HISTORY: Carol Pastor on the Flower Show celebrating 100 years

Crown City History

IN COLLABORATION WITH CORONADO HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION

FLOWER SHOWTHE CORONADO 100 YEARS TO CELEBRATE

BY CAROL PASTOR CORONADO HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION VOLUNTEER

The selection of single roses for judging. c. 2000s. Coronado Historical Association Collection.

April usually comes roaring in, bringing us spring flowers, budding trees, spruced up gardens and residents waiting for the annual Coronado Floral Association home front judging. This also means the annual Coronado Flower Show is not far behind. Much will be written and photographed this year in celebration of the 100 YEAR anniversary of the flower show, so I wanted to take this opportunity to give you some of the early history to think about when you are enjoying the show. What brought the flower show to Coronado? How and why did it begin?

Not much has been written of the beginnings other than to give resident Harold Taylor credit as the founder of the show. Here are some little-known facts that have been part of our history. It all apparently started about 1919 when two different groups in Coronado were vehemently going after one another.

Women holding awards at the Coronado Flower Show, from left to right: June Miller, Ouida Reilly, Fran Marshall, Salley Parke, c. late 1960s. Coronado Historical Associaiton Collection. Brandie Erbe (4th Grade) holding arrangements for the Coronado Flower Show, 1979. Coronado Historical Associaiton Collection.

One was known as the Spreckels crowd, and the other was headed by the vice president of a local bank. This was fueled by articles against Spreckels written in the local newspaper. The situation grew worse. Finally, the famous local photographer, Harold Taylor’s wife, was the one to suggest that Harold organize a flower show that would bring all of these factions together in a united cause. When he proposed this idea there were those who said it would never be a success and that he should not expect anyone to come.

Despite these negative comments, Mr. Taylor moved ahead with his plan. With the help of the Navy, he was able to borrow a canvas airplane tent to house the displays. The Flower Show opened in 1922, to not only success that year but for the years to follow. It became a social event of the spring in Coronado. Many names you might remember have been president of the Floral Association over the years. Mr. Taylor himself remained president for 10 years until 1932. He was followed by such names as Jessop, Waggaman, Parker, and more recently into the 1980s, Odiorne and Goodfellow.

We can thank the local Boy Scouts for their assistance. They camped out in the early years over the weekend-long event to protect the site from vandalism and any possible thefts on those evenings after the show closed for the day. The show, over these many years, has added new exhibits. Certainly, one of the favorites is the children’s section. Children not only bring in their own entries but look forward to the hope of winning a ribbon. Along with the many exhibits the show has now, the Coronado Community Band performance is enjoyed by all in attendance as they sample the wares of the beer garden.

There is so much to enjoy, just strolling the grounds, listening to the music and commenting on the beautiful presentations. If you like roses, this is the place to be.

There is one thing missing that you, the readers and visitors, can help us with. Over the years, many photos have been taken at this event. So many have no captions, so the names of those pictured have been lost to history. You can help the Coronado Historical Association this 100th year by stopping by their booth to view the photos which will be posted. Perhaps you will recognize someone so that more names can be added to our history of the Coronado Flower Show. We look forward to seeing you there sometime on April 23rd or 24th. Purchase tickets online at CoronadoFlowerShow.com and enjoy the show!

• Carol Pastor and her family have lived in Coronado since the mid-1970s. Mother of seven girls, many of whom still live here in the village, Carol has been involved in the community over the years with the Friends of the Library, Historic Resource Commission, and most recently writing about Coronado history for the Coronado Historical Association. An avid history buff since her college days, exploring our local history is a perfect fit.