Main Street

Balboa Pavilion

Balboa Fun Zone

Balboa Bay Front

Balboa Pier

Balboa Beach West

Balboa Beach East

Balboa Wedge

Faces Of Balboa

15th Street Surf Shop
AgentMaryLou
Balboa Fun Zone
Balboa Island
Balboa Island Ferry
Balboa Pavilion
Balboa Saloon
Balboa Technology
Cracktones
Davey's Locker
EyeLandGirl
Free Newport
Go Newport Beach
Main Street Bistro
Marina Water Sports
Menagerie Entertainment
Mifflin Taffy
Mr. Balboa Barber Shop
Newport Beach
Lifeguards
Newport Jet Sports
Newport Surf Shots
Pilates by the Sea
Renee West
Rotary Club of Newport Balboa
Sally Martin Realtor ∙
Shellback Yacht Cruises
The Spice Guy
Walk to the Beach
Wedding Boat 

 Edward Abbott moved to California from Iowa with his family in 1880. In 1889, Abbott, a man of the world who once wrote a letter from the top of Cheops' Pyramid, built a squatter's shack next to the only fresh water spring on the peninsula, near Bay Avenue and Palm Street now the site of The Class of 47- a local bar and still the local watering hole- where he collected, polished, and sold abalone shells, a life long hobby. In 1891, and 1892, Abbott purchased from The State of California as swamp and overflow land, the area between 9th Street and L Street on the peninsula. He built a small pier at the location of today's Palm Street ferry landing that was known for years as Abbott's Landing. Abbott built the Last Chance, a small steamboat for taking excursionists on ocean trips, but the Federal Government refused a permit to operate it. The boat was moved to Lake Ellsinore. In loading the boat onto a railroad car, Abbott sustained injuries which many felt lead to his premature death. It was shortly before his death in 1895 when Edward Abbott, transferred all of his holdings to his brother-in-law Clinton Andre. The land holdings were then cut-up and sold for a few hundred dollars per lot, and a few houses were built in the area which is now downtown Balboa. During the next ten-year period, life was great for those who lived or visited this area. It was a sportsman's paradise of fowl, fish, and shellfish. If you wanted bay clams, you'd just row over to Snipe Island with a big tub and fill it up.  

I happened upon your site this morning and was reminded of so much.
My parents and I moved into 2013 Miramar Dr. in 1958, telephone ORiole 3-4322. I was in the graduating class of 1962, Harbor High. I worked at Don's Candies next to the ferry landing on the peninsula side, dipping frozen bannanas in chocolate, Gunderson's Drug Store (back when drug stores were called drug stores), and later was a projectionist at the Balboa Theater when I was a college student. Upon graduation from Cal-State Fullerton I got involved in the unpleasantness in the Tonkin Gulf and survived.
I well remember The Prison of Socrates, Tim Morgan, and the Steeltown Two. I got to know Tim through the Murphy brothers who, along with their father, ran Murphy's Texaco, which, as I remember, was a stone's throw from the hotel run by Tim's mother.
If anyone reading this has similar memories, write or call. I live in Ohio now, am retired, and live at 5522 Jennybrook Lane, Hilliard, Ohio 43026. My telephone number is (614) 771-8141.
Jim Ebbatson
windfall@columbus.rr.com

My husband wanted me to relate that he grew up at 123 Grand Canal, moved there in late 48, lived across the canal from the Shaws. Until 2 years ago we were in contact with Richard Shaw. Virgil Parch used to do their Christmas cards. His dad, Harvey Mayer, kept the engine on the Michigan going. Oh, by the way, my husbands name is Mike Mayer. Mike, as a kid, took more than one trip to Avalon on the Lazy B. He was curious because the original Balboa Island Punting and Sculling group was just a small handful of people and he finds it hard to believe that any of the original members are still with us. What he is looking for is actually the original society logo that was hand painted on the little fly bridge of the Michigan and this was drawn and painted by Parch and Shaw. This was the one and only real deal. He's just trying to find something of that original logo. By the way, what ever happened to the Michigan?
Mike & Sue Mayer

Hi Jim,
Noticed a nice message today on the site mentioning two specific sites in Balboa, Playland Arcade and the Chipyard. Of course you know Playland was owned by my family, and I found one mention of the Chipyard on your site. And yes, we ate BAGS full of those cookies. 10 cents each, 12 for $1. It was just the regular tollhouse recipe, the thing was, you could get the cookies mom made at home anytime you wanted them. You are aware they turned it into a chain aren't you? Not sure why it was shut down, probably too much competition from Mrs Fields and Famous Amos. Mrs Fields was better, never had much use for Famous Amos.
The Hurwitz kids came into the arcade from time to time. Never really got
to know them. They seemed pretty focused on their business. The rumor was that their father had financed their fledgling business and they were
determined to make good. They sure did. There wasn't a person in Balboa
who didn't love their cookies and support their efforts.
Lots of times at the arcade I would hand one of my people a dollar and say
"go get some cookies." No need to explain further
You probably know this already, but one of the brothers who operated the Chipyard, Mitchell Hurwitz, is the creator of the TV show Arrested Development.
The show has a lot of tie-in's with the 'Fun Zone' or at least a Hollywood version of it.
Alan Sandoval