As we await our first significant snowfall of the season, let's all sing along "
"Oneonta, jewel of the Imperial beaches; Oneonta, sunshine and coastal breezes;
"Oneonta, Southern California oasis; Oneonta, palm trees and smiling faces."
No, this isn't a joke. These are some of the lyrics to a school song for Oneonta Elementary School in Imperial Beach, Calif., about 12 miles south of San Diego.
Online research about Imperial Beach shows several references to Oneonta, and the name is indeed tied to our city in the Heartland of New York.
Many years ago there was a thriving community called Oneonta-by-the-Sea within today's city of Imperial Beach. That was, until a big dam broke, devastating the place.
The lure of gold took many residents of Otsego County and Oneonta west in the late 1840s and '50s. Others went there to make fortunes another way.
Collis P. Huntington of Oneonta built railroads with major lines extending from Portland, Ore., to San Diego, and from San Francisco to Ogden, Utah. Huntington's nephew, Henry Huntington, also a native Oneontan, not only helped with the railroads, he joined several others in purchasing vast amounts of land in Southern California for future development.
One of these land developments was south of San Diego. Huntington began selling deeded property in 1886 for a "planned community," Oneonta-by-the-Sea. Many came here to live or to vacation. On the San Diego Historical Society's website, one can find an advertisement for the Oneonta Hotel, described as "Nature's Sanitarium for the Cure of Asthma, Catarrh, Throat and Lung Diseases."
With the enormous population growth already in progress, the water supply for the region became a bit of a concern around 1912. One reservoir at the Morena Dam was barely one-third full. The San Diego Wide Awake Improvement Club sent a letter to their city council suggesting they hire Charles M. Hatfield to create some rainfall.
Hatfield called himself the Moisture Accelerator, but others knew him best as The Rainmaker. Hatfield had fulfilled hundreds of rainmaking contracts since 1902.
San Diego's city council continually balked at the rainmaking idea, since Hatfield's techniques could not be proven scientifically, as they felt they couldn't authorize taxpayer money for such a scheme.
The Wide Awake Improvement Club persisted because they felt growth of the region hinged on an adequate water supply, and the situation wasn't getting any better. The Club, city council and Hatfield finally came to an agreement in December 1915. Hatfield constructed his rainmaking devices next to the Morena Dam, 60 miles east of San Diego.
On Jan. 10, 1916, it rained hard. It continued nonstop for five additional days. A total of 44 inches of rain fell within 26 days. Rising waters began washing out bridges and homes. A dam at Lower Otay Lake simply vanished under the pressure. Then the Sweetwater Dam ruptured, and a torrent of water headed directly at Oneonta.
The Oneonta community was destroyed among all the damage and deaths in the region. Lawsuits totaling $3.5 million came from San Diego alone. Hatfield, after all this, demanded to be paid for his services. In two court cases that went to trial, the rain was deemed an act of God, not Hatfield, who was never paid.
The City of Imperial Beach and the Army Air Corps Ream Field, now a naval landing field, took over part of the area that had been Oneonta. Its history was not forgotten, as there are a few Oneonta place names, such as the Oneonta Elementary School on 10th Street, and Oneonta Avenue in the same neighborhood. The school is celebrating its 50th anniversary this school year. By the way, the Oneonta School Song can be found by starting a search at www.sbusd/oneonta/site/default.asp From there go to "Our School" and select School Information, where you can select the song in the left menu.
On Monday: The second 3-D film ever to be shown in Oneonta had a co-star who lived here for a few years.
City Historian Mark Simonson's column appears twice weekly. On Saturdays, his column focuses on the area during the Depression and before. His Monday columns address local history after the Depression. If you have feedback or ideas about the column, write to him at The Daily Star, or e-mail him at simmark@stny.rr.com. His website is www.oneontahistorian.com.
