Pismo Beach |
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Address
760 Mattie Road
Pismo Beach, CA 93449
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Phone
805-773-4657 |
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The History of people at Pismo Beach starts at least 9,000 years ago with the Chumash Indians, who referred to the area as a place to find pismu, or tar.
The Pismo Beach region has an interesting history going back in time to 1769, when Don Gaspar de Portola and parties camped in the area. According to the diary of Costanso, a member of the Portola party, "the party continued over the sand dunes and then descended to the beach, along which they walked for several miles before camping for the night. Near their camping place was an Indian village of some forty people." Undoubtedly, the beach walked upon by the Portola party was that known today as Pismo Beach.
The City is part of the original 8,838 acre Rancho Pismo. Rancho Pismo was granted to Jose Ortega by Manuewl Rinemo Goriod on November 18, 1840. Ortega is thought to have built a small adobe which later became part of the Price Adobe. The rancho was later acquired by Issac Sparks. Some folk tales relate that Sparks won the land from Ortega in a game of monte, but it appears from records kept by John M. Price that the ranch was purchased for 477 heads of cattle. Sparks, in 1850 appears to have given John Price El Pizmo rancho instead of paying him wages in gold, as the deed shows a cost of $l for the property.
Upon Spark's death, John Michael Price and Captain David Mallagh received a share of the land. Price lived and worked on the rancho until his death in 1902. Price built up sizeable horse and cattle herds which he moved onto the rancho. Mallagh owned a section of Rancho Pismo around the cave landing area (now Pirate's Cove) where he established a wharf business. Price purchased some of the property in 1854. A portion of the southern part, which is now Grover Beach and Arroyo Grande, was sold to Francisco Branch. This left him with Shell Beach, Pismo Beach area and a large section running back into Price Canyon.
In 1875, Price took the first step toward funding the community of Pismo Beach when he built a hotel on the road from Arroyo Grande to the People's Wharf in Avila Beach. The hotel was not a success and Price had the hotel moved to the beach in 1884.
In 1881, Price leased oceanfront land to the Meherin brothers to build a wharf and a warehouse. This wharf at the end of Main street was successful and the hotel's new location was next to this operation.
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