Happy 133rd Birthday Oceanside! You're Looking Better Than Ever

OCEANSIDE, CA — 'The original town site was on section 22 being a sheep range occupied in 1882 by A. J. Myers, to whom a patent was issued in 1883.' - written in 1890 (courtesy of the Oceanside Historical Society)

The City of Oceanside has a long and rich history that stretches back beyond the founding date of 1888. Mission San Luis Rey was founded 90 years earlier in 1798. The first pier was also built in 1888 on the end of Couts street, now Wisconsin. The current pier was built in 1987 and is the 6th Pier to be built in Oceanside.

Today we celebrate Oceanside's 133 birthday!

The City of Oceanside Parks and Recreation Division will host an incredible Fireworks display at 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 3, 2021, at El Corazon, in celebration of Oceanside's 133rd anniversary of the City's incorporation. There will be musical entertainment and food available beginning at 6:00 p.m. The recommended viewing area is on Rancho Del Oro Drive, which will be closed at 5:00 p.m. from Oceanside Boulevard north to Mesa Drive. MAP

History of Oceanside Highlights

On July 20, 1769, Father Juan Crespi arrived in the area known today as the San Luis Rey Valley, which was populated by Native Americans. His glowing report of the area as a possible mission site was responsible for the founding of Mission San Luis Rey de Francia in 1798.

A small town had grown up around the mission in the San Luis Rey Valley. A storekeeper there, Andrew Jackson Myers, was far-sighted enough to apply for a homestead grant in the area just south of Rancho Santa Margarita. The Federal government granted "Jack" Myers 160 acres and a former government surveyor, Cave J. Couts, staked-out the claim, which was to become the very heart of Oceanside. J. Chauncey Hayes handled the real estate for Myers and the boom was on.

Early Oceanside grew at a phenomenal rate; on the date of the city's incorporation July 3, 1888 the population of Oceanside was approximately 1,000. By 1889, the Bank of Oceanside was built on the corner of Mission Avenue and South Coast Highway and also a grand hotel, the South Pacific, located on Pier View Way and Pacific Streets near the present pier.

In 1943 the old steel pier was damaged severely in a storm. The value of the pier as a tourist attraction was deemed strong enough to consider raising a bond issue to build a new and even grander pier. In 1946, the people of Oceanside passed a $175,000 bond issue to build the longest pier -- 1,900 feet on the West Coast. The same year saw the construction of the building which was to house the Oceanside Public Library until 1971.

The 1960's saw the opening of Tri-City Hospital and the building of the Oceanside Small Craft Harbor. The harbor is a tourist destination and is well used with over 800 boat slips covering 100 acres (30 land and 70 water).

Oceanside has come a long way since the early days of just a small village surrounding the Mission San Luis Rey. Take a photo tour and see how much Oceanside has changed over the last 133 years.

100 Years Of Photos By The Oceanside Historical Society

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