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In 1895, the Southern Pacific Railroad built a line to Huntington Beach, connecting the farming area to the Holly Sugar
Plant which had relocated to Santa Ana.
In 1901, Philip A. Stanton and Col. H.S. Finley visited the area and recognized its potential as a west coast resort
rivaling Atlantic City, New Jersey. They formed a syndicate called the West Coast Land and Water Co. They acquired 1,500
acres for $100,000 and began dividing the area around Main Street into lots and streets. They named their new
development Pacific City.
Eighteen months later, they sold out to another group of investors, including Henry E. Huntington. Hence the city's new
name. One of the first things the new Huntington Beach Company did was construct a wooden pier. The Pacific Electric Railway
also now connected the city to Long Beach. The city's first telephone system was installed. It operated from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Huntington Beach incorporated in 1909 under its first mayor, Ed Manning. Its original developer was the Huntington Beach
Company, a real-estate development firm owned by Henry Huntington, a railroad magnate after whom the city is named. The
Huntington Company is still a major land-owner in the city, and still owns most of the local mineral rights. The city's
first high school, Huntington Beach High School was built in 1906. The school's team, the Oilers, are named after the
city's original natural resource.
Between Downtown Huntington Beach and Huntington Harbour lies a vast marshy wetland, much of which is protected within the
Bolsa Chica Wildlife Refuge. Large parts of Bolsa Chica are privately owned, or owned by the city and planned for development.
As of 2001, there is an active political dispute between developers and local conservationists, with active local
organizations on both sides. South of Downtown, the Talbert and Magnolia Marshes lie on a strip of undeveloped land
parallel to Huntington State Beach.
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