The Ocean Beach Historical Society wishes you Happy Holidays. There will be No OBHS December Program, but we suggest you go to the OB Holiday Parade on the evening Dec. 3rd. Check out Santa. He was our special jolly guest at our Nov. OBHS Program. The OBHS Board joined in the fun as Elves and Santa’s Helpers. We hope to see you at the Jan. 2023 OBHS Program.

Nov. 17, 2022, The Ocean Beach Historical Society had a fun holiday inspired program “100 Years of Christmas in Balboa Park” at Water’s Edge Faith Community. Our presenter was none other than San Diego’s favorite Santa Claus, Bill Swank, who also will be in OB Holiday Parade on Dec. 3rd. Santa’s stories about kids were both funny and heartfelt. He also told us some great baseball facts and history.

OBHS Lecture Series programs are always FREE.  

Link to The Beach News Archives: https://archive.org/details/oceanbeachhistorical

October 20, 2022, The Ocean Beach Historical Society previewed the The Beach News Archives! at Water’s Edge Faith Community, and celebrated the 100^th birthday of The Beach News, OB’s great little community newspaper. The Beach News started out as a four-page weekly and is THE primary source chronicling the development of the Ocean Beach Community. The Beach News also carried Mission Beach and Pacific Beach news in the early days.  It was later known as The Ocean Beach News and eventually morphed into The Peninsula News in the 1950s.  Ocean Beach Historical Society is lucky enough to have 13 mostly complete volumes of The Beach News (Link above) from the early ‘20s through the end of World War II. This program by Eric DuVall was a fun and nostalgic look at some of the great features, funny old ads and shameless boosterism that characterized the early content of The Beach News. Go back into time and see what O.B was like in the 20s, 30s, and 40s.

On Sept. 15, 2022, at Water’s Edge Church, Richard Carrico, gave a spectacular O.B. Historical Society Presentation: Peeling Back 10,000 Years of San Diego History: Recent Discoveries at the C. W. Harris Archaeological Site. Richard fielded over an hour of questions, and the crowd didn’t leave until 10 pm!
Forward, into the past!  More than 10,000 years ago a group of indigenous people lived along the banks of the San Dieguito River a little east of present-day Rancho Santa Fe and west of the Lake Hodge dam. Situated on a near permanent water source with a myriad of wild game and plant resources this place, known as the C. W. Harris site was occupied continuously for more than ten millennia—right up until the Spanish period. The Harris site is one of the few archaeological sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Originally excavated by Malcolm Rogers in the late 1930s, again in the 1960s and more recently by Richard Carrico and his team of archaeologists, there is no other archaeological site in San Diego County that contains such a treasure trove of data about our First People. Richard peeled back the layers of soil and brought the ancient past to life. We went to more than nine feet deep and see artifacts and environmental evidence of cultural and natural change. What did these people eat, how did they make their stone tools, and how did they adapt to substantial environmental change? Always entertaining and informative, Richard answered those questions and many more as we took a trip into the past, a really, really long ago past.
Thank you Richard Carrico for an amazing trip into the past.

Aug, 18, 2022– The Ocean Beach Historical Society invited members and friends to a PICNIC Event at Collier Park West (At Greene St. & Soto St.) to learn about “Door of Hope” and Collier Park(s), OB Community Garden, and Point Loma Native Garden.

Some older P.L. and O.B. residents may remember the odd buildings which once sat in the middle of Collier Park west. The buildings, which were part of the Salvation Army’s Door of Hope, included a dormitory style home for pregnant unwed mothers, a nursing facility, and the Collier Park Hospital. Collier Park west is still there, but it has been divided into a small park for picnics, a community garden, and a native plant oasis. Apartments have replaced the Door of Hope buildings.

The OBHS program was especially relevant to people wanting to learn about the three adjoining parks, and to anybody who may have been born in Collier Park Hospital and later adopted from the Door of Hope, during its 55-year run. Also, activists who helped save Collier Park West from further development were also encouraged to come and share their stories.
The large interest expressed about Ocean Beach Door of Hope and the connecting parks inspired OBHS to have the “Collier Park Picnic Event”. Talks were given by featured speakers Kathy Blavatt, Eric DuVall, John Noble, and Kim McGinly, who gave histories and updates on the Collier Park(s) and nearby areas. Historical photos, articles, maps and more were displayed. Attendees enjoyed a lovely summer evening under the trees.

The Ocean Beach Historical Society presented: “The All-American Crew,” by Russell Low, Thurs. July 21, 2022 at Water’s Edge Faith Community. A true story of a World War 11 bomber and the men who flew it. From old American families and recent immigrants — the ten men of this WWII bomber crew, dub themselves “The All-American Crew’ in celebration of their diversity and how their dedication to the country and their crew elevates them above their individual differences. Thank you Dr. Russell Low for this inspiring story

Dr. Low has created a nursing scholarship fund at Cal State San Marcos, and proceeds from the sales of his books go to that fund.  If you are interested in buying a book, or participating, please visit.  https://www.russlow.com 

The Ocean Beach Historical Society presented: “Romantic Old Roseville” by Kitty McDaniel, Thurs. May 19, 2022. Once a separate town known as Roseville-on-the-Bay, Roseville is the oldest settled part of the peninsula. Many locals joined OBHS and our fabulous featured speaker Kitty McDaniel, exploring the origins and early days of the Roseville community. Kitty added personal stories about her cottage and research about the “Chicken Ranch”. 

The Ocean Beach Historical Society presented: The Villa Montezuma at 135 (years old) and its next 50 years as a Museum, April 21, 2022 at Water’s Edge Faith Community.  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 OB 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 16 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!