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 30
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 30
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 30
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93
The soil south of the Santa Clara, and also the whole valley above Santa Panla, is a dark loam of the strongest kind, adapted to the cultivation of almost every vegetable, grain, fruit and flower. Extending along the channel of the Santa Clara, above Santa Panla, is a tract of sand about one mile wide and twelve miles long. The soil of the lower main valley, south of the river, varies from sandy to adobe. Grain generally succeeds in this valley without irrigation; but the climatic conditions are such that the land, with proper irrigation, regularly produces two crops eaclı year.
Extensive asphaltum and sulphur deposits are found in this valley, and oil indications throughout it. In the upper part are numer- ous irrigating ditches, while there is in the Santa Clara River, four miles above Santa Paula, abundant water to irrigate all the land between the river and the ex-Mission hills, Santa Paula and the sea. In the south- western part artesian wells furnish an ample supply of water. Good water for drinking purposes is found only in favored localities,
211
VENTURA COUNTY.
although it is affirmed that the best of water can be found in wells of more than 100 fee deep. The Santa Clara River and its tribu- taries furnish abundant first-class water- power.
The range of temperature in the lower valley is small, reaching neither hot nor cold. In the upper valley the range is greater; at Santa Paula snow has been known to fall, and the thermometer has registered 108°, although such freaks are of great rarity. · This part of the county has, perhaps, more than its share of windy days. Most of the towns of the county lie within this district; the county-seat is but two miles beyond its northwestern point; Santa Paula guards the entrance of the upper valley; Hueneme is the landing-place, and varions other towns are found here.
THE RANCHO SAN MIGUEL
lies in the extreme western part of the Santa Clara Valley. It was a grant of 4,693.91 acres, made to Raymundo Olivas, July 6, 1841. Of this, 2,400 acres are now owned by Dixie W. Thompson, who has 1,700 acres under cultivation. The surface of the land, for the most part, has a gentle slope back from the sea, which it borders for about four miles.
THE RANCHO SANTA PAULA Y SATICOY was originally granted to Manuel Jimeno, April 28, 1840, he taking possession that year. In 1847 Jimeno petitioned the alcalde, Pablo de la Guerra, for judicial possession, and the neighboring land-owners were sum- moned to witness his installation, and to at- test the boundaries, which originally were described as follows :- " From the Arroyo Mnpn (now Santa Paula Creek) on the east, to the small mountain on the west, and from the small mountain (supposed to be Sul- phur Mountain) on the north to Las Positas
on the sonth." Jimeno was given possession of about 30,000 acres. The name of the rancho is partly derived from the Saticoy tribe of Indians, who made their headquar- ters at the springs of that name. (Saticoy is said to be the Indian term for "Eureka!") The tract is about twelve miles long, extend- ing from the San Miguel Rancho to the Sespe Rancho, with an average width of two miles between the Santa Clara River on the southeast and the lofty ex-Mission hills on the northwest. Its upper portion overlaps the river channel, including a narrow strip of the southern slope. Being one of the choicest pieces of land in the county, it was one of the earliest settled ranchos, as it is now the most thickly populated sections of the county.
One of the most important events in the history of this rancho was the enterprise of Mr. George G. Briggs, of Marysville, Yuba Connty, who conceived the idea that in the Santa Clara Valley existed such combinations of soil and climatic conditions as would con- stitute an ideal fruit-growing district, whence he could place his fruits on the San Fran- cisco market some weeks in advance of all competitors. To this end he purchased of the More Brothers four leagues of land for $40,000, and in March, 1862, he planted 100 acres to fruit trees of various kinds to the number of several thousands, the site of this great orchard being two miles up the river from the Indian town of Saticoy. Carefully nurtured for five years, the orchard suc- ceeded in all other respects; but, failing to mature early, the project was abandoned. In 1865 the grass was as high as a man's head, over the valley, and of 25,000 trees, but a few poor stragglers remained in a few years. In 1867 Mr. Briggs subdivided the rancho and sold it for small farms. In this year there were upon this rancho the following
212
VENTURA COUNTY.
settlers :- J. L. Crane, who had come to the site of Saticoy in 1861; Dr. Millhouse, in the Wheeler Canon; Colonel Wade Hamp- ton, in the Cañada Aliso; Messrs. Mont- gomery, Horatio Stone, Charles Millard, Ed- ward Wright, Wm. Garden, Andrew J. Nutt, A. Gray, E. S. Woolley, Wm. McCormick and George M. Richardson.
During the winter of 1871-'72, which was a very severe one, much of the stock perished, and the prosperity of the settle- ment received a severe check. At this time the present site of
SANTA PAULA
was a wilderness, the only signs of human habitation being one or two old adobe houses, an ancient barn, and the traces of an irrigat- ing ditch-relics of a mission once estab- lished there. In 1872 Messrs. Blanchard and Bradley laid out some town lots, and built a flouring-mill on the Santa Paula Creek, one- half mile above the town, whose site is on the creek, about one mile above the Santa Clara River, in the upper part of the rancho. Some half-dozen lots were sold, but a small saloon was the only building erected up to the summer of 1875. In June, of that year, the valley was more extensively laid out. In December there was a snow-storm almost unprecedented in that section.
The drouth of 1877-'78 gave a severe check to the growth of this place. In the fall of 1878 there was sufficient prosperity to support a Baptist Church, having a church building and a membership of thirteen, October of that year witnessing the second anniversary of the congregation's existence. By 1879 there was a membership of 250.
In 1880-'81 many of the farmers turned their attention to the raising of pork, which staple was then dear, while the wheat and barley crops brought very low rates. In
1880 no less than $40,000 were realized from the sale of hogs raised in the vicinity of Santa Paula, and twice that sum in 1881. The hottest weather ever felt in the town was during September of that year, when the mercury rose to 100° in the shade for several days in succession, once rising to 108°.
Naturally the growth of Santa Paula was slow, as long as the only means of travel was by staging. But since the extension of the line of the Southern Pacific to Santa Bar- bara, the increase has been steady.
The following account of Santa Paula, her resources and surroundings, was written by Mr. C. J. McDivitt, editor of the Santa Panla Chronicle:
Santa Paula is situated on the Southern Pacific Railroad, between Santa Barbara on the west and Los Angeles on the east, and on what will be the main through line of that road up the coast fron Los Angeles, and the east from San Francisco. It is in the Santa Clara Valley, sixteen miles east from Ventura and the ocean, and nineteen miles from Camilos, the last station eastward in Ventura County, on the road to Los Angeles, and distant from that city sixty-five miles. It is located at the mouth of the Santa Paula Cañon, near where Santa Paula Creek forms a junction with the Santa Clara River, and near the center of the county.
There are four passenger trains daily, two each way, giving the people of the valley four daily mails and easy communication either north or south. The town is located in the midst of a fine agricultural region. The land on every side is capable of the highest production of all the cereals and al- most all the fruits and nuts peculiar to this coast; and all this, with the single exception of oranges and lemons, withont irrigation. The town contains more than 1,000 inhabi-
213
VENTURA COUNTY.
tants, with a voting population of 400. (The last census showed 1,200.)
Santa Paula is not incorporated, but her public-spirited citizens have secured many advantages to be imitated profitably by towns which boast of incorporation. Private enter- prise has placed on a large portion of the main street cement sidewalks twelve feet wide, and on many of the other streets good walks, now of asphaltum and now of board- ing. "The Avenue " is a drive of at least a mile long, smooth and well-kept, with its trees on either side all its length forming an arch-like perspective, and this is kept sprinkled through its full length. The other streets of the town also are well sprinkled.
Santa Paula is the headquarters of the petroleum oil industry of Southern Califor- nia. Here are located the Hardison & Stew- art Oil Company, the Mission Transfer Com- pany, the Sespe Oil Company, the Torrey Cañon Oil Company and several parties who are operating in a private way and disposing of their product to these companies. Here the Mission Transfer Company has erected a refinery with a capacity of 10,000 barrels of crude oil per month, which they manufacture into lubricating oils of fine quality for nse on all sorts of machinery, from the locomo- tive to the spindle. The different brands are known to the trade under the names of engine oil, extra engine oil, car-box oil, journal and gear oil, heavy machine oil, light machine oil, valve oil, wool oil, and black lubricating oil. They also manufacture several grades of naphtha; sev- eral grades of asphaltum; distillates for enriching illuminating gas, and several other products. The refinery works cover about four acres of ground, and give employment to a number of skilled workmen. Inside the inclosure there is a tankage capacity of 40,. 000 barrels, and a perfect network of pipes
running in every direction connecting the tanks and works. The erection of the refinery was begun in the fall of 1887, and the first manufactured product was turned out in March, 1888.
The Mission Transfer Company handles the entire product of oil from all the com- panies, and owns and uses more than 100 miles of pipe line in Ventura County, having a pipe line connecting every well with the storage tanks at Santa Paula. This company also has a pipe line from Santa Paula to Hueneme, and another to Ventura, on the ocean, and so loads vessels at either port direct from their own tanks. There is tank- age capacity of 100,000 barrels, of forty-two gallons each, all in this county, except one large tank at San Francisco. In addition, this company owns fifty four tank cars with a capacity of 5,500 gallons each.
The companies are now (September, 1889) pumping about fifty wells. The daily product is near 700 barrels, with a gradnal increase, and excellent prospects for the future, as they are all the time developing new territory, have recently struck some good wells, and are now at work on several that give promise of being good ones. The oil interests give em- ployment to 125 mnen, and pay ont in wages not far from $10,000 monthly.
The Mission Transfer Company owned the steamer W. L. Hardison, built by them- selves expressly to carry the product of the wells up and down the coast to a market, but it was recently burned at the wharf while loading at Ventura. The company is now considering plans to replace it with a vessel of steel.
The Hardison & Stewart Oil Company has also erected at Santa Paula large boiler works and machine shops where all work connected with the oil business is done. New boilers are built and repairs made to engines, boilers and
214
VENTURA COUNTY
all kinds of machinery used in this or neigh- boring counties. The plant is a valuable one, the company having recently put in a new ten-horse-power Charter gas-engine, which uses no boiler, makes the gas to feed it while running, and requires little or no attention. Work is turned out here which is not obtain- able elsewhere in Southern California.
One of the largest fruit-driers in the State is located here. This was built in 1888 by an organized company, composed of farmers and fruit-growers, at a cost of $14,000. The same year the company handled more than 500 tons of apricots. When running at its full capacity of twenty-five tons per day, the drier requires 150 hands to operate it. Both hot air and steam are used for drying. In 1889 over ninety per cent. of the fruit dried was of the first quality, bringing the highest price in the market.
The "Santa Paula Water Works" supplies the town with good, pure mountain water, taken from the Santa Paula Creek several miles up the cañon. The reservoir, with a capacity of about 5,000,000,000 gallons, is located 200 feet above Main street, giving a pressure of ninety-five pounds to the square inch. There is a magnificent system of mains and pipes running all over the town, and a water supply fully adequate to the needs of a city of 50,000 inhabitants. This system is owned by W. H. Bradley.
In the Sespe Canon, a few miles east of Santa Paula, are the quarries of the Sespe Brown Stone Company. This stone is used in some of the finest buildings in the State, among others the elegant new building of the San Francisco Chronicle. The quarries are extensive, there being practically no limit to the supply. It is of a rich brown color, and in color and texture closely resembles the noted brown stone of Nova Scotia. It has been tried by all tests known to science,
and is pronounced the finest quality found. When subjected to a white heat and dropped into water, it turns to granite instead of crumbling as other stones have done in large fires.
While the material interests of the town are being developed and business projects rapidly pushed forward, the intellectual, moral and religious advantages have not been neglected. There are four church organiza- tions and two buildings, Presbyterian and and Methodist. The Presbyterian is the finest in the county, having been erected in 1888 at a cost of $14,000. The pastor is Mr. Logan. The Methodist Church, dating from 1882, is worth some $5,000. Its pastor is Mr. Ashley. The Baptist Congregation worships in the Methodist Church and the Universalists in Cleveland hall. Mr. Andrews ministers to the Universalists. There is no Baptist pastor at present. The Roman Cath- olies are about to build a church; the offici- ating priest lives at New Jerusalem. There are four well attended Sunday-schools at Santa Paula.
The town hasa graded school of fonr depart- ments, each with a large attendance-about 200. The public school building is a fine structure standing in the center of a large enclosed square of ground. This school con- tains a well-selected library. Here also is located Santa l'aula Academy, opened Sep- tember 16, 1889, for the second term of school. This is an elegant and commodious building, costing, with the five acres of ground upon which it stands, $17,000, all of which was contributed by the people in and around Santa Paula. While its articles of incorporation provide that a majority of its directors shall be of the Congregationalist persuasion, this school is non-sectarian in character.
The land around Santa Paula is well adapt-
215
VENTURA COUNTY.
ed to the growth of all kinds of decidnous fruits, there being no less than 800 acres of bearing walnuts, almonds, pears, peaches, prunes, figs, grapes and many varieties of other fruits, together with all the small fruits in abundance. These trees make wonderful growth in the rich soil and warm temperature of this valley. There are in the grounds of W. L. Hardison mulberry trees of five years' growth, which measure thirty-two inches in circumference, and thirty feet in height, with a twenty-five-foot spread to the limbs, and from which 300 pounds of choice fruit were gathered in one year. Apricot trees on the same place, of the same age, are twenty-nine inches in circumference, twenty-five feet high, and with a twenty-foot spread of limbs. The apricots have been cut back each year, the mulberries but once, and neither have had any irrigation. Both varieties have been bearing fruit for three years. These are by no means exceptional cases. The orchard of Mr. Nathan W. Blanchard, one of the best and most profitable in the State, is located here. In 1889 he sold over $15,000 worth of fruits. He has 100 acres of seedling oranges and Lisbon and Eureka lemons, which always yield the highest market prices. The lemons are picked during every month of the year. Mr. Blanchard has planted many more oranges lately. This is one of the largest orchards in the State, though it is not yet all in bearing.
On Mr. F. J. Beckwith's place, he has 100 acres sown to Lima beans, which last season yielded 2,275 pounds to the acre. Another 100 acres, planted to corn, yielded ninety bushels to the acre. These staples are not the exclusive products; all these farms have a comprehensive variety of growth, including hay, grain, fruits and walnuts. Almost within the city limits, . Mr. Warhan Easley has a tract of forty acres, from which, last
season, he realized a net income of $3,000, as follows :- 1,200 boxes pears, at fifty cents per box, $600; twenty-five tons apricots, at $20 per ton, $500; oranges, $100; walnuts, $200; peaches, $100; prunes, $100; apples, $200; pumpkins, 8100; hay, thirty tons, at $10 per ton, $300; potatoes, 500 sacks, at $1.50 per sack, $750; garden truck, $150; total, $3,100. From this was paid $100 for harvesting, all the rest of the work being done by the owner. Besides all this, there were raised several tons of grapes, which were made into wine.
From the famous orange grove of N. W. Blanchard, which began to pay running ex- penses only three years since, the shipments from the 100 acres last season amounted to twenty-eight car-loads, the sales footing up to nearly $15,000. More profitable than his oranges is Mr. Blanchard's fifteen-acre tract set to lemons, from which he harvested last season abont 3,000 boxes, at an average price of $4 per box.
Mr. G. G. Sewell, Mr. C. H. McKevett, Mr. H. Crumrine, and Mr. J. R. D. Say are all equally successful growers of oranges, although not so extensively. This whole section is, thus far, entirely free from scale, or other insect pests. In the grounds of Mr. Hardison are to be found Washington Navel orange trees which have yielded two boxes of fruit to the tree five years from planting, and in the grounds of Mr. McKevett and Mr. G. G. Sewell are trees which bore some fruit the second year from planting.
Mr. Crumrine has six acres of seedling oranges from which he received $2,600 last season. This, it should be remembered, on ground that was, as late as 1886, considered poor for citrus fruits.
Prunes are becoming an important feature of orchards here, and walnuts also are quite extensively planted. There are two nurser-
216
VENTURA COUNTY.
ies in Santa Paula, one of which has a large general stock.
In the growth, breeding, and improve- ment of horses and the raising of fine cattle, this neighborhood shows commendable en- terprise. There are a number of fine herds of cattle and some choice short-horns in this vicinity, the foot-hills being particularly adapted for pasture lands. There is one choice herd of Holstein cattle here hard to beat anywhere. The gentleman imported twenty- one head of cows four years ago, and has sold $11,000 worth from their increase, be- sides keeping good the original number.
The owners and breeders of fine stock in and around Santa Paula have the laudable ambition to make Ventura County and the Santa Clara Valley still more famous for good horses; and to this end Messrs. F. E. Davis, J. K. Gries, W. L. Hardison, and C. H. McKevett have organized into an associa- tion, procured a track-the Santa Paula Driving Park-and put up training stables, at their own expense, with no other object in view than the improvement of the horses of the county. They own and keep at the track some very fine stallions, among them Black Pilot, half-brother of Stamboul, Richwood, a Richmond stallion, Eli, and others.
In the way of business enterprises Santa Panla has :- the First National Bank (suc- cessor to the Bank of Santa Panla), with a capital stock of $75,000.
The president is C. H. MeKevett; vice- president, G. H. Bonebrake; cashier, J. R. Haugh; the Petrolia Hotel, which cost $15,- 000, opened about January 1, 1889; six gen- eral merchandise stores; one grocery; two cigar and news-stands; two hardware stores, of which one has a full line of oil supplies not to be found elsewhere in the State; the Ventura Lumber Company, which has seven yards in the county, unloading at Ventura
the Ininber received from the north, and car- rying on a very heavy business; one planing- mill, conducted by the same company; one fruit-drier of twenty tons' daily capacity ; two drug stores; one weekly newspaper, the Chronicle; two hotels; three restaurants; one shoe store and one cobbler shop; one men's furnishing shop; two milliners; two real estate offices; two practicing physicians; one dentist; one furniture store; two livery stables; one bakery; two butcher shops; three barbers; one harness shop, and two blacksmiths.
In common with other portions of Ventura County, Santa Paula enjoys a very even tem- perature from one season to another, with more, bright, clear, sunshiny days than is usual so near the coast. For the greater part of the year the breeze is landward, coming up the valley without interruption, cooling the air in summer and warming it in winter; and with no extremes of heat or cold, the town is a delightful place of residence, both for the health-seeker and the man of business.
SATICOY.
Saticoy is situated at the lower end of the old Santa Paula y Saticoy Rancho, on the Santa Clara River, about eight miles east of San Buenaventura, nine miles north of Hue- neme Wharf, and eight miles southwest of Santa Panla. Here are the famous Saticoy Springs, with their many bloody traditions of the Indian tribes, by whom the springs were discovered; the word Saticoy is said to mean in the dialect of the Indians who set- tled here the same as the word " Eureka." Until the last twenty years, the chieftainess Pomposa, and a number of the tribe, were still living at these springs, and the early settlers tell how, even after their advent, here were wont to gather annually the remnants of the various tribes of Southern California.
217
VENTURA COUNTY.
It is declared that at each of these gatherings a human sacrifice was made, one of those as- sembled being put to death by poisoning. To this effect, there were made as many cakes as there were guests at the feast, one of the eakes containing the fatal potion. None knew which cake held the poison, so that the sacrifice was entirely at hazard.
In November, 1861, J. L. Crane settle.l upon the site of the village, and others came in at about the same time. These early set- tlers were men of sterling qualities, who made the most of their surroundings. A school was opened as early as 1868. In this year came hitler Mr. W. de F. Richards, an- other of the pioneer settlers.
While quite a thick settlement was in ex- istence, and a postoffice had been for some years established, the building np of the town proper dates mainly from the advent of the railway. The town with its adjacent farms covers about eight miles square of territory, within which extent are some of the most prolific farms and fruit orchards of Southern California. Being well watered, and having soil of exceptional strength and fertility, this famous valley produces crops of extreme rich- ness and value. Corn, beans, flax-seed, can- ary seed, hops, castor beans, sugar beets, hay, etc., are among the fruits of the soil, and the product is not infrequently 2,000 to 3,000 pounds of beans, or 2,000 to 6,000 pounds of corn, per acre. From the farm of M. E. Ishamn, who has 80 acres in fruit- consisting of 500 walnut, 600 apple, 3,000 apricot, 100 lemon, 300 lime, 500 peach, and 100 pear trees-were produced last season, 10,000 cans of fruit, and about 3,000 glasses of jelly, which respectively brought $2.25 and $1.50 per dozen in Ventura, without casing. This, besides a great deal of green fruit sold, and about 100 barrels of cider vinegar. Ou the 180-acre farm of James Evans, another
old settler, were raised in 1878 as much as 4,400 pounds of shelled corn to the acre, this average being reached again in 1884.
In 1882 Mr. Evans raised 2,200 pounds of flaxseed to the acre. His barley hay in 1889 gave three tons to the acre. These are by no means exceptional holdings. As indexing the produets of this district, a few statistics gathered from the shipping clerk at the Southern Mill and Warehouse Company will be interesting: barley, 2,676,123 pounds; Lima beans, 2,109,090; small beans, 756,243; corn, 308,750; walnuts, 10,000; honey, 74,- 463; apricots, 145,726; miscellaneous, 300,- 000. Total shipments, actual weight, 6,380,- 395 pounds.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.