This Month in History: Glimpses into Pacific Beach’s past
This Month in History is a feature in PB Monthly highlighting local happenings from yesteryear. John Fry is a writer, publisher and historian and co-founder and president of the Pacific Beach Historical Society. He also is the author of “Images of America: Pacific Beach” and “Pacific Beach Through Time.”
November 1896 — 125 Years Ago
From the San Diego Union, “Mrs. F. H. Woodworth of Pacific Beach will resume her class in instrumental music on and after Monday, Nov. 23.
Piano, organ and theory taught.” Mrs. Woodworth’s husband Frank was the much-beloved conductor on the San Diego, Pacific Beach and La Jolla Railway.
November 1921 — 100 Years Ago
The proposal by the school board to move the “old school building” to a newly acquired site was met with decided opposition at a meeting of the Pacific Beach Chamber of Commerce. The new site was presumably where Pacific Beach Middle School sits today. Offered for sale at 1078 Garnet were 60 White Leghorn hens and 25 Rhode Island pullets ready to lay, five Black Muscovy hens and two drakes. “Telephone Pacific Beach 611.”
November 1946 — 75 Years Ago
At the school board meeting of Nov. 5 it was announced that a contract had been signed with the Presbyterian church and the Wee Kirk by the Sea for the use of two of their rooms. Pacific Beach Elementary School was so overcrowded that double sessions were being held for first, second and third grades. It was also announced that a new elementary school would be built in Crown Point. Meanwhile, the city council approved the spending of $15,000 on traffic signals for the city. Pacific Beach was promised one at Garnet and Ingraham, to be completed by July 1, 1947.
November 1971 — 50 Years Ago.
In the election held on Nov. 2, Pete Wilson defeated Ed Butler for the office of San Diego Mayor. 25-year-old school teacher Maureen O’Connor beat out Lou Ridgeway in the 2nd District and, closer to home, Bob Martinet defeated Don Harman in the 6th District, which ran north to Colima in Bird Rock, east to Tecolote Canyon in Clairemont, and south to Hill Street in Ocean Beach.
November 1996 — 25 Years Ago
Crystal Pier, which the San Diego Union noted, had survived “killer waves, ocean-going barges and even wood borers,” was damaged by a city dump truck on Nov. 5. The truck driver was moving sand on the beach and forgot to lower the bed before going under the pier. Several cross beams were ripped out and sewer and water lines under the pier damaged, but city engineers deemed it structurally sound.