One of the more prominent stores in town was a mercantile grocery store owned and operated by Mr. Ira Earl Conner, a pioneer merchant in Cardiff. Mr. Conner’s grocery store had a long counter with all sorts of groceries. Nie Mettan, the butcher, had his section at the far end with sawdust on the floor and a big iced display case where one could point to a cut of beef and ask the butcher to cut some chops, steaks or grind some into hamburger. There was a dry goods section with jeans, work shirts and work shoes.
(Photo courtesy of the San Diego Historical Society)
A view looking north on 101. In the foreground is Witmer’s Sandwiches, Fountain and Sundries. Next door is I. E. Conner’s store.
Conner’s even had one gas pump – you pumped the gas by hand because there was no electric motor. Mr. Conner also allowed space for the first Library, which remained in his store until he sold the store in January, 1946.
Customers came from as far away as Olivenhain. Practically everyone in the area had an account at Conner’s. After ordering your goods, one of the nine or ten clerks would get out a pad, write down your order, fill the order, carry it to your car and you would pay Mr. Conner at the beginning of the following month. During the Great Depression, some people unfortunately couldn’t make their payments. Mr. Conner was very gracious and had the wherewithal to “carry’ these people for quite a while. This generous man’s faith in humanity was eventually rewarded when nearly all of these people made good on their debts.
(Photo from the San Dieguito Citizen, March 20, 1952 in the Solana Beach Heritage Museum Collection)
Conner’s Grocery Store, built in 1925. Photo is from approximately 1930.
During his business career, Ira Conner owned and operated several markets in Solana Beach and Del Mar. Ira was elected to the Santa Fe Irrigation District board in 1925 and served until 1941. He retired from business in 1945.
[sources: Early Solana Beach, Recollections by George C. Wilkens & Robert “Chuckles” Hernandez as told to Jim Nelson, 2002 and Solana Beach, Forty Years of Progress, 1922-1962, April, 1962.]
Boo-Boo had been looking forward to the Historical Society’s Halloween party all month. He had never been to one before, and was excited to dress up in his best white sheet.
Jackie o’Lantern was feeling excited as she made her way to the community center by the sea. It was the earliest Halloween party of the season, and Jackie loved nothing more than dressing up and celebrating with her friends.
The Jinx attended the earliest Halloween party of the season, at a community center by the sea. It was two days before the full moon and the days might finally start to get chilly. The Jinx was excited to attend his first Halloween party, but he was also nervous. What would he wear? He had no idea what costumes humans wore. He decided to go as himself and flew to the party in a cloud of dark smoke.
Obscuro was getting excited for the upcoming Halloween party. It would be his first one of the season, and he was looking forward to dressing up in his favorite costume. He had white latex skin that made his face look like a mask, so he always stuck out in a crowd. But that was exactly why he loved going to Halloween parties- he loved the opportunity to show off his unique look.
Lucius Morte had never been to a Halloween party before. He had always been too busy tormenting the damned in the 4th level of hell to bother with earthly celebrations. But this year, he was feeling particularly restless and decided to venture out into the world of mortals. He found a community center by the sea that was hosting a Halloween party and decided to attend.
Vespera was so excited to go to the Halloween party. It was at a community center by the sea, and it would be her first party in a long time! She had been practicing her mime and charade skills for weeks, and she was determined to show everyone how good she was.
Gourdy Bane was very excited to attend the earliest Halloween party of the season. It was being held at a community center by the sea, and he loved the sound of waves crashing against the shore. When he arrived, he saw that the party was already in full swing. There were pumpkins everywhere, and people were dressed in costumes. Gourdy Bane saw a couple of gourds wearing pirate costumes, and he couldn’t help but laugh. He loved Halloween parties, and he was having a great time dancing to the music and eating candy.
Morrigana was very excited to attend the Halloween party at the community center by the sea. It was two days before the full moon, and the days were finally starting to get chilly. Morrigana had been working on her Halloween outfit all year long, and she was looking forward to showing it off.
William Wisp had been looking forward to the community center’s Halloween party all month long. It was going to be two days before the full moon, and he loved the smell of fall in the air (cinnamon and pumpkin spice). His Halloween costume was all ready to go, and he was excited to show it off to all of his friends. This year, he was dressed as a pumpkin. His little orange boots matched his little pumpkin body perfectly.
Mr. Creepers was all dressed up and ready to go to the community center by the sea for the earliest Halloween party of the season. It had been a long time since he’d been out and about, but he was feeling young at heart and ready to have some fun. He loved the black 1940s coat that he had found at a thrift store and felt confident that he would be the most stylish person at the party.
The Frankster had always loved Halloween. He loved the costumes, the candy, and most of all, the parties. This year, he was especially excited for the party at the community center by the sea. It was two days before the full moon, and he could feel a tiny bit of a cool autumn breeze in the air.
Wooblydook was really excited to attend the Halloween party at the community center by the sea. He had never been to one before, and he was looking forward to kale pulling and making neep lanterns. The party was two days before the full moon, and Wooblydook was hoping it would start to get chilly soon. He loved being out in the cold and feeling his bat-like ears flap in the wind.
As the sun began to set, the community center by the sea came to life. Lights flickered on, announcing that the earliest Halloween party of the season was about to start. A golden sun slowly rose in the sky, growing brighter and brighter as it got closer to the horizon. As it reached its peak, people whispered: this sun only came out at night. It was the Midnight Sun.