Juan Maria Osuna was granted the land that is now San Dieguito County Park by the Mexican government in 1840. He built an adobe home for his wife and 14 children and used the acreage for farming and livestock. Osuna’s legacy became a lush oasis for Solana Beach, Del Mar and Rancho Santa Fe.
In 1906, Juan Osuna’s heirs sold the family’s property to a subsidiary of the Santa Fe Railway, which planted 3.5 million Eucalyptus seeds in hopes of using the wood for railroad ties. When that didn’t work out, the company sold individual parcels that eventually helped create the town of Rancho Santa Fe. Eventually, the land the park now occupies was owned by the Santa Fe Irrigation District (SFID).
In 1952, H.G. Larrick Sr., then president of the irrigation district, floated the idea of creating a park. Don Armstrong, a Solana Lumber sales executive, promoted the notion with the San Dieguito Junior Chamber of Commerce, which agreed to sponsor the project. Armstrong initially envisioned a small park of, say, five acres, to be carved out of what was — even then — the most expensive land in San Diego county, selling for $5,000 an acre or more. But Larrick and the SFID Board of Directors had a grander vision. “I was thinking of a larger park. I have a site in mind that would be closer to 100 acres,” Larrick told Armstrong and his fellow Jaycees.
Many, many meetings later, the SFID directors and County Board of Supervisors came to agreement on deeding the park land to the County of San Diego. The year was 1954. The cost? A symbolic $10 check, hand-drawn extra-large for a triumphant photo-op. But those were the days of big strobe “flash” lighting and — twice — the newsman’s flash failed.
[Source: 40 Years of Progress: 1922 to 1962, San Dieguito Citizen]
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.