Echoes of the Coast: Unraveling Dana Point’s Storied Past

The people of Dana Point have always had a deep connection to the sea. For centuries, possibly even thousands of years, Native Americans observed migrating whales and incoming trading canoes from the headlands, as the vessels traveled from other coastal communities and the Channel Islands to the safety of the cove.

 

In the late 18th century, the first Europeans arrived. In 1776, Father Junipero Serra established Mission San Juan Capistrano, located five miles inland from the coast. Named after St. John of Capistrano, Italy, the Spanish settlers called the entire area Bahia Capistrano, or Capistrano Bay.

 

In 1818, Argentine pirate Hipolito Bouchard brought his fleet to the cove at Dana Point, using it as a base to raid the mission.

 

In 1835, Richard Henry Dana, Jr. (1815-1882) embarked on a journey aboard the Boston merchant ship Pilgrim, which sailed around South America’s Cape Horn en route to San Francisco. The Pilgrim anchored in the same cove as the pirates, but instead of raiding, they traded for cowhides, which factories back in Boston would turn into shoes.

 

Dana recounted his experiences in the classic sea journal, Two Years Before the Mast, published in 1840. This book remains widely read today, especially in California’s schools.

 

Dana described the headlands and bay as “the only romantic spot on the California coast.” In the late 19th century, shortly after his death, locals honored him by naming the distinctive promontory jutting into the Pacific “Dana Point.”

 

In the 1930s, Sidney H. Woodruff, the developer behind the Hollywood tracts advertised by the Hollywood(land) sign, along with several prominent investors, purchased extensive land in the area and planned an ambitious resort town that blended the romance of Old California with modern amenities. The town was designed in a Spanish style, featuring wide streets and white adobe houses with red-tiled roofs. The streetlights were modeled after maritime signal lanterns, and early Dana Point streets were named accordingly, such as “Street of the Blue Lantern” and “Street of the Golden Lantern.” However, development was halted by the 1929 stock market crash and the subsequent Great Depression.

 

Another development in the 1920s began in Capistrano Beach, led by oil tycoon Edward Doheny, but it also faltered. In 1931, Doheny donated more than 40 acres of prime oceanfront property to the state, which became Doheny State Beach Park, California’s first state beach.

 

In the 1950s, pioneering surfers discovered Dana Point. In 1954, Hobie Alter, known for Hobie Surfboards and Hobie Cat sailboats, opened the mainland’s first retail surf shop in Dana Point. Early surf legends flocked to ride “Killer Dana,” a legendary wave that broke at Dana Point Cove.

 

Construction of Dana Point Harbor began in the late 1960s with the building of rock breakwater jetties. The harbor was officially dedicated on July 31, 1971. Within its one-and-a-half-mile jetty, it now houses two marinas, providing slips and moorings for over 2,500 boats, along with more than 50 specialty shops and restaurants. Over two million visitors come to the harbor annually for shopping, dining and a variety of recreational activities.

 

In the 1970s, residential development began in earnest, transforming the sleepy beach town. By 1989, residents voted to incorporate Dana Point as an official city, gaining control over planning and development.

 

Today, Dana Point continues to enhance services for both residents and visitors while preserving its history, scenic beauty and unique character. The city is working to revitalize its Town Center, making it more pedestrian-friendly and expanding the number of shops, galleries and restaurants, as well as improving traffic and parking. Significant improvements also are being made to the harbor. The Dana Point Harbor Revitalization Plan aims to upgrade harbor and marina facilities and services both on land and in the water while maintaining the harbor’s character and family-friendly atmosphere.