Mission Statement

"To discover, record, collect, preserve, perpetuate, and display for public benefit the historical facts, artifacts, properties, and other material concerning the history of the village of Del Mar"

Olde Del Mar

On August 14, 1882, the first California Southern Railroad train rode the tracks of its new route from San Diego to San Bernardino. Theodore M. Loop - the contractor and engineer who worked on the project - had acquired acreage and built a home on a mesa just north of San Diego, a setting he described as "the most attractive place on the entire coast." Loop built a tent city on the beach and his wife, Ella, called it "Del Mar" - words taken from a popular poem, The Fight on Paseo Del Mar.

In that same year "Colonel" Jacob Taylor (left) - who had come with his family to live on Rancho Penasquitos - met Loop who suggested that they build a town. Taylor was captivated by the beauty and potential of the area, and in the summer of 1885, he purchased 338.11 acres at the northern end of the mesa from homesteader Enoch Talbert for $1,000. Thus the town of Del Mar was officially founded.

Taylor was a dynamic visionary who pictured Del Mar as a seaside resort for the rich and famous. With technical support from family and friends, he designed and built a town whose focal point was Casa del Mar, a hotel-resort on what is now 10th Street. Other town attractions included a train station, a dance pavilion, and a bathing pool extending from the beach out into the sea.

The first Del Mar store, located on the north side of 9th Street, was owned by Henry John Gottesburen and his wife Mary who had moved from Atchison, Kansas, to Del Mar in 1884. Their daughter Mary was the second child born in Del Mar and was affectionately known as "Baby Del Mar." In 1889, Taylor’s hotel burned to the ground, leaving Del Mar without its main attraction. With the loss of the hotel and with many Californians suffering from economic hardships, Del Mar became dormant for about 15 years until the early 1900s, when the powerful South Coast Land Company began to develop San Diego County, including Del Mar.

Building the New Hotel

The South Coast Land Company hired a prominent Los Angeles architect, John C. Austin, to draw plans for a new hotel, the Stratford Inn, to be built on the northwest corner of 15th Street and Grand Ave. (now Camino del Mar). From its elegant opening in 1910, it served as a magnet for Hollywood stars of the silent film days. The village also offered a pier, a plunge (saltwater bath house),a golf course, and its own powerhouse. The plunge and pier became the newest attractions for the town. From 1912 to 1920, beautiful new homes were built that soon became landmarks. Although home building came to a halt during the depression of the 1930s; life in Del Mar went on and a Civic Association was formed in 1931.

The Fairgrounds and The Racetrack

In 1933, a search for a permanent location for the San Diego County Fair began. Ed Fletcher suggested that the 184 acre site in the San Dieguito Valley - just off the main highways and the Santa Fe Railroad - would be easily accessible and a perfect setting for a fairground.

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) provided initial funding and the “Del Mar” Fair opened to a great fanfare on October 8, 1936. Fifty thousand people came to enjoy the exhibits and entertainment. Selection of a queen - the Fairest of the Fair - soon became a highlight of this annual event. The final touch on the fairgrounds was the mile-long oval racetrack.

Bing Crosby took the leadership role in making the Del Mar Turf Club a reality, and Pat O'Brien became the Vice President. On opening day of the race track (July 3, 1937), a new era began in Del Mar. The track was hailed as Bing's Baby or Movieland's Own Track. In 1938, Bing recorded the song that would open and close everyday of racing since those early days - Where the Turf Meets the Surf (click to listen to the song).

For decades racing season has brought crowds to Del Mar, and Hollywood celebrities, such as Pat O'Brien, Jimmy and Marge Durante, Lucy and Desi Arnaz and their children, as well as Burt Bachrach and Angie Dickenson, decided to acquire residences in Del Mar. The physician who included many celebrities in his practice, Marcus Rabwin and his wife Marcella, also decided to make Del Mar their home.

During World War II, the racetrack was closed, and the grandstand became a bomber tail assembly production facility. Racing returned to Del Mar when the war in Europe was over. On August 14, 1945, Pat O'Brien announced to the assembled racetrack patrons that Japan had surrendered.

Post World War II and The University Years

By 1959, Del Mar decided to incorporate as a city and the 60s marked a time of relative tranquility with the exception of a local student uprising. As the University of California in San Diego came into being, its presence influenced the social, cultural, and political life of the area. The city of Del Mar gained new residents, many of whom were politically active, providing new community leadership. Emphasis began to shift to protecting the environment and beautifying Del Mar. From the late 60s to the early 80s people spoke of the "open space decade," thus Seagrove Park was born. The 80s marked an increasing emphasis on beautification, coupled with progress and a higher cosmopolitan profile. Del Mar grew to become home to a major publishing concern and attracted artists, writers, and business. In 1985, Del Mar celebrated its centennial, and the Del Mar Historical Society was born.

The centerpieces of new Del Mar are L'Auberge - a beautiful hotel designed with the Hotel Del Mar in mind - and the elegant shops and boutiques of the picturesque seaside shopping center, Del Mar Plaza. Its selection of restaurants provides great taste, mood, and rave reviews.
Jacob Taylor would be pleased to know that his vision retains its elegant ambiance, hosting guests from all over the world in the crown jewel of San Diego, our Del Mar.

Del Mar Historical Society

The founder of the Del Mar Historical Society was a gentleman named Harold (Swede) Throneson, affectionately known as Del Mar's "Mr. History."

Swede moved to Del Mar in 1959 while he was on active duty with the Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton. He and his wife rented a home on the beach for $150 a month, decided to buy a lot, built a home, and had a wonderful life in Del Mar. He retired after 21 years from the Marine Corps, taught elementary school another 15 years, and then retired.

He became involved in Del Mar history by accident. In conjunction with a local businessman, they were trying to come up with an idea to encourage people to go upstairs and patronize the shops at Stratford Square. Swede decided to put up old photographs. The idea worked so well that it is still being done today. In Swede's words "That's when I got hooked." There was no historical society at that time. He struck out on his own constantly collecting memorabilia, keeping files and making photographs.

In 1985 the Del Mar Historical Society was born. The founders and signers of incorporation papers were Swede, Alice Goodkind, Cathy Wood, Jane Scroggins, Cal Scroggins, Nancy Ewing and Gerry Wood. Swede passed away at the age of 83 on the 30th of April 2000. He will be forever remembered as the person who started it all.

In 2010, the Del Mar Historical Society merged with the Del Mar Village Association, and today is known as the History Committee of DMVA. However, Its mission has remained unchanged.

You can also check the San Dieguito Heritage Museum for more information on the communities of Leucadia, Encinitas, Olivenhain, Cardiff, Solana Beach, Del Mar, and Rancho Santa Fe.

Oral Histories

Oral histories of many of Del Mar’s noted residents are available in the Del Mar Library. These histories include a transcript of the interviews, many photographs, and a audio CD of the interview.

Al Tarkington Tom Pearson Victor Koss Patsy Faulk Don Terwilliger Jock Jocoy

Bill Arballo Robert Driver Swede Throneson Jim Watkins Dick Wheelock

Earl Maas Marion Morgan Tensia Trejo Marcella Rabwin Pat Welsh

I Remember When...

Everyone has great memories and these stories should be told, and we would like to capture as many of these stories as possible. Would you like to give a little bit of your time to make this happen? Your story can be as personal as you would like and about 300-600 words in length. We will be doing no editing. These are your words, your stories. We can receive your stories in two ways:

1. If you can type it in a Word document and send it to info@delmarmainstreet.com, that would be fine.
2. If you would like to mail the story to us, please send it to DMVA History Committee, P.O. Box 592, Del Mar, California  92014.

If you would rather, we can put more photographs in and fewer words. Your choice. The History Committee is happy to find the photograph to go with your story but if you have one, all the better! All pictures will be returned to you.

We will not correct or verify facts because this is your story in your words. Hopefully you will not use this for a political soapbox but then again we would like to hear about some funny political stories. So enjoy our articles and recall some stories of your own to share.

I Remember when Railroad Avenue ran through town, by Don Terwilliger
I remember when the big storms hit Del Mar, by Henry Abarbanel
Heaven should be as walkable as old Del Mar, by Carlo Coppo

Historical Resources

The San Diego Genealogical Society (SDGS) is dedicated to helping family historians find their ancestors. The Society assists its nearly 600 members and the public on that exciting journey of discovery.
www.casdgs.org