Huntington Beach

Marvin Carlberg, Chris Epting

• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Year: 2009
• Print ISBN: 9780738569833
• eBook ISBN: 9781439623138
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: North American History
• Index: History

For more than 100 years, Huntington Beach has been a scenic haven for locals and tourists alike. Huntington Beach has also been the subject of many postcards. After all, Surf City, USA is a wonderfully picturesque place. Compelling printed images of the famous pier, downtown, the parks, people, agriculture, and businesses became some of the citys most popular souvenirs. Postcards such as these evoke the magic of long-gone summers; wistful, nostalgic glimpses of a classic Southern California beach cityand they are just as lovely today as they were decades ago.

One

TO BE NEAR THE PIER

The caption on this 1960s postcard reads, “One of the most popular of bathing beaches in California.” The Huntington Beach Pier is visible in the background.

This c. 1910 image features the pier in Huntington Beach, which was made of wood, and the Pavilion toward the center. The weather took a severe toll on this original pier, which stood for less than 10 years.

Today, just like it is documented in this 1940s-era postcard, fishing remains a popular activity on the Huntington Beach Pier. (Courtesy of Charles Sanders.)

This 1970s image taken on the pier features the old Tower Zero lifeguard structure. With binoculars, from this “eye in the sky” lifeguards could see clearly from Newport Beach to Long Beach, allowing them to coordinate rescue operations through radio contact with rescue boats and the individual lifeguard towers on the beach.

Titled “Comfortable Fishing at Huntington Beach,” this 1920s postcard shows two people enjoying a day of angling on the pier not far from several bathers. Things took a dramatic turn in the city during this era after oil was discovered in 1920. (Courtesy of Charles Sanders.)

This postcard is postmarked May 16, 1938 (5:00 p.m. to be precise). It was sent to Amateur Radio W8LE in Scottville, Michigan. It’s a QSL card, which is what amateur radio operators exchanged to confirm two-way communications between stations. QSL means either “do you confirm receipt of my transmission” or “I confirm receipt of your transmission.” A QSL card sent from one amateur radio operator to another contained details about the contact and the station (written on the back of the postcard).

The 1930s tram provided visitors a quick trip out to the pier. Note the ad for the Lions Club Barbecue and Carnival on the side of the vehicle. (Courtesy of Ronn Rathbun.)

This 1930s image features the famed arch that crossed over the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and Main Street for several years. It was taken down eventually due to the high maintenance it required, including the salty air that caused it to rust very quickly. (Courtesy of Randy and Sharon Lynn.)

This postcard of folks fishing off the pier is postmarked 1953. A portion of the message on the back reads, “Dear Mom, here we are at the beach. This is the life for me. The weather is perfect. Full moon. We are having a lot of fun.”

The Pav-a-Lon Ballroom is clearly visible on the far left of this 1940s postcard. The fishing tackle shop is in view down the pie...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Acknowledgements
• Dedication
• Table of Contents
• ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
• PREFACE
• INTRODUCTION
• One - TO BE NEAR THE PIER
• Two - OPEN SPACES, GROWING PLACES
• Three - MINDING THE BUSINESSES
• Four - THEY CAME RUSHING TOWARD THE GUSHING
• Five - SCHOOLS, LIBRARIES, AND A TENT CITY
• Six - THE PEOPLE GIVE THIS TOWN ITS CHARM
• Seven - LIFE IS A BEACH NEAR MAIN STREET