Our series on changing street names continues in Huntington Beach. I took today's photo a couple years ago at the corner of Lake and Pecan in downtown H.B. Originally, Lake St was known as Railroad Ave, because it ran alongside the railroad tracks. And what's now Pecan Ave was called Magnolia Ave. However, the old street names are still stamped into the old sidewalk at this intersection. (Just another example of how history is all around us.)[Update 3/15/2019: The city destroyed this section of sidewalk to put in a handicapped accessible ramp. Even though it was already a ramp to begin with.]
The name Railroad Ave. appears on the original Huntington Beach tract map in 1904 and on the 1909 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map, but was changed to Lake St. sometime before 1922.
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The name Magnolia Ave was changed to avoid confusion with Magnolia St, which had previously been called Cannery St. and Lamb St. The names Cannery and Lamb disappeared when the County began unifying street names from one community to the next.
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How's THAT for confusing?
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Here are a few more street name changes in Huntington Beach:
- Ocean Blvd is now part of Pacific Coast Highway
- Smeltzer is now Edinger Ave.
- Wright is now Brookhurst
- Gerhart is now part of Heil Ave.
- Hampshire Ave. is now Beach Blvd.
- Los Patos and Wintersburg (like Delhi in Santa Ana) are now part of Warner Ave.
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| "Railroad Ave" and "Magnolia Ave." both appear on this 1909 map. |
I lived in Newport Beach while attending the University of Calif. @ Irvine way back in the late 60's and early 70's. I once met Janis Joplin on the beach at Huntington Pier and spoke with her. She was playing in a local bar along the strand there. I wasn't old enough to get in to see her play. Is the Dory fleet still there by Newport Pier? I lived on 25th st. and knew some of the Dory fishermen and even went out with them to catch ling cod a few times. In those days Newport still was home to John Wayne not just the airport named after him. I even saw Steve McQueen and Ali McGraw once on the beach @ the wedge. Ah, too be young again.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure Joplin was playing at the Golden Bear (1929) which was a much-loved landmark until it was torn down in 1986.
ReplyDeleteYes, the Dory fleet (although much smaller than it once was) still goes out in the mornings and sells their catch on the beach.
I should explain that there WAS a pier photo in this post originally -- Which explains what GlennK was responding to. However, Kai Weisser pointed out a problem with the photo, so I've pulled it for now. Once I get more info, it may return.
"...when the County began unifying street names from one community to the next."
ReplyDeletechris- when was the approximate time this happened?
edge4194: During the 1960s
ReplyDeleteWhere was the railroad station? I remember being there, but have no idea where it might have been located?
ReplyDeleteWhere would I find out what the new name is for a residential street called Turn circle in Huntington Beach? We lived there in the late 60s early 70s and I can't find it.
ReplyDeleteBasears: The Southern Pacific station was on the southeast corner of 1st St. and Atlanta Ave. The Pacific Electric depot began life at the foot of the pier in 1903 but moved up to the SP stations in 1942.
ReplyDeletePam: I think you're not finding Tern Circle because you're spelling it wrong. It's "Tern," like the bird. The name has not been changed.