Half Moon Bay Memories & El Granada Observer

and he did…. do everything. Where are men like Raymond G. Smith today?

Photographer/Electrician/Postmaster/Coastside Leader/Realtor…and so on.

Here’s a brief visual history of R. Guy Smith’s life.

There’s R. Guy Smith posing beside his Moss Beach home, still standing and still looking like the original gem that it was. That’s Smith’s automobile; he kept it in pristine shape as you can see in the other pictures below. He arrived in Moss Beach in the 1900s–his uncle was already there, selling real estate during the Ocean Shore Railroad era. R. Guy set up his electrical business in the building along Highway 1, recognizable today. Later it housed the Moss Beach Post Office, where R. Guy was the postmaster, famous for balancing accounts to the nearest penny.

At one time, the Moss Beach Post Office was also the place where you’d take out a book to read, a local lending library.

In the lower photo, I am sure the pile of bags contain photographic postcards, most scenic pictures of the Coastside, all shot by R. Guy Smith. Note the glass window: “Kodaks,” it says, I assume, referring to the film.

R. Guy set up the Moss Beach Coastside Chamber of Commerce which makes me think that the “Moss-Backs,” as the locals call themselves, intended to run the entire Coastside, that Moss Beach was the center of power, where major decisions were made. R. Guy championed an alternative route over Devil’s Slide, a tunnel, even. He intended that Moss Beach control the HMB Airport.

Today the “Moss-Backs” wonder why the Marine Reserve was not named the “R. Guy Smith Marine Reserve.”

(R. Guy Smith photo)

Here’s what the R. Guy Smith house in Moss Beach looked like in the 1970s, with, Larry, the proud owner sitting on the steps.

To remind you what the house looked like when R. Guy Smith lived there:

Yeah, yeah, I talk about R. Guy Smith a lot–but he took the most fantastic photographs of the Coastside — I don’t know what we would do without his creative eye.

Here’s his house; it’s still standing in Moss Beach, on the west side, and last I looked, it was in mint condition. That’s R. Guy (the “R” stands for Raymond) and his car in front of the house.

When you’re taking a walk through Moss Beach, you might take a look at the old post office on Highway 1 and then head over to the west side to find Mr. Smith’s house.

He was a man who had his fingers in everything. Here’s a letter from San Francisco Mayor James “Sunny Jim” Rolph to our Mr. R. Guy Smith, dated 1922. Smith was at the beginning of his tenure as Moss Beach Postmaster. The Mayor is accepting an invitation to a Postmaster’s convention. Click to enlarge.

The Moss Beach Post Office gets high marks for balancing the books in 1917.

The letter (click to enlarge or read below) is from:

United States Post Office
Burlingame, Cal. Nov. 3. 1917.

District Postmaster.
Moss Beach, Cal.

I have received from you this date under register No. 59 stamped paper for credit amounting to $180.71.

It is a pleasure to receive a report correct. Would like to shake hands with you.

Signature illegible
Central Accounting Postmaster

Below the newly organized Moss Beach Chamber of Commerce confronts its No. 1 problem. (Please click on image to enlarge)

Moss Beach, California
February 12, 1952

R. Guy Smith, Moss Beach Postmaster

signed