The Coronado Historical Association invites the community to kick off its fall Wine & Lecture season with an engaging panel discussion centered on one of the island’s most iconic landscapes. On Thursday, September 10, CHA will host The Silver Strand: Nature’s Bridge to Discovery. Featured speakers will explore the fascinating history, ongoing preservation efforts, and future outlook of the narrow strip of land connecting Coronado to the mainland.
The event begins with a wine and cheese reception at 5:30 pm, followed by the lecture and panel discussion from 6 to 7 pm at the Coronado Historical Association, located at 1100 Orange Avenue. Attendees will enjoy a glass of wine, connect with fellow history enthusiasts, and discover the profound ecological and historical impact of the Strand on our island community.
Long before modern highways carved through the coastal dunes, the Silver Strand served as the natural connective tissue between Coronado and the mainland. In Coronado’s earliest days, the narrow sandy spit was vital for transportation and early commerce. About halfway down the Strand, a historic brickyard supplied materials for the construction of the Hotel del Coronado. That brickyard eventually inspired the name of Brickyard Cove in the Coronado Cays, an area that became a favorite anchorage for early boaters looking to picnic along the quiet bay shore.
The Strand was also home to the original Coronado Dairy Farm before the operation moved to a more central location on the island. As tourism flourished, the arrival of the railway along the Strand transformed access to the resort town, bringing thousands of visitors directly to the doors of the Hotel del Coronado.
Transportation took another leap forward in 1924 when a five-mile concrete road was constructed along the path, allowing automobiles to navigate the peninsula with ease. Shortly thereafter, public support grew for dedicated open space, leading voters to approve the creation of a state park on the bay side of the Strand. Completed in 1936, Silver Strand State Beach established a permanent public haven for recreation and natural beauty.
The Silver Strand was officially annexed into the City of Coronado in 1949, ushering in a new era of infrastructure and growth. To support expanding military operations at Naval Base Coronado, new housing developments were constructed along the Strand to accommodate Navy families. To serve this growing neighborhood, Silver Strand Elementary School opened its doors in 1965, featuring an architectural style originally reminiscent of South Sea island huts. By 1968, the Atlantic Richfield Company began development on the Coronado Cays, completing its first phase in 1969 and fully finalizing the residential community by 1989.
CHA’s upcoming lecture explores this history and the Strand’s future by bringing together two distinguished leaders who have shaped the Strand’s modern identity through public service, military leadership, and environmental advocacy.
Liza Butler has been a driving force in transforming Coronado’s southern boundary for nearly four decades. Guided by her belief in “beauty and nature above all else,” the clinical social worker turned her routine beach walks into a grassroots movement. As a founder of the Silver Strand Beautification Project, Butler brought together local residents, city leaders, state agencies, and the U.S. Navy. Her vision yielded major milestones, including the undergrounding of coastal utilities, five landscaped highway medians, distinctive local bus shelters, the creation of Grand Caribe Shoreline Park, and the development of the Nature’s Bridge to Discovery interactive trail. The trail features artistic interpretations, solstice markers, and educational overlooks focusing on local habitats like eelgrass beds and the endangered California Least Tern.
Joining Butler on the panel is Captain David R. Landon, USN (Ret.). A 1975 graduate of the University of New Hampshire, Landon served 30 years on active duty in the U.S. Navy before retiring in 2006. His military career included command of HSL-41, HSL-51 in Japan, Fleet Area Control and Surveillance Facility, and Naval Base Coronado. His oversight included NAS North Island, Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, and the Silver Strand Training Complex. Following his naval service, Landon held executive leadership roles in the private sector, serving as COO of Priority Solutions and CEO of Systems Technology Incorporated. Landon brings invaluable insight into the strategic importance of the Strand and the delicate balance between military readiness, municipal coordination, and environmental protection.
Tickets for The Silver Strand: Nature’s Bridge to Discovery are available now. Admission is $20 for CHA members and $30 for non-members. Since space is limited, advance reservations are required. Please note that ticket sales are nonrefundable, as all proceeds directly support the Coronado Historical Association’s educational programs and archival preservation.
To reserve your seat, visit coronadohistory.org, email [email protected], or call the museum at 619-435-7242.
