Princeton by the Sea

(The Irene, aka ‘the Emerald of Half Moon Bay’ is being returned to her former glory by Leland and Cecily Parsons at Pillar Point Harbor (619) 507-5071; they live in a boat moored at the harbor while restoring the boat. They are spearheading The Pillar Point Educational Fund, Inc. and efforts to re-launch the Irene.)

June, I have your book ”   Half Moon Bay Memories; The Coastsides’ Colorful Past ” ; I bought it in a book store in HMB in 1985.  I lived in Moss Beach, Montara, Half Moon Bay and El Granada from age 13 to about  33; but, my current husband, George Piegaia and 4 of our 6 ( now grown ) children were all born there on the Coastside.  I just love the book and the beautiful old fotos.  I was at my niece-in-laws home recently, she is also a niece-in-law to Elaine Teixeira; Elaine and I E-mail . I saw your newest book about Princeton at Betty Teixeira Tomberlin’s; but, didn’t have a chance to read it, nor get to the store to buy it yet.

Did you know about the on-going saga of the salvage of a very old family fishing boat, ” The Irene Bettencourt ” was to be dismanteled about 1 1/2 years ago; when a group formed, salvaged it; and, are now in the process of restoring and reburbishing her.  The boat  is up in dry dock on the pier in Princeton; and was the family fishing boat for three generations of Bettencourts; first owned ( possibly built ) by my two sons, Eddy and Steve Bettencourts’  Great-grandfather, Joseph Silva Bettencourt.  I believe the last son to fish in it is George Bettencourt Sr., deceased husband of Caroline; and father to George Jr. living in HMB. Do you know of this family and their story ?  Sincerely, Lorraine Nielson-Tomberlin-Bettencourt Piegaia.

From the “Half Moon Bay Review,” 1960s

“In a budget request by President Lyndon B. Johnson, the U.S. Congress this week was asked to spent $1 million for improvements in the breakwater located on Half Moon Bay.

“Congressman J. Arthur Younger said that the appropriation follows a request for extension of the west arm of the breakwater as made by the U.S. engineers.

“The military engineers made their recommendation following a two-year study at Vicksburg, Miss. where a scale model of the local breakwater was built and tests made.

“The research activity was taken after 1962 when complaints were made by some fishermen and others that there was a “dangerous surge” in the harbor that battered vessels when they were moored to the new pier built with county funds by the San Mateo County harbor commission.

“Entrance to the new harbor, under the new plan, will be from the southeast, according to Congressman Younger. The channel will be 900 ft. wide at its opening and taper to 400 feet. The present width of the mouth of the breakwater is 600 feet…”

(Photo courtesy Mark Andermahr)

The Miramar Hotel (formerly the Palace Miramar) burned in the late 1960s. It was located at the southern end of present-day Mirada Road.

350 people met at the Miramar Hotel (formerly the Palace Miramar) to hear Colonel Freeman Tandy of the Army Corps of Engineers talk about plans for the Pillar Point breakwater, then estimated to cost $5 million. Speakers included Congressman Jack Anderson and Richard Nixon.

The Pillar Point project was to be one of 12 small harbors on the West Coast, providing safe mooring for 500 fishing boats “yielding an annual saving to commercial fishermen of $375,000,” said Col. Tandy. Another $82,000 in revenue would go to the country from recreational activities to be set up in the man-made harbor.

The bill for the harbor was introduced to congress in 1939, was twice vetoed during WWII but had finally become an approved government project. Congressman Jack Anderson of Salinas was the power behind the bill, calling the project “my baby and I’m going to see it built.”

Mervyn Rathborne, president of the Pillar Point Breakwater Association, charired the meeting, attended by more than 20 civic organizations.

(Construction of the harbor took another ten years)

(1978 Pillar Point breakwater.Photo courtesy UCSC map room)

From Half Moon Bay Review, Oct. 1966

“Congressman J. Arthur Younger today announced that the apparent low bidder on the extension of the Pillar Point Breakwater was the Kiewit Co. of Richmond, California, on the firm’s bid of $1, 798.150

“….Younger said that Col. Robert H. Allen, chief district engineer of the Army Engineer Corps, would review the bids and the award will be announced shortly. Work can start almost immediately with construction period set at two years.

“The extension will be a 1050 foot stone block (rubbleround) breakwater structure running southeasterly across the present entrance to the breakwater creating a channel 250 feet wide through which ships can enter easily. The surge during high seas will be greatly reduced, if not eliminated entirely. A total of 240,000 tons of rocks will be utilized for the job.

“Prior to design of the extension, two year tests were made by the Army Engineers at Vicksburg, Miss, where a model of the breakwater was constructed and tidal action emulated exactly as the ocean acts in the area.

“The original breakwater, for which Younger secured $3 million in federal funds, was completed four years ago and is in use by both commercial and recreational boats, but the protection will now be among the best on the Pacific Coast, according to plans.

“The breakwater is credited with spurring the growth of the coastside, said a spokesman at Younger’s office.”