History of the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade

 The 104th Annual Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade will take place December 19th through the 23rd The Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade began at the turn of the century. John Scarpa, an obscure Italian gondolier, and Joseph Beek, developer of Beacon Bay, the Balboa Ferry Line and the principal force in the early development of …

Continue reading ‘History of the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade’ »

The Newport Beach Area in the 1930s, Part 2

While the rising population of homes in Newport and Balboa during the 1930s looks similar to the amount of houses currently, there are a few major differences in the landscape of these Orange County areas in these pictures. All pictures and information are from Jeff Delaney’s book Newport Beach. After $4 million in improvements, Pres. …

Continue reading ‘The Newport Beach Area in the 1930s, Part 2’ »

Historical 1930s buildings in Newport Beach

Historical buildings in Newport Beach during the 1930s from Jeff Delaney’s book Newport Beach: The high school opened in September 1930 with 200 students and two dozen faculty members. Mosaic murals in the quad were completed as a WPA art project.

Boating in Newport Beach in the 30s

Take a look back at the Newport Beach area in the 1930s, particularly how boating was back then. See the following information from Jeff Delaney’s book Newport Beach: On August 9, 1909, W. S. Collins got the first city ferry permit. Other operators followed, but the service was deemed unsatisfactory. Finally, in 1919, pioneer developer …

Continue reading ‘Boating in Newport Beach in the 30s’ »