Introduction   Encinitas (part 1)   Encinitas (part 2)   Leucadia   Cardiff-by-the-Sea

Encinitas (part 1)

1. Hansen Hansen's started in a little shack on Kawela Bay, North Shore, Oahu in 1961. Don Hansen surfer-shaper then moved to Cardiff-by-the-Sea in the spring of 1962 where he opened up the original Hansen Surfboard shop on the beach at the Cardiff reef. Eventually Hansen Surfboards became one of the most recognized names in surfing, sending surfboards to every corner of the globe! The photos above show Hansen's first store in Cardiff in 1962 and a small portion of the store as it looks today...

2. Boathouses (726 & 732 Third Street) “To the people of this district... the building of these boats helped the building up of Encinitas as much as any editor that has come to town.” - from the Encinitas Progress, late1920s So spoke Miles Kellogg in response to a local newspaper that made fun of his creation. Mr. Kellogg was a builder, inventor and businessman who picked up materials at a bargain... in this case, wood from the dismantled dance hall and bathhouse at Moonlight beach in 1925. Since the building had a low ceiling, the wood wasn't long enough to use in an ordinary house. Mr. Kellogg had a lingering interest in the sea, so the idea came to him to use the material for boat houses. The Boathouses and Their Creator He was undoubtedly one of Encinitas' most noted recyclers, certainly within that period when he lived here in the 1920's and 1930's. His name was Miles Minor Kellogg and he was a versatile builder with a talent for taking scrap material and incorporating it into new structures. When the third story of Mr. Hammond's 1883 hotel became infested with bats in the late 1910's, Mr. Kellogg, who owned the building at the time, removed the top floor and used the wood to build a small silent movie theatre next door at the northeast corner of 101 and E Street. But perhaps his ultimate recycling triumph was the boathouses on the west side of Third Street between F and G. What a stir they created back in the late twenties. The editor of the local paper poked fun of Mr. Kellogg's creation and Mr. Kellogg retaliated with a major tongue-lashing! But then his imagination soared and he thought back to earlier days when he had worked on bats at Lake Michigan and the idea came to him to build “boat houses.” His young son, Miles Justin Kellogg, helped every day after school until they were completed. In 1928 the boat houses could be seen from Highway 101 and people passing through town began to turn west for a better look at the structures. Down through the years the boathouses probably have been the most photographed buildings downtown and are a unique symbol of our surfing, beach, and Hwy 101 culture.

3. La Paloma Theatre (471 S. Coast Hwy 101) “It may have been the first ‘talking’ theater in ‘rural’ U.S.A.” On opening night, February 11, movie stars came from Hollywood, the Kilgen Wonder Organ played the “La Paloma” overture, vaudeville acts performed. Then, as heavy red velvet curtains parted and lights dimmed, a feature film flashed in the screen, “The Cohens and Kelleys in Paris”. It was the most exciting night in Downtown Encinitas history. On February 11, 1928 La Paloma Theatre opened with the film “The Cohen's And Kelly's in Paris.” The gala event was attended by Hollywood starlet and soon to be Academy Award winner Mary Pickford. It has been rumored that she rode her bicycle all the way to La Paloma from Fairbanks Ranch for the event. La Paloma (The Dove) was one of the first theatres to show “Talkies.” Talking pictures premiered in 1927 with the Warner Bros. film “The Jazz Singer” starring Al Jolson. Making the transition from silent pictures to “talkies” didn't happen overnight, so La Paloma was also equipped with a beautiful pipe organ, a standard piece of theatre equipment during the Silent era. Films in the early days of motion pictures were usually preceded by a vaudeville stage act, and La Paloma was well suited for that. Over the years many performers have graced the stage of La Paloma. Musical artists as diverse as Loreena McKennitt, Nickel Creek, Ralph Stanley, Jerry Garcia and Eddie Vedder. Today, the La Paloma Theatre is a vibrant part of the Encinitas art scene and hosts many community and City functions throughout the year as well as daily programs such as concerts, stage productions and movies.

4. Moonlight Beach (Moonlight Beach, West end of B street) Migratory Chinese workers on the railroad were the first inhabitants to enjoy the waters of Moonlight Beach. With the settlement of the town by permanent residents, the beach became a popular bathing, picnic, and horse and buggy racing area. By the ‘20s, it was a haven for midnight bootlegging. “Like a herd of locust, citizens descended upon the cans”. - Unidentified 1920s resident In the dark of night, 1928, a boat slipped ashore with cans of illegal booze. Plans went awry when the truck dispatched to pick up the cargo got stuck in the sand. By morning, word of the stalled operation spread around town. As scores of residents gathered on the cliffs above the beach, the lone guard fled the scene. With his departure, townspeople helped themselves to the stranded alcohol. Today, Moonlight Beach is a popular family beach with residents and visitors alike. Food/dining: There is a concession stand on site and several shops and restaurants near and along Highway 101 are within walking distance. Restrooms: Moonlight Beach has both showers and restrooms.

5. Swami's Swami's was originally known as Noonan's Point, for James Noonan, who bought the property in 1887 for $1,000. In 1937 a hermitage was built for Paramahansa Yogananda, followed by the construction of a Golden Lotus Temple, and finally, the Self-Realization Fellowship, which currently stands on the site adjacent to the park. As the world-class waves along the point became popular for surfing, enthusiasts began to refer to the spot as “Swami's” and the name stuck. Swami's is now recognized as the official name of the park. The park has beautiful bluff-top views of the Pacific and the beach, down a long flight of stairs, is rocky (especially north of the stairs) with excellent tidepools. It is immortalized in the famous Beach Boys song, Surfing USA. Food/dining: The nearest food to Swami's is a long walk or a short drive north along Highway 101 toward Encinitas Boulevard or south to Restaurant Row across near Cardiff Reef. Restrooms: Showers and restrooms are available.

6. Cottonwood Creek (Cottonwood Creek, S. Coast Hwy 101 and B Streets) “Water was pumped out of ‘the Cottonwood’ by a windmill. If the tank was full when the train came through, the conductor would climb up and shut the water off.” - Annie Cozens, pioneer 1880s As a primary source of water and wood fuel in Encinitas in 1881, Cottonwood Creek was the single most important factor in the California Southern Railroad choosing Encinitas as a water stop. This railroad access and the availability of water and wood from the creek in turn made possible the format establishment of the town of Encinitas in 1883... the first town in San Diego County between National City and Oceanside to grow up along the railroad line. Two Civil War veterans from the Midwest, Tom Rattan and John Pitcher, were the town's founders. Rattan and surveyor D. N. Sanford laid out the streets in 1881. Every street had an alley.

7. The Tom Cozens Home (112 C street) In 1890, pioneer E.G. Hammond helped his son-in-law and daughter, Tom and Annie Cozens, build a new home along the bluff near G street. Ten years later, with droughts deepening, Mr. Cozens sought a way of insuring their household would always have a reliable water supply. His solution was to move the house to the bluff overlooking Cottonwood Creek, then dig a well in the canyon below. In time, he added a protective cover around it... the discarded metal bar enclosure of the town's jail. With the completion of Lake Hodges Dam in 1922, running water became available to townspeople and the Cozens were the first to install an indoor bathtub. “I remember when the only bathtub we had in Encinitas was the Pacific Ocean”. - Bert Cozens, son of Tom and Annie Cozens

8. The Coast Dispatch Office (470 S. Coast Hwy 101) Local builder Miles Kellogg constructed these false-front Spanish style buildings in 1928 and the Coast Dispatch newspaper moved into the north-end space. As Mrs. Hicks sat working at the Linotype machine one evening, "Harmonica Bill" appeared and crawled under a counter. Soon after, Prohibition officers arrived. But when asked if she had seen Harmonica Bill, Mrs. Hicks responded, "Why, no, I really haven't." After the officers departed, Harmonica Bill came out of hiding. As he slipped out the door, he reached under his coat, pulled out a bottle, and handed it to Mrs. Hicks. “Much obliged for not turning me in. Here's some liquor for you.” - Harmonica Bill,1928

9. The Rupe Store (149 West D Street) When Mr. Rupe brought his family to Encinitas in 1913, he opened a small general merchandise store at S. Coast Hwy 101 and D Street. Working timelessly, he provided a broad array of services... groceries, dry goods, medicine, hardware, clothing, a meat market, a lunch counter, even a pool table. All the family pitched in to make the store a success. In the evenings Mr. Rupe dreamed about the future... a new, larger store, more stylish and completely his own. His dream came true, for a while, just one block west a Second and D. Builder Miles Kellogg completed a white, art deco structure for him there in 1928. But a new Safeway store opened and its competition, plus the Depression, were too much for Mr. Rupe. He lost everything... a circumstance of the times. “My sisters and I, and mother too, liked to go to dances at the community hall. Dad never went with us. He stayed home working on plans for his store.” - Irene Rupe Swoboda

10. The Community Methodist Church (560 Third Street) “The Church site cost $250.00 and Cozens and Hammond graded it as a contribution to the effort.” - Elizabeth Hammond, member of the congregation,1931 When the townspeople decided to build a new church in the middle of the Depression, the First National Bank of Oceanside handled financing on a monthly basis... until the bank failed. It was a hopeless setback. But then Mr. J.W. Leslie reached deep into his pockets and produced sixty dollars. His contribution enabled the project to survive. By 1940, members had finally paid off the loan. Within a decade, however, the congregation outgrew the building and relocated to 170 Calle Magdalena. The downtown site is also the location of the first church in Encinitas built by townspeople in 1887. The church was moved by wagon to San Marcos in the early 1900s and exists there today as the Grace Episcopal Church of the Valley on Rose Ranch Road.

11. The Encinitas one-room schoolhouse (Alleyway behind Pacific View Elementary School) When town founder John Pitcher deeded land at third and E Street for a school, E.G. Hammond and his son, Ted, completed a redwood structure for the town's children in 1883. Today, the schoolhouse bears traces of its age through the presence of handmade square nails. It is a frontier era carpenter's Classical Revival building of shiplap siding. Originally the school faced eastward toward downtown. Moved from the site in 1927, it was converted to a home. When threatened with demolition in 1983, the Encinitas historical Society rallied to save it. With help of the Encinitas School District and the community, the school was returned to its approximate original location and is undergoing restoration. “Each pupil had a garden plot. We were required to plant vegetables so we would know how to grow our own food”. - Janie Hammond Grice, daughter of Ted Hammond and pupil at the 1883 schoolhouse.

Introduction   Encinitas (part 1)   Encinitas (part 2)   Leucadia   Cardiff-by-the-Sea