10: The Ferry Godfather: The Legend of Joe Beek and the Balboa Island Ferry

Joe Beek is known as the Father of Balboa Island and operator of
the Balboa Island ferry for a half century (his family still runs
it after more than 100 years). But he was so much more than that.
Here's just some of his feats: 


He was Newport's first harbor master; he marked the bay's
channels, built the channel-marker buoys himself, and, in 1923,
climbed jetty rocks to place warning lights at the harbor
entrance .

He served on the city library's first Board of Trustees.

He served in World War II at the age of 61 after forging his
birth certificate.

He founded Newport's Tournament of Lights Boat Parade in
1921, a summer event so popular that the city's police chief
asked him to shut it down in 1949 because visitors were
overwhelming the city.

He was the developer of some of Newport's signature housing
communities.

He served a record 49 years as the secretary of the
California Senate, receiving bipartisan support for nearly a half
century.



The story of his life is truly legendary.