While not as tall as, say, the Statue of Liberty, and not as long as, say, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Santa Monica Pier remains equally as illustrious. The iconic sign that marks the entrance to the pier-bridge is among the most photographed locations in the world and consistently remains on top Instagrammed locations lists as it attracts millions of visitors every year.
Since it first opened on September 9, 1909, the pier has endured just about everything both man and Mother Nature can throw at it. Consequently, there are a number of key anniversaries in the Pier’s history and coincidentally they almost all fall in the first few months of the year.
Back in early 1973, the Pier faced closure in favor of constructing an absurd and ludicrously over-ambitious 35-acre artificial island featuring a high-rise hotel, convention center and restaurants and four-lane bridge connecting it to Santa Monica. Thankfully however, residents united and were able to create two community groups, Friends of Santa Monica Pier and the Save Santa Monica Pier Citizen’s Committee and they set forth to sway public opinion and ultimately save the treasured landmark.
The poor Pier has endured people, politics, poverty and even poop. During the summer of 1945 for instance, a 28 ft fishing boat moored alongside exploded after an ignition spark caused gasoline to catch fire, resulting in debris from the boat rocketing 200 ft straight up into the air. However, having survived the worst that mortal man could throw at it, from time to time the popular Pacific protrusion still faced whatever foul mood Mother Nature might be in.
Back in the winter of 1982, when the concept of an El Niño was first being realized, storms swept away the remains of a protective breakwater that surrounded the Pier. This itself was all that remained after the attempt to develop a small boat harbor completed in August 1934 and with that last line of defense against the elements gone, it was more vulnerable than ever. Unfortunately, the following winter of 1983 was even more severe. Reported swells of over 20-feet repeatedly battered the seaborne structure and caused significant damage. When the storm eventually passed, most of the lower deck of the Pier had been destroyed.
Credit: Scott Snowden
The City of Santa Monica began repairs on Tuesday, March 1, 1983 and all seemed to be going swimmingly until another storm rolled in, that very evening. On its own, it might not have caused too much additional damage, but its effects were enormously exacerbated by human error. A large crane that was being used as part of the repairs was not secured properly before the storm and the boom was not stowed. Consequently, it was dragged into the water and acted like a battering ram, repeatedly smashing against the load-bearing pilings.
A 400-foot section of the western most end of the Pier was ripped away, ultimately taking with it two giant cranes, a boat derrick, three cars and a pickup truck. Between one-third and half of the structure was destroyed. There’s a metal strip that can be seen stretching the width of the Pier on the wooden decking about half way down and that roughly marks where the destruction ended/began.
And this is just one chapter in the history of Santa Monica’s Pier. It’s synonymous with the City and is instantly recognizable whenever it’s seen on television or in a movie, which is surprisingly often. Moreover, the historic Route 66 ends at the pier with the big, rolling blues waves of the Pacific Ocean offering a welcome sight after traveling 2,448 miles.
Without a doubt, the best way to soak up the rich history of this magnificent maritime monument, along with some sunshine and salty sea air, is by taking a walking history tour. Held every Saturday and Sunday at 10:00 a.m. by an exceptionally knowledgeable gentleman named Jeff Wynne, they last about an hour and are worth every cent of $25. Sure you can read a book, but frankly there’s no substitute to hearing the story from someone who is very passionate about Santa Monica history — and especially the Pier.
For more information, visit santamonicapier.org/walk-through-pier-history-tour. Among the many highlights are hearing how the beach landscape has changed, the cinematic history of the famous Carousel and how the Pier came about in the first place.
