A history of California and an extended history of its southern coast counties, also containing biographies of well-known citizens of the past and present, Volume I, Part 68

Author: Guinn, James Miller, 1834-1918
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Los Angeles, Cal., Historic record company
Number of Pages: 1184

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completed during the year and a 700-foot wharf

REDONDO.

Redondo is comparatively a new seaport. The site was surveyed and plotted in 1887. A large tourist hotel was built and the town was adver- tised as a seaside resort. One of the most at- tractive features of the place is its carnation gardens. Redondo carnations have a reputation all over the west. They are shipped to different points in Southern California and as far away as Denver, Dallas, Omaha and Chicago. The floral business is growing. Carnations, violets, smilax, sweet peas, chrysanthemums and ferns are shipped from the floral gardens.

Redondo is an important shipping point for lumber and fish. In 1905 over one hundred mil- lions feet of lumber were landed on its wharves and one million four hundred thousand pounds of fish have been shipped away. A union high school was opened during the past year.

In July, 1905, H. E. Huntington bought the holding of the old syndicate that founded Re- dondo. The report of the purchase started a boom similar to the frenzied fakes of 1887. Men and women stood for hours in a line before a tent where syndicate lots were for sale waiting their turn to make a deposit on a piece of real estate, no matter where located, provided it was in Redondo. The buying went on for three days and then the tide turned and selling or at- tempts to sell began. An army of self-constitu- ted real estate agents besieged the new arrivals to buy choice corners, business frontages, house lots with magnificent marine views and strips of sand dunes with free bathing privileges. The Los Angeles Times of August 20, 1905, com- menting on the wild rush to Redondo, said : "The fake boom created at Redondo a month ago is bearing fruit every day. That fake has hurt every bit of beach property on the ocean front of Southern California. Women pledged their jewels, heirlooms coming down for gen- erations, to speculate in Redondo lots at ten times their intrinsic value. Business men went crazy for the time being, and took checks which never could be cashed, and thus tied up property which might have been sold at high figures.

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HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPIIICAL RECORD.

Contracts flew from hand to hand so fast that no one knew where the chain of title ran. Some buyers thought when they had paid $1,500 and upward for a lot, that was the end of the mat- ter. When they came to get a deed they found there was $800 to $1,000 to be paid some former owner, the second seller having made only a partial payment. So the wild business ran. It is a month since it all passed. It only lasted three days, but its fruits ran longer, are running still. Those who 'got left' with the property on their hands now find there is no' sale for the property at the price they paid, and they have no use for it. They bought on speculation, and their money is where it will stay. There is good value in Redondo property at the right price for those who want it. But that is now lost sight of by those who are 'stuck.' The lamentation of those who were trapped has reached many ears and now 'beaclı lots are beach lots' to many minds. They are so afraid they will not touch a beach lot anywhere at any price. So much for a wild boom and its effects. It is a thou- sand pities the thing ever broke loose to hurt the sale of property which is all right in itself. The market may not soon recover its tone."

The "hurt to beach lots" was of short dura- tion even in Redondo. Those who put their money. "where it will stay" in most cases have gotten it out without loss. Redondo has forged ahead notwithstanding the "fake boom."

HERMOSA.

Hermosa is a nineteenth century city. It was founded in 1902 and made a city of the sixth class at the close of 1906. It is a seaside resort. Its resident population is about 600, but during the summer it is a city of 2,000 inhabitants.

ALONG THE SHORE.

Manhattan, North Manhattan, Peck's Beach, Shakespeare and Hyperion are villages on the sea shore between Del Rey and Redondo. They are all of recent origin and are accessible to Los Angeles by the Los Angeles-Pacific Electric Railway.

AVALON.

Avalon, the metropolis of Santa Catalina Island, bore the name of Shatto City at its

founding. It was one of the boom towns of 1887. For several years after the bursting of the boom the town made little or no progress. When the Banning Brothers purchased Santa Catalina Island they set to work to develop Avalon as a summer resort. A number of improvements were made, and during the summer season now daily steamers (the Hermosa and Cabrillo) con- vey passengers across the channel. The loca- tion of Avalon makes it an ideal summer resort. The absence of breakers in its bay makes boat- ing and fishing safe and pleasant pastimes. Its resident population is about a thousand, but dur- ing July and August the transient population often reaches six or seven thousand.

PLAYA DEL REY.

Playa del Rey (Beach of the King) was known to the old-timers as Will Tell's. It was a popular seaside resort thirty years ago, where sportsmen went for duck shooting on the lagoon. The southeasters of the great flood year of 1884 destroyed its hunting grounds, and for two de- cades it was deserted. With the great boom of ocean frontage that began in 1902 the capa- bilities of the place for a seaside resort were brought to the front and extensive improve- ments begun. In 1904 fully a quarter of a million dollars were expended. A new pavilion was built at an outlay of $100,000 and was dedicated on Thanksgiving day, 1904.

On the lagoon side, and extending from the level of the pavilion to the water's edge, an am- phitheater with a seating capacity of 3,000 was erected. From this a fine view of the boat races and aquatic sports can be obtained. A hand- some three-story hotel was erected at a cost of $20,000 and a number of fine residences were erected. During the year 1905 extensive im- provements were made at the King's Beach. The lagoon's banks were bulkheaded for miles on either side. Two suspension bridges of con- crete were constructed to connect the strand with the mainland, and an incline railway was built from the beach to Mount Ballona, as the eminence is called that rises above the beach. A two-story bank building was constructed, and the Los Angeles-Pacific Electric Railway ex- pended $5,000 in building a passenger depot in

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HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

the so-called mission design. Gold has been found in the black sands of the beach. It is one of the possibilities of the future that gold min- ing may be made to pay.

OCEAN PARK.

In 1892, Abbot Kinney and F. G. Ryan bought a long strip of sand dunes along the shore line of the Pacific ocean, a portion of which was com- prised within the municipal limits of Santa Monica, the remainder being south of it.

At this time the tendency of investors in beach properties favored bluffs. Kinney and Ryan believed that the time would come when the sand close to the ocean's rim would be eagerly sought after for residence and resort pur- poses, and time has since demonstrated the soundness of their judgment.

Kinney and Ryan immediately purchased rights of way and secured the entry of the Santa Fe Railroad to Ocean Park. They also arranged with the Y. M. C. A. to establish a branch at Ocean Park and erect an auditorium and bath- house. They also built two piers.

Abbot Kinney laid out the plan of the beach city as it now exists; a unique feature of this plan is the parking of the sand streets with side- walks in the center. He also brought in the elec- tric railroad through the sand dunes and had nearly completed a new electric road in partner- ship with W. S. Hook, when Mr. Hook sold his interests to the Southern Pacific, through Sen- ator Clark. This forced Mr. Kinney to sell shortly afterward.

As the property was bought with a long view to the future, it was decided not to put any of it on the market, but to encourage building. Lots were leased to persons desiring to put small cot- tages upon them at nominal rentals, water was brought in, the tract was sewered and board walks laid. Under this policy began the com- munity of Ocean Park, and before any of the original townsite was put upon the market, hun- dreds of cottages had been erected along one mile and a half of frontage, to what is now known as Brooks avenue in Ocean Park. Dur- ing this development Mr. Ryan died, and T. H. Dudley succeeded to his interest. Messrs. Kin- ney and Dudley had made arrangements to put

the tract upon the market, when, in the winter of 1901, the interest of Dudley was purchased by A. R. Fraser, G. M. Jones, H. R. Gage and others, Mr. Kinney retaining his one-half.

The sale of the leased lots was made rapidly. This period also marked the beginning of a great building era. The type of houses con- structed rapidly improved with the advance in the price of lots, and Pier avenue became a busi- ness center.

The most notable improvement, begun in 1904, was the erection of a magnificent bath house, which was completed early in 1905 at a cost, including furnishings, of $185,000. On the ocean front a toboggan railway was constructed at a cost of $25,000. On Hollister avenue a new double-decked recreation pier was built. During the year 1904 a number of handsome brick busi- ness blocks were built and about 350 residences. In 1905 a horseshoe pier was constructed. Its features include a large auditorium. Two new banks were opened during the year and a number of business blocks built. There are now three banks at Pier avenue and two in Venice. Every- where throughout the city new dwelling houses, costing from $1,000 to $6,000, have been cc11- structed.

In the city of Ocean Park, which does not in- clude Pier avenue nor the north beach section, municipal bonds to the amount of $85,000 'were voted. A considerable part of this fund was ex- pended in the construction of a modern sewer system with a septic tank. Part of it will be used in building a city hall and library.

It is a curious feature of the district known as Ocean Park that the part with the postoffice of Ocean Park is in the municipality of Santa Monica, and that the postoffice of Ocean Park is Venice. Ocean Park is in two cities.

In 1904 that portion of the sand strip not in- cluded in Santa Monica, together with adja- cent subdivisions, became incorporated as the city of Ocean Park. The marvelous growth of the city in wealth and population is indicated by the increase in its assessed valuation in one year of $4,000,000. This year it is $6,000,000. The city, formerly confined to a sand strip run- ning from the ocean back an average depth of 900 feet, has spread to the hills back of it.

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HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

In the year 1904 a notable event in the history of Ocean Park occurred. It was the purchase by Abbot Kinney, from his partners, of the lands on the southern end of the tract for the purpose of building the Venice of America, with its can- als, bridges and arcades.

The boundaries of Ocean Park City are, San- ta Monica on the north and Del Rey on the south. The Pacific ocean is its western frontage. At Venice it has public improvements, such as a large surf and plunge bath house, Oriental ex- position, a beautiful country club with tennis courts, the finest dancing pavilion in the world, a grand auditorium, skating rink, bowling alleys superior to any, boat-house, power plant, ship Cabrillo restaurant, fine hotels, two banks, a large school with industrial training department, and so forth.

The first city officials were Dana Burks, G. M. Jones, W. R. Robinson, Force Parker and W. T. Gibbon. This board held over in 1906, with the exception of Mr. Gibbon, whose place is filled at this writing by David Evans.

VENICE OF AMERICA.

Venice of America, the creation of Abbot Kinney, is not merely one of the notable sights of Southern California. It ranks in interest with the famous resorts of the world.

Venice of America is a phenomenal city. At the beginning of the year 1904 the site of the city was made of tide-flats, sand dunes and salt- water lagoons. Its only permanent inhabitants were ducks and fish, and its visitors wild geese and sea gulls.

The end of that year found a magic trans- formation of the once dreary expanse. A still- water swimming pool, capable of accommodating 5,000 bathers, graced the tide-flats. Three-story brick blocks loomed above the sand dunes and canals had been channeled out of the sloughs and lagoons. A recreation pier had been built out into the ocean a thousand feet. All of this wonderful transformation had been made pos- sible, had been brought about through the genius, the faith in the future and in the indomitable per- severance of one man, Abbot Kinney.

The first work on Venice was done in the lat- ter part of the year 1904. It had proceeded satis-

factorily toward a proposed opening in July, 1905, when in March one of the fiercest storms seen in many years on the Southern Californian coast did large damage to the unfinished build- ings. To guard against any future disaster of like kind, Mr. Kinney obtained from the govern- ment permission to construct the only private breakwater in the United States and put upon the work an army of artisans, pushing it toward completion at enormous cost. On July 2d the splendid auditorium, built several hundred feet out from the land, was dedicated. The develop- ment of Venice since that time has been extraor- dinarily rapid. Countless thousands of people are there on all great days, cars reaching Wind- ward avenue on an average of one a minute.

The Venice of America is like the Venice of Italy in its canal system and the architectural lines of that famous art center have been followed in a measure. But it is not an imitation ; it has an individuality of its own clearly defined. Its several miles of canals are bordered with flowers and palm trees. Its arcaded streets present the only uniform architecture in the United States. It is uniform in the sense of being not discord- ant. There is a boldness in the color scheme that fills the eye with beauty and the soul of an artist with delight.

The Venice of America is a high-class resi- dence center as well as a high-class resort. More residences have been built in Venice than in any other tract outside of Los Angeles in the same time. It also sets the pace in things musical. The leading organizations of the country com- pete for engagements in Venice.

Roycrofters and other disciples of Ruskin de- light in Venice, as do lovers of Oriental art, because of its permanent exposition under the auspices of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce. In this are specimens of exquisite individual handiwork whose like cannot be found else- where in the United States.

Four lines of the Los Angeles-Pacific Electric Railway system reach Venice from Los Angeles. The most direct route is by way of The Palms, the distance from Fourth and Hill streets being twelve and seven-eighths miles and a little over nine miles from the city limits. The Los An- geles-Pacific has acquired rights of way and

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financed bonds for the construction of a new through line out Fourth street, which will make Venice from its Fourth street depot in less than twenty minutes. The other ways in which Ven- ice is reached are via Santa Monica, Sawtelle, Hollywood, Westgate and Redondo.

That Venice is destined to be the center of a great population within a few years is indicated by its geographical situation. The best resi- dential section of Los Angeles is now only nine miles from Venice and it is steadily growing in its direction, while the growth from the beach will naturally be along the short line of the rail- road from Venice toward the metropolis.

NAPLES.

Early in 1905 A. M. and A. C. Parson secured a large tract of land on Alamitos bay and set about transforming it into the "Dreamland of Southern California." "Through the canals and under the high arching bridges gay gondoliers will propel their crafts like those in the waters of the Adriatic under the blue skies of Italy."

Since the acquisition of the site the promoters, backed apparently by unlimited capital and aided by the labor of an army of men, have been pushing the improvements as rapidly as men and machinery can do it.

Naples is located at the mouth of the San Gabriel river; "a still-water inland bay forms one of the attractions, and hundreds of thou- sands of dollars have zeen expended in dredg- ing, constructing imposing bulkheads of re- inforced concrete and in creating the foundations for a splendid waterway city." There will be when the dredging is completed twenty miles of still water in the bay and river for boating. There are now under construction in Naples broad cement promenades and an immense pa- vilion which is to be a reproduction of the famous Palace of the Doges. The houses are all to have red tiled roofs. Several expensive resi- dences fronting on the bay have been built. The building restrictions prevent the erection of cheap dwellings.

CHAPTER LX.

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY.

ORIGIN OF THE NAME.

T HE discoverer of the Santa Barbara chan- nel, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, seems not to have named it. He named the islands and a few of the prominent points of the main- land that bound the channel. The names he gave to the islands have all been changed. If he named the channel, there is no record of it. When Sebastain Viscaino sailed through the channel Padre de La Ascension, one of the three Carmelite friars accompanying the expedition, writing a letter descriptive of the mainland and islands, headed it Santa Barbara, December 4, 1602. This he did in honor of Santa Barbara, virgin and martyr, whose day in the Catholic calendar is December 4th. Santa Barbara was born in Nico- media, Asia Minor, and suffered martyrdom December 4. A. D. 218, during the persecution

of the Christians under the Emperor Maximum. She is said to have been decapitated by her father, a Roman officer serving under the Emperor.

One hundred and sixty-seven years after Vis- canio's explorations, Portala's expedition passed up the coast and through the valley where the city of Santa Barbara now stands. Through all these years the channel still retained the naine given it by Padre de La Ascension, although so far as we know no ship's keel had cut its waters since Viscaino's time.

When the presidio was founded, April 21, 1782, the name of the fort and of the mission that was to be had already been determined. To Padre de La Ascension belongs the honor of naming the channel, from which came the name of the presidio, the mission and the pueblo that grew up around these. An account of the found-

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ing of the presidio and the principal incidents in its history during the Spanish and Mexican periods have been recorded in previous chapters of this volume.

In Chapter VIII I have given a brief account of the burning of Monterey, the destruction of Ortega's rancho and the looting of the mission San Juan Capistrano by Bouchard, the privateer, in 1818, known in California history as El Año de Los Insurgentes-the year of the insur- gents. The account given there is compiled from Spanish sources and tells the story from the standpoint of the defenders. Since the above- named chapter was written I have obtained some original historical material in regard to Bou- chard's operations on the Pacific coast not known to Bancroft, Hittell or any other historian of California.

This is the narrative of Peter Conrey, an Eng- lish sea captain, engaged in the fur trade on the northwest coast of America, and who between 1813 and 1818 made several voyages to Cali- fornia and the Sandwich Islands. After his re- turn to England his narrative was published in the "London Literary Gazette" of 1821. In 1896 it was published in book form by Thomas G. Thrum, of Honolulu, H. I. Captain Conrey was at Honolulu when Bouchard, in the man-of- war Argentina, came there in search of a lost or runaway vessel that had been in the employ of the Argentine Republic (Buenos Ayres).

This vessel, the Santa Rosa, alias Checka Boca, alias Libertad, had been fitted out at the Rio Plata under command of Captain Turner, an American, to cruise against the Spaniards in the north and south Pacific. After rounding Cape Horn the crew, which seems to have been a bad lot, mutinied, seized the officers and con- fined them in irons. A master's mate, named McDonald, took command, assuming the name of Turner. When off Valparaiso they sent the officers ashore. The mutineers ran up the coast of South America, capturing towns, destroying vessels, robbing and burning churches. They became the terror of the coast. Fearing capture, they steered their vessel to the Sandwich Islands, where they sold her to King Kame- hameka. When Bouchard arrived at Honolulu he demanded the Santa Rosa from the king.

It was given up. The mutineers, who were still on the islands, were hunted down by the na- tives and delivered to Bouchard. McDonald made his escape, but the second in command, a Mr. Griffith, was tried by court-martial and shot in two hours after sentence was passed. Some of the leaders were given twelve dozen lashes and the remainder of the crew pardoned. Bouchard offered the command of the Santa Rosa to Captain Conrey, who accepted it. Sup- plies having been obtained on the 20th of Octo- ber the two ships sailed for the coast of Cali- fornia to cruise against the Spaniards. I quote from Captain Conrey's narrative :

"The ship Santa Rosa was American built, about 300 tons burthen ; mounting eighteen guns, twelve and eighteen pounders; with a comple- ment of 100 men; thirty of whom were Sand- wich Islanders; the remainder were composed of Americans, Spaniards, Portuguese, Creoles, Negroes, Manila men, Malays, and a few Eng- lishmen. The Argentina had 260 men, fifty of whom were Islanders, the remainder a mixed crew, nearly similar to that of the Santa Rosa. She carried forty-four guns. On our passage towards California we were employed exercising the great guns and putting the ship in good con- dition for fighting, frequently reading the arti- cles of war, which are very strict and punish with death almost every act of insubordination.

"After getting a supply of eggs, oil, etc., from the Russians, we made sail towards the bay of Monterey. The commodore ordered me into the bay, and to anchor in a good position for cover- ing the landing, while he would keep his ship under weight, and send his boats in to assist me. Being well acquainted with the bay, I ran in and came to at midnight under the fort; the Spaniards hailed me frequently to send a boat on shore, which I declined. Before morning they had the battery manned and seemed quite busy. I got a spring on the cable, and at daylight opened a fire on the fort, which was briskly re- turned from two batteries. Finding it useless to fire at the batteries, the one being so much above us that our shot had no visible effect, the com- modore came in with his boats, and we landed on Point Pinos, about three miles to the west- ward of the fort; and before the Spaniards had

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time to bring their field-pieces to attack us we were on our march against it. We halted at the foot of the hill, where it stood for a few min- ttes, beat a charge and rushed up, the Sand- wich Islanders in front with pikes. The Spaniards mounted their horses and fled; a Sandwich Islander was the first to haul down their colors. We then turned the guns on the town, where they made a stand, and after firing a few rounds, the commodore sent me with a party to assault the place, while he kept posses- sion of the fort. As we approached the town, the Spaniards again fled, after discharging their field pieces, and we entered without opposition. It was well stocked with provisions and goods of every description, which we commenced send- ing on board the Argentina. The Sandwich Islanders, who were quite naked when they landed, were soon dressed in the Spanish fashion, and all the sailors were employed in searching the houses for money, and breaking and ruin- ing everything. We took several Creole pris- oners, destroyed all the guns in the fort, etc. We had three of our men killed and three taken. Next day a party of horsemen came in sight, to whom the commodore sent a flag of truce, re- quiring the governor to give up our people and save the town. Three days were granted to con- sider this proposal, and on the third day, not receiving an answer. he ordered the town to be fired. after which we took plenty of live stock on board, wood. water. etc., and on the Ist day of December got under weight from Monterey, and stood along the coast to the southward.

"On the 4th we made a village called the Ranch (near Point Conception), where we in- tended to call for provisions, got the boats all ready, landed a party without opposition, and took the town, all the inhabitants flying on our approach. The men remained all night, and next morning the place was plundered. About noon a lieutenant and two seamen having strayed a short distance from the town, a party of horse- men rushed on them, threw the la's-aws (lassos) over their heads and dragged them up a neigh- boring hill before we could render them any as- sistance. This so enraged Captain Bouchard that he ordered the village to be fired instantly, and embarked all the men. After dark we again

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A history of California and an extended history of its southern coast counties, also containing biographies of well-known citizens of the past and present, Volume I, Part 68

Author: Guinn, James Miller, 1834-1918 Publication date: 1907 Publisher: Los Angeles, Cal., Historic record company Number of Pages: 1184

Author: Guinn, James Miller, 1834-1918
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Los Angeles, Cal., Historic record company
Number of Pages: 1184