A memorial and biographical history of the counties of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura, California Containing a history of this important section of the Pacific coast from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospective future; with full-page steel portraits of its most eminent men, and biographical mention of many of its pioneers and also of prominent citizens of to-day, Part 3

Author: Storke, Yda Addis
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Chicago, The Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 738

USA > California > San Luis Obispo County > A memorial and biographical history of the counties of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura, California Containing a history of this important section of the Pacific coast from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospective future; with full-page steel portraits of its most eminent men, and biographical mention of many of its pioneers and also of prominent citizens of to-day > Part 3
USA > California > Santa Barbara County > A memorial and biographical history of the counties of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura, California Containing a history of this important section of the Pacific coast from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospective future; with full-page steel portraits of its most eminent men, and biographical mention of many of its pioneers and also of prominent citizens of to-day > Part 3
USA > California > Ventura County > A memorial and biographical history of the counties of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura, California Containing a history of this important section of the Pacific coast from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospective future; with full-page steel portraits of its most eminent men, and biographical mention of many of its pioneers and also of prominent citizens of to-day > Part 3

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This invasion was the principal event of the decade. In April, 1820, there were ru- mors of the arrival of four insurgent vessels from Chili, and orders for protectionary measures were again issued, but these fears proved unfounded.

MISCELLANEOUS.

During this decade, the total white popula- tion of all this district had increased from 460 to 740. This included forty-five men of the company brought to Alta California by Portilla. The presidio contained sixty-six

THE SANTA BARBARA REGION.

men, besides its officers, and twenty-seven to thirty-one invalids. With the Los Angeles contingent, there was a total of 1,355. The neophytes had diminished 100, being now 6,400. The padres had granted the land of the San Julian Rancho as a loan, and it was stocked with some 650 tithe cattle, for a source of meat supply for the soldiers. This proved very successful.

In 1812 occurred the severe series of earthquakes that so seriously damaged many of the missions. At Santa Barbara the shocks began about December 21 and lasted several months, during which time the people, who had abandoned their dwellings, lived in the open. Several buildings were ruined and others damaged, both at the presidio and the mission; springs of asphaltum were opened; the mountains cracked, and the general signs thoroughly justified the alarm of the people. The other events were not numerous; a few Indian expeditions were made, and a certain element of excitement was introduced by the foreign vessels and the other hunters, now ar- riving with more frequency. Times were very dull throughout the province, and here as elsewhere.

In 1813 a chapel was built at the presidio, of wood, with a tiled roof, and it was even proposed to remove the whole presidio to another site, in consequence of the damage from the earthquake. A primary school for girls, taught by a woman, was opened here in 1817, and a lady at the mission adminis- tered medicines to the sick at the presidio, whose cemetery was not used for interments after 1818. About this time, too, there was a controversy regarding a piece of land be- tween the mission and the presidio.

At the mission extensive repairs were made on the old church to remedy the earth- quake's damage, and also a new church was begun in 1815, for which Captain Wilcox in

the Traveler went to bring the timber from Santa Cruz Island. On September 10, 1820, this edifice was consecrated, the ministers having the assistance of three visiting priests, with Governor Sola acting as sponsor in the presence of the commandant, soldiers, and citizens. This ceremony was celebrated by a banquet and general festivities. The church was described as "of hewn stone and mortar, with walls very strongly built with good but- tresses, a tower of two stories holding six bells, a plaster ceiling frescoed, marbled col- umns, and altar tables in Roman style, one of them having a pulpit. In the front an image of Santa Barbara in a niche, supported by six columns, and at the extremity of the triangle the three virtues, all four of the fig- nres being of cut stone, painted over in oil. The floor of bitumen, polished; sundry dec- orations in the church and the sacristy. All being attractive, strong and neat."

With the downfall of the Spanish rule in Mexico, California became a province of the Mexican empire, to which the oath of alle- giance was taken on April 13, 1822, at Santa Barbara, four days after the news was forin- .

ally announced in junta (council) at Monterey. Shortly thereafter, Francisco Ortega was chosen elector de partido from Santa Bar- bara and five missions, to elect a deputy to the court at Mexico. The election sent Sola to that office.

On September 13 of this year, the Ameri- can schooner Eagle was seized at Santa Bar- bara. For several years she had been on this coast engaged in smuggling. While at this port her crew attempted to seize the San Francisco de Paula, formerly the Cossack, there lying at anchor, on the plea of an ir- regularity of sale. In towing this prize out of the harbor, the Eagle ran herself aground, and was captured with the aid of the garrison men and cannon. For some time the vessel

PRE-AMERICAN HISTORY OF

could not be floated, but she later sailed as the Santa Apolonio, having been bought, it seems, by the Santa Barbara padres, when both vessels and their cargo were sold at auc- tion after confiscation. They brought about $3,000, which, pending instructions from Mexico, was directed to be used for the good of the province. It would seem, however, that in those days existed the same affinity as at present between dollars and fingers, as seven years after, investigations were still making to ascertain what had been done witlı this money.

Duhant-Cilly, who wrote of the place in 1827, said: "The presidio of Santa Barbara is, like that of Monterey, a closed square, surrounded with houses of a single story. Near the northwest corner rises an edifice a little more prominent than any other, and ornamented with a balcony. It is the resi- dence of the commandante. At the opposite corner, protecting the way to the shore, it was evidently the intention of the Californian engineers to build a bastion; but to believe that they had succeeded would be great good nature."

By this time the port was often visited by foreign vessels, trading for hides and tallow. Some grain and vegetables were raised by the inhabitants. Most of the commerce was carried on by foreigners, with whose methods the Californians were unable to compete. The only manufactures were coarse woolen cloth and hats produced at the mission. Native wine and brandy might have been produced with profit but for the free importation of foreign liquors.

In 1826, Father Luis Martinez built on the beach and launched, at Avila Landing, now in San Luis Obispo County, a two-masted vessel of about seventy-five tons' burthen, in which he used to ship to Monterey grain and other products, which he sold so profitably

that in a few years he had become wealthy, and he then went to Lima on Captain Wil- son's vessel, carrying his golden doubloons quilted into a queer leathern tunic, which he wore, for the greater safety of his fortune and his person. But this golden coat of mail was so heavy and uncomfortable that he had to confide its contents to Captain Wilson, who cared for it safely throughout the voyage.

About 1828 there was built at Santa Barbara a schooner of thirty-three tons, built for Carlos Carrillo and Wm. G. Dana for the coasting trade and otter hunting

Santa Barbara participated to a consider- able extent in the dissensions of local mag- nates, as Alvarado and Carrillo, from 1836 to 1838; and from this cause proceeded the battle of San Buenaventura, on March 27, 1838, in which the church walls were some- what injured. Santa Barbara favored Al- varado.

During the decade 1830-'40, the white population of this district grew from 630 to 900, while the Indian population fell from 4,400 to 1,550. These figures were exclusive of San Fernando, although that point was legally within this jurisdiction. The presid- ial organization was still kept up here, José de la Guerra y Noriega being its captain, and after 1837 its regular commandant. The force was something like eighty.

From 1821 to 1829, the presidial force of Santa Barbara stood at about sixty-six men and twenty-six invalids; in 1830 there were about eighty souls, all told. The white pop- ulation at the presidio had gained little in the decade, being now about 500; the whole presidial district, including the missions, with Los Angeles and its ranchos, had, 1,790, a gain of 435 during the decade. Mean- while, the neophyte population had declined; having lost 2,000, there were now 4,400 Indians. During this decade, Southern Cali-

THE SANTA BARBARA REGION.

fornia, including the two districts, San Diego and Santa Barbara, had increased from 1,800 white population to 2,310, while the neophyte population, from 11,600 fell off to 9,600.

There were at this time resident in the district at least ten foreigners,-i. e., whites not Mexican or Spanish.

The Barbareños were quite conservative, and shunned the various " plans " of opposi- tion. They took no part in the revolt against Victoria in 1831, and their partisanship of Alvarado, as against Carlos Carrillo, one of the most popular of their own men, once secured through the influence of de la Guerra and Duran, they were always loyal in their adherence to his cause.

There is considerable vagueness of defini- tion between the municipal and the military jurisdiction at this period, as the records were not preserved.

It is notable that, of some twenty ranchos granted to private owners in this decade, none of the titles were lost in subsequent litigation. The neophytes of this mission decreased from 711 in 1830 to 556 in 1834, the year of secularization, and by 1840 they were only 250. Stock continued to gain during the earlier half of this period, and until the last the crops were good. The mission buildings here were in better repair than at the other establishments. Writing in 1846, Sir James Douglass placed Santa Barbara as a larger town than Monterey, and estimated the annnal output of hides and tallow at $25,- 000.

At San Buenaventura there was a per- ceptible check in the falling off of neophyte population. In 1834 there were 626 in this section. Live-stock continned to increase, and crops continued good. Even after secularization there was a loss of only about fifty per cent. in herds and flocks, while there was an increase still in horses, then as now a

special product of Ventura. By this time there were some 500 Indians left in the dis- trict.

At Santa Ynes there were frequent changes of ministers. Down to 1834 the decrease in neophytes was abont fifteen per cent, there- after abont twelve per cent. until 1840, when there were 180 Indians in the community. This mission held its own in live-stock down to secularization, and then showed a decided gain. The church property was valued at $11,000, other property at about $45,000, and the debt was reduced two-thirds, so that this was the most prosperous of the Southern missions. It was not secularized until 1836.

At Purisima the neophyte population diminished little until 1834, when there were 407 Indians; but by 1840 they had run down to 120. In possessions there was a decrease throughout the decade. The value of the Purisima estate about 1835 was approximately $60,000. Secularization was done here early in 1835.

At San Luis Obispo there was little loss of neophytes down to 1834, when there were 264, which after secularization in 1835 ran down to 170 by the end of the decade. Agricultural matters were not flourishing, and the live-stock diminished about one-half in the last Instrum. The possessions were valued at $70,000 in 1836, and at $60,000 three years later, after which the decline was rapid.

At San Miguel the neophyte list fell off from 684 to 599, in 1834, and to about 350 by 1840. Crops ran down bnt little until after secnlarization in 1836, and there was an actnal gain in cattle. The inventory at the transfer showed a valuation, exclusive of church property, of $82,000, which by 1839 had dwindled to 875,000. None of the lands here passed to private ownership during this decade, and the establishment had several

PRE-AMERICAN HISTORY OF

ranchos, with the corresponding buildings, and two large vineyards. At these ranchos, as well as at the mission, dwelt the Indians. Owing to their contiguity and intimacy with the Tulares, they were sometimes refractory; yet the real decline here hardly began before 1840.

Santa Barbara shared in the notoriety of the Graham affair in 1840, in that ten for- eigners resident here were arrested under Governor Alvarado's order, on the pretext of intended revolt against the authorities.

January 11, 1842, was marked by the ar- rival of Bishop Garcia Diego, who came to take up his residence at this, the best pre- served of the missions. He was received with enthusiastic demonstrations.

A report on the southern missions, dated February, 1844, states that " Santa Barbara has left 287 neophytes, whom she supports with the greatest difficulty; that Purisima remains with some 200. unprovided with lands to sow, or other property provision than a moderate-sized vineyard; that Santa Ynes has 264 neophytes, and the wherewithal to support them; while San Buenaventura is in very fair condition, with sufficient resources; " these two last named being the only ones of the eleven secularized missions not utterly rnined.

Bishop Garcia Diego cherished a utopian project of establishing at Santa Ynes an ec- clesiastical seminary, and he applied for and on March 16, 1844, obtained a grant of six leagnes of land, subsequently augmented. On May 4, he formally founded the college of Maria Santisima de Guadalupe de Santa Ynes.

In May Governor Micheltorena declared the roadstead of Santa Barbara open to the coasting trade. It is probable that the dif- ference was one of formality merely.

In the strifes and struggles between local personages, Micheltorena and Alvarado, the Picos, the Carrillos, and all the rest of their

associates, Santa Barbara figured inevitably to some extent, by virtue of her importance as a town, and the strong individuality and influence of some of her citizens. But here as elsewhere the characteristic conservatism of the Barbareños was conspicuous; moreover, these matters, besides being far too cumbrous to be treated in detail in a work of restricted magnitude as the present, were of little real importance in the development or building up of the section.

By 1845, Santa Barbara had about 1,000 white population, and about the same number of ex-neophyte Indians. At the presidio were enrolled between thirty and forty men, with ten to fifteen on actual duty. Captain José Antonio de la Guerra y Noriega, that conspicuous character of early days, retired from the commandancy in 1842. Municipal affairs were managed by judges of the peace or by alcaldes, and the records are meager and unimportant. Visits from trading ves- sels now were frequent, and the hospitable and amusement-loving character of the Bar- bareños made this a favorite stopping-place. Travelers were sure to comment upon the fea- tures of social superiority here over other coast points. Sir George Simpson wrote in 1842: " Santa Barbara is somewhat larger than Mon- terey, containing about 900 inhabitants, while the one is just as much a maze without a plan as the other. Here, however, anything of the nature of resemblance ends, Santa Barbara in most respects being to Monterey what the parlor is to the kitchen. Among all the set- tlements as distinguished from the rascally pueblos, Santa Barbara possesses the double advantage of being both the oldest and the most aristocratic. The honses are not only well finished at first, but are throughont kept in good order; and the whitewashed adobes, and the painted balconies and verandas form a pleasing contrast with the overshadowing

THE SANTA BARBARA REGION.

roofs blackened by means of bitumen, the produce of a neighboring spring."

At the mission there were 260 Indians at the end of this half decade, the community being broken up in 1845. At Santa Ynes the estate was restored to the management of the padres in 1843. The ex-neophyte population in 1845 was 270. From 12,000 in 1841, the live-stock decreased to 2,000 in 1845; and the whole valne of property de- clined to $20,000 from $49,000, or even more. This estate was rented in 1848 to José M. Covarrubias and Joaquin Carrillo for $580 per year.

At Purisima the remnants of the property were turned over to the padres in 1843, hav- ing been in charge of the manager of Santa Ynes during the preceding year. From this time on, there was no resident priest. In 1844 most of the 200 remaining Indians died of small-pox, so that there were not over fifty left in 1845, when the Purisima Mission, barring the church property, was sold for $1,110, the purchaser being Temple, though the title was made out to J. R. Malo. During the same year, Santa Barbara was rented to N. A. Den and Daniel Hill for $1,200, San Buenaventura to Arnaz and Botello for $1,630, and Santa Ynes to Covarrubias and Carrillo for $580. There is no further record con- cerning this mission, which appears thence- forward to have been entirely abandoned.

The end of San Luis Obispo as a mission- ary establishment came with an order of the Governor in July, 1844, for the complete emancipation of the Indians and seculariza- tion of the mission. Accordingly a regular pueblo was formed, the town lands compris- ing all the vacant mission lands near, and distribution being made to the ex-neophytes. However, no claim for pueblo lands was ever entered by the town. In December the ex- mission buildings, having the enrate's house

and some reserved for public uses, were sold for $510"to Scott, Wilson and Mckinley.

After 1842, San Luis had spiritual charge of San Miguel. The administrador found himself unable to control the Indians, and Governor Alvarado instructed him to aban- don the effort. By 1845 all the property had disappeared, save the buildings, and these, valued at $5,800, were ordered sold at auc- tion.

On July 16, 1844, San Luis Obispo was formally secularized and converted into a pueblo; its buildings were devoted to public uses. barring the missionary house, to con- tinue as a parsonage; the ditches remained free for the use of all; and to the pueblo were given two adjacent orchards and a league of land at La Laguna. At the same time, San Miguel received the vineyard called La Vina Mayor (the Greater Vineyard). The United States Courts confirmed this grant in later years.

The lessees of Santa Barbara Mission prob- ably kept possession during 1846, 1848, and, although Den's title was confirmed by the Land Commission, it appears to have been practically annulled by later litigation.

On June 8, 1846, San Buenaventura was sold to José Arnaz for $12,000. The title of Arnaz as purchaser was not recognized dur- ing the transition period of 1846-'48, and in 1848 he was supplanted even as lessee, Isaac Callaghan obtaining a lease from Colonel Stevenson. There was a long litigation over Arnaz's title, which was finally confirmed.

On June 10, Santa Barbara was sold to Richard S. Den for $7,500.

On June 15, 1846, Santa Ynes was sold for $7,000 to Joaquin Carrillo and José Ma- ria Covarrubias, who kept possession until after 1848, -- this under their lease, however; their title by purchase was afterwards de- clared invalid.

PRE-AMERICAN HISTORY OF

In 1845 San Luis Obispo Mission was sold to Scott, Wilson and Mckinley for $510.

They were not disturbed in their possession, and their title subsequently was declared valid.

San Miguel was subject, spiritually and temporally, to the powers that were, in San Luis. It is known that this mission was sola, July 4, 1846, to Petronilos Rios and William Reed. The latter had lived here since 1745 or earlier, and in September, 1847, the Gov- ernment gave orders that he be left in pos- session, the title to be left for later settlement. In December, 1848, Reed's home was visited by a party of five American tramps, formerly soldiers, whom he entertained for some days with a hospitality characteristic of the man. He was, however, unwise enough to let them know that he had in his possession a consid erable sum of gold, he having recently re turned from the mines where he had sold a flock of sheep. The dastards set out appar- ently to continue their journey, but, going only to Santa Margarita, they returned at night to the ex-mission, and basely murdered all its inhabitants, heaping the corpses all in one room, and plundering the place of the gold and its other valuables. The victims were William Reed, his wife Maria Antonio Vallejo with her unborn child, Josefa Olivera, a midwife who had gone thither to attend Mrs. Reed, José Ramon Vallejo, brother to Mrs. Reed, a daughter of the Reeds aged fif- teen, a son of two or three years, a nephew of four, a negro cook, an Indian servant over sixty years old, and his five- year-old nephew. When the news of this awful crime reached Santa Barbara a force of men set out in pursuit of the murderers, whom they overtook on the present site of Summerland (see " Bench and Bar.") One of the members, after being fatally wounded, shot and killed Ramon Rodriguez, who had rushed single-handed toward the marauders;

one jumped into the sea, swam out beyond the kelp, and was drowned; and the other three, named Joseph Lynch, Peter Quin and Peter Raymond or Renner, were captured and taken to Santa Barbara, where they were executed on December 28.

THE WAR WITH MEXICO-CHANGE OF RULE.

A very small part indeed, comparatively speaking, was that taken by Santa Barbara in the important occurrences of 1846-'47, which resulted in the conquest of California by the Americans.

On May 13, 1846, was issued a call for a consejo general de los pueblos unidos (gen- gueral council of the united towns) to meet at Santa Barbara on June 15, to discuss the actual and the impending situation, and to deliberate on the future. This council was to consist of the governor aud eigliteen dele- gates from the respective towns, together with certain representatives from the eccle- siastical and the military element. It was freely rumored that the object of this con- vention would be to invoke English interfer- ence between Mexico and the United States; but on June 3 the Assembly suspended the action of the bando or call.

Equally futile was the proclamation, sum- moning to a patriotic resistance the Mexican Californians, which Pio Pico issued from Santa Barbara on June 23, on learning of the taking of Sonoma. The Barbareños would seem to have been practical, progressive and cantious.

On August 4 or 5, Stockton, on his way down the coast, touched here and raised the American flag, leaving also a garrison of ten men under a midshipman, thus formally put- ting Santa Barbara under the rule of the United States. These men were taken away on the Congress on September 7, being re- placed somewhat later from Fremont's bat- talion.

THE SANTA BARBARA REGION.

When Gillespie's tactless and overbearing rule in Los Angeles brought about there an uprising, which resulted in his abandoning the field and marching ta San Pedro, the Californians, having disposed of the Los All- geles garrison, set about dispossessing those of San Diego and Santa Barbara. Accord- ingly, about the first of October, a small force under Manuel Garfias demanded the surrender or parole of Lieutenant Talbot and his nine men. These were youthful but ex- perienced mountaineers, and to avoid parole, they took to the open; for a week they kept in sight of the town, which they hoped might be retaken by a man-of-war. Then, being hard pressed by the Californians, who fired the brush to drive them out, they crossed the mountains and reached Monterey. After the flight of this garrison, the Ameri- cans living at Santa Barbara were arrested, and some were sent to Los Angeles as pris- oners, but most were paroled. In December, 1846, and January, 1847, John C. Fremont with his battalion rested here for a week, on the way to Los Angeles and Cahnenga.

On April 8, 1847, companies A, B and F, of Stevenson's regiment, under Lieutenant- Colonel Burton, arrived at Santa Barbara, where Company F remained during its term of service. The other two left on July 4 for La Paz. Captain Lippitt remained in charge of this post.

Toward the close of 1847, there were apprehensions of attack upon the Americans at Santa Barbara under Captain Lippitt, and the Governor, Colonel Richard B. Mason, went thither, where he was satisfied that the strain of feeling, if any, was caused by the improper conduct of some of the Americans composing the garrison.

In April, 1848, during the organization of forces to fight Indians, it transpired that a plot was on foot to direct these bodies toward | the aid of a yoke of oxen, and buried it in 2

wresting from the Americans the towns of Santa Barbara and Los Angeles.

At this time, while popular excitement and official fears were both wrought up, the affair of " the lost cannon " happened, materially increasing the feeling of insecurity. This was a brass gun-some say a six-ponnder, some say of twice that caliber-which had belonged to the Elizabeth. It was left on the beach, while awaiting trans-shipment to Monterey, to be placed on the fortifications there. It disappeared on the night of April 5, and all efforts to find it were unsuccessful. Some said it had been carried on a cart toward Los Angeles; others averred it had been put aboard a vessel; the authorities inclined to connect its disappearance with flying rumors of revolt, and to believe that it had been sequestrated by the Barbareños, with a view towards turning it against its former owners. Local officials and promi- nent citizens were very indignant at this dis- trust, but the gun was not forthcoming. Therefore Governor Mason imposed a mili- tary fine of $500 upon the town, to be paid pro rata by all its inhabitants; the whole sum to be repaid to the town on discovery of the guilty individuals, or proof that they were not residents of Santa Barbara. A list of property-holders was made ont, and each was assessed his portion of the $500. This caused great excitement and indignation, and not least among the American residents; the alcaldes offered their resignations, which were, however, not accepted; a company of dragoons was sent for from Los Angeles to enforce the payment of the fine. Still, while some paid, others would not do so, and so much of their property as was necessary to satisfy their assessments was seized and sold at public auction. It afterward transpired that tive men had dragged away the gun with

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Author: Storke, Yda Addis Publication date: 1891 Publisher: Chicago, The Lewis Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 738

Author: Storke, Yda Addis
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Chicago, The Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 738