Read Ranch & Coast Virtually Anywhere
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Both natives of San Diego, Marshall and Magno have a lifelong love of the region, its history, and quirkiness. Most of the cards in the book have never been published before, and the selection criteria was that nothing shown could still be standing unless it had been dramatically altered from its original appearance, like downtown's Santa Fe Depot. "We picked a lot of the postcards not knowing their backstory," says Marshall. "In 1939, there was an ice skating rink built at 8th Street and Harbor Drive. It was only when researching it that Eileen and I discovered Elvis had performed four concerts there in 1956. Tickets were $1.50." One of Magno's favorite postcards involves aquaplaning, a precursor to water skiing in which the person rode on a single wooden board pulled by a boat. "I wasn't sure what it was when I first saw it, but one of the people in the picture had a T-shirt with the words 'Tent City Coronado,'" says Magno. Researching it further, she found some old newspapers that had ads promoting the sport of aquaplaning as early as 1900. Magno was also struck by the images of Mission Valley, which in the 1950s and early '60s was still a large dairy field, not the site of hotels, malls, office buildings, and a stadium. Among other topics, the book highlights the military, the waterfront, the city's aerospace history, and it concludes with a chapter titled "Only in San Diego." Altogether, it is a celebration of the history of San Diego and its neighboring cities. BILL ABRAMS From bowling alleys to military bases; from giant dirigibles to sleek airplanes; from billionaires to bulldogs…Forgotten San Diego showcases the unique evolution of San Diego and its neighboring cities. ~Excerpt from the book jacket of Forgotten San Diego @ranchandcoast RANCH & COAST MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2023 77 David Marshall and Eileen Magno