Pescadero Memories

Hi June,

Compare this picture with the blowup of the picture of the Tunitas trestle and Gordon’s Chute you sent me. This is why I’m sure you have the latest photo of Gordon’s Chute remnants I’ve seen so far. Enjoy. John

“Musical Afternoons on the Ocean Shore”

by Galen Wolf, 1961

“America has always sensed the humor of its early and sometimes haphazard transport. This is found in the ballads such as ‘Old Ninety Seven’ and “Casey Jones.’ Or, in another field, the Toonerville Trolley.

“The Ocean Shore Railroad, for all the desperate need for its services to unlock the landbound coastside was loved; cussed and laughed at in equal proportions.

“About the turn of the century, Half Moon Bay was truly disconnected. The little steam schooners that served as models for Peter Kyne’s ‘Green Pea Pirates,’ had given up.

The long wharf at Miramar (Amesport) was soon in bad condition.

“The road to Half Moon Bay from San Mateo was fine blue macadam as far as the top of the mountain grade. From then on, it was a scraped dirt road. A road of the country, the clay and adobe of the fields.

“In winter, this section was hubdeep with mud. Sometimes four horses hitched to a light spring wagon would wrestle a half dozen crates of artichokes or sprouts to the top of the grade for transshipment.

“The stage had bad days when the going was a wearysome three hours.

“A few years later, Charlie Knapp performed miracles with an old Mitchell, but it was hardly consistent service.

“So the promise of a railroad was an exciting hope to all of the coastside. And what a railroad it was to be! What a joyful, bouncing, squeaking, unreliable and, intensely lovable train it became!

“The main depot at Eleventh and Mission was truly humble.

The rolling stock gathered from who knows what defunct branch lines was varied, but always picturesque.

[Image above: Ocean Shore #7. Orig: SP 138. Later SP 1630 & 064. Sold to Ocean Shore Railway 1906.]

“The engines were really dragons, snorting steaming, belching smoke, leaking steam everywhere and truly fire-breathing. They were the beau ideal for railroad balladry.

“As one left the depot, the train climbed weakly up the gradient of Islias Creek. It then plumped down happily to Salada Beach, Vallemar, Rockaway and Pedro .

“Here serious railroading began. A short tunnel bolstered by dubious timber brought one beyond Shelter Cove.

“Ahead was the formidable monument of granite—Devil’s Slide. It had to be surmounted. It could not be bypassed.

“Now a steep climb above the far ocean, one looked down on the backs of floating gulls, and cormorants in swift flying V’s.

“On the narrow shelf, over half trestles poised in midair, the passage looked as precarious as the footing of a cat burglar on an apartment ledge. Suffice it to say, no train ever fell.

“Once over this dismaying hurdle, the train galloped down the shore plain past newly active Montara, Moss Beach, Princeton, El Granada, Miramar, Half Moon, and became lost at the end of a sprightly trestle at Tunitas.

“What a number and variety of hopeful towns. They were mostly on paper.

“The railroad served the realtors. It served the farmers. But above all, it served the picnickers most happily.

“It was not easy to get about in those days. Whole sections of San Franciscans relied on the limited capacity of the little picnic parks. Shell Mound, Harbor View, Glen Park. We get delightful pictures of those days in Frank Norris and London’s ‘Valley of the Moon.’

“San Francisco was a town of many nationalities. Many of its people were recently from the ‘old country’ and still retained the old ways.

“They formed singing, dancing and musical groups. Turnvereins and Shutzen Vereins. And they dearly valued their social picnics.

“The Ocean Shore RR played up to this need. They ran picnic trains, open flat cars with benches, heaven bless their optimism as regards weather. These cars were filled on Sundays to capacity.

“Now was the scene set that would have delighted Stockton or Norris or London. The Italians, the Germans, the Hungarians, the French, the Irish and the Scots rallied to the depot in compact bands.

“They had their baskets, their wives, children, dogs, and, above all, their music. At stations they favored the nations dismounted en masse and marched to the beaches.

“Here was a glorious romp for all. In sun or in fog, the smoke of beach fires rose, and the sound of music playing made contentment tangible.

“It was a fine start for the day. But grandeur and the glory was in the return.

“In the dying light of the day, the fuming engine dragged its long train from beach to beach. And from the beaches the social and fraternal societies came marching. The day had put them in a splendid mood. They were proud, happy, cohesive and musical.

“At Princeton, the italians came up to the station, accordions swinging and songs Venetian and Napolitan. At Moss Beach, mayhap, the Austrians or Hungarians with fiddles singing, arms waving and seaside flowers in their hats.

“At Pedro, the Caledonians with the pomp of bagpipes and dash of kilts.

“But the German Vereins climaxed the show at Salada. With rhythmic step and full band going before, the tubas blared and the drums rumbled and thumped. A hundred voices would break into ‘Augustin Augustin’ as cheeks puffed and eyes bugged. It was tremendous.

“And then mayhap, through the dark, and the wet mist, the train bore its tuneful cargo, now tired and content, to their homes in the city.

“What happy and innocent days at the turn of the century. The memory is still so good. Disillusioning history still was in the dark unfolded pages of the future.”

April 1959, from the “Burlingame Advance”

[Image: Ocean Shore Railroad between Davenport & Swanton.]

“Plans of a group of investors to some day reconstruct the old Ocean Shore railroad line were dealt another blow yesterday when Superior Judge Alfred Mundo ruled against the company in a quiet title action.

“Judge Mundo ruled that the Lake Merced golf and country club is the legal owner of a strip of former railroad right-of-way that runs across the golf course.

“The fight over the strip of land has been going on in the courts since 1922. The latest evidence in the case was submitted to Judge Mundo February 21 after a trial that lasted six weeks.

“The railroad acquired the right-of-way from the Spring Valley water company in 1909 for its line which extended from San Francisco to Santa Cruz. Because of financial reverses the line was abandoned in 1920, tracks were torn up and equipment was sold. The Spring Valley company sold 360 acres of land, including the abandoned railroad strip, to the Lake Merced club in 1921.

“Ocean Shore filed a quiet title suit the following year, claiming it still retained ownership of the right-of-way. The court ruled in 1924 that the company had abandoned the strip and that it legally belonged to the golf club. That decision was reversed on appeal and retried in superior court, with the result that the late Judge George Buck ruled that the railroad company still owned the strip of land.

“Judge Mundo’s decision now reverses Judge Buck’s ruling.

“A similar court decision concerning some Westlake property is now awaiting a hearing on appeal in the district court.”

There were two Henry Cowells: One was the cement magnate [1819?-1903] after whom parks are named– and the other was the inventive  composer [1895-1965],  who was born in Menlo Park. Henry Cowell, the composer, was featured in a “American Mavericks” series, a traveling musical production

presented by the San Francisco Symphony a few years ago.

[Image below: Henry Cowell CD: Persian Set

Note: I will rescan the images above. I forgot to scan them in color!

I happen to have a copy of the Henry Cowell CD, “Persian SEt,” and it is a creative work that grows on you.  When I listen to “Persian Set,” which I’ve been doing every morning lately, I hear a combination of the exotic and wild west, and he makes what you would think are opposite sounds work as if the musical notes had known each other forever. Truly a treat.

I am also wondering how advanced the industrialist Henry Cowell’s cement was. Was he producing steel reinforced cement? If yes, he was at the very forefront of his product. This Henry Cowell owned property at Princeton-by-the-Sea and became legendary around these parts  for threatening to raise the roadhouse owner John Patroni’s rent causing Patroni to move his building in the middle of the night (to a piece of land not owned by Cowell, thus avoiding the raise in rent.)

I am not certain if Patroni’s physical building was located on the bay side or across the way, where photos show it was located later. The only person I can think of who would have owned nearby land in Princeton at that time would be Dante Dianda, the artichoke king.

Obviously, Henry Cowell intended to provide all of the cement required for Ocean Shore RR era sidewalks on the Coastside. But was he producing steel reinforced cement? That revolutionized the possibilities of architecture.

In their own way, both Henry Cowells were inventive,  fascinating men.

New Image by Susan Friedman: Studio on the Mountain

For more info, please click here

[Image: Border Collie at Willowside Farm, with red frisbee in his mouth.]

I wish I had gotten a better shot of this very special Border Collie, who loves to “work,” and needs a task to complete. His specialty is herding sheep, and he competed recently at the National Championship Herding Event held at Willowside Farms. Had I gotten a close-up at the right moment, I would have captured his amazing ability to focus, without his eyes darting away from the frisbee or the sheep. This type of Border Collie is not the best pet for folks who want a lap dog. He needs to work at something most of the time—and his eye stays on the red frisbee from start to finish.

April 1919: John McCormick Will is Filed for Probate, “Times-Gazette”

“J. F. Utter, the attorney, filed the last will and testament of John McCormick, who died at Pescadero on February 20, 1919.

“The will is holographic, having been written by the testator on September 6, 1916. By the terms of the instrument, Mrs. Mary E.A. McCormick is bequeathed all the money and personal property of the deceased with the exception of the piano and furniture located in the Swanton Hotel which is left to the daughter of the decedent, Jennie McCormick. Hugh McCormick, a grandson is left shares of stock of the Oceanshore Railroad company.

“Mrs. McCormick is named as executrix to serve without bonds.

“Mrs. McCormick is to retain the property of the Pescadero House as her home while she lives. The deceased deeded the bulk of his property to his relatives before his death.

“The estate under the will consists of cash amounting to $1853, war stamps worth $30, liberty loan bonds $1000, a promissory note, horses, household furniture, 15 shares of stock of the Standard Guaranty Mortgage Company. The entire value of the estate does not exceed the sum of $5000.

“Mrs. McCormick has applied for letters testamentary. The heirs at law are: Mrs. Mary E.A. McCormick, widow, and the following children: Mary J. Azevedo, Halfmoon Bay, John A. McCormick, Jennie R. McCormick, Lizzie A. Fey, Frank C. McCormick, Arthur O. McCormick and E.A. McCormick, all residing at Pescadero. J.F. Utter is the attorney for the estate.

“Mr. McCormick was at one time the supervisor of the Fifth Township. He was a substantial citizen, well known throughout the county for his honesty and probity.”

December 1923, from the “Redwood City Tribune”

“J.C. Williamson, president of the local high school board and well known local businessman, last Friday night celebrated the 54th anniversary of his arrival in Pescadero when he entertained a group of his friends at his home here.

“Just 54 years ago on that day this Pescadero pioneer reached here from his native home in Massachusetts, at that time being but 18 years of age. From that day to this he has been conspicuously identified with the life of this community.

“Ten years to a day after his arrival here by way of the Isthmus of Panama, Williamson was married to a local girl. His business life has been active and he is at present head of his own business at the First National Bank of Pescadero, and a director of the First National Bank of Redwood City and the Bank of Half Moon Bay. He is president of the board of education of the Pescadero Union High School.”

May 1, 1875: “Another Pescadero Murder”

“Last Sunday afternoon at half past 5, Augustus Haskins, a youth 22 years of ago, shot and killed Charles Johnson in the main street of Pescadero. Johnson had the reputation of being a quiet, orderly man. He was about 28 years old, and had worked for a long time about the ranches in the vicinity. The men had been together during the day, and some question had arisen between them as to the ability of Johnson to break horses.

“At the time of the killing they were about mounting their horses to return home, when Haskins said to Johnson, ‘I’ll bet you $100 I can bring you a horse from my father’s ranch that you can’t break.’

“Johnson made some laughing answer and Haskins drawing out some coin retorted, ‘I’ll put up this now and I’ll make the hundred good when I see you again. And if you want anything else, d— you, take that!’ As he spoke he drew a pistol and fired at Johnson, then he leaped on his horse and started from the town.

“After the shooting Johnson staggered toward his assailant about fifteen yards. Then he turned back. One of his friends said to him, ‘Charlie, I guess you’re pretty badly hurt, ain’t you?’

“‘Oh, no,’ he answered, ‘I’m not hurt,’ and as the word passed his lips he fell heavily to the ground dead. Meantime Haskins had galloped out of the town. Sheriff Knowles started in pursuit and captured him at Hayward’s Mills, about three miles from Pescadero. He acknowledged killing Johnson, but says that the latter attacked him first.

“In this story he is contradicted by two witnesses, who confirm the account given above. He was taken to Redwood City, San Mateo county yesterday morning, and safely lodged in jail. He takes the matter very cooly.

“Johnson had recently joined the OddFellows of Pescadero, and this celebration of that Order, which was to have taken place, was indefinitely postponed out of respect to the dead brother.”

These are the remains of the Ocean Shore Railroad trestle near Pilarcitos Creek, Half Moon Bay.