Local History of Carlsbad California “The Village By The Sea”
Local History of Carlsbad California The Village By The Sea: Carlsbad California is a coastal resort city in northern San Diego County. Carlsbad extends along the Pacific Coast Highway with seven miles of scenic of beautiful beaches. “The Village by the Sea” has a relaxed an old world-small town charm with rich local history.
Local History of Carlsbad California “The Village By The Sea”
Carlsbad’s earliest residents were the Luiseño Indians who settled the coastal area. The Luiseño people were successful in living off the land using a number of natural resources to provide food and clothing. They had a close relationship with their natural environment. They used many of the native plants, harvesting many kinds of seeds, berries, nuts, fruits, and vegetables for a varied and nutritious diet. The land also was inhabited by many different species of animals which the men hunted for game and skins. Hunters took antelopes, bobcats, deer, elk, foxes, mice, mountain lions, rabbits, wood rats, river otters, ground squirrels, and a wide variety of insects. These Native Americans people were here at the time of the first contacts with the Spanish in the 16th century.
The Spanish missions in California comprise a series of 21 religious outpost were established between 1769 and 1833. The missions led to the creation of the New Spain province of Alta California and were part of the expansion of the Spanish Empire into the most northern and western parts of Spanish North America.
In 1821, Mexico achieved independence from Spain, taking Alta California along with it, but the missions maintained authority over native people and control of land holdings until the 1830s. The Alta California government secularized the missions after the passage of the Mexican secularization act of 1833. This divided the mission lands into land grants, which became many of the Ranchos of California. During the Mexican period, in 1842, the southern portion of Carlsbad, was granted as Rancho Agua Hedionda to Juan María Marrón.
More Local History of Carlsbad California “The Village By The Sea”
In the 1882 Captain John Frazier dug a well near the coast in Carlsbad. He began offering his water at the train station and soon the whistle-stop became known as Frazier’s Station. A test done on a second fresh-water well discovered the water to be chemically similar to that found in some of the most renowned spas in the world, and the town was named after the famed spa in the Bohemian town of Karlsbad.
To take advantage of the find, the Carlsbad Land and Mineral Water Company was formed by a German-born merchant from the Midwest named Gerhard Schutte together with Samuel Church Smith, D. D. Wadsworth and Henry Nelson. The naming of the town to Carlsbad followed soon after, along with a major marketing campaign to attract visitors. At one point Carlsbad was changed to Carl to avoid confusion with the New Mexico town but changed back by popular demand.
The area experienced a period of growth, with homes and businesses sprouting up in the 1880s. Agricultural development of citrus fruits, avocados and olives soon changed the landscape. By the end of 1887, land prices fell throughout San Diego County. However, the community survived on the back of its fertile agricultural lands.
The site of John Frazier’s original well can still be found at Alt Karlsbad, a replica of a German Hanseatic house, located on Carlsbad Boulevard.
Local History of Carlsbad California “The Village By The Sea”
In 1952, Carlsbad was incorporated to avoid annexation by its neighbor, Oceanside. Carlsbad is now home to over 112,000 people. Carlsbad has a semi-arid Mediterranean climate and averages 263 sunny days per year. Winters are mild with periodic rain. Today Carlsbad is an affluent city, with charming boutiques and sidewalk cafes. Carlsbad is perhaps best know however for it’s 128-acre family theme park LEGOLAND California. Carlsbad’s other attractions include pristine fishing lagoons, nature trails, bird-watching locations as well as their historic village. Carlsbad is also home to the famous Gemological school GIA and the Making Music Museum. Not to mention the multitude of delicious restaurants and eateries. Carlsbad has a strong Mexican and Italian heritage and that is expressed in their food. The Italian population originally came to the San Diego area because of the Tuna Fishing Industry and have stayed in the restaurant business. Carlsbad is a great location to enjoy fresh locally sourced ingredients and farm to table style meals. Come and taste the difference for yourself fresh is always better.
For more information about Carlsbad, California you may enjoy reading our other blog post about our beautiful city. Visit Carlsbad website is also a wealth of information about Carlsbad.