Epting - Huntington Beach

This is a view of beachgoers strolling along the first Huntington Beach pier around 1904. It was a 1,000-foot-long timber structure, built in 1904, five years before the citys incorporation. Oil wouldnt be discovered for another 15 years or so, so this was still a quiet, civilized spot for a day in the sun. Though, from the looks of the heavy clothing and hats, getting a tan was not exactly a priority during this era.

The old Pier Restaurant sits to the upper right of the well-dressed folks enjoying some sun in 1914. Today the restaurant is gone, as is the sand where the folks in the vintage photograph are relaxing. It has since been re-landscaped with a lawn to accommodate both the look and feel of the newer pier area, along with the changing tidal line.

The band shell pictured on this books cover is visible here at the far right of the older photograph, which dates to around 1910. The Pier Restaurant is visible on the left, and the sand is filled with vendors, swing sets, and other ways to pass the time. Today a concrete strand/bike path makes it easy to navigate the area along the shore.

As it is today, the pier back in the 1930s was a popular spot for local fisherman. In the distance of the vintage photograph, to the left, oil wells can be seen. To the right, the Golden Bear nightclub can also be seen. In the post-oil boom years, Huntington Beach is starting to take more shape.

In the early 1900s, Pacific City as it was called sold out to a group of investors, including Henry E. Huntington (which is where the citys name came from). One of the first things Huntington did after building a wooden pier was to connect the Pacific Electric Railway to the city. The station pictured here was located right at the foot of the pier (note the horses in the middle of the older image). Today Dukes restaurant is located at the site. (The ATM in the very middle of the modern shot is where the station sat.)

Just a year before our country entered World War II, on the Fourth of July in 1940, this then shot (taken from the pier) illustrates just how popular Huntington Beach was becoming with Southern Californians. Today Dukes restaurant is clearly visible, along with some volleyball players. The reason the now shot looks so quiet is that it was shot during January.

Ocean Boulevard (before it became Pacific Coast Highway) is pictured here near Main Street. The vintage shot features some early-1920s automobiles, along with the train station visible just left of center. To the right is a car dealership. Today the street has been completely redeveloped, and nothing from the past remains.