Carlsbad Historical Society's Blog

President’s Letter

This is the last newsletter of the year, and who would have
guessed what a year 2020 has been! Included in our 4 th
Quarter newsletter you will find three letters from members
on how this Covid 19 pandemic has impacted their lives.
Please consider sharing your own experiences to be
included in our archival records.
After more than 60 years our Carlsbad landmark power
plant is in the dismantling process. You’ll see a few photos
and we hope to continue sharing photos of this historic
process in future newsletters.
With our museum closed since March, our docent has had
the time to scan thousands of negatives from the defunct
Oceanside Blade Citizen newspaper. These photo negatives
covered news stories that were reported during the 1980s.
Lots of treasures were found, such as the time Science
Fiction author Ray Bradbury spoke at Carlsbad High School,
or Elliot Gould filming the Disney movie “The Devil and Max
Devlin” in La Costa. We are currently sharing these photos
on the Carlsbad Historical Society Facebook page.
Eliot Gould at the Carlsbad Racetrack
Some more great news, we are reopening the Carlsbad
Historical Museum on a limited basis Saturday and Sunday,
from 12:30-2: 30. We are following the San Diego County
Health Department protocols, so masks are required, and
the number of visitors is limited to 4 at one time. The
reduced hours are in response to needing time to sanitizing
the museum. Visitors will be restricted from using the
restrooms, and will follow a one way path through the
museum, entering by the Beech Street door, and exiting
through the Ocean Street side door. At this time we will not
be reopening the barn.
So spread the word among your friends and acquaintances
that we are open again to the public and check out our
photos on Facebook .
Sue

Carlsbad History Highway
The Carlsbad Historical Society is reaching out to the
general public by presenting virtual discussions on Carlsbad
history topics on the 4th Monday each month from 10–11
a.m.
Anyone can travel down Carlsbad’s History Highway from
the comfort of their own home by signing up for these
presentations hosted through the City of Carlsbad’s Virtual
Center. The presentations have been very well received and
attendance numbers are impressive. This is a great way to
share our love of Carlsbad history.
To register for these virtual programs:
• Go to http://www.carlsbadconnect.org
• On top right corner click Login/Create Account
• Adults 50+ tab from the options.
• Select the class Carlsbad History Highway.
• Once registered you will receive an email the evening
before the class is scheduled as well as one hour prior to
the start of the class.
You’ll just click on the link provided in the email to access
the discussion.

Schedule:
October – The Shipley Family and the importance of the
founding of St. Michaels
November – The Kelly Family
December – Carlsbad Tourism

Annual Meeting and Election

A new first for us, our 2020 Annual Meeting was held
virtually on Sunday, October 18 at 2 pm through a Zoom
Meeting. The 2019 Annual Meeting Minutes were read and
voted upon. Election Results were announced for the
2021-2023 term beginning January 2021. The Officers
elected were: Susan Gutierrez, President; Germán
Gutierrez, Treasurer; Virginia Unanue, Secretary.

From the Archives
John Aldridge Frazier- 1833-1899

Frazier discoverer of the Carlsbad Mineral Water Well
John Frazier was born in Rhode Island, and was a twin to
Elizabeth Frazier. He came from a seafaring family and
embarked on his own nautical travels at the age of 13 when
he shipped out with his uncle. He served for about 14 years
at sea, and ended his career in 1860 when he arrived in San
Francisco, where he married. Frazier spent a few years in
Sacramento and possibly worked in the nearby mines. By
1881, he had purchased 126 acres from homesteader
Lafayette Tunnison. He dug for and found water near the
newly laid train tracks, and the rest is history! His place
became known as Frazier’s Station but this was soon to
change when he sold his land to Gerhard Schutte, Samuel
Church Smith, Henry Nelson and Henry Wadsworth, and
they established the Carlsbad Land and Water Company.
Frazier hired on as General Manager of the newly
established hotel and health spa hotel.
In addition to Frazier’s seafaring and discovery of water, we
list his founding of the Good Samaritan Mission in Los
Angeles, prospecting for gems and minerals in east San
Diego County and serving as U.S. postmaster in Vista
California.
On the right is the Frazier Station, next the four story
Carlsbad Hotel, and on the left the Wadsworth house (the
twin of Schutte’s house, a block away)

Covid Letters

Letter to the Historical Society From Sue Ladouceur

Historically speaking, this pandemic of 2020 has been a real
challenge. But then, I just realized that the Covid-19
moniker is not the most recent virus after virus #18, but
stands for the year 2019 of which it first appeared! To say I
am behind the times is an understatement. I, personally,
would much rather be living in 2019 over again instead of
doing this 2020 in slow motion. Now all the quarantine we
so faithfully followed with no family and no direct contact
with friends is all for naught. And we have to start over now
since some didn’t take it seriously the first time. To say
some of us are slow learners is another understatement.
Oh, well, We did learn to be creative in the kitchen and
garden and Facebook for teaching us how to grow veggies.
Top off the tail of the romaine lettuce, plop it under the
earth and voila, up grows more lettuce. And I am now more
frugal. Eating up leftovers has become the goal before
penicillin enters the food chain. We have also learned to
supplement and extend 2 hotdogs by dicing them up small
and adding them to leftover noodles with a dash of katsup!
Oh, clever non-cook that I am. And my audience of onehusband
Peter, always raves about the concoction because
there is always his turn as an alternative. And fortunately,
for all who have sampled his cooking night- pickles are the
prime ingredient- better than katsup perhaps.
So, as you can see, acquiring and processing food and toilet
– paper (not to eat) has been a prime obsession in our
house. Other preoccupations are July 2020 Carlsbad
Historical Society gardening, and that means daily haircuts
of all plant life in the backyard. If the virus lasts another 6

months, we may be sporting desert décor in the backyard.
Other respites from the day, while eating lunch in the back
40 (food again) include watching butterflies, and
hummingbirds and our favorite lizards that live under the
umbrella stands. They actually came with names -Louie,
Jake #1 and Jake #2. Jake #2 does push ups to look buff.
Maybe something we should be doing, hint, hint!
Thank you technology. We have TV and cell phones and
facetime and zoom to bring news (mostly dreadful) and
family into our living room and sometimes bathroom. We
see each other making meals and art, watching movies and
Netflix. We see haircuts and weight loss, and gain, Oh,
Dear! And we get hugs and kisses from afar and that has
become enough, almost. We read, We write, We do art, We
don’t clean so much, always something more fun on the to
do list. Have yet to clean out the garage. Guilt. No, no guilt.
We are dealing with a pandemic, for heaven’s sake. Give us
some slack.
We gaze at the night sky a lot. WE grieve. We are afraid.
We hug., silently. WE have forgotten how to converse. We
must practice. We thank the gods for our neighbor friends
for months of shopping and cookie dough and avocados and
surprise hellos across the street. WE are alone but not.
Because we are all in this together. Happy or not, we must
be survivors. Finding ways to use a 5 lb. bag of carrots
before they spoil. Finding ways to not waste this precious
time. There is always peanut butter and jelly!
To all- stay safe and well
Sue R. Ladouceur

Letter from Marge Howard Jones

Four months in and all is well. I am happy at home with my
little dog, my sweet daughter just next door and constant
contact with friends and family near and far. My main
concern is the rest of the world! I miss going out to lunch
but feel sad for all the places no longer operating, not to
mention waste of food and energy. I don’t understand the
resistance to mask wearing and other precautions. I really
don’t expect our usual routines to ever return, so I wonder
if all this down time could be put to use thinking up, and
planning alternate ways of life. As a start, after cleaning
out cupboards and closets, perhaps consider what’s really
needed, as compared to what’s wanted…or vice versa!
That’s what’s keeping me buzzing..and tossing…and
re-appreciating things I forgot i even had! Carolyn
(daughter) keeps the bird feeder full and I watch those little
rascals goggle it up in less than half a day…so nature is
carrying on and we will,too.
Oh, almost forgot: the best thing in my life last week was
the streaming on Disney+ of “Hamilton”, the Broadway
musical. It is just wonderful in so many ways…and
especially timely for right now…a true gift to us all! Stay
well..

Letter from G. Gutierrez

Before the pandemic started I had been busy studying
microbiology and genetics by viewing online courses from
the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). They have
some world leaders in the field. Then I switched to a course
from Columbia University, given by virologist Vincent
Racaniello. It turned out that the 2020 version of his course
was being broadcast on Youtube as the pandemic
developed. Mr. Racaniello kept updating the class on what
was happening and predicting some outcomes. It is very
complicated but one valuable lesson from studying viruses is
that it allowed scientists to better understand how cells
work. This is because a tiny DNA or RNA virus is capable of
taking control of a cell with a much larger DNA; so it had to
be using some good tricks.
Coronaviruses have a fairly large DNA, and that is bad news
because it means that they have a lot of capabilities to fight
our defenses. They also use error correction molecules
when they duplicate, but this is good news because it
means they will not mutate in bizarre ways.
Another picture from our recent scans
Stagecoach Park dedication ceremony – Can you identify any
of the people in this picture? Please email us.

Power Plant Dismantling

The Encina Power Station in Carlsbad has begun its slow
dismantling. Cranes have been removing structures from
the roof and concrete panels from the back. The front of the
plant is covered with scaffolds and shows partial
dismantling. Only two items will temporarily remain
untouched: the seawater pumps and the smokestack.
The pumps are needed to provide water to the Poseidon
Desalination plant, which sits south and east of the plant.
Replacement pumps are to be installed this year.
The 400 foot tall smokestack cannot be taken down at this
time because antennas used by the SD County Sheriff’s
Department, as well as the Carlsbad Police Department, are
mounted on it. Once a new communication system is
installed the smokestack will be gradually dismantled. There
was an effort to preserve the stack as a landmark, but this
effort has failed.
Local residents have noticed the low noise coming from the
new fast-start power plants, particularly this summer that
we had unusual heat waves, requiring more energy for air
conditioning.
The old plant was over 65 years old, having been completed
in 1954. The tall smoke stack was added in 1978 to replace
four smaller stacks. The new power plant supplies a little
over half of the power of the older plant, but turns on and
off much faster. The new plant provides a little over 500
Megawatts of power.
Panels have been removed from the back of the Power
Plant (CHS-GG)
Scaffolds on the front face of the Power Plant are used to
remove concrete panels (CHS- GG)
Five small smoke stacks are part of the new power plant
East of the old Encina Power Station (NRG Energy photo).
~~~
CHS BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President: Susan Schnebelen Gutierrez
1st Vice President: Kenneth Langen
2nd Vice President: Marvin Sippel
Secretary: Ginny Unanue
Treasurer: Germán Gutierrez
Carlsbad Historical Society
P.O. Box 252 Carlsbad CA 92018-0252
(760) 434-9189
cbadhistory@gmail.com
Shipley-Magee House
258 Beech Avenue Carlsbad CA 92008
Open Friday, Saturday and Sunday 11 to 3 pm.
Private Tours with Tea are given
Monday through Thursday
BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
http://www.carlsbadhistoricalsociety.com
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