Author: Tim Nebergall | Date Posted: 11/06/2008

Newport Beach

The day that Captain Samuel S. Dunnells steered his river boat Vaquero through upper Newport Bay in 1870, James and Robert McFadden rushed from Northern California by stagecoach to mark the this momentous event.

Captiain Dunnells' voyage cast the bay in a brand new light, because many had said that the bay was too treacherous for travel. The main landowners in the area, the McFadden brothers and James Irvine, saw some real opportunity after Dunnells' trip. They called it a "new port" and the name stuck, at least according to the Newport Beach Historical Society.

102 years later, Newport Beach's harbor is has pleasure, fishing and tour boats, its streets are bustling with shoppers browsing at Fashion Island mall, tourists enjoying Balboa bars on Balboa Island and surfers tackling The Wedge or other hot spots along the city's 6.2 miles of beaches. But Newport wasn't always such a desirable place to be. According to the Newport Beach Historical Society in the mid-1800s, the state of California sold parts of Harbor, Balboa and Lido islands for $1 an acre as swamp and overflow land! The McFaddens, however, had other plans. In 1888, they decided their shipping business would be more successful if they moved it from the inner shores of the bay to the oceanfront, where they could build a wharf. The McFadden Wharf soon became the largest business in newly created Orange County.

In 1906 the residents in the quaint bay town voted to incorporate. At the time bay front houses sold for as little as $500. Today, the median price of homes for sale in Newport Beach is approximately $545,000.

Residents identify closely with their communities, including Corona del Mar, Lido and Balboa islands. Homes are separated from busy commercial areas such as Lido Village, Mariner's Mile and Newport Center.

Over a hundred years after the McFaddens built what is now Newport Pier, the city still revels in its ocean roots. Back then, just a couple of summer cottages could be rented, and a few dozen people called Newport home.

Newport Beach

Historical Sites:

McFadden's Wharf - Newport Pier
Completed in 1889, the wharf was the beginning of Newport's decade as a shipping port. The wharf was built by James and Robert McFadden, who shipped lumber from Northern California to settlers here.

Rendezvous Ballroom - Ocean Front (Between Washington & Palm Streets)
The ballroom originally was a small dance hall that competed with the Balboa Pavilion. In 1928 a new Rendezvous Ballroom was built and began to feature such big bands as Benny Goiodman's group. The ballroom burned down in 1935, was rebuilt, and burned down again in 1966. The site now contains condominiums.

Balboa Pavilion - 400 Main St.
Newport Beach's first landmark was built in 1905. The Scandinavian-style pavilion was the end of the line for the Pacific Electric Red Car. The "balboa Hop" dance began there during World War II. The pavilion now contains a variety of shops, a restaurant and a chartering company.

Old Landing - Highway 101 & Dover Dr.
In 1870 the first steamer entered Newport Bay and unloaded cargo near what is known as Old Landing. The landing was designated a new port, or "Newport", by the McFaddens, who established a regular shipping service in the area. There is a bridge and a highway on part of the site now. The rest of the area is vacant.

SITE OF FIRST WATER-TO-WATER FLIGHTLocation: S end of Main St at Ocean Front (Balboa), Newport Beach. On May 10, 1912, Glenn L. Martin flew his own plane, built in Santa Ana, from the waters of the Pacific Ocean at Balboa to Catalina Island. This was the first water-to-water flight, and the longest and fastest overwater flight, to that date. On his return to the mainland, Martin carried the day's mail from Catalina, another first.