Surf City News

HEH? Henry E. Huntington in Huntington Beach

Huntington Beach, Calif.–Streams of calls come into the Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce asking for Huntington Library. Anyone who answers a telephone in a California city with “Huntington” in the name quickly learns that visitors are seeking the Huntington Library & Gardens in San Marino. This estate offers a tour of the mansion in which Henry E. Huntington resided during his life. The beautiful acres of gardens, art gallery and library with significant collections such as the Gutenberg Bible, all are worth the visit to the Los Angeles attraction.

There are two cities in California named after the powerful and wealthy business magnate, Henry E. Huntington–Huntington Park and Huntington Beach. “HB” or “Surf City” are several nicknames for the beach city that was first, and briefly called Pacific City. Henry Huntington owned the Pacific Electric Railway Company in 1902, and was a large stakeholder in Southern Pacific Railroad. Huntington’s company & money constructed a rail system between Los Angeles and Long Beach, with Newport Beach  the final destination. H.E.  Huntington built Huntington Inn between Long Beach and Newport Beach  in Pacific City in 1903 as the region’s first stately beach lodgings. In a gesture of gratitude Pacific City was renamed Huntington Beach, setting off a boom that drove prices on lots from an affordable $200 to $3000 or more!

Today a downtown Huntington Beach project named Pacific City is a dust bowl of partially built foundations on a complex designed and marketed to rekindle the dreams that HB was built on. Like the city’s first Huntington Inn, a luxury hotel, homes and entertainment have been planned and could eventually be built.

When a “ghost expert” passed through the city during Huntington Beach’s centennial to celebrate its 100 years of incorporation in 2009, the person claimed to commune with spirits and suggested that Henry E. Huntington was chuckling from above.  He said that Henry E. Huntington put the name “Pacific City” to rest over 100 years ago and efforts to re-build Pacific City and  re-brand Huntington Beach with new monikers have met unusual challenges that could be more than circumstance. Coincidence or not?

The mural of Henry E. Huntington can be seen in a walkway between Main Street and 5th Street next to Perqs Nite Club, Huntington Beach, CA 92648.   Huntington Library & Gardens offers an in depth look at the larger-than-life figure: 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, CA 91108, Call: (626) 405-2100. huntington.org