History of Oceanside, California

The first chapter in Oceanside’s history began in the late 18th century when Father Juan Crespi, a Spanish Franciscan friar, passed through the area in 1769 while travelling with the Portola expedition. His reports on the area led to the establishment of the Mission San Luis Rey de Francia (named after St. Louis, King of France) in a location 3-4 miles inland of what is today Oceanside’s downtown area by Father Fermin Francisco de Lasuen. Built by the original Luiseno Indians of the area, the “King of Missions” as it was called found some rough times in the early 1830s during secularization by the Mexican government but rebounded as a town, San Luis Rey, slowly grew around it.

In 1883 the completion of the railroad connecting San Diego and San Bernadino provided increased access to the Pacific coast. Andrew Jackson Meyers, a businessman from the area surrounding the mission, requested and received a grant of 160 acres south of the area that would later become Camp Pendleton, at the time known as Rancho Santa Margarita. J Chauncey Hayes acted as Meyers’s real estate hand, selling town lots and eventually petitioning for a post office for the growing community. The name Oceanside came from a popular diversion of the time as families inland would often go “ocean side” to escape the heat and enjoy the beautiful Pacific Coast.

Incorporated in 1888, Oceanside grew rapidly over the following years as the railway brought people and businesses to the sunny beach town. In 1893 the first of the Oceanside Municipal Piers was built, and in the subsequent century Oceanside became the popular tourist destination it is today with the addition of the Oceanside Harbor and the El Camino Golf Course. In 1942 a particularly intense period of growth came with the purchase of the Rancho Santa Margarita land north of Oceanside by the US Marine Corps for the establishment of Camp Pendleton.

Today Oceanside CA is a thriving community of long-time residents, local armed forces, and beach-loving tourists who flock to our beautiful coast and golf courses throughout the year.  With a climate ranked the fifth most desirable in the world(!) and the second most desirable in the entire United States, the city of Oceanside is the perfect destination throughout the year for visitors looking for a mellow yet exciting environment offering stretches of perfect sand, a multitude of spas and resorts, a colorful harbor offering fishing expeditions and various watersports, and much more.