Nearly a century ago, the Oceanside community found itself at the center of a real-life Hardy Boys mystery: the case of the missing bulletin board. The peculiar incident unfolded just after midnight in Sept. 1929, when two police officers briefly left their post at the police booth located on the Oceanside Triangle. One officer went to patrol his beat, while the other responded to a report of a prowler.
Fifteen minutes later, the officers returned, finding no sign of a prowler. But something was amiss: the community’s recently installed bulletin board had vanished.
The Bulletin Board’s Origins
In March 1929, the now-defunct Oceanside Civic Association led an initiative to construct a community bulletin board in the heart of town. The plan was for each of the 32 local organizations and institutions to contribute $6.50, covering the board’s cost. However, Civic Association President, Fred W. Brown, fronted the money for its purchase and installation.
The board was placed near the police booth and measured about ten square feet, split into two sections for bulletins and announcements. It was mounted on posts deeply embedded in the ground, secured with chains, and connected to electric lights. Weighing over 300 pounds, the board was designed to be a sturdy, practical resource for the community. The Civic Association took great pride in that bulletin board.
Controversy and Discontent
Despite its utility, the bulletin board was not universally welcomed into the Oceanside community. It quickly became a polarizing presence in the middle of the town. Many criticized its appearance. Others viewed it as a safety hazard, claiming it obstructed traffic at the busy intersection where two roads converged.
A Suspected Plot
Some in the community believed the disappearance of the bulletin board was no accident. They suspected that the prowler call was a diversion, orchestrated to give conspirators a window of opportunity. In the time the officers were away, the entire structure was removed. This was not a feat that could have been accomplished on the spur of the moment; extensive planning and coordination was needed to pull off such a caper within the limited timeframe.
The Civic Association condemned the act and demanded an investigation. Although it stopped short of outright accusing anyone, the Civic Association implied that Sanford Story, a prominent figure in Oceanside, might have been involved. Story, a lifelong resident of Oceanside, founder of the Oceanside National Bank, and former member of the Oceanside School Board, as well as a past chief of the Oceanside Fire Department, was well-known and respected in the community. It was believed that he previously voiced opposition to the bulletin board and even requested its removal from the police. Story and Brown were no strangers to each other as Story had recently defeated Brown in a very close election for Fire Commissioner.
Denials and Defiance
In response to the allegations, Story firmly denied any involvement.
“I would like to shake hands with the people who stole the board, but I don’t know who they are,” Story remarked at the time. “It was unsightly, it obstructed the view of traffic on two thoroughfares, and its location in the Memorial Park was uncalled for and inappropriate. But I knew nothing of its removal until two days after it disappeared.”
A Mystery Left Unsolved
Despite public outcry and demands for accountability, the case of the missing bulletin board was never solved. Brown never fully recouped his initial investment in the bulletin board or discovered its whereabouts. Story always maintained his innocence. The police closed out the complaint that Brown had filed. No one ever came forward admitting any involvement and the remains of the bulletin board were never found.
To this day, the incident continues to be one of Oceanside’s most intriguing little-known unsolved mysteries that has persisted in local legend for over 95 years.
Seth J. Blau is an Oceanside resident and trustee on the Oceanside School Board since 2012. He has been a columnist featured in local newspapers since 2010 and has a passion for discovering, preserving and displaying the history of the Oceanside community.