Regina V. Phelan The Gold Chain: A California Family Saga, The Arthur H. Clark Co.: Glendale, CA, Illustrated, 1987, 432 pp., 1875
(p. 303) Chapter 26 (Drawing: Weinshank Beach Cottage)
"Jenny Weinshank [1860 - ] returned from Sacramento because she felt she was needed at home after her father's death (Andrew Weinshank [1835 -18 February 1874]). She tried to get her mother (Regina Weinshank [ - ]) interested in new activities. A man by the name of J.P. Jones was selling lots at Santa Monica. He went to San Francisco to spread the word and he put an ad in the Los Angeles paper. Jenny saw the ad and the idea of haing a cottage at the seashore was more appealing, especially because her mother had always loved the ocean so.
"Jones arranged to have the steamship The Senator transport 150 eager buyers from San Francisco to participate in the land sale. It was on July 14th when the sidewheeler chugged into the harbor and dispatched its passengers.
"At daylight the next morning, the road from Los Angeles over the hot, dust mesa was a continuous line of Angelenos, driving their buggies through the wide-open pasture lands, as stages and hacks began shuttling citizens to the auction sale. Los Angeles livery stables were empty by noon, and the horse cars were the only moving vehicles on the streets.
"Jenny and her mother stood in the crowd, along with all the others, waiting for the bidding to begin. Then the autioneer, Jim Fitch, mounted the platform, stoood with his back to the ocean.
""Just visualize, if you will, several wharfs projected out into the (p. 304) bay, a gigantic smelting works erected to refine the Cerro Gordo and Panamint ores. Think of all the activity this will bring."
"One man from the crowd asked, "What about drinking water?"
""You can dig an Artesian well. Fresh water is close to the surface," answered Jim. "Now, can we get on?"
"Nearby stood a temporary bar, a row of beer kegs with a sign on it saying, "Grand Palace Saloon."
"Jim Fitch got right down to business. "We'll start with the first lot. Can I hear "two hundred?" Fine, how about "two-twenty-five?" and so it went.
"A few minutes later, one of the kegs of beer exploded, the beer sprayed out over the spectators. One of the witty onlookers remarked, "One of the Artesian wells just came in," and the crowd howled. It took a little doing to get the crowd back under control, but when the day was over, four thousand dollar's worth of lots had been sold, and Regina had hers.
"The Weinshanks built a beach cottage along the ocean front, just a bungalow with a porch facing the water. The children waded within easy vision of those in the house.
Regina took every opportunity to go there for a few days. Phineas Banning had purchased land from the Dominguez family and built a landing nearby. While they were staying at the beach cottage, Regina always loved to get up early in the morning and walk down to the water's edge. Then, no matter what the weather was like, she swam around the pier. She would be be back at the cottage before the others got up. But, if anyone thought they were gtood enough to join her, she always came back with the same answer, "You go have your fun, but when I swim, I swim alone."