Countdown to 2000: A time of trouble

Nancy Cheever

While the 1920s saw prosperity, growth and times of indulgence in the

Newport-Mesa, the 1930s brought despair and determination, rebuilding and

redefining.

In the 1930s, the area was rattled early on by the collapse of the stock

market and later by floods, an earthquake and the giant dredger “John

McMullen,” which churned and sputtered sand and silt in Newport Harbor

for two solid years.

The dredging of the once-treacherous bay would become what defines

Newport Beach today: a haven for boaters and tourists, along with wealthy

people looking for the good life.

Not all were excited about the removal of the mud flats, however. In

1934, the Costa Mesa Herald reported that “this new pleasure harbor down

here is going to be fine for everybody but the birds,” which would lose

their natural habitat.

In the latter part of the decade the area was hit hard by unusual

weather. Sweltering heat and excessive rain pummeled the coast, sending

people to their deaths and others fleeing for higher ground.

But despite hardships, community spirit remained high as Costa Mesa

hosted the Scarecrow Carnival, a Chamber of Commerce event meant to lure

tourists to the struggling town. An estimated 5,000 attended the first

event, and the following year saw record attendance of 20,000.

Newport Harbor High School, dedicated in 1931, served students from both

cities, and the major payroll in Newport Beach was provided by Western

Canners Company, a packer of fish products.

By the end of the decade, residents would persevere. Newport Beach had

its new harbor, Costa Mesa had its community pride, and the towns were

ready to face the challenges of the coming decade.

These events shaped the 1930s in Newport Beach and Costa Mesa:

* Sept. 22, 1930 -- High school students no longer have to travel to

Santa Ana as classes begin at Newport Harbor High School. The school

serves both towns, with an initial enrollment of 196. Enrollment

increases to 500 by 1938.

* 1931 -- Bal Week starts on Balboa Island. Students from all over

Southern California inhabit the island’s summer cottages at Easter break.

The gatherings will last until the mid-50s.

* March 10, 1933 -- A major earthquake shakes Southern California at 5:15

p.m., damaging Costa Mesa Grammar School so badly it has to be rebuilt.

Every building in Newport Beach is damaged, but there are few injuries

and no deaths. The Santa Ana Register reports that Costa Mesa is the only

city in Orange County to escape major damage.

* 1933 -- Southern Pacific Railroad stops running through Newport

Boulevard, a blow for tourism; the tracks are removed in 1935.

* Jan. 11, 1934 -- The United States government approves a $918,000 loan

and grant for Newport Harbor improvements. With the a bond for $640,000

already approved by the Orange County Harbor District and private and

corporate donations, the dredging is completed in 1936, with a total

price tag of $1,839,000.

* 1934 -- The first issue of the Costa Mesa Globe is published. Len

Martin buys the paper in 1936, changing the name to the Costa Mesa

Herald. The paper changes hands several times, later becoming the Costa

Mesa Globe-Herald, and finally, the Daily Pilot.

* 1937 -- The area’s first supermarket opens. The Alpha Beta Market moves

from its Costa Mesa Garage and TeWinkle’s Hardware location into a

modern, spacious building near Center Street and Newport Boulevard.

* 1935 -- The first park is established in Costa Mesa at Newport and

Harbor Boulevards.

* 1936 -- The Fun Zone opens with carnival rides and games that attract

summertime tourists.

* 1938 -- Major floods hit. In February, a series of rainstorms drench

the area, overflowing the Santa Ana River’s banks. The lowlands below the

bluffs are flooded; 22 people in Newport-Mesa and 199 in the county die.

Thousands of dollars in crops are destroyed.

SOURCES:

“The Story of Costa Mesa,” Thomas A. Barr, 1981

“The Picture History of Balboa Island, 1906-1981,” Gail Vinje Smith and

William A. Allen, 1981

“Newport Beach 75: 1906-1981,” James P. Felton, 1981

“A Slice of Orange, The History of Costa Mesa,” Edrick J. Miller, 1970.

“Orange County Historical Volume III,” Thomas B. Talbert, ed., 1963.

Costa Mesa Herald

Santa Ana Register