Pacifica Boat Docks
(Historical Pictures)
(6/22/2011)
Pacifica Boat Docks(Historical Pictures)(6/22/2011)
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This webpage is about the Pacifica California "boat docks" on Pedro Point at the south end of Linda Mar Beach and is a collection of various historical notes and pictures. Some of these photos are scanned in from private collections of people from the area, some I got from the Pacifica Historical Society. Click on any photo below for a large, highest quality original.
Below is a picture of Hans Thorvald Olsen (Bob Olsen) born in Denmark on September 9, 1900 (passed away December 1979 in Pacifica, CA). Bob owned one of the small houses on the docks starting in the 1950s (?) up until his death in December 1979. Bob would fish over "Doby Reef" (not far offshore from Shelter Cove, Pacifica, CA). He would fish for sand dabs, snapper, rock cod, and ling cod. In the picture below, Bob has his finger over the top of a corn cob pipe, and this was a common way to see him in his home.
Below is a scanned newspaper article about Bob Olsen from the Pacifica Tribune, August 4th, 1971. The article writes: "Bob, whose real name is Hans Thoruald (sp?) Olsen was born in the year 1900 in Sanso, Denmark on the Kategat Sea. ... Left Denmark in 1916 ... became a citizen of the United States in 1927... Bob Olsen is respected and loved by all .... the little yellow shack on Pedro Bay remains occupied by a man whose life style can only be acknowledged as a glowing tribute to the community of Pacifica." In this website it says Bob: "...married Lucy Jean Yeaman January 01, 1920... had child Barbara Jean Olsen".
Below is a picture of Saa Kibblewhite and Bob Olson. This picture was taken on Bob's birthday. Saa rented a small room from Bob on the boat docks from the time she was 18 years old, and helped take care of Bob in his final years. Bob's drink was "Gin and Tonic" and in the picture below he has one in his hand on his birthday.
Same picture as above, applied "Auto-Cleanup" in Photoshop. I'm not sure it is better.
Below are pictures of the insides of the old beach house. On the far far right (second row) are Saa's husband Ron Jensen and their daughter Jerusha on right in front bay window on the Pacifica boat docks. The water heater at the top of the picture is where the front small refrigerator is now in the house. The toilet seen below is where the double front doors are now. The downstairs level where Saa rented a room was maybe 5'8" tall.
A few more pictures from inside the house. That's Penny Keating cooking. Penny is a next door neighbor and one of the longest continuous residents of the boat docks. Along the top of the second row of pictures below you can see a collection of antique salt and pepper shakers. Some from Mr and Mrs Nichols (neighbors) then the collection grew.
More pictures. The upper left grey is the front right corner where the bed nook is currently located. On the far left of the picture you can see an antique Seth and Thomas clock and barometer on the left.
A picture of the outside the houses on the boat docks. The slat door ni the picture below led to Saa's bedroom (through a tool shed). Under the porch was Bob Olsen's salmon smoker.
Notes near the picture below say "Update 2-28-1983 US Weather Service Redwood City - Do not underestimate this storm. Gail Force Windows 50+ MPH, 30' seas, heavy rain, 6.1 tide at 11:15am 2-28-83, equal if not worst storm of the year. Life and Property alert for coastal residents." Red house is Rabin's cottage, Rhodes, Dorn, Anuzzi, and final house is Barrish.
During big storms (El Niņo storm years) the Pacifica Boat Docks and the row of houses there get pummeled by big waves. Below is Doug Rhodes on his deck, smiling getting wet from big waves, with his son. The picture below the one with Doug shows the force of the water popping the dock boards up. The third picture below shows big waves hitting the houses that Doug is standing on.
These are marked 1996, it looks like the house was cleaned up and repainted then.
Then in 2001 it was renovated. The first floor of the house was retrofitted to be stronger and survive the waves better and this involved raising the house up for a time as shown below.
The pictures below are Pedro Point, looks like they were taken in March of 1998.
A party boat showed up one day inside the Pedro bay, which is unusual. You can see the Pacifica boat docks behind the boat.
The lower right corner of the picture below shows what was originally a tool shed, eventually the tool shed was expanded and added to the bedroom.
I found these pictures below off a website (credit given below burned into the photos), they are the oldest photos I have found of this area, I just want to preserve these in case that website ever disappears. The text is off of that website.
Below is a picture from the 1950s of Pedro Point, Pacifica, CA. The beach on the left is Linda Mar Beach.
In the picture below, the house on the far right white is Pete LoBianco (now gone, it was nearest the creek). Looking closely in front of Dick and Penny's house (in front of railroad station) is Mrs. Valentines and Brian O'Brian's house. We think this picture is between 1956 and 1963. You can also see Danmann's Hayloft Bar (built around 1908 by Ernst H. "Harry" Danmann then burned in the 1970s). Mrs Christian's house (Grandma Christians where the llamas are now). Olifa S Straton's house is in there too. Olifa got no smoking signs put on Greyhound Busses.
The picture below is from Shelter Cove but back in 1960 showing some storm damage. The same married couple - Charles (Chuck) Pavka and Mary (Maty) Pavka - owned Shelter Cove and Linda Mar beach south of the creek. (Pedro side of Linda Mar Beach.) Chuck sold Shelter Cove in 1975 to James Telegan. James sold it to Arno Rohloff in 1997.
Below is more storm damage in the 1960s in Shelter Cove.
Below is Rudy Brandt, E.H. Dannman, and Lorin Silleman standing in front of Tobin Station of the Ocean Shore Railroad (near the very corner of Dannman Street and Shoreside Dr in Pacifica). Picture is in the 1940s.
Another picture of Tobin Station, not sure when this was taken.
Pictures of the boat docks.
The dog in the picture above is Melia, Saa's dog. The "VW Bug" seen in the distance above the dog (in the same picture, right above the house in the center of picture) is "Creampuff". It is a 1963 VW bug.
That is Saa leaning out her window in a storm on the left picture, and in her cooking apron on the right on a sunny, calm day. Below these two pictures she is climbing on the side of the house during a storm, I'm not sure why?
Below is a VERY high resolution scan (if you click on that picture) of Saa in a storm. She was on the deck, and a large set of waves came, and she had to wrap her arms in the ropes and lift herself off the dock and wait for the water to recede. I like how the water is shooting up through the gaps in the dock boards.
Below is the same exact photo, not scanned in as high a resolution, with some other pictures below it.
A big wave hitting the docks in the distance.
I think this is during the storm, but a small break.
Waves washing up over the docks.
This is a picture of Rockaway, Pacifica, in the mid 1980s. The photo was taken by Robert Pilgrim:
Below is a picture of "Wander Inn" which was on Linda Mar Beach, Pacifica, CA. The Wander Inn was located exactly at the corner of Crespi Dr and Highway 1, on the beach side. You can still see old remnants of the rock walls. For a while the Wander Inn was owned by Joe and Maggie Delucchi. It had a slogan "Wander in, stagger out." The Wander Inn burned in 1970.
Below is a paper clipping from 1952 mentions Joe and Maggie Delucchi. Their proper names were: Joseph Delucchi (1889-1967, died age 78) and Margaret Deluchhi (1899 - 1974, died age 75). The newspaper below mentions Joe and Maggie and the Wander Inn, which they operated for 40 years:
This picture was taken by Charles W. Cushman in 1953 of Pedro Point Pacifica and Linda Mar Beach Pacifica:
Compare the above picture with the one below I took in 2013:
Cropped and scaled to be similar, here is 1953 compared with 2013:
All done!