SEE YOU IN 2017 at our OBHS Programs & Events.
News: Pat James is stepping down as the Ocean Beach Historical Society President, though he will be Vice President. Eric DuVall has been elected as the  the new 2017 President. Former V.P. Derek Sander is no longer on the OBHS board. All other previous board members were re-elected and Kitty McDaniel was elected to the board.Congratulation to all.

11/17/16- The OB Historical Society Presented:   Lyman J. Gage- A Great Man, by John Noble, on Thursday evening Nov. 17th.
John Noble  presented his program about Lyman J. Gage, 42nd United States Secretary of the Treasury. In 1906 Gage came to Point Loma to deal with a family crisis and retire from the stress of the East Coast. Gage was drawn to the Lomaland Theosophist community. John spoke about Gage’s extraordinary accomplishments before coming to San Diego and  the extraordinary life he made for himself in San Diego and his important role in preserving Balboa Park. We learned Gage, who was far more than just a local street name.

John Noble, Owner of Coastal Sage Garden Shop & Landscaping.  He designed and planted the landscaping in front of the Lily Pond at Balboa Park for the Centennial Anniversary.

On Sun., Oct.16th we had the Celebration & Historical Recognition of the 100 Year Anniversary of the Original Ocean Beach Library at the Sutliffe Building- 1951 Abbott St., Falling Sky Pottery & 1959 Abbott St., Newbreak Coffee & Café
(Corner building at Abbott St. & Santa Monica Ave.)
Proceeds to Pay for a Historical Plaque on The Sutliffe Building- Other proceeds are split between the Ocean Beach Historical Society & Friends of the Library
The event included:  Music, Art & Historical Photos Exhibit, Coffee & Snacks, Historical Block Walk & 50/50 Opportunity Drawing, Historical Cars,  and more!!! Some of the attendees dressed in  attire from 1916 – 1928, many taking their photos by the antique cars supplied by the Horseless Carriage Club of SD. We thank all the wonderful musicians and helpers especially those from OBHS and Friends of the Library that made this a fabulous event. We also thank the office of Supervisor Ron Roberts for a proclamation that was presented. A special thanks goes to Newbreak Coffee  Cafe, Falling Sky Pottery for hosting the event and Raindrops Bikini Store for putting up our historical window.
Sutliffe Building-The Original O.B. Library- Since it’s beginning, the “Sutliffe Building” on the NW corner of Abbott St. & Santa Monica Ave. has been a very important of part of OB’s history. In 1916 the very first Ocean Beach branch of the San Diego Public Library opened in the “Sutliffe Building” storefront. One room was used for the library and one room was used for storage, office, book intake and other “library tasks.”
Miss Kate Spani, raised $200 to buy shelves and materials for furniture, which pioneer residents built. The library was surrounded by a noisy amusement park, but patrons were asked to speak in a whisper.
Next to the library was the jail. The four tops of the jail cell’s thick concrete columns can still be seen in Newbreak Coffee & Café.
In part of the 1970s-80s, Buford Seals a colorful character known as “The Candyman” owned and operated Buford’s Candy Store at 1959 Abbott St.  In that same space the Newbreak Coffee & Café opened in 1999, where famed musician Jason Mraz, at the beginning of his career, played on Saturday evenings that summer.
Many wonderful businesses were in this building the first 100 years. These included a camera store, several surf shops, jewelers, a bikini shop, restaurants and coffee houses.
Both Stonehedge Leather and Falling Sky Pottery opened there in 1969, becoming an important part of O.B.’s artisan community.- Sponsored By the Ocean Beach Historical Society & Friends of the Library

Thurs., Sept. 15, 7 pm at P.L. United Methodist Church, 1984 Sunset Cliffs Blvd., O.B. the Ocean Beach Historical Society Presents: On the Tracks of an Angry God: John P. Harrington in San Diego County, By Richard Carrico. While teaching a class at the San Diego Museum of Man he met a young student named Carobeth and they took leisurely walks across the Laurel Street Bridge. Harrington noted that Carobeth possessed one of the finestears for language and linguistics that he had ever encountered. They subsequently married and he immediately took the young San Diego girl on his field trips with him. The marriage failed and Carobeth married George Laird, one of Harrington’s Chemehuevi consultants. Noting his sometime imperious attitude and his rushed demeanor, the Chemehuevi called Harrington “An Angry God.”
Richard Carrico will present an anthropological, historical, and geographic travelogue as we follow Harrington the “Angry God” through San Diego County.  From the coast to the Anza Borrego desert and, from northern Baja California to Warner Springs, Carrico will interpret Harrington’s sometimes cryptic handwritten notes, provide photographic images of the region circa 1925, and offer a unique glimpse into Kumeyaay culture as captured in the mid-1920s.

8/18/16-The Ocean Beach Historical Society program “Fred Baker, M.D., pioneer San Diego physician & civic activist.” By Jim Baker, was a wonderful piece of family history and showed the role his relatives played in our region.  Jim Baker is a descendent of one of Point Loma’s founding families. He will discussed his great-grandfather “Dr. Fred,” from his younger days in Ohio, to his arrival in San Diego in 1888. Dr. Fred Baker moved to Point Loma in 1898, where he built a home at 848 Rosecrans.
Jim highlighted many of Dr. Fred’s civic activities. He’ll touch on his wife, Dr. Charlotte Baker, the first female M.D. in San Diego, who was well known for delivering over 1,000 babies. Jim talked about Fred’s son Robert H. Baker and his early activities in
San Diego, and his later life on Point Loma, with some reference to the Portuguese community. Jim talked about his dad Ken Baker (Dr. Fred’s grandson), and his involvement with boating. We were very pleased that Jim shared Fred Baker’s legacy and his fascinating Point Loma family.

July 21, 2016, the OBHS presented The OB Pier Turns 50!!! Celebrate and Learn the Pier’s History, By Ralph Teyssier at the P.L. United Methodist Church in O.B.
We really appreciated the hard work and construction that went into building the OB Pier after the wonderful program by  featured guest Ralph Teyssier, the son of  Leonard Teyssier, owner of one of the largest construction companies in San Diego in the mid- 1960s. Leonard’s firm, Teyssier & Teyssier, Inc., built the Ocean Beach Fishing Pier.
Ralph was delighted to share the fascinating aspects of the engineering and construction that went into the building of the Ocean Beach Fishing Pier. Intrigued with structural engineering and construction from an early age, Ralph had the on-site opportunity to watch first hand, the building of the Ocean Beach Fishing Pier.
This special 50th anniversary program was an evening to remember and celebrate our beloved Ocean Beach Pier.

OB History would like to thank both Frank & Patty for the wonderful talk last night and for all the hard work producing this paper now blog ( image provided by OB Rag ). Please take time to visit them sometime soon ( OB Rag )

Here is a link to a pdf version of this document pdf link

June 16, 2016,The Ocean Beach Historical Society presented The History of the OB Rag, by OB Rag Editor Frank Gormlie who gave us a great presentation of the OB RAG —The OB Rag was an alternative grassroots newspaper for Ocean Beach during the first half of the 1970s, with its first publisher, editor & writer Frank Gormlie. It published from late Summer 1970 to early 1976. The Rag’s volunteer and dedicated activist staff succeeded in fueling the community organizing in O.B. during those years with their underground publication, taking on the establishment while giving voice to the burgeoning counter-culture.
The OB Rag blog and website was first initiated by Frank Gormlie & Patty Jones in late Oct. 2007. Their original intent was to ply the San Diego scene with news and commentary from a distinctively progressive and grassroots perspective, and to also provide a forum for those views.
The OB Rag also provides web platform for the community, OB residents and merchants, and covers local OB and Point Loma news, issues and events – and more. Learn more about the OB Rag at:
obrag.org

Friday evening May 20, 2016 at the Masonic Center, was an incredible evening as the  Ocean Beach Historical Society Presented OB EXPOSED! Photographic Impressions of Ocean Beach & Point Loma.
Attendees enjoy the evening photography, including historical photo displays and film clips! Peoples Food Co-op Nancy Casady was our OB Exposed! M.C., we eat yummy refreshments! Many entered the 50/50 Opportunity Drawing and OB Exposed! Flash Drawing that included many great items donated from local venders. This year we had a Special  Subject Prize Category “Piering-thru-the-LENS” (OB Pier Photos) Celebrating of the 50 Year Anniversary of the Ocean Beach Pier!!! There were so many fabulous Pier Photos at the 2016 OB EXPOSED!
PRIZES WINNERS:
Special Subject Prize – OB Pier Photos: Dan Dennison, Surfer on Beach Near Pier
People’s Choice (Voted by show attendees): Patty Sammulei, O.B. Parrot
Best In Show: Richard Thouberry, Newport Sunshine
Best Color: Richard Thouberry, Newport Sunshine
Best Black White: Richard Thouberry, Newport Sunshine
Best Vintage (Historic): Cheryl (Huston) Hall, We’re Ready for the O.B. Parade
Best Special Effects: Ray Hitchcock, O.B. Pier & Sunset
Best Child’s Under age 16 and Best in Show, John Barrel, John Deer   

Thank you to all the volunteers, photographers, judges, food donors and opportunity drawing donors that made this years OB Exposed! a successful event!!!