Welcome to Coronado, California
San Diego County

See how the villa lifts its face of light
Against the pallid olives. Look down this vista's shade
Of dark square shaven slopes, where spurts
The fountain's thin white thread and blows away!
Here will we sit and let the sleeping noon.
Doze on and dream into the afternoon.

While all the mountains shake in opal light,
Forever shifting, till the sun's last glance
Transfigures with its splendor all our world.
There, Table Mountain on the horizon piles
Its lofty crown, and gazes on the sea;
There swarthy Loma crouches in repose,
And Sierra Madre rears its purple ridge
And wears its ermine late into the spring.
When all beneath is one vast bush of flowers.

Dear Coronado! Nothing like her;
Others may please me - her alone I love.
She is no place as other places are,
But like a mother and a mistress too -
The soul of places, unto whom I give
How gladly all my heart and with it more,
That I might give more.
-W.W.  Story

There were different claimants for this tract in early days, but it was granted to Archibald C. Peachy and William H. Aspinwall, who derived title from Pedro C. Carrillo on June 11, 1869 and then described as containing 4, 185.46 acres.

A syndicate, consisting of Elisha S. Babcock and Jacob Gruendike of San Diego. Joseph Collett of  Terre Haute, IN. and Hampton L.
Story of Chicago, bought the peninsula in December, 1885, obtaining the entire property from the head of the bay to the mouth of the harbor and including North Island.

Later, General H. W. Hallock and Frederick Billings became interested. The moving spirit in the undertaking was E. S. Babcock Junior.
He was from Evansville, Indiana and came to San Diego in 1884 in search of health. The price paid for the property was $110,000.
Articles of incorporations of the Coronado Beach Company were filed in April 1886, the capitalization of $1,000,000 being divided into 10,000 shares of $100 each. This was the parent company, which controlled at the beginning, as it does today, various subsidiary corporations, such as railroad and ferry companies.

While waiting for the ferry boat to come, the Benicia was leased and put on. The new ferry boat, the Coronado, arrived in August and made her first trip on the 19th of August. There are now two boats in this service, the Ramona and the Coronado, and regular service is maintained. Ferry slips were constructed at the foot of Atlantic Street in San Diego and to connect with the street car terminus on the Coronado side. The water is carried beneath the waters of the bay in submerged pipes; this system was completed and the water turned on in October 22, 1886. the total length of the submerged pipe is 3,300 feet.

Coronado Ferry Landing 2006

In March, the foundations of the great hotel were laid out. On December 7, 1887, a special train brought the first installment of hotel help. It consisted of two baggage cars, six sleepers and a Pullman, and there were 324 people in the party. The hotel was formally opened on February 14, 1888 and has ever since been maintained as a winter resort.

In July, 1887, John D. Spreckels acquired the interests of W. W. Story in the Coronado Beach Company, and later he acquired Mr. Babcock's interest also; becoming the sole owner.

Hotel Del Coronado from the beach 2006

Tent City

Other Coronado Facts

 -Naval Base Coronado is comprised of both Naval Air Station North Island and Naval Amphibious Base Coronado.
- There is no cemetery on this island.
-There's only 2 ways to get on or off the island: The Bay Bridge or the Strand