pix below—they were near her home.[

Says Silviia S.

Hi June, last evening around eight while we were sitting outside Roy and I noticed a few javalinas – a herd of about ten animals with quite a few babies – forage on cactus on the outside of our wall. We ran for the camera and tried to be really quiet. But we needn’t have worried, the pigs were not at all frightened by us flashing photos of them. They grunted and one even looked us straight in the eye. They really smelled like a garbage heap and their hair stood straight up when they were alerted by something. Anyway, they took their time looking for cactus and peaches that had fallen and eventually disappeared down into the canyon behind our house.

Image Makers Deb & Michael Wong, 890 Main Street, Half Moon Bay

Hi June,

We wanted to thank you for posting our Grand Opening announcement in your blog. We had a successful party, and quite a few visitors we didn’t know. There were no crowds, which was not only less stressful, we had the bonus of visiting with some of our best friends & family.

Here is a direct link to our Grand Opening album of photos This is where you will see the special guests at the opening. Click on the link below.

http://picasaweb.google.com/SMGMain/GrandOpening53009?feat=directlink

The poster that I am presenting to the young lady in a few of the shots was a graduation gift, one of many collaborations that Michael & I do at Spring Mountain. Michael photographed graduate Jamie Lanier with her new car, and then I was hired to create a poster of her & the car.

You may recognize some of the faces that were there. Chris Devcich of Edward Jones, Dave Thompson (formerly of Half Moon Bay Stoves) Glyn & Judy Lewis (Applied Power Electronic Imprinting), and Thomas & Barbara Grauke, of Moonside Bakery on Main Street.

[Image below: Yvonne with a balloon & a special cake for the opening.]

[Note: I recall meeting a woman who had lived in Miramar Beach when, Maymie,  the red-haired madam ran the famous Prohibition roadhouse  (with “rooms” upstairs) today known as  the Miramar Beach Inn. My contact told me she knew Miramar as “Balboa,” and that the street running parallel to the ocean was known as Balboa Blvd and that it  ran all the way south to Half Moon Bay. She recalled that Maymie  had towels and sheets and matches all emblazoned with the name “Balboa.” And she insisted on calling Miramar “Balboa.” John has found evidence of a possible “powerhouse” to be built in Balboa. Whether it appeared or not, we do not know at this point.]

Below is a snippet from John Vonderlin mentioning the town of Balboa.

Email John ([email protected])

Hi June,

I’ve attached an Uncorrected Text excerpt about the town of Balboa. As usual HMBM is the only place I find any other mention of it with a cursory check. It’s actually a mentioning of the new OSR Power Plant, but talks of the new city on the 1300+ acres just north of that. Is there any sign of the power plant or was it developed as something else later? I think I remember there are other stories about it. Enjoy. John

Picetti, W.F. Burnham, Charles L. Black. SITE FOR POWER-HOUSE“Our work of condemning title to a right of way through the city is about completed,” said Attorney Corbett of the firm of Corbett & Goodwin, representatives of the company yesterday, and “we estimate that the total amount this way within the city limits will cost is $500,000. Work of clearing the route of buildings will begin immediately and but a short time remains before the road will be completed,.” Continuing, Mr. Corbett said, “this ???? the site for the power house of the company, which will furnish electricity to operate the cars from here to Santa Cruz was agree upon. This sit is just as the northern end of Half Moon Bay and in a splendid position. We have entered into a contract with the Standard OH Company for as much oil as we require at reasonable ????. The oil will be delivered at the power house to be used as fuel on barges that will be towed to the company’s pier on Half Moon Bay.

Just north of the powerhouse site the company owns 1300 acres of land and on this land Mr. Burnham of Chicago, the eminent architect, will lay out a model city [El Granada].

The directors of the corporation have agreed to name the new village Balboa in honor of the discoverer of the Pacific, and it is our hope that a splendid watering place, as the site warrants, will soon spring up. We have completed five miles of te railway from the Santa Cruz end of the line and more than twenty miles of grading. Now that the proceedings in eminent domain have been brought to a successful conclusion, we will be able to go to work, build out from the San Francisco terminal and drive things through to a speedy conclusion