This site focuses on the history of Southeastern Huntington Beach
(SEHB) -- an area that was once known as the Santa Ana Gap or Talbert Gap. This
river delta between Huntington Beach mesa and the bluffs of Costa
Mesa was not incorporated as part of the City until the mid-Twentieth Century.
Photographs:
- 1898:
Digging the Talbert Channel at Atlanta Ave, near Magnolia. (Courtesy
O.C. Archives)
- 1949:
Parking lots are built for the beach. (L.A. Times
photo)
- 1958:
Building the Brookhurst bridge over Talbert Channel. (Courtesy
O.C. Archives)
- 1959: Newland
St., looking north toward Hamilton Ave from H.B. Channel. (Courtesy
O.C. Archives)
- 1960:
Atlanta Ave., looking west from Talbert Channel, Feb. 1960. (Courtesy
O.C. Archives)
- 1960:
Hamilton Ave, looking west from the Unitarian Church parking lot. (Courtesy
O.C. Archives)
- 1960s:
Billboard for Pacific Sands tract, on the 8100 block of Atlanta, in the
early 1960s.
- 1967: Final inspection of
H.B. Channel, Sept 1967. Shown on Indianapolis bridge: Mr. Tunstall, Mr. Schmidt,
Mr. Hartge, O.C. Supervisor Alton Allen and Mr. Brunner.
(Courtesy O.C. Archives)
- 1970s: Sheraton Beach Inn,
on PCH.
- 1974: Snow
on Christmas Day, at the southwest corner of Edison Park. (Photo
courtesy Jepsen family)
- 1975: Apartments
being built on Brookhurst, south of Hamilton Ave. (Courtesy
O.C. Archives)
Aerial Photographs:
These photos are extremely large. I don't recommend opening them directly if
you have a dial-up connection.
- 1938:
Photo includes handwritten notes made in 1950. (Courtesy
O.C. Archives)
- 1940s:
Huntington State Beach, from approximately Beach Blvd to Newland, looking
down the coast.
- 1940s:
Looking east along Altanta Ave. Beach Blvd crosses in foreground. Note the
Talbert race track and WWII fighter planes. (Courtesy
O.C. Archives)
- 1950s:
Construction of OCSD's sewer outfall line at the Santa Ana River's mouth. (From L.A. Herald
Examiner)
- 1950s:
Mouth of Santa Ana River, circa 1955. (Courtesy
O.C. Archives)
- 1950s:
OCSD plant, circa 1955. Note Tustin LTA hangars in background. (Courtesy
O.C. Archives)
- 1955:
Coastal area from Brookhurst (Wright) St. to the River's mouth. (Courtesy
O.C. Archives)
- 1958:
Mouth of Santa Ana River. Note the Pacific Electric bridge. (Courtesy
O.C. Archives)
- 1959:
A coastal portion of SEHB.
- 1959:
Large aerial photo centered on Hamilton and Magnolia. (Courtesy
O.C. Archives)
- 1970:
Detailed image of a large portion of SEHB. (Courtesy
O.C. Archives)
- 1972:
Edison/NESI-ASCON/Seabury area. Edison park remains undeveloped.
Maps:
- 1947: Topo
map overlaying modern aerial photo of AES/NESI-ASCON area. (Courtesy
Mary Adams Urashima)
- 1949:
USGS topo map of H.B. Airport and AES/ NESI-ASCON area. Built in the late
1940s, the airport featured a 1850-foot unpaved runway. (Courtesy
Mary Adams Urashima)
Local History Links:
If you have photos or information you'd like
to share, or if you have any questions, please send email
to Chris.
Return
to Space Age City.