The Ocean Beach Historical Society invites you to bring PICNIC to this FREE Special Event and Learn About “Door of Hope”, Thurs. Aug, 18, 2022 at 5 pm, at Collier Park West (At Greene St. & Soto St., San Diego, CA 92107) Bring your own picnic food & gear.

Some older Point Loma and Ocean Beach 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. A condo development has replaced the Door of Hope buildings.
The upcoming OBHS program will be especially relevant to anybody who may have been born in Collier Park Hospital and later adopted from the Door of Hope, or anybody who worked there during its 55-year run. Activists who helped save Collier Park West from further development are also encouraged to come and share their stories.
Because many peninsula residents were born at this Ocean Beach Door of Hope and have expressed an interest in our website to learn more about it, OBHS will be having a “Collier Park Picnic Event”, where people will have an opportunity to share their stories, photos and memories while enjoying a day in the historic Collier Park west. Please bring your picnic and join us on August 18th, 5 pm at Collier Park West.

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!

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 28^th 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.