Capistrano Beach, or Capo Beach, is a coastal neighborhood in the city of

Dana Point Dana Point () is a city located in southern Orange County, California, United States. The population was 33,107 at the 2020 census. It has one of the few harbors along the Orange County coast, and with ready access via State Route 1, it is a po ...

in Orange County, California. It is bordered by

San Clemente San Clemente (; Spanish for " St. Clement") is a city in Orange County, California. Located in the Orange Coast region of the South Coast of California, San Clemente's population was 64,293 in at the 2020 census. Situated roughly midway between ...

to the south and Doheny State Beach to the north. Capistrano Beach is situated along the coast on the southern end of Dana Point. Some homes are situated atop a cliff overlooking Coast Highway and the Capistrano Beach park. Several celebrities live in the town area, notably on Beach Road, where Hobie Alter conceived of the popular Hobie Cat catamaran.

History

Rancho Boca de la Playa, granted to Don Emigdio Vejar, was the initial land title issued in the area now known as Capistrano Beach. The land was sold to Juan Abila in 1860, and then purchased by Marcus A Forster in 1886. Forster sold a strip of the land to the

San Bernardino and San Diego Railway The California Central Railway was incorporated on April 23, 1887, with headquarters in San Bernardino, California. George O. Manchester was the President of the corporation. At its peak it operated of rail line with 14 steam locomotives, 14 ...

. The railway, in collaboration with the California Central Railway, built a rail line between Los Angeles and San Diego, with a station at Capistrano. The station was initially named San Juan by the Sea, but in 1910 was changed to Serra, the name of the newly formed school district. Development of Capistrano Beach started in 1925 with residential homes on the bluff. The Capistrano Beach Club was built along the shore of the new development. In 1929, the Petroleum Securities Company (owned by

Edward L. Doheny Edward Laurence Doheny (; August 10, 1856 – September 8, 1935) was an American oil tycoon who, in 1892, drilled the first successful oil well in the Los Angeles City Oil Field. His success set off a petroleum boom in Southern California, a ...

) became the new owners of the Capistrano Beach development. In 1931, following the death of Doheny's son, he donated over to the state for Doheny State Beach. Capistrano Beach became part of the city of Dana Point in 1989. During the excavation of the land during development in 1929, the bones of a

mastodon A mastodon ( 'breast' + 'tooth') is any proboscidean belonging to the extinct genus ''Mammut'' (family Mammutidae). Mastodons inhabited North and Central America during the late Miocene or late Pliocene up to their extinction at the end of th ...

(or possibly a mammoth) were discovered. The bones were taken to the Los Angeles National History Hall for display. The wooden pier was popular for strolling, sightseeing, and fishing. The pier was severely damaged by waves in 1964, after which it was condemned and demolished in 1965. The Capistrano Beach Club became rundown and, in the late 1960s, was dismantled. During storms in 2018, a boardwalk collapsed and an outdoor basketball court was severely damaged after being undermined by erosion caused by the waves. The storm exposed old cars put there decades prior as part of a now corroded sea wall. More boulders were placed to protect the basketball court that was damaged. The Serra Siding project is proposed along the shoreline that would build of additional siding track. The project would create additional train capacity along this busy corridor.

Gallery

File:Dana Point and the bluffs at Capistrano, California, ca.1900 (CHS-1548).jpg, Capistrano Beach from the sea, c. 1900 File:Laguna Beach surf and Arch Rocks between Laguna and Capistrano, 1910 (CHS-1311).jpg, Rock arches at Capistrano Beach in 1910 File:Laguna Beach surf and the rock arches at Capistrano Beach, "The Lady of the Sea", 1910 (CHS-1303).jpg, Rock arches at Capistrano Beach in 1910 File:Capistrano Beach Dana Point California photo D Ramey Logan.jpg, The San Juan Creek's southwestern mouth at Capistrano Beach File:Capistrano Beach.jpg, Capistrano Beach sea bluffs in 2005 File:San Diego Steam Special II along Coast Highway in Capistrano Beach, May 2010.jpg, Santa Fe 3751 in Capistrano Beach in May 2010 File:Capistrano Beach, California (3436693609).jpg, A lifeguard stand at Capistrano Beach

References

{{reflist Dana Point, California Neighborhoods in Orange County, California

History

Gallery

See also

References