Huntington Beach Old Photos and Information for Surf City

The most recent history of Huntington Beach is 100-year venture into tourism, oil & space exploration and soft industries with corporate headquarters locating to the city. Huntington Beach's rich history of photos began with the Newland House, the Red Car, a pleasure pier, ocean plunge, pavilion and attractions not strikingly different from today.  Shortly after Huntington Beach adopted its name, an oil boom began when several veins were discovered on the land near the beach. For approximately 100 years, the derricks, offshore platforms and pumps have dotted the terrain and appeared in the landscape of photographs. While the pumps surprisingly still sit next to houses, a hotel in the downtown region and are plentiful near the wetlands, many have been capped as the price of land goes up. This picture gallery includes an assortment of photos obtained through various sources and is brought to you for your enjoyment. We'd like to thank those who have contributed to the cause of helping educate and remind us of our roots in the West Coast Mecca of Huntington Beach, California, also known as Surf City.
 

Huntington Beach banner

Huntington Beach Realty Co. in 1906, Headquarters for Acreage Town Lots by Seely and Gillespie

Huntington Beach
Pier
 
 Hunting Beach
Arches
 
Huntington Beach
Pier
 
Red Car
 
 
Franklin Roosevelt
4th of July Parade
New Riders of the
Purple Sage
Golden Bear
 Robin William
Golden Bear
Linda Rondstadt
Golden Bear
John Mayall
Golden Bear

Kenny Rankin

Golden Bear
 Band
Golden Bear
Steve Martin
Golden Bear
 
Bachman Turner
Overdrive
Golden Bear
../Golden Bear building and signage from the 1980s
 

Golden Bear

 
Soap Box Derby
 
Huntington Beach
 
 
Main Street
Post Office
 
 
Realty Co. Office
 

Beach Carousel

 
Evangeline Hotel
 
Man on 3 while bike at Huntington Beach Pier
End of the Pier Cafe
John Gustafson
Huntington Surfer
 Surfing Huntington
 
 
Hoyt Axton
Golden Bear
Main Street Biz
 
Matthew Helme and His Family pose for photo in front of Historic Helme Building
Matthew Helme(15)
Helme Building
Salt Water Plunge
Huntington Beach
 

 

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Huntington Beach Realty Company

Huntington Beach Realty Company in the photo above shows the names of purveyors Seely and Gillespie who sold acreage and town lots. If you had kept that land, you would be a millionaire today. Houses in downtown Huntington Beach area cost over $1 million upwards unless the lot contains a humble, old beach cottage that will be torn down for rebuild. Eager to get Huntington Beach developed, the founders offered a special deal to Henry Huntington in exchange for his agreement to bring his electric Red Car to their city. They would name the city after this wealthy real estate magnate and hoped their town would develop and grow faster. It has been almost 100 years since the city was incorporated at Huntington Beach and the build out of the land is approaching. In the photo above, the selling points were productive peat and sediments with artesian, flowing water.

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