Impressions of the Coastside: 1960 & 1980

Ed Bauer, the former editor/publisher of the Half Moon Bay Review arrived on the Coastside in 1960. Twenty years later he appeared in my documentary, “The Mystery of Half Moon Bayâ€?.

Here are two sets of Ed Bauer’s observatons that remain true about this special place we all call home.

Ed Bauer describes the Coatside when he arrived in 1960.

“When I came here there was no dental office except one man who was over 87- years-old—and he came over on Saturday afternoon from 2 to 4.

“An excellent man, Dr. Sissom, who had an office in San Mateo, and he liked to come to Half Moon Bay on Saturday afternoons and he would attend to your teeth.

“…When I came here in 1960, there was one lawyer who came over here from Redwood City—the late Richard Bell—and he came over on Thursday.

“That was the lawyers day—and now [1981] I would say we have at least six lawyers in the area who are active, very active.â€?

He didn’t comment on how many dentists there were in 1980, but I suspect there were fewer than there were lawyers!

Ed Bauer gives an example of the type of person arriving on the Coastside circa 1980.

“..We had a man who had an excellent [law] practice in a larger city in New England. And he just wanted to leave the metropolitan area and live in a small community.

“…and the surroundings of Half Moon Bay are somewhat, along the coast itself, resemble New England to a slight extent…

“He likes to have a rural setting. He likes the outdoors. He doesn’t care to work in a downtown corporate suite.

“He’s his own man….â€?

Photo: Ed Bauer with daughter, Ann.

photos by Jerry Koontz