Simpler for ADA compliance

The Carlsbad Historical Society was established in 1975 to preserve, promote, and enhance knowledge of the surrounding area's history, significant landmarks, institutions and memorabilia. We are a non-profit organization dedicated to reaching out to the community through educational as well as social events.

Our museum and archives are located in The Shipley-Magee House, at 258 Beech Ave. The museum portion is furnished in a turn of the century style which reflects the life style of the early settlers of Carlsbad who once owned the house. Also, displays of Carlsbad and the surrounding agricultural community are housed here in order to educate the public during the tours.

Our historical gardens feature a nationally registered Rose Garden, in addition to a Victorian Herb bed, a native Southern Californian bed, a Carlsbad commercial growers bed and a Patriotic Red, White and Blue bed.

Magee Park hosts the Shipley Barn furnished with displays of Carlsbad agricultural memorabilia; the Granary, relocated from the historic Twin Inns Restaurant; and Heritage Hall, the relocated original St. Patrick's Church which was also used for the original Carlsbad City library and Carlsbad Police Department.

Español -Italiano -Français -Deutsch

Carlsbad Historical Society Founders

Location of Museum/Office: 258 Beech Street,
Carlsbad, Downtown; 1 block off HW 101

Days: Saturdays and Sundays
11AM to 3PM

Mailing Address: 258 Beech Ave.
Carlsbad, CA 92008
Phone: (442) 500-4471
E-Mail to: cbadhistory@gmail.com

History

Ammonites in Carlsbad

Dinosaurs in Carlsbad

American Rhinos in Carlsbad

10,000 years of History in the San Diego Area

Archaeology in Carlsbad

First Sight of Carlsbad

Early History

Robert Kelly

Oatman Massacre

History of Shipley-Magee House

Carlsbad Downtown 1925

Carlsbad Connections Displays

Carlsbad Services and Other Topics Displays

Allan O. Kelly

Tales of the Wilson Ranch

Carlsbad Architecture, by Marge Howard-Jones

Recent posters of Carlsbad, Mayor Lewis and our Sister Cities

Rain Fall Data 1850-1980

Life on a San Diego County Ranch (~1925) by John Kelly -- PDF

Life on a San Diego County Ranch (~1925) by John Kelly -- HTML

Life on a San Diego County Ranch (~1925) by John Kelly -- HTML in Chapters

A History of Carlsbad (1961) by Jack Harmon

History of Carlsbad

Early Influences
The 1880s and 1890s
The Early 1900s
The '20s
The '30s
The '40s
The Post War Years
The Battle for Incorporation
The Fifties
The Sixties and Beyond

Historia de Carlsbad - en Español

Influencias Iniciales
Los 1980 y 1890
Los comienzos de 1900
Los Años 20
Los Años 30
Los Años 40
Los Años Posteriores a la Guerra
La Batalla por la Incorporacion
Los Cincuenta
Los Sesenta

CARLSBAD HISTORY ABC’s

A -- is for annexed, La Costa was one;
B -- for the Barrio – History! Fun!
C -- is for Crespi, for Carl, and for Chase;
D -- for the Dog Park, where pooches can pace.
E -- is for Elm the old main street through town;
F -- for the Flower Fields, they’ve brought renown.
G -- for guayule and old Luther Gage;
H -- for Hosp Grove where the “eucs” replaced sage.
I -- for the Indian tribes still here now;
J -- is for Juno, the Shipley’s bow-wow.
K -- for the Kelly’s and all their good deeds;
L -- is for Ledgerwood planting those seeds.
M -- for Marron and for Florence Magee;
N -- is for nature, lagoons and the sea.
O -- for Our Paper, our very first read;
P -- Portola, he rode here on a steed.
Q -- for our Quadrants, northwest is the best;
R -- for the railroad, it brought folks out west.
S -- for the spring that the seekers did find;
T -- for Twin Inns, that’s where lots of folks dined.
U -- for utopia, paradise found;
V -- for the Village, the best, it’s renowned.
W -- for water, it’s part of our history;
X -- as in X marks the spot, it’s a mystery.
Y -- for the years since our City was started;
Z -- for the Zany Hats, now long departed.

Geoff Armour

Ranchos of San Diego

Timelines

20,000 BC - 1896: Prehistoric - Mission - Rancho

1896 - 1924: Town - Agriculture

1925 - 1951: Community Growth

1952 - Present: Cityhood

2002 - 2022 70th Anniversary

Timeline

1542 - Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, sailing for Spain, claims "California" for the crown.

1602 - Sebastian Vizcaino anchors off Point Loma, and names San Diego Bay.

1769 - Sacred Expedition - First written historical document of Carlsbad by Father Crespi

1798 - Father Lausen established the Mission San Luis Rey de Francia

1821 - Mexico gains independence from Spain

1844 - Rancho San Francisco changes name to Rancho Agua Hedionda

1848 - California becomes part of the United States of America

1860 - Rancho Agua Hedionda changes ownership to Frances Hinton

1870 - Hinton dies, wills Rancho Agua Hedionda to Robert Kelly

1880 - Robert Kelly gives right of way to railroad through Rancho Hedionda coastal land

1881 - John Frazier settles on Government surveyed land north of Rancho Agua Hedionda

1883 - Frazier discovers artesian and mineral water near coast

1886 - Capitalizing on Frazier's discovery, the real estate development company "Carlsbad Land and Water Company" is formed. It purchases Frazier's property and additional acreage north of Rancho Agua Hedionda and establishes the town of Carlsbad

1887 - Building lots subdivided, building boom in Carlsbad

1890 - Robert Kelly dies, wills Rancho Agua Hedionda to nieces and nephews

1900 - Land bust in Southern California- Carlsbad almost abandoned

1914 - South Coast Land Company purchases remaining land from defunct Carlsbad Land and Water Company

1922 - Water piped in from the San Luis Rey River allow development of Flower and avocado industry

1927 - Highway 101 diversion completed through Carlsbad, State highway bypasses downtown business district.

1930 - Carlsbad Mineral Springs Hotel opens- tourism industry born in Carlsbad

1936 - Army Navy Academy moves to Carlsbad

1937 - Leo Carrillo purchase Matthew Kelly homestead Los Kiotes

1940's - WWII comes to Carlsbad, houses demand increases

1952 - City of Carlsbad incorporates

1954 - I-5 Freeway connect Carlsbad to Oceanside

1956 - Carlsbad City's first city library established

1959 - Palomar Airport opens

1966 - I-5 from La Costa to San Diego opens

1969 - Plaza Camino Real Shopping Mall opens

1972 - La Costa annexed to City of Carlsbad

- Car Country Carlsbad opens

1981 - Carlsbad Triathlon begins

1999 - Lego Land opens

Appendix I - Carlsbad TimeLine 2002-2022

2002 City of Carlsbad Celebrates the 50th Anniversary of incorporation

2003 Carrillo Ranch Opens to the Public

2004 Magee Park Barn Restored

2005 50th anniversary of Voters approved a 1.25 million construction bond that funded building Carlsbad High School- the first high school ever built in Carlsbad

2006 Prop D- Strawberry Fields Tails voted in, and California State Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appears at Carlsbad High School and announces plans for education funding

2007 Ray Pachett, City Manager for 20 years retires

2008 Learning Center Opens, and Carlsbad changes from a General Law Municipality to a Charter City

2009 New Village Arts opens at Foundry and Carlsbad High School Renovated

2010 Kelly Elementary School Shooting

2011 Twentieth Carlsbad Annual Marathon

2012 Bud Lewis DeSal Plant Construction begins

2013 Sage Creek High School Opens

2014 Poinsettia Fire and Alga Norte Park opened

2015 No On A Ballot and Bud Lewis DeSal Plant opens

2016 Carlsbad City libraries; Dove and Cole renovated

2017 City transitions to District specific voting for City Council Members

2018 Carlsbad Small Stack Energy Center goes online

2019 Carlsbad's first church St. Michael's Celebrates its 125th anniversary

2020 Global Pandemic Covid 19

2021 Fire Station #2 razed

2022 Encina Power Plant /smokestack razed

2022 Interstate I-5 lane widening

Appendix II- Elected Officials

Election of Mayors by Electors- 2002

Mayor Claude "Bud" Lewis 2002-2010

Matt Hall 2010-2022

Council Members

2002-2004 Mark Packard and Matt Hall

2004-2008 Ann Kulchin and Norine Sigafoose

2006 Norine Sigafoose resigns

2006-2008 City Council Appoints Julie Nygaard to fulfill Sigafoose’s term

2006-2010 Matt Hall and Mark Packard

2008- 2012 Ann Kulchin and Keith Blackburn

2010-2014 Farah Douglas and Mark Packard

2014 Farah Douglas Resigns

2014 March- City Council Appoints Michael Schumacher to fulfill 8 months of Farah Douglas’s term

2012-2016 Keith Blackburn and Lorraine Wood

2014-2018 Mark Packard and Michael Schumacher

2016- 2020 Keith Blackburn and Cori Schumacher

2018-2022 First District Elections District 1- Barbara Hamilton; District 3 Priya Bhat- Patel

2019 -Barbara Hamilton resigns

2020 Special Election Cori Schumacher District 1 to fulfill Barbara Hamilton’s term

2020 -2024 Nov. Election District 2 Keith Blackburn; District 4 Teresa Acosta

2021- Cori Schumacher Resigns; District 1- City Council appoints Peder Norby

2022 - Keith Blackburn elected Mayor for 4 year term

2022 - Melanie Burkholder elected to City Council for 4 year term

2002 City Clerk Lorraine Wood; City Treasurer- Jim Stanton

2006 City Clerk Lorraine Wood; City Treasurer- Harold Mc Sherry

2010 City Clerk Lorraine Wood; City Treasurer- Jim Comstock

2014 City Clerk Barbara Engleson; City Treasurer Craig Lindholm

2018 Barbara Engleson; City Treasurer- Craig Lindholm

Books on Sale

"Windows on the Past: An Illustrated History of Carlsbad, California" by Susan Schnebelen Gutierrez, was written in 2002 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the incorporation of Carlsbad as a City. It updates the previous books on the subject.

This book measures about 8.75 x 11.25 inches and is 160 pages hardbound. It has numerous historical pictures and documents from Carlsbad.

We have this book on sale at the Shipley-Magee House for $12.

A Taste of Carlsbad Past - download

"Beckett Explores Carlsbad's Past," by Susan Gutierrez and Ann L'Heureux

"Beckett Walking Tour of Historic Downtown Carlsbad," by Susan Gutierrez, Marje Howard-Jones and Ann L'Heureux'

The first book on the history of Carlsbad is available on line at the link below, by a kind gift from the Friends of the Carlsbad Library.

A History of Carlsbad (1961) by Jack Harmon

Park Gardens

The Carlsbad Historical Society museum is located within Magee Park at 258 Beech Ave, Carlsbad, California. Surrounding the museum are a variety of old fashion gardens that attempt to demonstrate Carlsbad's agricultural past. All of the gardens are maintained through the combined efforts of a volunteer, as well as city staff.

One of the most outstanding features of the garden is the nationally registered Rose plantings on the west side of the park. Separated into several rose beds, visitors will find over 125 different roses that represent 15 different rose families. Development of these rose beds earned Carlsbad the honor of the American Rose Society's distinction of An American Rose City in 2002.

At the museum entrance, an old fashion garden greets visitors with its jumble of plants ranging from the stately Foxglove to a diminutive ground covering daisy.

Carlsbad, known as the Avocado Capital in the 1920s and the Flower Capital in the 1940s, has a diverse and enduring agricultural past. The Commercial Growers plantings represent a small number of the commercially viable crops that Carlsbad produced. Additionally, two highlights for any visitor are the Southern California native plants and the Victorian herb garden.

Location

The Carlsbad Historical Society is located at 258 Beech Ave,
Carlsbad, California 92008.

For driving directions, please use the following link.

Map of 258 Beech Ave
Carlsbad, CA 92008

Activities

The Carlsbad Historical Society offers something for everyone by hosting lectures, social events, trips, and tours for its members as well as local students. Under the direction of the Carlsbad Historical Society, a specially designed tour was developed to teach local third grade students about local history. Each spring Carlsbad Historical Society Docents greet third graders at our museum and provide information about Carlsbad that helps teach students about life in the past.

Guides lead a tour for interested visitors through our historic park gardens, giving insight and information about Carlsbad's agricultural past.

December welcomes our Victorian Christmas Celebration. Utilizing local native plant material, volunteers decorate the Shipley-Magee House in a manner similar to the method of early Carlsbad residents.

The Carlsbad Historical Society sponsors a variety of guest lectures and member tours of historic sites throughout the year. All events are open to the public. Please call our office at (442) 500-4471 for a listing of upcoming events.

Membership

We are always looking for new members. For those interested in preserving, promoting, protecting Carlsbad history please print out and mail the membership application below to:

Carlsbad Historical Society
258 Beech Ave.
Carlsbad CA 92008

A membership entitles you to a subscription to the newsletter and entrance to all Historical Society functions and activities and helps fund our efforts. If you have any questions or comments, please call our office at (442) 500-4471.

Membership Application

LINKS

Cool San Diego Sights Carlsbad Magee House coolsandiegosights.com/2022/08/07/history-inside-carlsbads-shipley-magee-house

Carlsbad Barrio Museum =>" Barrio Museum"

Article Published in Karlovy Vary about Carlsbad History => LINK

Oceanside Historical Society- oceansidehistoricalsociety.org

Buena Vista Audubon www.bvaudubon.org

Friends of Carrillo Ranch- carrillo-ranch.org

San Diego Historical Society- sandiegohistory.org

Rockwood Shipley House in Delaware- www.rockwood.org

Escondido History Center- escondidohistory.org

Valley Center History Museum- valleycenterhistory.org

California Surf Museum- surfmuseum.org