Mission Statement:

To maintain and enhance Imperial Beach as "Classic Southern California"; a beach-oriented community with a safe, small town, family atmosphere, rich in natural and cultural resources.

History:

The "modern" history of Imperial Beach started about June 1887 when R. R. Morrison a real estate developer, filed a subdivision map with the San Diego County Clerk. The map referred to the area as South San Diego Beach, The area It encompassed was 5th Street to 13th Street north of Palm Avenue and from about 9th Street to 17th Street between Palm Avenue and (what today is) Imperial Beach Blvd. This included areas that have since been annexed by San Diego and which were formerly called Palm City.

Mr. George Chaffey purchased several plots of land for subdivision. His intent was to create a summer retreat for the people of Imperial Valley. It's considered that the name 'Imperial Beach" was coined as part of a marketing strategy. Mr. Frank J. Cullen, another sub-divider, did some building on 1st street. Some of his structures lasted until 1963 when they were razed to provide space for the Municipal Pier parking lot.

The 1880's came to be known as the land boom era, Promoters followed the same general pattern. First came acquisition and subdivision which was followed by a hotel or other attraction. Then came the land auction and finally the hardest part, the building of the community by its residents. In the years preceding and following, this same general pattern held true for many of the developments in the surrounding area, such as Coronado Heights, Oneonta, Monument City, South San Diego, International City, Barbers Station, South Coronado, Tia Juana City and San Ysidro.

Imperial Beach got its first sidewalks in 1909-1910. The Disinger's operated a general store, post office and a branch of the county library on First Street for nearly fifty years. Down the street a few blocks, Mrs. Harmon built a dance pavilion with an adjoining cafe. It reached its peak of popularity during World War I and operated until it burned down on Christmas Day, 1943, when its cooking tanks exploded. The roof on the home of Harold and Genevieve Ord caught fire from drifting cinders. Ord was away from home, fighting the Cafe-Pavilion fire.

A pier was constructed about 1909. Its original purpose was to generate electricity for the town using wave action which activated massive machinery on the end of the pier. It worked inadequately for its intended purpose and the "Edwards Wave Motor," as it was named, was disassembled and removed. For many years the pier attracted large crowds as did the nearby boardwalk and bathhouse. The wooden pier finally deteriorated and it washed to sea in a severe 1948 storm. The boardwalk lasted until 1953.

Also in 1910, the builder of the Hotel del Coronado, E. S. Babcock, who reportedly kept a mistress in Imperial Beach, dredged a channel to where the north end of 10th Street is today. Boats carrying up to fifty passengers landed at what was called the South San Diego Landing. The boats were operated by Oakley Hall and Ralph Chandler. Captain A. J. Larsen piloted the Grant, which had been purchased from the USS Grant hotel by Chandler. The Grant traveled between Market Street in San Diego to the South Bay Landing three times a day. Sometimes a night trip was added. A battery powered trolley car operated by the Mexico and San Diego Railway Company met the people at the South Bay Landing. The trolley took them up 10th Street to Palm Ave. and then west on Palm to First Street where it turned left and proceeded to the end of the street before returning to the landing. The motor cars' batteries were the newest invention of Thomas A. Edison who had experimented with a way to do away with the overhead trolley car wires. The cruises were very popular for about six years.

In January 1916, after very heavy rains, the the Sweetwater Dam suffered severe erosion, and the Lower Otay Dam was totally destroyed. A large wall of water rushed down the Otay Valley washing away nearly everything in its path. A total of 44 inches of rain was reported within 26 days. The flood caused the 10th Street channel to fill with silt. It was never dredged again.

South San Diego's first school was constructed in 1888 at Tenth Street and Elm Avenue. It was a two story, wooden frame building with the auditorium upstairs and a large bell tower. There were no buildings close to it for years and made a beautiful picture.
In 1920 the Highland, South San Diego and Oneonta School Districts united to form the South Bay Union School District. The Monument School District joined the South Bay District in 1940. The South Bay Union School District's enrollment for 1925 was 110. In 1928, district residents were asked to vote for bonds in the amount of $32,000 to purchase a ten acre site near 19th Street and Coronado Avenue. In May 1930, the new school was dedicated and named Emory, in honor of Brigadier General William R. Emory. He had used the site as his headquarters many years before, and was responsible for a large part of San Diego being in the United States. General Emory played a leading role in the conflicts that resulted in the selection of the International Boundary Line.

Imperial Beach Elementary School was built In 1943 by the federal government. Mrs. Lillian Oliver, who had been district superintendent, gave up that position to take the job as principal. Godfrey G. Berry became superintendent for the next twenty years. By 1945, enrollment in the district reached 800 pupils. Westview was built in 1949. For a short period, classes met in the San Diego Children's Association Home on the beach and also in the Methodist Church on Evergreen Avenue near 2nd Street and the South Bay Community Center. One of the earliest churches within the boundaries of Imperial Beach was the Community Methodist Church whose congregation met during the 1940's in a small building at 213 Evergreen Avenue which was then called 5th Street. A retired Navy Chaplain, Adam P. Zedekar helped start the church. Dr. R. N. Merrill served the congregation in the late 1940's and was the first minister in the new church building at 455 Palm Avenue which began services in December, 1950. The church was geared to community service and was used by various organizations. Before the Imperial Beach congregation of Methodists organized, Methodists in the area had to travel to the Nestor United Methodist Church at 1120 22nd Street. This Is the oldest church In the area and dates back to 1888 when a congregation was formed and it was called the Tia Juana Methodist church.

The military made its presence known at various locations in the area. The Coronado Heights section, which was subdivided in the 1880's (North of Imperial Beach) but never developed, was used by the Army after the turn of the Century. Troop "A" of the 10th U.S. Cavalry was based at Camp Herne in this elevated spot to provide security to the region due to the conflicts along the border. After the outbreak of World War 1, Colonel Cominsky, then Commanding Officer of the 10th Cavalry, turned over his parade grounds and several buildings for the Imperial Beach Acrobatic Camp. East Field (Otay Mesa), Ream Field and the Imperial Beach Acrobatic Field became an important area for the national defense. North Island became a permanent air station in 1918. The following Year, the first civilians were hired at North Island as laborers and to do clerical work. Camp Herne soldiers used to put on a show on Sunday afternoons which was open to the public. It was a real thrill, especially to youngsters, to watch the mounted saber drill as the troop of horsemen galloped with horses head to tail, long sabers flashing in the sun. The cavalry sabers were much longer then the officer's swords of today. They had a "monkey" drill team too. This was trick riding. They used surcingles rather than saddles. This was a belly-band around the horse with hand grips on it. The soldiers would vault from one side to the other and always wound up with a pyramid routine using three horses and six men. The soldiers sometimes had relay races too, which allowed the spectators to cheer for their favorites.