Join us Thurs. May 19, 2022 at 7 pm at Water’s Edge Community, 1984 Sunset cliffs Blvd., as the Ocean Beach Historical Society presents: “Romantic Old Roseville” by Kitty McDaniel. Romantic Old Roseville, once a separate town known as Roseville-on-the-Bay. Roseville is the oldest settled part of the peninsula. Please join Ocean Beach Historical Society and our featured speaker Kitty McDaniel, as she explores the origins and early days of the Roseville community. This program is FREE!
The Ocean Beach Historical Society presented: The Villa Montezuma at 135 (years old) and its next 50 years as a Museum, Thurs. April 21, 2022 at Water’s Edge Faith Community. Speaker: Louise Torio, Board Chairman of the Friends of the Villa Montezuma gave a passionate talk about her care and love of fabulous Villa Montezuma, and its intriguing history. OBHS encourages history buffs to to take a tour of Villa Montezuma. For info. visit: https://villamontezumamuseum.org
The Ocean Beach Historical Society Fundraiser was a great success as we Welcome in Spring at the Wisteria Garden Party, Sunday, March 20, 2022,at 4761 Niagara Ave. OB. Over 100 guest attended! The rain stopped a couple hours before the party!
We spend the afternoon in the historic O.B. Wisteria Cottage garden under the largest wisteria canopy in Ocean Beach and listen to live music including songs from the 1920s by local Bill Corwin and his Vintage Swing Band, a few other local musicians joined in, and others a danced. Talented sixteen year old Claire Roberts played three wonderful cello solos. Many attendees dressed in vintage, garden party, Purple, or O.B. Stye while enjoying Snacks & Beverages; Displays of Vintage photos & O.B. Signs; Opportunity Drawings..
O.B.’s Beloved Wisteria Garden—The Titlow family, and earlier owners, the Clarkes, treasured the Wisteria Cottage and Garden. The Titlows, and OBHS hosted numerous parties at the historic Wisteria Garden, with many longtime OBceans enjoying live music and entertainment under the largest Wisteria canopy in Ocean Beach.
In 2021, Save Our Heritage Organization awarded Pat & Susan James “The Keepers of the Flame Award” for hosting the Wisteria Garden Party, preserving and maintaining the cottage, calling the garden and cottage an “Ocean Beach treasure.”
Sadly, COVID put a stop on the Wisteria Parties until now! On March 20, 2022 the OBHS is happy to bring back the outdoor Wisteria Garden Party. Join us and see the beloved Wisteria Cottage and Garden. Read more at: https://www.pointloma-obmonthly.com/news/story/2022-03-15/a-page-from-history-obs-wisteria-cottage-has-kept-love-on-the-vine-for-115-years
Membership Rates Go Up April 1. Don’t Be A FOOL, Buy a Membership Now!
On Thurs. Feb. 17, 2022, 7 pm, we had our first live meeting in a couple years due to COVID. We met at Water’s Edge Church in Ocean Beach, 1984 Sunset Cliffs Blvd. The OBHS presented LIVE PROGRAM: The Extraordinary Adventures of Ocean Beach Historical Society 1994-2022, in celebration of the Ocean Beach Historical Society 28th year. We took look back at some of the splendid escapades and wonderful people that have helped to make OBHS a fun and special group to be a part of. Sadly we also hoped to have a Zoom link during the program, but the connections and technology just weren’t up to it. Hopefully we will have better luck at future programs. Please join us next month at our Wisteria Garden Party! More info to come.
Jan. 20, 2022, The Ocean Beach Historical Society presented: San Diego During World War II – Life on the Home Front presentation by Linda Canada who enlighten guests about the local effects if WWII. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, in early December 1941, had an overnight impact on San Diego, and civilians were affected nearly as much as the military. The City’s population doubled, but there was no increase in city services, transportation, or water supply. Rapid expansion in military and manufacturing jobs drew workers from all over the country, and overnight, San Diego was open for business 24/7. Shortages of food, clothing, and building supplies impacted everyone to some extent. We heard about the experiences of some locals, who began to doubt whether San Diego was a place they wanted to stay.
Many changes happened in 2021 due to COVID. The Ocean Beach Historical Society went through many of its own changes… some good and others challenging. Technology is helping OBHS preserve history through online videos, teleconferencing, posting of information and photographs, and making contacts.
In the past couple years, the OBHS and its feature presenters have taken our programs to new levels through teleconferencing, more movies, recorded presentations, and more multimedia programs. Many of these productions intend to be fun while providing windows into our local history through great vintage photographs, film clips, and animation, and more.
OBHS has upgraded our website with a new look with news, a link to our Ocean Beach Historical Society Online You Tube® Channel at: Videos & OBHS YouTube. Our Sea Scrolls newsletter is changing to bi-yearly and we will continue our program announcements to members through creative postcards. Many of our Sea Scrolls from the last decade can be found on our archive page. We hope you enjoy our website and upcoming 2022 programs.
Dec. 2021- Happy Holidays. Enjoy an animated OB Holiday Card from OBHS’s Ray & Kathy Blavatt:
See OBHS’s “Spirit of OB’s Christmas Past”. This holiday treat brings you the experience and the spirit of OB’s Christmas Past. Decades of O.B. historic photos of Christmas Trees, Sandcastles, T-Shirts, the parades, and more. Relive the fun-filled cherished O.B. holiday events.
A Page from History: The twisty past of OceanBeach’s holiday tree
BY ERIC DUVALL DEC. 13, 2021, Point Loma and OB Monthly:
Well, that would depend on your vantage point. Or what side of the (chain link) fence you’re on. But all that aside, the Ocean Beach community Christmas tree is greeting its 41st consecutive season this year, and its preposterous, zany and improbable history is certainly something to celebrate. Article LINK: https://www.pointloma-obmonthly.com/news/story/2021-12-13/a-page-from-history-the-twisty-past-of-ocean-beachs-holiday-tree
Enjoy a post from Scott Mac Laggan of Point Loma:Some may be wondering what becomes of the OB Tree after Christmas. Does it go to a landfill? Is it ground into mulch? In recent years the S.D. Urban Timber folks (https://sdurbantimber.com/) have rescued the trees and turned them into many useful products. In 2014 the Star Pine my grandfather planted in our front yard in Loma Portal in 1960 was donated and became that year’s O.B. Christmas tree. S.D.U.T. designed and built a wonderful Whale themed bench from that tree and donated it to the Sunset View Elementary School Whales. The trees live on.
OBHS presented Zoom Teleconference Nov. 18, 2021,“Ripples in Time” with Dr. Russell Low.
An old photograph may be much more than just a record of a place and time. An historic photo might provide a clue which unlocks a story from the last century. San Diego radiologist Dr. Russell Low told just such a story, part of his own family’s history, in his book, Three Coins: A Young Girl’s Story of Kidnappings, Slavery, and Romance in 19th Century America. In his lecture, Ripples in Time, Dr. Low shared his decades-long search for his own family’s roots. Also, how so many people who came to this country, by choice or not, faced hardships in search of the “American Dream”. Info. or to buy the book “Three Coins”. Book Sales go to: Nursing Scholarship to Cal State San Marcos Link to website: https://www.russlow.com/
October 21, 2021– The Ocean Beach Historical Society presented a Teleconference: Archives and Resources of the San Diego History Center, by History Center President and CEO, Bill Lawrence,
San Diego History Center CEO Bill Lawrence, discussed some of the new ways the vast treasures of the San Diego History Center archive are being made available during these historic times, and provided some tips and tricks for diving into O.B.’s past. Bill also revealed his own personal history and San Diego journey that centers on the Ocean Beach community.
The Ocean Beach Historical Archives were also talked about.
Sept. 16, 2021– The Ocean Beach Historical Society presented a great ZOOM presentation on the “The Lost and Found Balboa Park Gardens of Kate Sessions” by Nancy Carol Carter. See Youtube of the program. The Lost and Found Balboa Park Gardens of Kate Sessions
Ocean Beach Historical Society 