Anita Shower - Grover Beach

Although the Grover family left Maine in 1848 for California and the promise of gold, the family made its fortune in lumber. Dwight William Grover, pictured with a mustache, was born on November 10, 1853, to James Lyman and Hannah Elsmore Grover. Dwight and his wife, Mary Emma Halstead Grover, set out from the Santa Cruz area for the coastal area of El Pizmo in 1887 when he was 35. He purchased the land now bearing his name and filed papers with San Luis Obispo County in the same year. His tagline was, Where the tidelands and the rails meet. Grover had high hopes that the railroad would quickly be added onto the end of the line in San Miguel, California, and travel on its way south past his new Town Site of Grover and Huntington Beach. (Courtesy Mr. and Mrs. Paul Hammock.)

Developer John F. Beckett, photographed here in 1900, was from Polk County, Iowa. In 1859, his family moved from Oregon to California, and in 1869, he moved to San Luis Obispo. He taught public school, established the first commercial nursery in the county, and became the countys superintendent of schools. He also held real estate in Arroyo Grande, including Oso Flaco, Chimeneas, Tar Springs, Tally-ho, and the Verde Colonies (One, Two, and Three); the Crown Hill addition; the Corbett tract; and E. W. Steels re-subdivision of the Corral de Piedra Ranch. Beckett considered purchasing and developing the 1,200 acres of Grover his greatest real estate accomplishment, which he named Beckett Park and the Beckett Place subdivision tract. Beckett named the streets. This last tract was situated near Pismo Beach and ran 3 miles east from the ocean. (Courtesy Mr. and Mrs. Paul Hammock.)

The San Luis Obispo newspaper noted in 1891, We understand that Mr. Beckett is to have the handling of the Grover property, and that is the secret of the opening of the Avenue (Grand). John F. Beckett and his son ventured into a business called Beckett and Beckett, and their tag line was We sell the Earth. The advertisement appeared in the Weekly Herald on June 24, 1905. (Courtesy Bennett-Loomis Archives.)

Horace V. Bagwell came to Grover in 1935. His partner in real estate matters was Harry Culver. Bagwell purchased the Grover land from Harold E. Guiton. Guiton acquired the property by this grant deed pictured; it was a grant deed from B. C. Beckett, who was also known as Bertram C. Beckett, and Laura May Beckett, Bertrams wife, to Harold R. Guiton, a married man. The deed is dated October 6, 1933, and was recorded in the official records book of San Luis Obispo County on that same date. This deed contained approximately 60.723 acres. Some time later, when Charles Bagwell came to Grover, part of the Guiton family decided to venture into real estate and began working with Charles and his company. (Courtesy Linda Guiton, Austin Archives.)

The other grant deed pictured is between B.C. Beckett and Laura May Beckett, husband and wife, granting acreage to Harold E. Guiton of Oceano, California. The deed is for 1,278.23 acres in the town of Grover and, combined with the previous deed, equates to the entire town of Grover, which was 2.23 square miles. The Pismo-Pacific Properties Corporation, Limited previously subdivided a portion of south Grover, according to information dated November 14, 1930. This particular grant deed had exceptions and reservations unto J. A. Beckett, his heirs, and assigns, dealing with an undivided half-interest in all oil, gas, and minerals of all kinds upon said lands, if ever found. The grant deed, dated March 9, 1935, was recorded on this same date in the records book of San Luis Obispo County. Horace V. Bagwell obtained this deeded property from Guiton and continued to subdivide Grover. Horace named the streets in those subdivisions per Don Ewing, who attended school with Horaces son, Charles. (Courtesy Linda Guiton, Austin Archives.)

This most interesting and architecturally significant home, photographed here in 1970, was located in the San Luis Obispo County area known as Oceano and was built by William Wise. When they first arrived in the area in 1935, Horace V. Bagwell and his partner, Harry Culver, used the tower area in the home as their real estate office. When the house was originally constructed, it had a fishpond built into the center of the floor in the main area of the house. It had wall sconces that were extraordinary, but unfortunately, all were discarded when the owner (and wife) of Carls Spanish Seas purchased the property and attached a restaurant to the garage end of the home. The new owners drained the fishpond and cemented over the attraction. The house stands today on the same lot. (Authors collection.)