Dana Point Timeline

1815Richard Henry Dana Jr. is born

Dana is born on August 1 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, into a prominent family. From Richard Henry Dana Jr.

1830sThe hide trade era

The local area is a destination for the cowhide trade. Ships carry manufactured and finished goods from Boston to trade for western cowhides. From About Us, Woodruff the Man, Dana Point's Legendary Lanterns

1834Dana goes to sea

After measles weakens his eyesight and interrupts his studies at Harvard, Dana joins a merchant ship as a common sailor. From Richard Henry Dana Jr.

1835Dana visits this coast

His two-year voyage aboard the brig Pilgrim and later the ship Alert takes him from Boston to California’s coast. He describes this harbor as the “most romantic spot on the California coast.” From Richard Henry Dana Jr., Dana Point's Legendary Lanterns

1840Two Years Before the Mast

Dana’s memoir of the voyage is published and is both a critical and commercial success. It chronicled this coastline and gave Dana Point its name. From Richard Henry Dana Jr.

1923–24First ground is broken

The San Juan Point Corporation is the first developer to break ground in Dana Point, with the Scenic Inn and the bluff-top scenic trail. The corporation disbands in late 1924. From Dana Point's Legendary Lanterns, Historic Walking Tour

Summer 1925The first lantern streets are named

Tract map 768 shows Hillcrest Drive renamed Street of the Blue Lantern, Juanita Drive becoming Ruby Lantern, and Park Drive becoming Amber Lantern. From Dana Point's Legendary Lanterns

1925Woodruff arrives

S. H. Woodruff, the Los Angeles builder and developer of Hollywoodland, arrives in Dana Point with his investors. From Dana Point's Legendary Lanterns, Historic Walking Tour

1927A full-size plan for Dana Point

Woodruff’s plan, a follow-up to Hollywoodland, takes shape: a Mediterranean village by the sea, with recreational facilities and houses of varied designs. From Woodruff the Man, Historic Walking Tour

April 1927One of the first buildings opens

The Los Angeles Times announces a new service station, designed by Fay R. Spangler for Anna G. Walters, on the corner of the Street of the Blue Lantern and the new Roosevelt Highway. From Dana Point's Legendary Lanterns

c. 1927–29The lantern streetlights are installed

Woodruff’s Dana Point Syndicate installs streetlights designed as ships’ lanterns, with underground wiring, an innovation for the time. From Dana Point's Legendary Lanterns

July 1929Roosevelt Highway opens

Governor Young appears at the opening of the Roosevelt Highway in Dana Point and throws the switch of 400 ornamental lights made to resemble ships’ lanterns. From Dana Point's Legendary Lanterns

October 1929The stock market crashes

The crash comes three months after the highway opens. The Depression of the 1930s brings Woodruff’s grand plans to an end. From Dana Point's Legendary Lanterns, Historic Walking Tour

c. 1950The lanterns come down

Orange County removes the deteriorated lantern streetlights. Some are sold for scrap, then refurbished or stored by residents. From Dana Point's Legendary Lanterns, Donated Historic Lanterns

1960sDevelopment begins again

After the Depression ended Woodruff’s plans, development in Dana Point resumes. From Historic Walking Tour

1961S. H. Woodruff dies

Woodruff dies in Los Angeles at 85. From Woodruff the Man

1987The Historical Society is established

The Dana Point Historical Society is established as a volunteer nonprofit to celebrate and preserve the history of Dana Point for current and future generations. From About Us

1989Dana Point becomes a city

Dana Point is incorporated in the county of Orange. The city is named for Richard Henry Dana Jr. From About Us

2014–15Ten new lantern streetlights

Keller’s company reproduces 10 lantern streetlights for the Lantern District, now on Del Prado and PCH, using a lantern donated to the Historical Society as the template. From Dana Point's Legendary Lanterns

February 2021The last original lantern post is removed

The last Dana Point lantern post still standing in its original location, on Violet Lantern, is removed on February 11. From Dana Point's Legendary Lanterns

June 2024The Boehne family program

At a Society program on June 12, Dave Boehne presents a retrospective on his family’s impact on the surfing world. His parents, Steve and Barrie Boehne, are the founders of Infinity Surfboards and tandem surfing world champions. From The Boehne Family