DPHS September 23 Program Features Our Founders Day Honoree Jack LoConsolo of Jack’s Restaurant and Bar

Join us Wednesday, September 23, in City Hall Council Chambers at 6 p.m. when our featured guest will be Jack LoConsolo of Jack’s Restaurant and Bar in Dana Point. Jack will receive our Founders Day award, given to Dana Point citizens who have given of their time and helped to shape our community over many years. Since 1997, Jack has welcomed visitors to his popular Italian-themed restaurant on Del Prado Avenue. His involvement with providing community services, including meals for seniors and our military service members, has elevated his accomplishments in our city.

Our Society is also very interested in the building that houses Jack’s restaurant. As some may remember, the building was originally a hotel and restaurant built in the 1940s. The postcard below shows the Dana Point Hotel and the Galleon Restaurant, where Jack’s is now located.

Our special evening honoring Jack begins at 6 p.m. with a presentation in City Hall Council Chambers followed by a reception at our museum located on the first floor of City Hall. All are welcome!

President’s Message

What a special pleasure it is to share news of this year’s Founders Day Award recipient: Jack LoConsolo, owner of Jack’s Restaurant and Bar in Dana Point. Jack’s name is familiar to many in our community, not only because his restaurant has long been a welcoming gathering place on Del Prado, but because he has consistently shown the spirit of generosity, neighborliness and civic pride that helps keep Dana Point’s story alive.

The Founders Day Award recognizes individuals whose commitment strengthens the Dana Point Historical Society’s mission to preserve and celebrate the people, places, and stories that shaped our town. In honoring Jack, we recognize a community member

whose dedication reaches beyond business ownership. Through his restaurant, he has created a place where residents, visitors, friends and families come together—an important part of the living history of Dana Point.

Jack opened Jack’s Restaurant and Bar in 1997, building on his love of food, hospitality, and

community. Over the years, his restaurant has evolved while remaining rooted in personal service and a strong connection to Dana Point. During challenging times, Jack also demonstrated extraordinary care for others, including support for the City’s Senior Services Program through meal donations. His example reminds us that history is not only found in photographs and archives but are also made each day by people who serve their community with heart.

On behalf of the Dana Point Historical Society, I extend our warm congratulations to Jack LoConsolo. We are grateful for his friendship, his generosity and his lasting contributions to the character of Dana Point.

In exciting preservation news, our Society’s Preservation Committee is working with Orange County to secure new interest in saving the historic Blue Lantern Gazebo located on the bluff above the harbor. We are in new discussions with Orange County representatives to discover how this can be achieved and we will be asking for public input as we move through this processs.

Visitors from our sister city of Sorrento, Italy, were welcomed by the Society in August, as was a visit from our scholarship winner, William Reardon, who attended a reception following our Board of Directors monthly meeting.

Please join us as we honor Jack LoConsolo of Jack’s Restaurant and Bar at our meeting on Wednesday, September 23, at 6 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers and help us thank him for all he has done to make our community stronger.

Marsha La Russo

2026 Scholarship Recipient Meet and Greet

On Tuesday, August 11, our 2026 scholarship winner attended an afternoon reception following our DPHS board meeting. Pictured are Carrie Lyons, her son and scholarship recipient William Reardon, DPHS Scholarship Chair Heidi Hyde and DPHS President Marsha La Russo. William received our $2,000 scholarship and hopes to become an airline pilot. He will begin studies in aeronautics at the University of North Dakota this fall. The Society wishes him all the best in his future endeavors.

Will The Blue Lantern Gazebo Be Saved?

Over the last few years, many people have questioned the Dana Point Historical Society about the status of the Blue Lantern Gazebo, which has undergone a variety of setbacks, starting with a lawsuit from a gazebo visitor as well as erosion beneath the building so severe that it had to be closed to the public and fenced off from use. The Society has been working with Orange County, which owns the property, to try to secure the gazebo’s legacy as it celebrates its 100^th anniversary in 2027. The Society’s Preservation Committee has contacted Thomas “Mat” Miller, the Chief Real Estate Officer for the County of Orange CEO’s Office in California. After consulting with the county, he has directed OC Parks staff “to work with a company that does historical preservation to get an estimate of what it would cost to take the gazebo down and preserve it, then reconstruct it elsewhere on the property. Once we get that, we should meet again onsite to discuss the estimate and the best way forward.” The County has also contacted us and indicated that the process of securing a company to perform such a project and getting an estimate will take several months. The Society is hopeful this may occur by late autumn.

The following article, by Barbara F. Johannes is reprinted from our summer, 2020, newsletter:

The “Blue Lantern Gazebo” at the Ken Sampson Overlook Park continues to be fenced off due to a rockslide on January 13, 2018. Cove Road was also closed when 18 tons of rock, including a two-ton boulder, dropped on the stone restrooms below. Cove Road was re-opened but the restrooms below and the gazebo above remain closed and fenced off, although the Ken Sampson Overlook still remains a popular harbor viewing spot.

The South Coast Scenic Improvement Project emphasized the preservation of this historic lookout as a public view point in 1969, as recorded by Doris Walker in Home Port for Romance. “The Blue Lantern Lookout Park” was dedicated in 1975 as an official Orange County Park. The historic red-tiled, octagonal gazebo first appears in our historical photos at about the same time as the Blue Lantern Gas Station Fountain Lunch building, c. 1926-1927. The original site may have been chosen by the San Juan Point Corporation or Anna G. Walters in 1925, but the gazebo was likely built sometime after Sidney H. Woodruff’s investors bought and expanded the Dana Point development in 1926. (Historic photos show Woodruff’s tall-ship logo located at the peak of the gazebo’s tiled roof, pictured.) The gazebo’s panoramic location also includes the California State Park Commission’s Historical Landmark No. 189, erected in 1955, which attests to the significance of Richard Henry Dana’s visit in 1835 and, earlier, Hipólito Bouchard’s raid on San Juan Capistrano, flying an Argentine flag, while anchored here in 1818. On September 21, 1978, the quarter-acre site was renamed the Ken Sampson Overlook to honor the Orange County Parks director who had overseen the design and construction of Dana Point Harbor.

A commemorative plaque with Ken Sampson’s portrait is placed in the park in tribute to his supervision of local beaches, harbors and parks Orange County Parks engaged Page & Turnbull, a preservation architecture and conservancy firm in Los Angeles, to evaluate the Blue Lantern Gazebo with a historic-structure feasibility study. The study describes the Spanish Colonial Revival structure as located at the edge of the bluff on a concrete foundation added in 1989. The ramp that slopes down to the gazebo entrance was added during the 1973 construction of the new plaza. This was a change to the approach, but the gazebo itself was not moved. The gazebo is a wood-frame construction with large corner wood columns supporting wood rafters, wood skip sheathing and a barrel clay tile roof above. The walls are wood frame construction with cement plaster finish on the exterior and wood on the interior. The gazebo was originally fully enclosed with casement window sashes and partially glazed bi-fold entry doors, as evident in our historic photos. After an Orange County Historical Commission meeting in the harbor, I had the opportunity to meet with architect Drew Gorski at the Blue Lantern Gazebo. He pointed to the original recessed areas where window hinges at the existing wood columns showed that the gazebo was once fully enclosed. In the report submitted by Page & Turnbull, the gazebo’s interior cast-in-place floor, featuring a terra cotta compass embedded at the center, was installed with the new foundation in the late 1980s. The terra cotta compass was salvaged from an earlier slab and reinstalled in the current concrete slab. The general condition of the gazebo ranges from poor to good, with the most serious issue identified as the separation of connections between the columns and beams, where beams no longer have full bearing. Interior wood cladding on walls have damage, the walls have evidence of termite damage, and wood sills have both termite and graffiti damage. Areas of concern included erosion of the bluff, which has the potential to undermine the gazebo foundation, as documented in a Limited Geotechnical Review in 2016. The Page & Turnbull report recommended that continuing erosion should be examined by a civil engineer.

The Blue Lantern Gazebo is one of only a handful of remaining historic gazebos built along the Pacific Coast in the 1920s and 1930s. Also still existing is the historic Doheny-era gazebo at the Palisades Gazebo Park in Capistrano Beach. It is open to the sky, with connecting beams instead of a roof. Built-in benches for gazing at the Pacific Ocean are surrounded by a beautiful rose garden. The Heisler Park gazebo (pictured above) is another. It is now a part of Laguna Beach and its greenbelt named a “Historic American Landscape,” one of only 700 national landmarks in the entire United States to receive such a recognition.

Page & Turnbull has recommended restoring the historic Blue Lantern Gazebo to its original appearance (rendering pictured above), including the original faux bois fence of wood-like patterned cement as seen in our historic photos --- a style that still remains at the gazebo in Heisler Park.

From Our Social Media…

One of the best features of having an online presence is getting replies to our posts from people interested in our organization. Here are some recent examples:

From Coleen Yorba Lee regarding our remembrance of the sinking of the Brig Pilgrim:

My father bought the Pilgrim’s hull in Denmark in 1975 and sailed her to Setubal, Portugal where the conversion to a replica of the Brig Pilgrim from “Two Years Before the Mast” was completed. The deck configuration and all masts and rigging were his design. He then sailed her across the Atlantic to Miami and she eventually came thru the Panama Canal to Southern California before entering Dana Point harbor in 1981. Our family was devastated when she sank but we were presented the ships bell by the Institute.

From Judy Curreri Siebecker regarding our post about the property configuration and local vote of Laguna Niguel and Dana Point:

Greetings to your organization from the First Mayor of Dana Point. I am now 84 years old. Leading the City’s Incorporation remains one of the highlights of my life. Forming the City in order to have local citizens be the decision making group was my dream and passion. Many citizens were involved with the Incorporation effort. I raised my two daughters and a stepson in Dana Point. What great memories.

Now in 2026 I live in Carnation Washington near Seattle with my eldest daughter Tamara (Tami) Curreri and her husband and 2 children who are now young adults. Living in a 3 generation household is special.

From Our Archives…

DPHS Archivist Sarena Underwood unearthed an article from the July, 1968, San Clemente Sun Times. It shows the proposed development of Salt Creek Beach. You can see that the proposed development was a very different concept from what we have now.

Our Visitors From Italy

DPHS President Emeritus Barbara Johannes, pictured on right, welcomed high school students from Sorrento, Italy who are participating in the Dana Point Sister Cities International student exchange program between Sorrento and Dana Point. The photo was taken on August 3, when the students had a Harbor Patrol tour in the morning, followed by a City Hall tour which included a visit to the Dana Point Historical Society. The Dana Point students were in Sorrento in June and the Italian students were here from July 31 to August 14 and visited everything from San Juan Capistrano to Disneyland.

Maritime Festival Outreach Booth, September 12 & 13

Join us at our outreach booth on Saturday and Sunday, September 12 and 13, at the Maritime Festival from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Board vice-president and Outreach Booth Chair Gary Macrides will have a large variety of merchandise for sale including our historic photos and local history books.

We will have Dana Point Hawaiian shirts of which we have limited stock, which features fabric depicting various sights in Dana Point (below).

Also available will be collectible ornaments, Dana Point afghans and T-shirts, including our Last Day of Killer Dana shirt (pictured, top).

Tile Wall Chair Randy Roberts will also have a full setup of blank ceramic tiles and paints for you to create your one-of-a-kind plaque to be later installed on the seawall at Baby Beach. Join us for a fun day of celebrating the Tall Ships and the history of Dana Point!

Membership

Welcome new members John Campbell, Laura & Gregg Champion, Deana Christakes, Larry Culbertson, Jim Fetner, Sharon Russell Fitzsimmons, Robin Hervey & Pablo Mahor, Gilbert King, Norma Lococo, Chris Lobo, Carrie Lyons & Rey Barthelemy, Mike Maihen, Teri Maihen, Cullen McKeown, Katherine McKinley, Logan Petitto, Tyler Rooke, Sean Tripp, Ian Wahlberg and Pamela Zedick! We welcome anyone insterested in joining the Society to enjoy our very reasonable rates. Membership perks include receiving our newsletters, advance announcements regarding upcoming programs, special-event invitations and 10% off of all merchandise purchases. Categories are:

Individual $25 annual

Family $30 annual

Business $50 annual

Patron $100 annual

Life $500 lifetime

Please remit your dues via mail at P.O. Box 544, Dana Point, 92629, CA; at our museum Tuesdays, Thursdays or Saturdays, 1-3 p.m.; at one of our scheduled meetings, or at events when our outreach booth is present. All contributions are tax deductible as the Historical Society is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. Questions? Contact Membership Chair Jeff Lander at:

Jeff.Lander@danapointhistorical.org, 630-240-9266

Social Media Volunteer Needed

The Society is looking for a volunteer to help manage our social media sites. Ideally, the position would involve 2-4 hours per week posting and editing content on our Facebook and Instagram pages and could include increasing our presence on other sites. If you have experience working with social media and would like to volunteer, please contact us at museum@danapointhistorical.org or call 949-248-8121.

Aside from his studies, Will served as varsity football team captain and will be attending the renowned Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University majoring in Aviation Sciences with the goal of becoming a commercial pilot.

Special Events Chair Elizabeth Bamattre introduced our program last week, which featured Chris Lobo, a 9th-generation Mission Indian, whose family has been intimately involved in tribal affairs since the early 1900s. His presentation highlighted the history of the Mission Indians in southern California. In 2002, he founded his own wine company, Native Hands Wines. Chris discussed his Native American heritage as well as his years of experience with crafting wine selections. A reception followed the presentation at our museum where Chris served samples of his wines and sold specially discounted bottles, of which he generously donated the proceeds to our Society. A few bottles of cabernet remain for sale at our museum ($20 each). If you miss out, you can purchase his wines at BarVino, conveniently located at La Plaza in downtown Dana Point.

Join us at our outreach booth on Sunday, May 3, at the Redo Market on Del Prado from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Board vice-president and Outreach Booth Chair Gary Macrides will have a large variety of merchandise for sale including our historic photos, local history books, Dana Point Hawaiian shirts, collectible ornaments, Dana Point Afghans, T-shirts, caps and a variety of other items. Tile Wall Chair Randy Roberts will also have a full setup of blank ceramic tiles and paints for you to create your one-of-a-kind plaque to be later installed on the seawall at Baby Beach. Stop by to say hello and have a fun day of vintage shopping along the way!

Join us Wednesday, May 6, in City Hall Council Chambers at 6 p.m. where our featured speaker will be Chris A. Lobo, a 9th-generation Mission Indian, with ancestral ties to three Mission Tribes: Juaneño, Luiseno and Diegueño. As one of the core families of San Juan Capistrano, his lineage can be traced through Mission sacramental records to at least eight village sites. Currently, he is an active citizen of the Juaneño Band of Mission Indians. His family has been intimately involved in tribal affairs since the early 1900s. His great-grandparents, grandparents, aunts and uncles were fierce advocates for Indian rights, serving in leadership roles within the Mission Indian Federation and Tribe. Notably, Chris’s uncle, Clarence H. Lobo, served as Chief of the Juaneños for 39 years, advocating for federal acknowledgment of their people and ancestral territory.

Professionally, Chris’s beverage experience spans more than 38 years, beginning as an opening team member at the Ritz Carlton in Dana Point and culminating in a 15-year tenure as Beverage Director of Operations, which he completed in 1999. In 2002, he founded his own wine company, Native Hands Wines, focusing on sales and marketing. During this time, he collaborated with many iconic brands and some of the finest restaurants and retailers in the region.

Chris will discuss his Native American heritage as well as his years of experience with crafting wine selections. A reception follows the presentation at our museum where Chris will allow us to sample his various vintages. Please join us for a very special evening.

DPHS May 6 Program to Feature Native Wines Owner

and Mission Indian Chris A. Lobo

Join us Wednesday, May 6, in City Hall Council Chambers at 6 p.m. where our featured speaker will be Chris A. Lobo, a 9th-generation Mission Indian, with ancestral ties to three Mission Tribes: Juaneño, Luiseno and Diegueño. As one of the core families of San Juan Capistrano, his lineage can be traced through Mission sacramental records to at least eight village sites. Currently, he is an active citizen of the Juaneño Band of Mission Indians. His family has been intimately involved in tribal affairs since the early 1900s. His great-grandparents, grandparents, aunts and uncles were fierce advocates for Indian rights, serving in leadership roles within the Mission Indian Federation and Tribe. Notably, Chris’s uncle, Clarence H. Lobo, served as Chief of the Juaneños for 39 years, advocating for federal acknowledgment of their people and ancestral territory.

Professionally, Chris’s beverage experience spans more than 38 years, beginning as an opening team member at the Ritz Carlton in Dana Point and culminating in a 15-year tenure as Beverage Director of Operations, which he completed in 1999. In 2002, he founded his own wine company, Native Wines, focusing on sales and marketing. During this time, he collaborated with many iconic brands and some of the finest restaurants and retailers in the region.

Chris will discuss his Native American heritage as well as his years of experience with crafting wine selections. A reception follows the presentation at our museum where Chris will allow us to sample his various vintages. Please join us for a very special evening.

President’s Message

We invite everyone to join us for the Dana Point Historical Society meeting on Wednesady, May 6, featuring Chris Lobo. This is a wonderful opportunity to connect with others who share an interest in our community’s history and in local Native American culture.

Additionally, we are excited to announce a special scholarship fundraiser featuring signed posters created by artist David Milton. These posters beautifully depict the iconic landmarks of Dana Point. You can purchase one for a minimum donation of $25 but greater contributions are warmly welcomed. Our scholarships are such a worthwhile contribution to our future generations and their education. Sale proceeds support our scholarship program, which will be awarding $1,000 scholarships to two deserving high school seniors from Dana Point living in ZIP codes 92629 or 92624. Please encourage any eligible seniors to apply --- the deadline is April 17.

Thanks go out to our Festival of Whales volunteers who represented DPHS in the Saturday parade. Thanks especially to board vice president Gary Macrides, who coordinated the event. We also want to give a big shout-out to founding board member Elizabeth Bamattre and her husband Bill, who braved two days of heat to lead nearly 100 people on our very popular history walk of Dana Point.

We look forward to greeting you at our May meeting!

Marsha LaRusso

Membership Reminder

Welcome new members Norma Banda, Nancy Blackburn, Ida Chavez and Robert Chavez! We would like to remind our members that the Society is still looking for several of our members to renew their memberships for 2026. If you haven’t renewed, now is a good time! We also welcome anyone insterested in joining the Society to enjoy our very reasonable rates. Membership perks include receiving our newsletters, advance announcements regarding upcoming programs, special event invitations and 10% off of all merchandise purchases. Categories are:

Individual $25 annual

Family $30 annual

Business $50 annual

Patron $100 annual

Life $500 lifetime

Please remit your dues via mail at P.O. Box 544, Dana Point, 92629; at our museum Tuesdays, Thursdays or Saturdays, 1-3 p.m.; at one of our scheduled meetings, or at events when our outreach booth is present. All contributions are tax deductible as the Historical Society is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. Questions? Contact Membership Chair Jeff Lander at: Jeff.Lander@danapointhistorical.org, 630-240-9266

Scholarships

A reminder that the Dana Point Historical Society will be awarding two $1,000 scholarships to two high school students honoring prominent women in the history of our community. The deadline for submittal is fast approaching!

Our scholarships are named for Doris I. Walker, a historian and the author of many books about local history as well as a founding member of the Dana Point Historical Society and Barbara F. Johannes, President Emeritus and Historian of the Dana Point Historical Society.

ALL graduating High School students who live in the City of Dana Point (92629 or 92624) and are planning to attend community college, university or trade school are eligible. The award is based on need, interest in history and community service.

The deadline for submitting applications is April 17, 2026. Please include a transcript and 1-2 letters of recommendation.

The application can be filled out electronically here and will be sent to DPHS: Scholarships

Interested students can also contact their school guidance counselor for an application.

Doris Walker Tribute Vandalized

It was discovered that the Doris Walker tribute statue in Heritage Park was vandalized in March. It appeared that vandals sought to remove the statue by cutting through metal brackets on the back. Al Jacobo, Dana Point Parks Superintendent, stepped in quickly and had the entire statue removed for safekeeping. Because it needed regular maintenance and spot repair, he is keeping it in storage until that can be completed. He expects the statue to be reinstalled within a few weeks. The tribute statue, created by artist Christopher Pecharka, was originally installed in the park in 2013.

May 3 Redo Market on Del Prado

Join us at our outreach booth on Sunday, May 3, at the Redo Market on Del Prado from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Board vice-president and Outreach Booth Chair Gary Macrides will have a large variety of merchandise for sale including our historic photos, local history books, Dana Point Hawaiian shirts, collectible ornaments, Dana Point Afghans, T-shirts, caps and a variety of other items. Tile Wall Chair Randy Roberts will also have a full setup of blank ceramic tiles and paints for you to create your one-of-a-kind plaque to be later installed on the seawall at Baby Beach. Join us for a fun day of vintage shopping as well as celebrating the history of Dana Point!

Pictured from top left: Our cotton afghan featuring the sites of Dana Point; Our newest ornament showing R.H. Dana; Our Hawaiian shirt featuring the sites of Dana Point; Our “Last Day of Killer Dana” T-Shirt; Paperback of the history of Dana Point by Doris I. Walker; Hardback edition of Home Port for Romance (the history of Dana Point) by Doris I. Walker.

Festival of Whales 2026

DPHS participated in the 56^th annual Festival of Whales on March 5, 6 and 7.

Several members of the Historical Society rode in the Festival of Whales in March. Teen volunteers from local Rotary Clubs’ Interact Clubs decorated our trolley, provided by the the City of Dana Point, and carried our sign for the parade. Board member Gary Macrides made our parade arrangements and is pictured with two Interact volunteers.

Our founding board member, Elizabeth Bamattre, along with husband Bill, led our Festival of Whales tour groups on Saturday and Sunday, March 7 & 8. Despite warm temperatures, nearly 100 people braved the heat to take the Society’s historic walking tour of downtown Dana Point,

which includes homes and businesses built during the original development of the city in the 1920s and other cultural landmarks, as well. Elizabeth can be seen in the pink hat speaking to the tour guests.

Photos by Michael Jiang and Bill Bamattre.

Social Media Volunteer Needed

The Society is looking for a volunteer to manage our social media sites. Ideally, the position would involve 2-4 hours per week posting and editing content on our Facebook and Instagram pages and could include increasing our presence on other sites. If you have experience working with social media and would like to volunteer, please contact Gary Macrides at museum@danapointhistorical.org or call 949-248-8121.

Several members of the Historical Society rode in the Festival of Whales parade last Saturday. Teen volunteers from InterAct decorated our trolley, provided by the the City of Dana Point, and carried our sign for the parade. Board member Gary Macrides made our parade arrangements and is pictured with our two volunteers. Everyone had a fun day and enjoyed the beautiful weather!

On March 29, 2007 the United States honored the Tuskegee Airmen with the presentation of the Congressional Gold Medal. Lt. Mitchell Higgenbotham, one of the Tuskegee Airmen and a Life Member of DPHS, was with his fellow Army Air Corps veterans in the Capitol Rotund to receive the award. The Gold Medal, the highest award bestowed by the federal legislature, is awarded to individuals or groups for singular acts of exceptional service and for lifetime achievement. The first person to receive this medal was George Washington in 1776. Mitch was also among the African American Officers of the 477th Bombardment group who were arrested for the “Freeman Field Mutiny” which was an attempt to enter an officers club reserved for white officers, eventually seen as a key moment in the path toward full integration of the U. S. Armed Services.

Following a delicious potluck dinner, Mayor Gabbard took questions from the audience for about 20 minutes. His candor and knowledge was appreciated by the audience.

Barbara Johannes and Heidi Hyde followed with a history presentation about a recent acquisition of a painting, created 40 years ago by artist David Milton, featuring various sites of Dana Point, pictured.

Dana Point’s history is not one single story. It is maritime life and coastal culture, neighborhoods and small businesses, civic decisions and community traditions, and the everyday experiences that do not always make the headlines, but define a place over time.

Why we are using Substack

We are using Substack as our publishing home for long-form storytelling and a simple, reliable newsletter.

Every time we publish here, you can read it on the web and receive it by email if you subscribe. Over time, this becomes a searchable, shareable archive of Dana Point history and DPHS updates, in one place.

What you can expect here

We will use this publication for:

• From the Archives: Photo essays, featured images, and newly digitized finds

• Artifact and Document Spotlights: The story behind a single item, and what it reveals

• Then and Now: Historical comparisons, maps, and neighborhood changes over time

• Oral Histories: Interviews, recollections, and community-submitted memories

• Research Notes: Short pieces on local questions we are actively investigating

• Behind the Scenes: Preservation work, digitization progress, and collection care

• Programs and Events Recaps: Highlights and context you can share with others

How often we will publish

To start, expect one to two posts per month, plus occasional brief updates when something timely is happening, such as an upcoming program, a new exhibit element, or a major archival milestone.

How you can participate

DPHS is powered by community involvement. If you have any of the following, we want to hear from you:

• Old photos of Dana Point, the Harbor, Headlands, neighborhoods, schools, or local businesses

• Documents, letters, programs, flyers, menus, or memorabilia tied to local life

• Family stories or first-hand memories that deserve to be recorded

• Leads on people we should interview or topics we should research

Reply to any post, or reach out through the contact options on our main website.

How you can support DPHS

If you value local history, there are a few high-impact ways to help:

• Subscribe so you do not miss a post

• Share articles with friends and neighbors

• Become a member through our membership program

• Donate to support preservation, digitization, and public programming

• Volunteer with archives, events, or community outreach

Start here

If you are new to DPHS, your next steps are simple:

1. Subscribe

2. Read and share what resonates

3. Tell us what you want to learn about Dana Point

Thank you for being part of preserving Dana Point’s story.