Franklin Riley Park is Good to Go
In the middle of the 2010s several people in the Historical Society and its friends wondered why there was no public acknowledgment of Morro Bay’s European founder, Franklin Riley.
Out of this concern we got the idea to dedicate a park to him. We considered re-naming an existing park but a better idea came along: the little triangle of undeveloped bluff top land along Morro Street near its intersection with Olive. Stretching from the old red Warner house on the north to the wooden stairs to Tidelands Park on the south, this parcel was already used like a park and provides a spectacular view of the harbor, sandspit and Rock.
The parcel was available because of the Morro Cove development. As part of the negotiations between the City and the developer, the land was deeded to the City as fee owner.
HSMB asked the City Council to name the parcel after Franklin Riley and on September 12, 2017 they passed a resolution making it happen. The only obligation they placed on the Historical Society was to pay for signage.
The sign that names the park was made by former mayor Jamie Irons and donated to the effort. Other interpretive signs now in the park were created and paid for by the Historical Society (in part using grant funds). The City got a grant to redesign the path through the park and construct it. The residents of Morro Cove have ‘adopted’ the park and volunteer to clean it and help ensure that the eucalyptus trees along the bluff edge are maintained. Going forward, Morro Bay in Bloom will help install low, native plants to enhance the space while preserving the views.
A lot of strollers walk their dogs; some sit on the new park benches made possible by HSMB member donations; others just take in the wonderful view. The creation of Franklin Riley Park was a community effort that required very few tax dollars. It is now part of our history.
Remembering 1964 in Morro Bay - 60th Anniversary
You ‘celebrate’ an anniversary, and the City of Morro Bay will have some events about the 60 the anniversary of its incorporation in early September. We’ll have more news for you about those in emails and Facebook posts. But we are also historians, so another thing we do with anniversaries is remember what things were like in that first day, the time near the founding date we celebrate.
You can help a lot. Dig those old photos, postcards, letters, newspapers—whatever—your family has out of the attic and share the ones that seem to capture something about Morro Bay in the mid-1960s. Let us know at info@historicmorrobay.org either directly or set up a time we can get together with you. We want to get the story right.t.
A Visit from 'Gladys Walton'
Did you miss the recent interview with 'Gladys Walton', star of the silent silver screen? Janice Peters channeled Ms. Walton at HSMB's July 14, 2024 meeting. You can catch up by reading the script by Janice and Joe Ingraffia.
Current Project Highlight: Nadine Richards' Little Red House
Do you know the little red house at the south end of the Embarcadero, near the boat launch at Tidelands Park? From the launch, look east to the bluff, behind the fence.
We need to preserve this unique part of Morro Bay’s history. The current owners need to either move it or demolish it because there isn’t room on the little lot to build the new house they want AND keep Nadine’s. They have offered to give the LRH to the Historical Society, but we need to raise the money to move it to a new foundation. We hope you can help! Contact us
about making a donation for this important project.
Early 1900's
This photo of two men spending their day clam digging in Morro Bay during low tide was taken in the early part of the 1900's. The men are approximately where State Park Road is today below the Natural History Museum. Fishing, clamming and oyster farming are part of our deep aquatic history!
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Before Quarried
This is an old photo of Morro Rock taken prior to it being quarried. You can see the southern section clearly had a slope without the dramatic drop that is there today. We are fascinated by the history of our community!