USA > California > Los Angeles County > Ingersoll's century history, Santa Monica Bay cities prefaced with a brief history of the state of California, a condensed history of Los Angeles County, 1542-1908 > Part 27
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A small school house was built on the school lots, probably during the summer of 1890. In August, 1895, a special tax of $1,500.00 was voted to build a school house on the "south side " and a one-room building was put up and in the fall was occupied, with Miss Alice M. Frazier as teacher.
Early in the seventies an Englishman, Col. Hutchinson, loaned money to the Machados, taking mortgages upon various pieces of land as security. One of these was a narrow strip of beach frontage extending from Strand street to the southern limits of La Ballona grant. This strip of sand was supposed to be worthless for any purpose, unless a wharf for commercial purposes could be built from it. Apparently the belief was general that the only thing needed to make a commercial city of Santa Monica was a wharf where vessels might land. After the abandonment of the "old wharf," in 1878, five acres of land were donated by Mrs. Lucas and others and Juan Bernard began the construction of a wharf which is was fondly hoped might restore Santa Monica to the ship- ping lists of the Pacific coast. But the structure was never completed and no boat ever landed there. In 1888, Messrs. Lewis and Van Every proposed to build a wharf from the foot of Bicknell avenue and in 1891 the proposition of the Terminal Wharf Company came up, various grants and concessions being made in consequence ; but no wharf was built.
In 1892 the Santa Fe and Santa Monica railroad was incorporated and proceeded to secure a right of way from Inglewood to Santa Monica. A concession of twelve acres of land was made them by the Terminal Wharf Com- pany and Kinney and Ryan, on condition that the company expend at least $15,000 in improvements, including a wharf and a pavillion. Considerable difficulty was met with in obtaining the right of way, condemnation proceedings being necessary in some cases ; but a strip 130 feet wide was finally secured from the city limits to the Southern Pacific reservation. A depot was located near the Ostrich Farm and on June 18th, 1892, the Santa Fe brought in its first train, with a widely advertised excursion to the "Coney Island of the Pacific." Later a building known as "the pavilion " was erected on Hill street and a cement sidewalk laid to the ocean front.
A group of trees on land near this depot was then known as Vawter Park : with the Ostrich Farm, the new pavilion, and the many beach improvements being made by Messrs. Abbot Kinney and F. G. Ryan, who had lately secured title to the Hutchinson property on the ocean front, South Santa Monica began to count itself as a " resort."
The Outlook for May 6th, 1893, says: " It is quite lively on the South Side. Three new cottages have just been completed on the Santa Monica tract, to be given away with the lots distributed on the first of June. A number of summer residences are either completed or in course of construction. The land
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company is now putting down a plank walk from the tract across the sand hills to the sea, and it is on the programme to begin the construction of a bath house at an early date. Altogether we can safely say that the 'South Side' will be in the swim this summer."
The houses alluded to were built by Messrs. Kinney and Ryan on their Santa Monica tract and were given away with lots sold by distribution. Prices were $100.00 per lot, on easy terms.
In the spring of 1893 the Young Men's Christian Association of Southern California, after considerable discussion and looking about, decided to accept the proposition of Messrs. Kinney and Ryan to donate them a strip of land between the Santa Fe tract and ocean, 250 feet on ocean front and extending back to the Santa Fe right of way, about five acres included. June 21st, the Young Men's Christian Association Ocean Park Company was duly organized with a capital stock of $10,000, and the following incorporators: J. C. Salisbury, M. H. Merriman, F. H. Rindge, A. D. Childress, S. H. Wheeler, A. A. Adair, of Riverside; Charles E. Day, president ; R. G. Lunt, vice-president ; George W. Parsons, secretary ; F. M. Potter, treasurer ; O. T. Johnson, J. H. Brawley, W. F. Bosbyshell, C. C. Reynolds, Lyman Stewart, and other prominent men of Southern California In announcing its decision, the incorporators give as reasons for their selection : "The land is about three-fourths of a mile south of Arcadia Hotel, is close to the railroad station of the great Santa Fe route, which reaches nearly every hamlet and village in Southern California. It has a fine, clean, sandy beach, of gentle slope, making a safe and delightful place for bathing. Near this land is a fine 70 by 1000 feet grove, with pavilion erected therein, making a pleasant place for a picnic and the only accessible place where a grove and the beach are so close together. A fine wharf will be con- structed close to this land in the near future, when the coast steamers will connect with the Santa Fe route for all points on their line. It will be one of the most popular lines between Los Angeles and Catalina Island." Which shows that the Y. M. C. A. people were no better at prophesying future results than the sanguine " wharf boomers " of Santa Monica.
In consideration of the donation by Messrs. Kinney and Ryan and Messrs. Vawter, the " Ocean Park Company ", named from the eucalyptus grove of the Vawters, was to build a commodious bath house and an auditorium, which it was expected would be the scene of many religious conventions and assemblies. The bath house was built during the summer and many new cottages were put up. In July an auction sale of lots took place, So lots, 25 by 100 feet, being sold at about $45.00 apiece.
During this summer St. David's Mission, Episcopalian, held services in
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the school house and the South Santa Monica Baptist Mission was organized by Rev. H. S. Baker, and in 1894 the Baptist chapel was erected.
In May, 1895, Kinney and Ryan named their settlement "Ocean Park " and the Santa Fe giving this name to their station, the existence of the district of Ocean Park may be said to date from this year. The Y. M. C. A. people put up some new buildings this summer and Kinney and Ryan put in a half mile of beach sidewalk, the first on the beach and a greatly appreciated improve- ment. In September, the Santa Fe fulfilled its promise of a wharf by putting in a new type in such structures, using iron pipe for piles. It was located about 300 feet south of Hill street and was only 500 feet in length, and thus the connection with the great world, which had been hoped for, was again delayed.
The Y. M. C. A. and the summer visitors were favored by many pleasant entertainments, concerts and lectures during this season and Ocean Park began to be regarded as a most desirable location for those who wished a quiet and inexpensive summer outing. Many lots were leased or purchased and many modest cottages were put up as summer homes. These first beach cottages were very simple affairs-a long box of upright boards, with a couple of parti- tions, being the usual pattern. At this time there were few buildings south of Hill street and the " hills " were still the favorite place of residence. A cluster of small business buildings had grown up about the street car terminus and the Santa Fe station.
Ocean Park, although within the corporate limits of Santa Monica, had not been supplied with water by the municipality. Messrs. Kinney and Ryan- had their own water supply piped to the beach ; but the people on other tracts began to discuss the advisability of having a water system and in December, 1895, the "City Water Company " was formed, with a capital stock of $20,000, and with J. H. Claudius, E. J. Vawter, D. M. Clark, G. R. Green and E. J. Vawter, Jr., as incorporators. Its object was to supply South Santa Monica with water and to secure this wells were put down on the Vawter tract and pipes laid through the district. This company was later succeeded by the Ocean Park Water Company.
On June 30th, 1896, the first electric car made its initial trip through South Santa Monica, after a day of strenuous labor on the part of the employees and officials of the Los Angeles and Pacific electric line. Their subsidy of $5,000. given by W. S. and E. J. Vawter, for what was known as the "loop line," expired at midnight of June 30th, and the work had been delayed to the last possible moment. At 9:55 p.m., the first car left the corner of Ocean and Oregon avenues and, after crossing the bridge, ran down Second street to Hill street, thence eastward to Fourth and returned to Ocean avenue. The car and its occupants were given an informal but none the less hearty welcome by the
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South Siders, who felt that at last they were to be brought into touch with the world (North Beach). The coming of the electric line was, indeed, a great advance for this settlement which had been so long hampered by poor trans- portation facilities. This year Santa Monica began to talk seriously of the sewage problem and proposed to locate its outfall at a point south of the city limits. From this time on date the sewer troubles of the beach.
In July an old-time auction sale with all its accompaniments, took place, H. L. Jones reviving his "Ocean Spray " tract which had been first exploited in 1887 and going one better on the methods of boom days by offering " one lot free to the lucky holder of a thirty round-trip ticket." At this time the Santa Fe was giving transportation at very reasonable rates to prospective purchasers of Ocean Park property. Ben E. Ward, now of lamented memory, was the auctioneer and eighty-eight lots were disposed of by his beguiling words- and the very real attractions of the location.
May 3rd, 1897, witnessed a serious loss to Ocean Park in the burning of the Y. M. C. A. auditorium, a large two-story building, which had cost about $3,000 when erected in 1893. This was a misfortune as plans had already been made for the most elaborate exercises yet held by the Y. M. C. A. assembly during the coming season. The loss was complete as there was no water to save the property, after the fire, which was evidently incendiary, was discovered. There was no insurance ; but Mr. Day, president of the Ocean Park Company. was equal to the occasion. He at once set about securing new quarters and in August the University Assembly, with a full program of excellent speakers and music, was successfully carried out. Among the speakers were Bishop Fallows, of New York, and Professor Syle, of the State University. Miss Ida Benfey gave a number of dramatic readings and a series of brilliant their summer guests appeared to find the attractions of the surf and the military concerts were presented. But, it must be confessed that Santa Monicans and encampment, the tennis court and polo races greater than such a feast of reason and culture and the assembly was not a financial success.
In May the new City Water Company turned the water into a mile and a half of mains, the water coming from two wells and being stored in a 50,000 gallon tank. Thus, at last, the South Side hills had an adequate water supply and a chance at fire protection. The electric light system was also extended to Ocean Park this year and added to the metropolitan claims of the new resort. Many new buildings, including several stores, a ten-room house erected by Mrs. Bernard, forty or more beach cottages were added this year.
Ocean Park had now become ambitious. She had grown so rapidly and attained such distinction that the citizens felt themselves entitled to every advantage enjoyed by the "other side." The South Santa Monica Municipal
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League was organized to "promote all measures that will benefit the city; to encourage all improvements, both public and private, to oppose saloons and disreputable places in South Santa Monica," etc. A Ladies' Mutual Benefit Association was also organized, its main object being to build a hall for public meetings and use, a lot having been donated by Kinney and Ryan for the purpose. All of these efforts added to the natural advantages offered and the spirit of enterprise which had been shown in developing what had seemed an almost worthless territory, brought about a development that became one of the phenomena of the times.
OCEAN PARK DISTRICT.
The settlement known as Ocean Park was separated from Santa Monica by the arroyo and the wide unimproved tract belonging to the Southern Pacific reservation. This was unfortunate, as it made communication between the two points difficult. The Santa Fe service was irregular; the horse car line and its successor, the electric line, gave infrequent service; the drive over dusty, ungraded roads, and rickety bridges was not tempting, and the walking through a mile of sand or dust was certainly not attractive. The settlement about the Santa Fe depot and the Y. M. C. A. holdings was largely made up of transient visitors from the interior, who rented cottages, or built upon leased lands. They seldom visited Santa Monica and scarcely realized that they were within that municipality. It was natural that they should object to the long journey to the postoffice and begin to express a desire for a postoffice of their own. During 1898 the subject was agitated and promises secured, although the office did not open for business until July, 1899.
This year Kinney and Ryan opened the Ocean Park race track and golf links, which were improved by grading and planting a large number of trees. One of the first golf tournaments held in California took place on these links when they were opened to the public, in July, 1898. The same gentlemen had contracted with the city trustees to build a wharf on the piling used to carry the outfall sewer. This wharf was located at what was known as Pier avenue and was completed in August. It was 1,250 feet in length and afforded a fine opportunity to fishermen and pleasure seekers. The proprietors invited the public to a free barbecue and clambake on the evening of Monday, August 29th, which was attended by a big crowd who enjoyed the feast, music, speeches and dancing.
By coincidence, the old Santa Fe wharf was condemned by the city trustees on the day the new wharf was opened and a few days later the old wharf was practically destroyed by a storm. The completion of the new wharf stimulated the building of the long proposed beach walk connecting the Kinney and Ryan walk with Santa Monica. The Southern Pacific began by constructing a board
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walk, 16 feet wide, in front of its property from Railroad avenue to the Crystal plunge, and the North Beach Company followed with a walk connecting this and the bath house. The city and citizens later built walks and thus about 1902 easy communication was at last established between the "north side" and the " south side."
The " Ocean View," an eighteen-room hotel, was built by G. H. Strong, and was opened July 10th, with a spread; but only a few days later the new hotel was destroyed by fire. Ocean Park suffered much during its early history from fires which seemed to be, in many cases, incendiary and which were very destructive on account of the lack of fire-fighting appliances and water. A few weeks later the store of Chambers & Co. was burned with its stock of groceries. There was a long dispute over the insurance in this case and a good deal of feeling was aroused by the circumstances.
The Methodist church began holding services in the Santa Fe depot in October, with Rev. Robert S. Fisher as pastor; in August, 1899, the church was organized as the South Santa Monica M. E. church; the old Methodist chapel was donated to them by the North Side church and removed to its present location on Lake street.
1899.
The untimely death of Francis G. Ryan, of the firm of Kinney & Ryan, who had practically created Ocean Park, led to a change and in 1899 T. H. Dudley married Mrs. Ryan and became interested with Mr. Kinney in the development of the now promising beach resort. Aggressive advances were made in the spring of this year. The Outlook of March Ioth says: " All told, there are now 200 cottages on this property, a great many of which were erected last year. There are now some ten or twelve in process of erection and contracts for new ones are being made every week. These cottages are not mere shacks, but will be neat and commodious, costing all the way from $350 to $1000. They are being put up by first-class tenants, mostly professional and business men from Los Angeles. Water is supplied from the city water works and electric lights are being put into the more pretentious structures. Beach lots are rented at about $15 per year to those who will put up neat and substantial cottages. No land is sold outright, but long leases are given."
Messrs. Kinney and Dudley purchased the old Y. M. C. A. bath house this year, moved it a block south and refitted it. In July, Pier avenue was opened, Kinney and Dudley giving a deed to the necessary land to the city. The first building put up was a bowling alley, situated near the beach and carried on by Mr. J. G. Holborow. July 28th the post office of " Oceanpark " was opened for business. This office had been secured after a long and hard contest by Mr. Kinney, it being the only instance of two separate post offices
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established within a single municipality. Mr. L. B. Osborne was the first post- master and the office was located in his grocery store on Second street.
This year Mr. E. J. Vawter began the development of the carnation beds which have become one of Santa Monica's best-known industries. He devoted fifteen acres of land on South Fourth street to the culture of flowers, mostly carnations and roses. A 5,000-gallon tank stored water for irrigation of the tract. The soil and conditions proved to be favorable for the production of the finest varieties and the venture proved most successful. Large green houses and increased acreage are now devoted to the propagation of flowers which are marketed in Los Angeles and shipped to distant points. Many street improve- ments were made during this year and Kinney and Dudley planted out nearly twenty acres to trees, using 10,000 eucalyptus trees alone, in the vicinity of the race track.
1900.
Early in the season improvements began to multiply in "Oceanpark " as the growing settlement was now officially known, although it was in reality a part of the city of Santa Monica and more properly " South Santa Monica." The Santa Fe company astonished its tenants, who had erected cottages on leased lots, by ordering them to vacate at once ; the unfortunate cottage owners had to hustle to find new locations for their buildings. The company leveled the ground and made some improvements ; but in August it was announced that the entire South Santa Monica holdings of the Santa Fe company had been purchased by Messrs. Hart and Fraser, of Los Angeles. The new proprietors named the tract " Central Beach " and immediately began grading and putting streets through it. The first street opened through and paved between the beach and the railroad tracks was India, now Hill street. In a short time lots on the ocean front were selling for $1,000, and lots on the side streets at from $300 111. Building restrictions were put on the property, which included 185 lots, 25 by 100 feet in size, extending from Hart avenue on the north to Grand on the south and between the beach and the railway tracks.
In February the Oceanpark Fire Company was organized with A. N. Archer, president ; J. H. Hassinger, secretary and treasurer ; William Menzies. foreman : C. J. Marvin and J. Rudisill, assistants. A " bucket brigade " was organized, later a hose cart and hose was procured. In 1902, Mr. William Martin, owner of the Martin block, on the corner of Ash and Second streets, gave the use of a part of a lot for a fire house and the board of city trustees provided the lumber for a small building, and bought a fire bell.
Oceanpark now had her own water systems, fire company, school, churches and business houses. Many of its residents were newcomers who knew little about the past history of the place or about the " north side." It was quite
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natural that they should think that they might better manage their own affairs and pay their taxes for improvements in their own section. As a consequence, it was not surprising that a movement for the division of the territory south of Front street from "old " Santa Monica should arise. Petitions for the division were duly drawn up and presented and then the people on both sides began to discuss the question in all of its bearings. When the election came on November 12th, 1900, to the surprise of the principal movers in the action who, by the way, were all old settlers and were actuated perhaps more by personal feeling in the matter than by any serious consideration for the good of the community at large, the proposition was snowed under. The vote stood 34I against division and only 59 for it. Even the warmest advocates of division were compelled to admit that they had been mistaken in the sentiment of the people of South Santa Monica ; and the possibility of creating two towns out of Santa Monica was forever settled by this decision.
IQOI.
The growth of " Ocean Park " as the district extending from Azure street, now Hollister avenue, along the beach to the south beyond the city limits of Santa Monica, had progressed by leaps and bounds since 1898. But the development of 1901 and the two or three succeeding years threw all previous records of beach development into the shade. Ocean Park, started as a gathering place for the Y. M. C. A. and kindred societies; a quiet colony of summer homes, occupied by people of moderate means, for the most part, suddenly became the most popular and fashionable beach resort in Southern California. And with equally surprising suddenness it developed into a bustling business town, having stores, hotels, banks and newspapers and all the necessary commercial facilities for a community of several thousand inhabitants.
The extension of the electric line south of Hill street and the erection of a power house south of the city limits were indications of the southward trend of improvements. The pushing forward of this work, of course, was followed by rapid settling up of the territory thus opened up. The electric line was completed to a point one mile south of Second and Hill streets on April 30th. In August it became known that the Los Angeles-Pacific had acquired a new and more direct right of way between Los Angeles and Ocean Park. They had purchased the old right of way abandoned by the Santa Fe Railroad com- pany, and begun the construction of a double track via Palms. This, with the new cut-off by way of Rosedale cemetery, would considerably shorten the time between the city and this beach.
Messrs. Kinney and Dudley had already extended their beach walk some distance south of Pier avenue and had provided electric lights, water and sewer
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system for this new district. The beautiful beach, the opportunity to build almost within reach of the ocean spray, the convenient trolley service, and the fine class of people who had already located here; as well as the fishing, bathing and amusements offered, attracted residents and visitors. While the rapid increase in the value of property attracted investors, both little and big. Many people who had leased or bought merely for a beach home during the summer had found themselves unexpectedly enriched by the changed conditions, and immediately re-invested their gains. Many capitalists were also attracted by the chance to make quick money. By the first of March more than fifty lots in the new Short Line Beach tract had been sold and a number of buildings were under way.
One of the most important improvements of this year was the Club House built just north of the golf links, laid out the year before. This building, 50 by 80 feet, with a ten-foot veranda below and a roof veranda was put up by Messrs. Kinney and Dudley. Some $15,000 was spent on the building and the improvements in the tennis courts, golf links and race course and the place was made an ideal home for a country club. The Ocean Park Country Club was organized with Messrs. Kinney, Dudley and H. M. Grindley as directors. They at once planned a week's sports for August and in that month a successful tennis tournament, and polo races and golf tournament attracted a large number of visitors and participants.
In April. Messrs. Hart and Fraser reported that only three lots of the Central Beach tract, put on the market in the fall, were left, and that $85,000 had been expended in buildings erected on this tract. Among those locating here were Mr. G. A. Hart, Mr. A. R. Fraser, Judge R. B. Stevens, W. D. Winston, J. R. Newberry, A. Lichtenberger, William Hammel, and other business men of Los Angeles, many of whom built permanent homes here.
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