Doheny State Beach celebrated its 75th Anniversary in 2006 as state park in the California parks system.
The anniversary was celebrated with a lot of fun and historic exhibits sponsored by the Doheny Longboard Surfing Association. Food booths with fish tacos, hamburgers, hot dogs and birthday cake. Daylong activities included bird watching, butterfly tours, fishing demos, cake contest, volleyball clinic and a s'mores demo. The day ended with a time capsule burial.
Booths include vintage surfboards, art, sharks, whales, lifeguard history, photos, woodies and restored camping trailers from the '30s to '60s.
It started with bloodshed. Edward Doheny Jr. - whom everyone called Ned - was killed in his Beverly Hills home in 1929 by his crazed secretary, who then killed himself. His father, oil tycoon Edward Doheny Sr., was distraught over his son's death and didn't want to deal with land in Capistrano Beach that Ned bought a year earlier, so he donated about 44 acres of the undeveloped land to the state in 1931. Not the sweetest of stories - but it's nevertheless how Doheny State Beach became what it is today.
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Did you know? The land was once called Charley's Point, after a guy named Charley who built a house on the beach. He had a cat that surfed with him.
Doheny is mentioned in "Surfer Joe," by the Surfaris, and "Surfin' U.S.A." by the Beach Boys.
It once had stellar surf, from the nearby "Killer Dana" break. When the harbor was built, any north swell was blocked.
In the '40s, 370 feet of beach was acquired from Santa Fe Railroad, and in 1957 a half-mile of beach was bought from Union Oil.
The park is 62 acres. Source: State Parks |
