Balboa Island History, Newport Beach , California
THE HISTORY OF BALBOA ISLAND Within Newport Harbor, on the Coast of Orange County, California, protected from ocean storms and surf, sits Balboa Island.
This enchanting little island was not always easy to get to. Newport Harbor was still largely undredged, and sailboat was often the only way to get around. Robert McFadden, an early Balboa Harbor developer had established a successful fishing wharf on the Balboa Peninsula and by 1906, the Pacific Electric line Red Cars began service to the Balboa Peninsula and Pavilion, and soon, the Red Cars would bring thousands of summertime visitors from Los Angeles.
Within a few years, real estate promoters began sending salesmen up to wealthy Pasadena and soon to Los Angeles (both connected by the Red Cars) to promote property in and around Newport Harbor. Considerable Balboa Island property was sold in Pasadena, and this is one of the reasons that so many longtime Island residents continue to have family and contacts in the Pasadena area. One of these real estate promoters was William Collins. At the time, Balboa Island was little more than a sandbar that was usually swallowed up by high tide.
In 1908 and 1909, with permission of the Orange County Board of Supervisors, Collins dredged the surrounding bay and piled the sand on the little sandbar that he came to call Balboa Island. Collins originally sold lots on the Island for as little as $25, with the promise of a bridge and ferry service to follow. Joseph Allan Beek, while still a student at Pasadena City College, was enchanted with the area, and became one of Collins' salesmen. Joe Beek played a crucial role in the development of Balboa Island, and spent a lifetime devoted to it. He later served as Secretary of the California State Senate until his death in 1968.
The island grew slowly at first, but in 1916, it became part of the City of Newport Beach. By 1921, homes were beginning to fill in the Island and Balboa Peninsula. Roads to the Newport Harbor area were still largely undeveloped, and many people still arrived by rail to the peninsula and took the ferry over to the island. Although the first Bridge from the mainland to the North Bayfront was built in 1912, it was not capable of carrying automobiles until 1929, when it was refurbished.
In 1919, after complaints of inadequate service, the city of Newport Beach awarded a fifteen-year franchise to Joseph Beek to run the ferry. At first it only carried pedestrians, but by 1921, was also transporting cars to the Island. The ferry operation remains in the Beek family.
In 1953, the International Boy Scout Jamboree held its event where Newport Center and Fashion Island now sit. Thousands of tents were pitched in the area reachable only by a two-lane muddy trail called Palisades Road. The road was soon paved, and later the name was changed to Jamboree Road in honor of the Scouts.
Today it remains a major thoroughfare through Newport Beach, and ends at Balboa Island. Over the years, Balboa Island has developed into a wonderful community, home to professionals, families, retirees, students and celebrities. Some bay front lots that once sold for $25 are now appraised at over $3 million dollars. And yet, Balboa Island maintains its charm and small-town feel.
In the Summertime, the Bayfront is lined with joggers, children and summertime visitors eating Balboa Bars. In the serene winters, sometimes all one can hear is the sound of halyard lines beating against their masts and an occasional seagull. The Island has undergone significant improvements, thanks in great part to the Balboa Island Improvement Association.
Balboa Island continues to be a wonderful place, both for residents and visitors alike. As we arrive in the 21st Century, it is reassuring to know that there are still a few places left on the planet like Balboa Island, California |
