The town mentioned in the article is now called Grover Beach, located just south of the town of Pismo Beach. The Huntington beach referred to in the article is now called Pismo State Beach. We'll find out later why the beach was called Huntington, but first let's take a look at what was going on.
Although it appears that a Cerf was involved in creating the town of Grover Beach, he wasn't the main person behind it. A 35-year-old lumber man named D. W. Grover from Santa Cruz, California, reportedly paid $22,982.20 to the founder of the city of Pismo Beach for the land where he envisioned a seaside resort area. He filed his paperwork for the new town with the County of San Luis Obispo on August 1, 1887.
Ernest Cerf became involved on December 29, 1891, when D. W. Grover and his wife transferred around 1,000 acres known as the Grover and Gates Tract to Nathan P. Carnall of San Francisco and C. J. Russell and Ernest Cerf of San Luis Obispo for the sum of $1. The deed specifies that grantees would act as agents to sell lots in the town within three years. The proceeds of sale would be divided as follows: 60 percent for mortgage and interest, 25 percent toward the sum of $40,000 due D. W. Grover, and the remaining 15 percent (plus any amount of 25 percent over $40,000 due D. W. Grover) is split 2/10 to D. W. Grover, 3/10 to Russel, 3/10 to Cerf, and 2/10 to Carnall.
Attached to the deed transferring the property were the following exhibits.
This is difficult to read, so I'll provide a transcription for this one as follows:
GROVER
THE NEW SEASIDE RESORT,
Pizmo Beach, San Luis Obispo County, California.
Along the Coast of California
are many very pleasant Pleasure Resorts, but in beauty of location and natural
attractions none can excel the new town of GROVER, on Pizmo Beach.
The Beach is, without exception,
the Finest on the Coast of California; with an average width of over 300 feet,
and a length of 20 miles of hard sand, it forms a perfect, enjoyable and
unequaled drive.
A Grand Avenue 100 feet in width
connects Grover with Arroyo Grande, a charming town on the Pacific Coast
Railway, 1 ½ miles distant. Newsome Hot
Sulphur Springs is about 3 ½ miles, and in the opposite direction and at about
the same distance the newly discovered Nichol Hot Springs are reached by good
roads, the Scenery being of the richest and most interesting character.
The Southern Pacific Railroad
will pass through Grover, and will erect a Fine Depot at this point.
This Road, when finished, will
make the favorite through Overland Route, making through connection from San
Francisco to Los Angeles.
A New Hotel containing over 200
rooms, fitted and furnished with every known modern improvement, is in course
of construction. Thirty acres will be
devoted to the hotel, and laid out in walks, drives, flower beds, etc.
The climate is conceded to be
the best in the world.
The Prices obtained at other New
Seaside Resorts, so rapidly advancing and eagerly paid by an ever increasing
tide of Eastern people and those from our own State, sufficiently indicate the
future of Grover.
For a Delightful Home, Safe
Investment, Quick Returns, and Large Profits, buy a few Lots at Grover.
A Grand Barbecue on the grounds
each day, Free to All.
TERMS OF SALE—One-third cash, balance in two equal payments, due in
six and twelve months, with interest at 6 per cent per annum.
EXCURSION TO ARROYO GRANDE,
Via San Luis Obispo, by Pacific Coach Steamship Company’s
steamer “Queen of the Pacific,”
Monday, August 1, 1887…….at 2 P.M.
Round Trip
Tickets, only $8, Good for Return until Aug. 10th.
By the Southern Pacific R. R. 4th and Townsend,
SPECIAL ROUND TRIP TICKETS, $12.
WILL BE SOLD FOR TRAINS LEAVING ON
July 30th, 31st
and AUGUST 1st, at 8:30 A.M.
GOOD FOR RETURN TILL AUGUST 6th, INCLUSIVE
Tickets can be obtained at Office, 321 Montgomery Street
Free Conveyance
furnished from Arroyo Grande to Grover.
For Maps and further Information, apply to
C. C. THAYER,
Auctioneer, 321 MONTGOMERY STREET, San Francisco.
Or SOUTHERN LAND
& COLONIZATION CO., San Luis Obispo, Cal.
BACON & COMPANY,
PRINTERS, SAN FRANCISCO.
(End of transcription)
The Cost of the Lots
The Deed specifies the cost of the lots. Lots in "Grover proper" were $100 per acre. Lots in blocks outside facing Grand Avenue cost $250. Corner lots were priced 50% higher, and inside lots 30% higher. Specifically, the Deed sets out some prices as follows: Block A $3,030; B $1,953; C $1,084, D $915, E $1,567; F $1,245, G 1,498; H $800; I $800; J $800; K $700; L $400; M $250; N $200; O $200; P $600; Blocks 76-94 $283 each; Blocks 108-114 and 52-58 $70/acre; Blocks 115-122, 133-141, 153-162, 44-51, and 20-24 $50/acre; Blocks 163-165 $40/acre; Blocks 18, 19, 25, and 26 $55/acre; and Blocks 16, 17, 27, and 28 $60/acre. Clearly, not all lots were for sale; some may have been sold already. Here is the map that was filed with the deed (sorry, some of the edges were cut off).
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| West side of Grover Map |
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| East Side of Grover Map |
The Role of the Railroad
D. W. Grover and his agents were betting that when the Southern Pacific Railroad completed its track, the town of Grover would have a depot stop, thereby attracting more tourists and investors. On April 7, 1892, Ernest Cerf, et al., transferred land to Southern Pacific to be known as "Depot Grounds for the Town of Grover."
An article in The Tribune reads: "On the first day of July, 1892, lots were advertised for sale in the new town of Grover located at Huntington Beach. 'It is a fact disputed by none,' the town's promoters wrote, 'that this is the finest beach on the coast, and it is the first point where the Southern Pacific Coast (planned) route . . . touches the beach.' The town of Grover was laid out with lots 100 by 120 feet on a slightly elevated sandy plain sloping toward the beach. With nothing built up between the town site and the water, every lot seemed to offer an open view."
The beach in front of Grover was originally called Huntington Beach, named after the principal owner of the Southern Pacific in an attempt to lure a depot stop in Grover. However, most of the large sweep of beach along the coast was already known as Pismo Beach. The name of Huntington Beach never stuck.
Meanwhile, the agents actively promoted the sale of lots in Grover. Here is a composite of articles that appeared in the newspapers in 1894.
As you can see from the articles above, 400 lots were sold as of November 1894. The railroad track had not yet reached Grover by that date. It was in fact not completed until January, 1895. A short time before Southern Pacific had finally announced that the developing townsite of Oceano, just south of Grover, would be the site of the sought-after depot station. Land developer, R. E. Jack "paid for a spur track off the main line to the beach where Jack had arranged for the construction of a Victorian-styled pavilion to accommodate conferences, dances, and recreational activities. The new building was completed in August 1895."
What Became of Grover
According to the Grover Beach website, "The seeds of development didn't flourish as planned until . . . 1935." The first store and post office didn't open until the mid-1940's. Finally, in the 1950's, the town grew dramatically and continued to grow in the decades to follow. "The city now has a population of 12,650 residents (as of January 1999) and Mr. Grover's dream of a train station became a reality in November 1996 when Amtrak began rail service with two daily stops at a newly constructed train station."
References:
"History of Grover Beach, CA," Grover Beach, CA, March 18, 2012, website: ca-groverbeach.civicplus.com/.
Nicholson, Loren, Rails Across the Ranchos, Fresno, CA: Valley Publishers, 1980.
San Luis Obispo County Deeds, San Luis Obispo County Recorder's Office, San Luis Obispo, CA.
The Tribune, various dates.
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