10/14/2026
Interesting history about street names in Oceanside. 😎
Did you know Downs Street was named after Ralph Downs who owned 26 acres in the Fire Mountain neighborhood. His son, Jim Downs recalled that City Engineer Alton L. Ruden, who was a friend of his father, surprised their family by naming the road “Downs Street” in the mid-1950s. In the 1960s the developer of a new subdivision submitted “Ups” Circle to the city planners as a joke. The street name was accepted which led to the amusing intersection of Ups and Downs.
Oceanside Historical Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving Oceanside for 40 years located in the Robert A. and Bessie J. Weese Oceanside History Center, 510 Civic Center Drive in downtown Oceanside. Open Monday - Wednesday and Friday, 10 am - 2 pm. FREE admission, but donations are always welcomed!
