Before there were many homes on Balboa Peninsula, this is what it looked like in 1922:

The Peninsula, Balboa, c. 1922

In 1923, a syndicate of Pasadena men purchased all of the land on the easterly extreme of the peninsula from Edna Ferguson, the widow of Joe Ferguson. The property was then subdivided, a map filed in May 1923, and public improvements installed during the winter of 1923-1924, after which an intense selling campaign began.

This picture and information is from Jeff Delaney’s book Newport Beach. For more history about the local area of Newport Beach, Corona del Mar, and Orange County  in general, please browse my “Local History” section.