Oceanside Real Estate Listings of Houses and Homes for Sale in San Diego County, California


	Oceanside Houses for Sale

Oceanside

Oceanside lies in the agriculture-rich San Luis Rey Valley, which was first explored by the Portola' party in 1769, followed by Mission construction in 1798. Mission San Luis Rey, with its vast fruit orchards and cattle raising activities, was one of the most successful in terms of its neophyte population (Indian converts). The Mission became a large Mexican land grant following secularization, and the City of Oceanside was founded in the 1880s to coincide with the arrival of the railroad between San Bernardino and San Diego. Much of the original land grant property was sold to the United States government in 1942 for the establishment of Camp Joseph H. Pendleton Marine Corps base. Oceanside has prospered ever since, with the influx of revenue from the military along with agriculture and tourism.

Early Oceanside grew at a phenomenal rate; on the date of the city's incorporation July 3, 1888, the population of Oceanside was approximately 1,000. By 1887, the Bank of Oceanside was built on the corner of Mission Avenue and South Coast Highway and also a grand hotel, the South Pacific, located on Pier View Way and Pacific Streets near the present pier. A wharf company was formed and soundings were made at the location of what is now known as Wisconsin Street. The wharf was made entirely of wooden pilings, the first pile being driven May 12, 1888. In the winter of 1890-91, the wharf was destroyed by a storm. Since then, several new piers have been built and play a key role in the city's tourism industry.

The railroads played an important role in the continuing development of the city. During the boom years, the trains brought thousands of prospective buyers. This continued until a highway was paved between San Diego and Los Angeles through Oceanside before 1920. In the 1920's the city prospered. This sense of prosperity, of course, was false; founded more on speculation than stability. Oceanside suffered through the Great Depression of 1929 with the rest of the Nation. In spite of economic depression, considerable progress can be measured in the thirties. In 1934 a new city hall was built on Pier View Way; City government had its first permanent home since incorporation. That same year, a two-year college was founded. The Depression, however, did nothing to stem population growth; Oceanside's population grew from 3,508 in 1930 to 4,652 in 1940, according to U.S. Bureau of the Census figures.

World War II saw Oceanside grow from a sleepy little town to a modern city. With the construction of the nation's largest Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, on her border, the demand for housing and municipal services exceeded supply. The best illustration of the tremendous growth of the city is found in the census figures. The population of Oceanside jumped from the 1940 figure of 4,652 to 12,888 in 1950. In 1952 a special census showed the city's population exceeding 18,000 as the Marine Base grew with the Korean War and more service-connected families moved into the area.

The 1960's saw the opening of Tri-City Hospital and the building of the Oceanside Small Craft Harbor. The harbor is a tourist destination and is well used with over 800 boat slips covering 100 acres (30 land and 70 water). In addition to being the homeport of many pleasure boats, the marina harbors several sport fishing boats. A new downtown transit center was built in 1983 and in September of 1987, the city dedicated its sixth pier, just in time for Oceanside's Centennial Celebration in 1988. The following year the new Civic Center was constructed and became the cornerstone for downtown redevelopment.

Major annual events in Oceanside include a beach-opening celebration every June; the Summer Seagaze Concerts in the outdoor Amphitheater; and a Rough Water Swim and Harbor Days Celebration every September. Oceanside's annual Mission Christmas Faire is held during the month of November and its Parade of Lights in the Harbor, each December.