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 | Below is a time line of the Park's history from the time of its first inhabitants until the present day.
Please let us know about historical events that are missing, or require change.
Thanks. | |
| More than 3,000 years ago . . . Native American settlements existed along the La Jolla coastline. |
| 1836 | Ellen Browning Scripps is born in Rushville, Illinois. |
| 1850 | La Jolla lands are incorporated as part of San Diego. |
| 1871 | 400 acres of La Jolla are purchased by Charles Griffin, who next sold it to Charles Dean. |
| 1886 | Frank Botsford became the first to develop property in La Jolla, and with the help of George Heald, surveyed and subdivided property they had purchased from Dean. |
| 1887 | The land around La Jolla Cove is designated a park, La Jolla Park. |
| 1893 | La Jolla Park Hotel opens, only to be destroyed by fire, three years later. |
| 1894 | The Red Rest and Red Roost cottages are constructed and Anna Held establishes the Green Dragon Colony, permitting artists and novelists to work without expense. A pavilion is built in the park. |
| 1896 | Ms. Scripps moves to La Jolla. |
| 1899 | The San Diego Electric Railway builds a wooden stairway down to the beach. |
| 1904 | Largely through the efforts of local resident Walter Lieber, La Jolla Park is cleared and a row of Washington Palm trees is planted. |
| 1905 | The University of California, with support from the Scripps family, constructs a small research building and aquarium just east of Alligator Head. The facility was later moved. |
| 1906 | A bath house is constructed in the park, containing a pool, café, and verandah. |
| 1907 | The pavilion is torn down. |
| 1909 | The initial Scripps Institute of Oceanography is erected. |
| 1913 | The Grand Colonial Hotel opens for business. |
| 1916 | The first La Jolla Roughwater Swim is held. Seven men participate. |
| 1920 | Lifeguard service is added to the Cove. |
| 1924 | The San Diego Electric Railway extends to La Jolla, ending at the current intersection of Ivanhoe and Wall Streets. |
| 1925 | In response to community demand, the bath house is torn down. |
| 1926 | The Valencia, an apartment building, opens, later becoming the landmark La Valencia Hotel. |
| 1927 | The park is dedicated to the City and re-named the Ellen Browning Scripps Park, honoring Ms. Scripps’ 91st birthday. |
| 1936 | A Monterrey Cypress is planted in the Park, commemorating Ms. Scripps’ 100th Birthday. |
| 1938 | The wooden stairs to the beach are replaced with a concrete stairway. |
| 1939 | A shuffleboard court and small building are added to the park. |
| 1954 | The park is officially named “Ellen Browning Scripps Cove Memorial Park” by the City. |
| 1961 | The park is renamed “Ellen Browning Scripps Memorial Park.” |
| 1966 | Boomer Beach is dedicated exclusively to bodysurfing. |
| 1970 | The La Jolla Underwater Preserve is established. |
| 1979 | The La Jolla Cove Swim Club is created. |
| 1981 | The first La Jolla Half Marathon is held, concluding at the park. |
| 1983 |
Spurred by an injury to a swimmer, the waters between the Cove and La Jolla Shores are declared a no-boat zone. |
| 1983 | Alligator Head collapses. |
| 1984 | For the first time, a fireworks show takes place in the park on the Fourth of July. |
| 1985 | The infamous (and fun) La Jolla Rough Water Drink is banned. |
| 1989 | La Jolla’s Preliminary Coastal Plan advocates a more precise plan for the park. |
| 2000 | The shuffle board court is removed and replaced with a garden and sidewalks. |
| 2003 | The Scripps Park Project is established to develop and implement a long-term plan to preserve, restore, and enhance Ellen Browning Scripps Memorial Park. |
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