Oceanside Celebrates 125th Anniversary

Story and photos by Kyle Lundberg 

City leaders gathered alongside several hundred residents at the plaza outside city hall to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the incorporation of Oceanside into San Diego County.

 “There’s so much history in our city and I’m so proud of it,” said Kristi Hawthorne, president of the Oceanside Historical Society, to the crowd Wednesday morning. Also giving addresses were Oceanside mayor Jim Wood and Lt. Gen. John Toolan, commanding general of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton.

 Oceanside’s genesis began when Andrew Jackson Meyers applied for a Homestead Grant on the Oceanside mesa in 1883 and was allotted 160 acres (current downtown Oceanside). As the city developed, residents expressed interest in incorporating their community into San Diego County, making it the official “Gateway to the County.” On July 3, 1888, residents cast their votes, and the San Diego County Supervisors declared the city of Oceanside in existence.

 City leaders emphasized the amount of people it takes to keep Oceanside running. They gave thanks to the city council, school board, Camp Pendleton, local businesses and Mira Costa College, among others, for contributing to the community throughout the city’s history.

 Oceanside received special proclamations from Congressman Darrell Issa, State Senator Mark Wyland, State Assemblymember Rocky Chavez and County Supervisor Bill Horne, declaring July 3 as “Oceanside Day” in the county.

 Linda Kaczur, who has lived in Oceanside for 11 years, said a major reason the city has had such a successful history is its leadership.

 “We have a very friendly government staff who is interested in creating a great environment to live in,” she said.

 The capstone to the ceremony occurred with the cutting of the city’s birthday cake and the burial of a time capsule, to be opened 25 years from now, in 2038.

 The capsule includes a wide variety of objects, including a 2013 Oceanside visitor’s guide, a “Tan Your Hide in Oceanside” t-shirt, a yellow pages phonebook, various Oceanside restaurant menus, a Junior Seau wristband from USC, a city map and a can of Diet Coke.

 City Mayor Jim Wood told Patch that the goal behind the time capsule is to encourage future generations to remember and preserve the rich history of their town.

 “I don’t know if I’ll be around in 25 years,” he said, “but looking to the past is important. It’s important not to make the same mistakes as those who came before us. There’s also just some really interesting stuff in [the capsule]. It keeps the memory of our city alive.”

 When Lt. Gen. Toolan announced he would be including a DVD featuring a typical day for a Marine at Camp Pendleton in the time capsule, he expressed concern over the legacy of his contribution.

 “I don’t know if they’ll have DVDs in 25 years,” he joked. “I hope someone will be able to watch it.”