My Story - Alana

My Story

My father, born in 1914, grew up in Santa Monica and witnessed many incarnations of the Santa Monica boardwalk and pier.

Every Sunday we would walk along Ocean Front Walk and he'd recall the things he had seen over his lifetime;  gambling boats, prohibition, the Red Car, his first job as a towel boy at the Big Plunge,
meeting Merle Norman on the beach when she was selling suntan oil and later working many years for her,
his paper route through the Venice canals before they were filled in, and many other accounts.

One constant source of delight for him that was passed on to me me was the carousel on the pier.  It was the first amusement park ride I ever enjoyed and it is still my most beloved.  The stories that he passed on to me will be treasured forever.

Alana Coghlan