2020 Conference CANCELED! 

 congressofhistory.org

2.20.20- OBHS presented: Dible Family 1928 – 1938 Silent Movie, Clips of Sunset Cliffs, O.B., PL. and popular San Diego sites. Included period 1920s music. Featuring Randy Dible who put on a wonderful program with a 1920s period music track, shot by Randy’s grandfather, starring generations of the Thompson/Dible family and their friends on clips of Sunset Cliffs, La Jolla, Ocean Beach, Point Loma, Mission Beach, San Diego Bay, Coronado, Balboa Park, Julian, Downtown SD, Catalina, Tijuana, and other locales. It was a fun and captivating evening as we stepped back into San Diego’s rich history. See: Dible / Thompson’s Family 1928-1938 Silent Movie

The Ocean Beach Historical Society Presented: When Tiki Invaded San Diego, By Diane Kane, PhD, Thursday, Jan.16, 2020 7 PM, At Water’s Edge Faith Community, 1984 Sunset Cliffs Blvd., O.B.
We enjoyed a  lighthearted romp through the immediate post-war period that explored how the allure of the South Seas became synonymous with San Diego. Discover how tourism and suburbanization exploited the indigenous architecture of Polynesia to create the Tiki Style. This themed architectural style was augmented by newly introduced tropical plants, readily available to the backyard gardener.
Although Shelter Island and Mission Bay were ground zero for TIKI, Mission Valley and other suburbanizing communities were not immune to its charms. In transforming desert scrub into a palm-laden paradise, “America’s Finest City” became the mainland vacation alternative to Hawaii. OBHS Jan Feb 2020

OBHS NL Nov Dec 2019 mrAs we celebrated the 40th Annual Ocean Beach Christmas Tree and Parade, we had an opportunity to meet the family that not only started this holiday event but were instrumental in other cherished O.B. traditions as well.
Brothers Ron, Greg, Mike, Pat, and sister-in-law Susan reminisced about the trials and tribulations of working together in a family business while also trying to make a positive impact on the community.
For over four decades, the James family has been an integral part of the Ocean Beach community. They were instrumental in the founding of the Ocean Beach Merchants Association (now the O.B. Mainstreet Association) and the Ocean Beach Historical Society. Over the years, they held leadership roles with the O.B. Merchants Association, O.B. Town Council, O.B. Planning Board, and O.B. Historical Society. The brothers were the catalyst in beginning the Ocean Beach Fireworks Festival, O.B. Street Fair, the Ocean Beach Christmas Auction, O.B. Parade, and the Christmas Tree, as well as the Community Mural Project.
The presentation touched on the history of the James Gang, with anecdotes, images, and artifacts from Ocean Beach’s past. They also paid tribute to their late brother Rich James, the founder of the O.B. Christmas Tree, whose life epitomized the O.B. spirit.

“Surfing Sunset Cliffs, The Early Years” BY ORIGINAL SUNSET CLIFFS DUDES & GIDGETS, Oct 17, 2019.
A  packed house (of Surfers) showed up for “SURFING SUNSET CLIFFS, THE EARLY YEARS” presentation. Flashback to the blue waters of the cliffs with surfers/presenters Jim “Mouse” Robb, 86, Marsh Malcolm, 86, John Holly, 76, Billy Chapman, 75, Tom “Lizard” Chapman, 76.
Talk included tales of the “Original Gidget” Linda Benson.
This Sunset Cliffs program covered the years 1945 – 1965, including 1947 film footageof surfing planks (wood longboards) at Ab’s beach.

San Diego Union Tribune Festival of Books
SAT., AUG. 24, 11:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m., at Manpower Room at Liberty Station
with Kathy Blavatt, Ann Collins, Richard Crawford, Eric DuVall.
Ocean Beach Historical Society’s Kathy Blavatt and Eric DuVall were at the  San Diego Union Tribune Festival of Books as they and two other authors— Ann Collins, Richard Crawford talk on a panel about their local books.
Kathy Blavatt wrote “Ocean Beach Where Land and Water Meet” and Eric DuVall wrote a Chapter in the “Point Loma” book by multiple Authors fron the LaPlaya Trail Org. For more info. San Diego Union Tribune Festival of Books

The Ocean Beach Historical Society presented a Special Event:
San Diego City Guard Band – At the Greek Theatre
Sat., Aug. 17, 2019 at 6 pm At The Greek Theatre at PLNU The Ocean Beach Historical Society continued a yearlong celebration of our 25th Anniversary, as we presented “the event of the season”: The San Diego City Guard Band in concert at the famous Greek Theater at Point Loma Nazarene University.
The City Guard Band has entertained San Diego audiences since 1885! Performing band music from the turn of the 20th Century, patriotic music from the First World War, more contemporary show tunes, and everything in between.
The concert took place at the Greek Theatre, one of SD’s most iconic venues, with a view of the Pacific Ocean!
Built by Katherine Tingley in 1901, the outdoor Greek amphitheater was the first built in the U.S.A. Tingley, the leader of the Theosophical Society, purchased this property in 1897 and founded the Theosophical community of Lomaland.
Lomaland is now the site of Point Loma Nazarene University, which overlooks Sunset Cliffs Natural Park.
 The crowd enjoyed this FREE old-fashioned summertime concert. Thank you food venders.

Thurs. July 18, 7 PM- The Ocean Beach Historical Society Presents: HELP! Lifeguards of San Diego County, By Michael Martino
At Water’s Edge Faith Community, 1984 Sunset Cliffs Blvd., O.B.
Join Michael Martino, former chief lifeguard with the California State Parks, as he discusses the life and death stories behind the formation of San Diego’s lifeguard service.
This lecture, based on Martino’s book HELP! San Diego Lifeguards to the Rescue, begins with the early pre-lifeguard years when citizens helped with rescues and bathhouses along the coast hired their own private lifeguards. Unfortunately, these well-intentioned efforts were not enough to safeguard the public, and from the ashes of tragic incidents rose a dedicated professional lifeguard service that has provided beach safety for San Diego families for over 100 years.
Michael T. Martino has served in every capacity as a lifeguard with the California State Parks, starting as a seasonal employee and working his way up to aquatic specialist, the chief lifeguard in the state park system.

KATE SESSIONS—HORTICULTURIST, LANDSCAPER, FLORIST, AND MORE
June 20, WATER’S EDGE FAITH COMMUNITY, 1984 Sunset Cliffs Blvd., O.B. San Diego is one of the most beautiful cities in the U. S., due in large part to its abundance of exotic trees and plants— jacarandas, queen palms, Brazilian pepper trees, bougainvillea, Italian cypress, the bird of paradise, and the poinsettia. Yet, surprisingly, none of these trees and plants—so identified with our image—are native to San Diego!
All of them—and many more—were introduced to our region by Kate Sessions, the pioneering women horticulturalist who came to San Diego in 1883, and who, over a period of several decades, transformed a semi-arid landscape into a lush paradise.
Historian Nancy Carol Carter is a retired professor of law at USD. She is a frequent lecturer in San Diego and has been published in Pacific Horticulture and The Journal of San Diego History, with articles on Kate Sessions, the San Diego olive industry, and renowned local botanists Katharine and T. S. Brandegee.