Newport Beach Historical Society

Early Boat Parade Brochure

Early fun bucket for day at beach

Happy children enjoying the beach life on Balboa Island. Thank you, Gina Sammis!

By joining or renewing your membership to the Newport Beach Historical Society, you will be contributing to many important projects that are in place to preserve, promote, and celebrate Newport Beach’s history for future generations. https://www.newportbeachhistorical.org/plans-pricing The Newport Beach Historical Society connects people - past, present and future - by collecting, inspiring, educating, preserving, celebrating and protecting the unique and vibrant history of the City of Newport Beach. This includes: Balboa, Corona del Mar, Newport Harbor, its islands and offshore, the Back Bay, Newport Coast and Newport Mesa. Our 501(c)(3) nonprofit status means your member dues and general fund donations are tax-deductible to the extent the law allows.

We believe that this 1949 Cafe Corona Del Mar was located at the corner of Poinsettia and PCH. Menus are just one of the interesting things that we like to collect for the Newport Beach Historical Society archives.

Early boating in Corona Del Mar looking toward what we now call Pirate’s Cove. The harbor entrance was shallow and the Canoes and boats had flat bottoms. Many of these boats were likely from the local hotel. Circa 1915.

A group of golfers at the Santa Ana Country Club. Circa 1920’s.

Watercolor by the late Robert Jackso, Corona del Mar. Info from the L.A. Times: Robert Jackson died on December 26. He was 82 years old. As a young man, Bob was hired by Paramount Studios as a sketch artist on De Mille films like the Ten Commandments and Road Movies with Bob Hope, Bing Cosby and Dorothy Lamour. After a stint in the Navy he worked as an architectural illustrator for the firm of Periera and Luckman before eventually branching out on his own as a free lance illustrator. For many years he conducted workshops at his studio in Corona del Mar for local artists, and was a member of the National Watercolor Society.

The Cubs trained in Avalon from 1921 to 1951, except during WWII. Relocating the Cubs spring training to Catalina Island strategically brought attention to Catalina Island, which Wrigley purchased in 1919. It has been 100 years since the cubs first training season on Catalina Island. Photos are from BaseballHistoryComesAlive.com

This is what The Arches looked like in 1937. All the yacht men rated their steak and seafood dinners number one!

The Good Year Blimp traveling by Balboa Island in 1930. Do any of you happen to recognize the yacht with the festive burgees? This photo is in the Newport Beach Historical Society collection which is located at Sherman Library in CDM.

Costa Mesa is flashing back some Newport Beach History with this cool footage of the Back Bay Salt Works.

Thank you to John Schram for this early Photo of Corona Del Mar and Shore Cliff homes.

Wonderful speaker at the CDM senior center. Chris will be speaking about the historic Bolsa Chica Gun Club in Tuesday. Safe distancing, masks required, and seating is limited. Everyone welcome.

Can any of you help Linda Khachatoorian solve the mystery of this photo? The group are Newport Beach Lifeguards, perhaps the 30’s or 40’s. Do any of the men look familiar? Enjoy your weekend!

The boat at the dock is Arrow. Do you know anything about her? Perhaps a fast ride to Catalina.

This photo was likely taken in the late 30’s or early 40’s. The scene is not all that different today. The swimming platform is gone, the hotel is now a grocery store, and there is not a water taxi sign or service but we still have the ferry. .

We appreciate public art that celebrates the local history of Newport Beach. This amazing Balboa Island mural by Gary Miltimore celebrates our town’s longest running business, the Beek’s Balboa Island ferry.

Still craving the Crab Cooker but it isn’t quite ready for operation.

Sometimes the back of the post card contains more interest than the front. This was written by a Basin Marine employee named Coral, and she describes working in the yacht basin area and, more specifically, at the marine hardware shop. Coral also writes about the cost of various things including the garages, 50 of them, that rent for $12.00 a month, the apartments that rent for $100 - $150 a month, the Basin Marine Ship Yard where you can rent slips for $1.00 per foot of your ...boat length. Coral goes on to say that she is "happy with her position and her surroundings." To the right of the card you can spot the Galley Cafe, the Marine Hardware store where Coral worked, and the garages along the back. There are more slips now than before but much of it is the same. Circa: late 40's - early 50's. Did anyone happen to know Coral?

A Simpler time...thankfully some things havent changed! What local resturants have you been supporting during the pandemic? #nbhs #newportbeach #orangecountyhistory #balboa #balboaisland #villageinn

Long lost family photos have been found in some crazy places...this one, thanks to their preservation, was with the NBHS! This is Don Pedersen, far left, in front of his new shop on Mariner’s Mile. Don began building flatties in his childhood home on Wilson Street in Costa Mesa. His mom’s family lived in Pasadena and loaned him the funds to purchase the bay front property and to build Viking Port, part of which is still on Mariner’s Mile and now is used by Ernie Minney..., Don’s extended family. Don Pedersen started with flatties, during the war he built coast guard skiffs for military training, then Viking sailboats and even some Lapworth designs. No one can positively identify everyone in this photo but the far right appear to be my husband’s grandparents(don’s brother), Don’s mother, and possibly two of his sisters and nephews. The photo was likely taken by Don’s father, an architect who drew up the plans for the shop. The boat yard is reduced in size now, Don’s second wife ended up with half and sold it to Ernie’s parents, who then built Josh Slocum’s. So many stories revolving around this property and thanks to The Newport Beach Historical Society, our family now has an early photo of our history in Newport Beach. This photo is dated 1937 when Mariner’s Mile was fairly empty of commercial properties.

Did you know that the speedboat for tourists in the 40’s, Miss Catalina, was actually built by Dittmar-Donaldson? Their shop may have been in Newport at the time, before it was relocated to 16th street.

Who could forget Rupert? Rupert chased the rowers and basically dominated the harbor until 2006. Sadly Rupert was no match for a Sheriff’s boat on its way to an emergency and he was struck. There are still a swan or two in the harbor but they are white. This photo is by Jim Fournier.

The China House was a beloved and iconic landmark at the harbor entrance. It was built in 1927 and sadly replaced with two new homes in the 80’s. This photograph was taken by M. Cook shortly before the buildings demise.

Today marks the 75th anniversary of the official end of WWII. Never forget the sacrifices that have been made to keep America free.

Thank you for bringing this to our attention, Gary Winn. Here is a 1949 movie still from The Reckless Moment" starring Joan Bennett and James Mason. Much of this movie was shot in Newport Beach, on the Balboa Peninsula. Here is the Rendezvous, famous for live music and dancing.

She was the SPAR on "Cagney Island"

One of board members wanted to share this 1906 phone directory of Newport Beach, CA. One page! There are some notable and recognizable names on this list. Do any sound familiar to you?

Thank you for this interesting post, Gina!