History Dana Point, California

1 history

1.1 dana point harbor
1.2 strand
1.3 capistrano beach
1.4 surfing

history

the headlands , pier @ dana point, ca. 1925, prior construction of harbor

dana point popular port ships involved hide trade nearby mission san juan capistrano. trading reached peak in 1830s , 1840s. in 1818, argentine sailor hippolyte de bouchard anchored there while conducting raid on mission. richard henry dana visited area in 1835 while serving aboard sailing brig pilgrim on voyage along california coastline.

in 1923, los angeles times publisher harry chandler , general m. h. sherman, director of pacific electric railway company, created major real estate group develop known today hollywood hills. sidney h. woodruff, prominent los angeles homebuilder, hired lead project.

in 1926, woodruff, chandler, , sherman created dana point syndicate. invited other investors, company presidents, movie producers, , real estate investors join them in purchasing 1,388 acres (5.6 km) of land, of includes headlands of today. promising tree-lined , paved streets, electricity, telephones, sidewalks, water mains, storm drains, sewers, , other amenities, woodruff built 35 homes , number of commercial buildings.

the harbor @ dana point, ca @ sunset

most of these woodruff houses concentrated in dana point historic core, called lantern village (currently 12,000 residents). streets named after different colored lanterns—street of violet lantern, blue lantern, etc.—because colored lanterns used ships 200 years ago advertise fares when in dana point natural harbor. crowning structure dana point inn, mediterranean-like resort hotel on cliffs overlooking harbor. after celebratory groundbreaking in 1930, three-story foundation poured , 135-foot (41 m) shaft dug elevator transport hotel guests , beach. economic downturn of great depression caused construction halt, however. although woodruff continuously sought financial support through years, project abandoned in 1939. subsequently, sold remaining holdings of dana point syndicate. thirty-four of original woodruff residences still occupied.

dana point harbor

view of dana point harbor ship spirit of dana point berthed @ ocean institute in foreground.

the harbor, built in 1960s , dedicated on july 31, 1971, home marina, shops, , restaurants, , point of departure catalina express, transportation service , city of avalon on catalina island. entire harbor of dana point, including embarcadero marina shops , restaurants set complete demolition , redevelopment. current vintage nautical style being abandoned tech minimalist concept using metal roofs minimalist landscaping.

strand

the strands @ headlands luxury housing development built on land part of chandler family holdings. decades land facing beach home dana strand beach , tennis club, mobile home community closed in late 1980s. years, access strands beach limited hiking down dirt trail mobile homes had stood. strands parcel included actual headlands , bluff of dana point , 1 of last large coast properties available development along orange county coast. during course of ten-year approval process, original high density plan, included large multi-story hotel on bluff top , hundreds of houses , multi-family units, reduced in scope on 100 home sites. part of negotiations california coastal commission, developer agreed turn bluff nature preserve , build on $11 million worth of public improvements provide easier access strands beach. improvements include stairs, restrooms, beach-front sidewalk , funicular transport visitors parking lot beach. after extensive infrastructure construction, lots offered sale in fall of 2006. lots in development rectangular modern houses commonly priced above $10,000,000. development has provided easier access beach below , has allowed surfers , other beach visitors access beach , easily. strands homeowners, through mello-roos assessment, pay upkeep of beach improvements.

capistrano beach

surfers during summer @ doheny state beach.

in 1928, corporate entity of american industrial giant edward doheny, had built fortune in oil production in southern california , mexico, purchased number of lots in capistrano beach. doheny s son, ned, formed development company, capistrano beach company, included wife s twin brothers, clark , warren smith, , luther eldridge, contractor, build community of spanish style houses. according dana point historians baum , burnes,* eldridge favored 2 dominant characteristics in homes, typically spanish roof line , use of large ceiling beams in main rooms of houses. roofline, covered red ceramic tiles, incorporated low-pitched gable, spreading out 1 short , 1 long roof. ceiling beams decorated stenciled artwork painted artist alex meston. eldridge able complete original doheny family house on bluffs, 4 houses on beach, , 18 other homes scattered throughout area before tragedy struck ambitious project. edward doheny preparing criminal trial bribery in teapot dome scandal, , on february 16, 1929, ned doheny and, hugh plunkett, friend , secretary, testify in trial, killed in murder still remains unsolved. in 1931, memorial ned, petroleum securities company, doheny s family-owned business, made gift of 41.4 acres (168,000 m) state of california, doheny state beach. unimproved capistrano beach properties passed edward doheny, and, upon death in 1935, wife , heirs. 1944, of properties had been sold private parties.

the doheny family funded building of called st. edward s chapel in capistrano beach. chapel grew, received canonical status parish, , moved current bluff-top location in dana point, overlooking doheny state beach.

surfing

richard henry dana (the author of 2 years before mast ) considered high bluffs , sheltered coves of area of southern california beautiful spot on california coast. pioneering surfers agreed, surfed many beach breaks along coast. dana point had notable surfing history, , home many of first companies produced products surfing. hobie alter opened world s first retail surf shop in dana point in 1954. many surf publications such surfer s journal , surfer magazine formed , headquartered in dana point. bruce brown produced iconic surfer film endless summer in dana point.

killer dana legendary surf break off dana point. surf break notorious because came out of deep water , broke close rocks lined beach. killer dana wave destroyed when dana point harbor built in 1966. breakwater cuts right through heart of once epic surf spot. in 1997, surf group chantays recorded instrumental track named killer dana .