Brief History of Coronado Island
An Amazing Past That Has Given Rise to Today's Culture
Coronado, the “Crown City”, has been a desired destination since the Hotel Del Coronado was built in 1887. At present, a little over 29,000 people proudly call Coronado home. Coronado is now a flourishing community also home to 28 miles of beach area, 67 fabulous restaurants, 14 hotels, 18 city parks, 1 golf course and a near perfect climate. This place is exhilarating and provides tranquility all at the same time. Coronado is a beach resort community with a genuine small town feel, a dedicated city council and a supportive chamber of commerce. Calm tree-lined streets, welcoming neighborhoods, passionate community, solid economy and top-ranked education system are only few of the great things you’ll find in Coronado.
Coronado’s history is amazing. Coronado was purchased for the sum of $110,000 on November 19, 1885! In April 7, 1886, Elisha S. Babcock, Jr., Hampton L. Story and Jocob Gruendike along with two others organized the, then popular, Coronado Beach Company. The Coronado Beach Co. got to work quickly and hired hundreds of laborers to develop the division of lots on the land as well as construct the local railroad, water and irrigation systems. Later that same year, the Coronado Beach Co. auctioned all 350 lots and sold them for the same amount of the purchase. The founding fathers had absolutely no issue making money back on their investment. At this point, the community infrastructure gained momentum thanks to the publicity and powerful community support, which holds stable today.
Hotel Del Coronado
In 1887, construction began for the Hotel Del Coronado which was the icing on the cake for the Coronado Beach Co. The “Hotel Del” is a illustrious and magical Queen Anne Victorian designed by James and Watson Reid. This grand masterpiece opened its doors to the public with a elegant ceremony, on February 19th, 1888. The momentum of this thriving period lead to the establishment of Coronado’s Ferry Company as well as the Boating , Athletic and Baseball Clubs. In July 1889, the ownership of the “Hotel Del” landed in the hands of John D. Spreckles who eventually obtained controlling interest of the Coronado Beach Co. He shares responsibility for some of the grand architecture you see on Coronado today and the sale of North Island to the U.S. government in 1917.
Tent City
One of Spreckels accomplishments was Tent City. Developed in 1900, Tent City was located just north of the “Hotel Del” where the towers at Coronado Shores currently reside. It was the craze of the town and a perfect destination for all Coronado summer visitors. Each tent cost $4.50 and contained a wood floor, furnishings, electricity as well as a cooking area. With its own fire and police departments, in 1923 this makeshift city became available year-round catering to visitors from around the world. A few attractions were a swimming pool, ferris wheel, aquaplaning, sailing and an event for the whole family: the children’s bullfight. In 1936 Spreckels announced that Tent City would be discontinued due to the new state highway construction and was completely removed in 1939.
North Island
North Island and Coronado proper were separated by a body of water until 1935 when Army Engineers filled in the body of water creating a single piece of land. Before the Army connected the two Coronado land masses, North Island was the aviation capital of the world. In 1911, Glenn Curtiss researched his new seaplane model which lead to the first amphibian flight in the world. He also opened and operated the first U.S. military flying school. Eventually, North Island was purchased by the government from John D. Spreckeles for five million dollars and it became an Army/Navy base. Subsequently, many flying records would continue to be broken in Coronado.
Coronado’s rich history, regal setting, diverse architecture as well as it’s united community truly make Coronado the “Crown City”.
