History of Grover Beach
Posted by Richard L. Roberts
GUEST SPEAKER- Rachel Manuele
Debbie Peterson introduced Rachel Manuele, representing the GB Parks & Recreation Department. Rachel organized the ten-year GB train station celebration a few months back and is a member of an award winning team at the City.
Debbie Peterson introduced Rachel Manuele, representing the GB Parks & Recreation Department. Rachel organized the ten-year GB train station celebration a few months back and is a member of an award winning team at the City.
Rachel said that she had worked in a HistoryMuseum that sparked her interest in the history of GroverBeach. She did research at the CountyMuseum in SLO and spoke to Arnie Dowdy, a well-known local historian, and Cliff Clark, the first City Attorney and City Clerk. D.W. Grover, a lumberman from Seaside, who bought the land in 1887 and filed the city plan with the county, founded GroverBeach. He had a vision to create a resort town, first naming it Huntington Beach, thinking that would encourage the railroad to build a station here. The name had already been taken by a town along the southern coast of California. The new city was officially named GroverCity after its founder, D.W. Grover, who promoted the city as "...the grandest winter and summer seaside resort on the PacificCoast."
In 1935, Horace Bagwell bought 1100 acres and advertised the city as the "home of the average man," with land prices in the working man's range. Word began to spread and so did development with the first store opening in the forties, followed by a post office, Fairgrove Fire District and the Grover City Water District. According to Arnie Dowdy, former GB City Manager, much of the growth took place when houses were moved from the freeway construction right of way to GroverBeach and were sold to construction workers at Vandenberg AFB. Annual visitors from the San JoaquinValley also purchased many of these beach houses. Grover City was incorporated in 1959.
Although earlier, the community had a straw vote to keep the name GroverCity, some thought a more ocean-oriented name would be more descriptive and better for tourist attraction and development. In 1992, city residents narrowly voted to change the name to GroverBeach reaffirming the City Council's vote to change the name by Ordinance. A Chamber of Commerce committee that promoted and supported this change included Dan O'Donnell, Peter Keith, Bill Rabenault, Sandy Smallwood, Richard and Carol Roberts and others.
Rachel loaned a picture board with artifact documents to the GB Community Library to display for the month of March. In conclusion, Rachel said, "D.W. Grover's early vision is now happening!"
In 1935, Horace Bagwell bought 1100 acres and advertised the city as the "home of the average man," with land prices in the working man's range. Word began to spread and so did development with the first store opening in the forties, followed by a post office, Fairgrove Fire District and the Grover City Water District. According to Arnie Dowdy, former GB City Manager, much of the growth took place when houses were moved from the freeway construction right of way to GroverBeach and were sold to construction workers at Vandenberg AFB. Annual visitors from the San JoaquinValley also purchased many of these beach houses. Grover City was incorporated in 1959.
Although earlier, the community had a straw vote to keep the name GroverCity, some thought a more ocean-oriented name would be more descriptive and better for tourist attraction and development. In 1992, city residents narrowly voted to change the name to GroverBeach reaffirming the City Council's vote to change the name by Ordinance. A Chamber of Commerce committee that promoted and supported this change included Dan O'Donnell, Peter Keith, Bill Rabenault, Sandy Smallwood, Richard and Carol Roberts and others.
Rachel loaned a picture board with artifact documents to the GB Community Library to display for the month of March. In conclusion, Rachel said, "D.W. Grover's early vision is now happening!"