William H. Carlson (April 11, 1864 – July 7, 1937) was an American land developer and Independent politician from California.

They laid out and named the streets, sold lots, and constructed a fancy Victorian-style hotel called the Cliff House.

Carlson and Higgins actually did develop a short rail line from Roseville, a then-independent town on the San Diego Bay side of Point Loma, to Ocean Beach in 1888.

They also attempted to build a rail line from Old Town to Roseville, but the project foundered in legal troubles after less than a mile of construction.

Carlson was a tall, dapper, lanky, good-natured young man with no political connections or party affiliation.

He pledged to remove unneeded city jobs, but the council resisted, setting a pattern of conflict for the rest of the term.

Towards the end of his Mayoral term, Carlson ran unsuccessfully for Congress, promising a new post office in every town.

After his defeat, Carlson left town for several real estate and railroad schemes in Los Angeles, Alaska, and Cuba.

In 1917 Carlson was caught in a scheme where he sold desert land multiple times to different people and was convicted of mail fraud.