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 6

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 6
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 6
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 6

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The act passed March 2, 1850, providing for the holding of the first county election, and that passed March 23, 1850, providing for general elections, applied to these as to the rest of the newly designated counties.

THE EXPORTS

from Santa Barbara from March to Septem- ber, 1847, amounted to $27,780.

In the summer of 1848 the United States steamship Edith went ashore on the coast be- tween Point Sal and Point Argnello. There were assertions that she was purposely wrecked, as somne of the crew were eager to leave service and go to the newly discovered gold inines. The wreck was sold to Captain William G. Dana, owner of the great Nipomo rancho, who entertained at his house the officers and the crew until arrangement could be made for their transportation to Monterey, then the State capital and headquarters on this coast for the army and navy.

ITEMS OF INTEREST, 1850-'90.

The first supply of public money for Santa Barbara County was obtained for licenses for selling liquor and merchandise. The treas- urer'e account began August 23, 1850. An accounting was made Jannary 4, 1851, when he was charged with State taxes, $5,507.18; county taxes, $2,753.59; total, $8,260.77. The total of credits was $5,667.53, leaving for salaries, etc., $2,593.24.

Apropos to the subject of licenses, there would seem to have been some thirst-inspir-

ing property in the climate of Santa Barbara at this period, for, of the fifty licenses issued from August, 1850, to February, 1851, thirty-two were for the sale of liquors. It should be said, however, that the sales were mostly to foreign customers, for the native Californians of that day were not excessive drinkers, but it is surprising to see how many of the aristocratic old families took ont licenses to sell liquor.

It is said that the three Instrums from 1850 to 1865 were a period of great peace and order in. Santa Barbara. No place in California, nor even in all the United States, it is declared, with an equal population, was more free from crime than was this city at that period. The county jail served as the place of incarceration of all the town prison- ers, as well as those of the county; yet, as we are told, more than half the time during those fifteen years the jail door stood wide open, the edifice being without an ocenpant. Many of the new-coiners had intermarried with the natives, and these relations served to bind the diverse elements together in har- mony. There were occasional strifes over the possession of land outside of the city, such as always occur in a new country, but these were not frequent in the earlier times, for land was not considered worth enough to warrant dispute.

It was, however, inevitable' that owing to a not unnatural friction, should be occasional passages which caused strained relations be- tween the Californians and the Americans. For instance, two men coming up the coast to buy cattle were murdered near the San Gabriel River by one Zavaleta and another native, who came to Santa Barbara to spend the money taken from their victims. The murderers were recognized by description, and were arrested by the sheriff, Valentine Hearne, aided by a number of citizens. Sowie

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY.

of the native families, including that of Cap- tain de la Guerra, protested against the treat- ment of the men, as based on insufficient evidence, and inspired by race prejudice. Hence considerable ill-feeling was engen- dered. An escort of twenty-five men was made up to accompany the accused back to Los Angeles, and a semi-official demand, ac- companied by a menace, was made for a sup- ply of horses to be furnished for the purpose, by the citizens of Santa Barbara. The men were tried, and confessed the murder in de- tail, pointing out the burial place of their victims, so that they were hung by the people of Los Angeles. Notwithstanding this justi- fication, Dr. Den and the de la Guerras were so munch displeased with Hearne for having arrested the men, that they withdrew from his bond, and so forced him to resign his office of sheriff. It is said that W. W. Twist, his successor, was not even an American citizen.

Again, trouble arose from the dissatisfac- tion of American newcomers with the system of large holdings of land by the natives, and from such a cause arose one of the celebrated cases of the county. John Vidal, a member of Carnes' Company in Stevenson's Regi- ment, had rented for a time a tract of land on the Arroyo Burro, a small creek emptying into the sea near Santa Barbara, and when his lease expired, he claimed the land under the pre-emption laws as Government land. Suit being brought in the respective courts, the land was adjudged the property of Dr. Den, of whom Vidal had rented, and the sheriff (Twist) was ordered by the court to evict Vidal and put Den in possession. Vidal was known to have many friends among the gamblers, and the attempt to disturb him was considered very dangerous. When the sheriff called ont a posse to execute the writ of ejectment, the people began to take

sides, and Vidal's friends gathered upon the disputed territory, some say merely in friendly union, others declare to fortity and hold the place at all hazards. The sheriff enlisted some 200 men, engaged a surgeon, and secured a small cannon to be used, if necessary, in demolishing the fortifications. At this juncture, Vidal and a few of his companions rode up to the assembled force, whether with hostile intent or in the hope that the issue might be determined by amiable parley. Two of his companions lassoed the cannon, and made as if to drag it away, upon which pretext Twist fired upon them, and at once the fight became general. One of Vidal's companions rushed at Twist, and attempted to plunge into him a long knife, which was deflected by a rib, so that the wound was not dangerous. Vidal was shot, and fell from his horse, but, although terribly wounded, he lingered under Dr. Brinkerhoff's care for fourteen days, unable to speak, even regarding a ring he wore, which he evidently wished to leave to some one. Twist soon recovered. These were the only serious casualties which occurred, although a running fight lasted for some minutes. By advice of their leading men, the Californian citizens remained within doors that day, and Pablo de la Guerra pro- ceeded to the spot with a flag of truce, and persuaded the Vidal adherents to submit to the legal authorities. The next morning, a ship-of war anchored here, having been des- patched from Monterey to enforce order if necessary.

The land in dispute was afterward pro- nounced public ground, although Vidal had practically acknowledged Den's ownership by possession, by his payment of rental for it. Vidal appears to have been largely a scape- goat in the matter, as he was a man of some worth. He was justice of the peace when

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY.

killed, and had been associate justice with Joaquin Carrillo.

The feverish excitement, the disorganized conditions of society, and general lawlessness, naturally led to a vast deal of gambling, drinking and other vices, as well as systems of outlawry,-practically highway robbers.

One gang, which flourished in the early '50s, had its headquarters at the Los Alamos and Purisima Ranchos. It was headed by Salomon Pico, a connection of Don Pio and General Andres Pico; and this prestige of blood no doubt greatly facilitated the gang's operations, by procuring shelter, protection, aid, and warnings of danger, from the pow- erful rancheros. The ostensible occupation of this set was driving and trading in stock, and the consequent irregularities of move- ment greatly facilitated the suppression of strangers who came thither, well supplied with money, to purchase cattle. Many were the disappearances noted of such individuals, and after years brought to light many skele- tons, on which were signs of violence telling of robbery and murder.

Jack Powers was another bandit, and one of the most remarkable and most successful of the epoch. He had been a member of Captain Lippett's Company F, Stevenson's Regiment, and is said to have enjoyed at one time a good reputation and standing. After being mustered out, he took up the career of a gambler, in which he was very successful, and when Salomon Pico's band was dispersed, Powers brought its remnants together under his own leadership, and for a time they ter- rorized the section for a period of about four years. He was deemed the best rider in the State,-no slight compliment, as the Califor- nian boys were very like unto centaurs. Powers once at San José rode for a wager 150 miles in fourteen hours, changing steeds at will. This skill as a rider, and his command of 3

good horses, made him appear fairly ubiqni- tous, as was reputed to be Joaquin Mnrieta. Powers had a gray mule, which, it was said, would carry him 100 miles in twelve hours. He was once in Santa Barbara within ten hours after he had committed a robbery near San Luis Obispo. Many anecdotes are told of Powers' exploits.

Another of the fraternity of " holy terrors" was Patrick Dunn, who had the name of be- longing to Powers' gang. Dunn, while in- toxicated, shot a stranger, a passenger from a steamer; the murder, done in the square be- fore the de la Guerra House, was witnessed by several ladies of that family. But such was the terror of incurring the entity of the gang, that only the court's solemn assurance of protection could induce them to testify. Whilst the trial was in progress, the judge, the district attorney and the sheriff, each received a warning that they would be killed if they proseented the case, and no doubt murder would have been done in open court, had not six deputies been sworn in, with in- structions to shoot instantly Powers and Dunn, at any attempt to interfere with the proceed- ings. Dunn pleaded justifiable homicide in self-defence, and after a trial of twenty-one days, the jury disagreed. A similar result followed a second trial, held at Los Angeles.

Dunn was again tried for an attempt at murder, he having loaded a double barreled shot-gun to kill one Martin, who had offended him. Both barrels snapped without effect, but Dunn was sentenced to State's prison for a term of years. It became known that Powers had determined to rescue Dunn on his passage from the jail to the boat, and twenty-five men were sworn in as deputies, with instructions as before, to shoot both Dunn and Powers upon any attempt at a rescue. Powers, so Russell Heath, the sher- iff, assured him, would be the first to fall.

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY.

The deputies followed the van containing the prisoner from the jail to the shore, where he was transferred to the lighter without inter- ruption, although Powers and his friends, abont thirty in number, had assembled at the beach on horseback. Powers left California about 1850, and went to Mexico, where he was shot. Dunn died in Arizona in 1866.

Up to 1856, the mail facilities for Santa Barbara were very sketchy; Lewis T. Burton was the first postmaster. When the Panama steamers began to touch here, they carried letters between this point and San Francisco, but the mail-bag was treated with so little consideration that it was often wetted in transit between the steamer and the landing, and on one occasion several gallons of water were turned out of the bag, along with the letters and papers. The dispatching of the mail was treated as a matter of little moment, and the letters received for distribution were kept in a candle-box, where each could help himself to his own-or his neighbor's-mis- sives. In March, 1856, William Carey Jones, in a letter addressed to the Postmaster-Gen- eral, set forth the disadvantage and detriment suffered from this lack of postal service, cited the superior means of intercommunication enjoyed under the Spanish rule eighty years previous, and advocated the establishment of a regular weekly mail, to be carried by cour- iers, between Monterey and San Diego. Within a year or two, the overland stage, carrying mail and passengers, was established by the United States Government, at a cost of about $500,000 per annum. It was de- signed to open a line of settlements from Texas to California, in the interest of the Southern States. Few passengers took this route, and as the schedule time was but little less than by steamer, the large Eastern mail continued to be transferred by the main lines of passenger travel. The stage route lay

through the coast counties, and afforded their people the long-needed facilities. The war of the Rebellion scattered the stock, and pnt an end to this line.

At a little after 8 A. M., on January 9, 1857, was felt the premonitory shock of one of the severest earthquakes ever felt in California. The morning was clear, sunny and cool, with no forecast of the temblor whose shocks continued at intervals until the next day, their force extending from Point Concepcion to Los Angeles. The most violent alarm was felt by the people at Santa Barbara; but, for- tunately, there was no loss of life, and but little damage to property beyond cracking the walls of some of the houses. The reser- voir at the mission rocked so violently that the water slopped over at each of its sides so plentifully as to set quite a stream running; and near the hot springs great boulders were detached from the cliffs and rolled into the valley. At San Buenaventura, the mission church was badly injured, the roof partly falling in, and the belfry suffering consider- able injury. The tower of the Point Concep- cion light-house also was much damaged.

The Gazette died this year, the plant being sold to parties who removed it to San Fran- cisco. It is believed that no file of this paper was preserved.

The whole tax rate for this year was $1.62} on the $100. In September there was in the county treasury $8,724.774, the largest sum yet known, and the supervisors took the subject in hand, fixing the treasurer's bonds at $20.000. The system of accounts in this department was very obscure and imperfect, and it is said that the amounts on the stubs of the warrants gave the only clne to the con- dition of the funds. There seems to have been a pretty continnal agitation on this sub- ject during this period, and inspections were ordered made of the books of the auditor

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY.

also. The same trouble ran into the succeed- ing year.

The whole number of votes cast at the county election in 1858 was 319. The total of tax rates for this year was $1.52g on each $100. A road tax of $2.00 was levied on every man between twenty and forty years old. It was now ordered that one- sixth part of all taxes raised be set apart as a hospital fund.

On June 17, 1859, Santa Barbara was visited by a hot, sirocco-like wind from the northwest, which began about 12 M., and blew furiously until about 3:30 P. M., killing birds, rabbits, lambs, etc., blasting fruit, scorching the leaves on the wind ward side of trees, and sending the mercury up to 136º F ..

In 1860 Santa Barbara shared in the split in the Democratic party on the slavery ques- tion, and the electoral ticket was divided. It was this year that San Buenaventura be- came ambitious of planning the town plat after regular, and laying out a street in front of the mission, between it and the orchard. After some controversy, this was carried into effect, and the fine main street of the town, which serves as its base line, dates from this beginning.

In 1861 there was a general resolve to discharge the heavy debt incurred by pre vious mismanagement and extravagance, and a law looking to that purpose was enacted by the Legislature, by the expressed wish of the people. The tax rate for this year was $1.90 on the $100. An appropriation was made by the Legislature of $15,000 for the construction of a county road, bids were made, and the contract was awarded to T. Wallace More; but he, after some little time, declared his inability to complete the undertaking, and suit was brought against him for the performance of the contract. The question was ultimately compromised,

The elections passed off very quietly this year, perhaps because of the absence of a newspaper to incite violence of political feeling.

Santa Barbara shared in the excessive rains that fell all over California in the winter of 1861-'62, and many changes were wrought in the way of changing the beds of rivers, filling up estuaries, etc. Until this season, the estuary of the Goleta was a sort of harbor, accessible to small crafts, which might have been made into a safe harbor of refuge from storms, but this sea- son's freshets filled it with sand and gravel from the mountains, beyond the hope of clearing. In other places, the swollen streams swept out channels through the bolsas, or miry lagoons, in which they had terminated. The appearance of the country was also much changed by slides in the mountains. At San Buenaventura there was a slide along almost the whole face of the hill where ran the aqueduct, and the canal was so nearly de- stroyed as to require rebuilding. Many cattle perished this winter, but they were hardly missed, as stock was even over-abun- dant.

The taxes for 1863 footed up to $2.52 on ths $100. The election of this year showed a notable increase in the population, as indexed by the number of voters. The salaries of the county judges, the sheriff, and the county clerk were fixed this year, respectively, as follows :- $1,000, $1,000, and $500 per annum, It was about this season that the enormous increase of the herds had brought down beef to a price that hardly repaid the killing. The loss in the hard winter of 1861-'62 was speedily recouped, and the droves had now attained propor- tions that demanded diminution. Particu larly in the southern counties was this result made necessary, for here the distance from

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY.

the markets, the long drives thereto over closely-grazed country, the inevitable shrink- age contingent upon the journey, and the in- ferior quality of the beef after the drive, all tended to depress greatly the value of this product. This led to the institution of a matanza, or species of wholesale slaughter, which reached, it is asserted, far toward 100,- 000 head. The slaughter-works were situated on the seashore between Santa Barbara and Carpenteria, that the refuse might be swept away by the tide. The carcasses were put into steam baths, and subjected to such heat that the flesh fell from the bones and became a mass of jelly and fat. This was put into a mighty press, and every particle of the tallow extracted; the jelly went to the manufacture of glue, the horns were sent East to be made into combs and other such matters. The cake or pressed meat was fed to hogs, so that every portion of the beef was utilized. Yet, not- withstanding this economy and the low price paid-$5 per head-the enterprise was un- profitable to its projectors.

In 1864 began the development of mis- fortunes arising from various causes. The excess of cattle and low prices of beef; the number of mortgages incurred as lands were changing owners; the purchase of goods, often superfluities, on the credit system, to be paid for with heavy interest-all these factors en- tered into the conditions. Mortgages on ranchos were given as security for compara- tively small debts, and they were seldom re- deemed. As land was held at about 25 cents per acre, an indebtedness of a few thousand dollars not infrequently laid a mortgage on a rancho of eleven leagues, or 44,000 acres. In this manner the Santa Clara del Norte, the Las Posas, the Simi, and other fine ranchos were alienated from their orig- inal owners. The sum of $20,000 or less would have saved to the mortgageor the ran-

chos Simí Las Posas, Conejo, San Julian and Espada, aggregating 200,000 or more acres. Nearly all the principal rancho-owners this year asked and obtained considerable reduc- tions on their assessments.

The whole number of votes cast in this year's election was 429.

To add to the general drawbacks of this year, the great drouth created terrible havoc, compared to which that caused by the floods had been trifling.

This drouth, though severe throughout the State, was much more disastrous in the southern counties than elsewhere. The conn_ try was overstocked with cattle, and the dried grass was eaten close to the ground before the time came for the usnal rainfall. Then a little rain fell, early in December, but bare- ly enough to lay the dust in Santa Barbara. December and January passed with no more rain. The grazing grounds were absolutely bare, and there was no grass nearer than the snow-watered valleys over the Sierra, across the rainless desert. The cattle were unfit for a day's drive, far less 400 miles. There was no remembrance of a season without rain, but this season felt not those of either winter or spring. The cattle died daily by hundreds, and the whole country was strewn with their heat-dried carcasses. The assessment-roll of 1863 had showed over 200,000 cattle in Santa Barbara alone, and this probably was not more than two-thirds of the real number; yet when the grass sprung up under the welcome rains of the winter of 1864-'65, there were less than 5,000 cattle left to graze upon it. The great herds were gone, and the reign of the cattle kings was over. Their possessions were for the most part hopelessly mortgaged, and within the next five years had passed from their hands. It was sensationally reported during the dronth that the people of the southern counties were reduced to subsisting

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY.

upon the flesh of cattle that had died of star- vation, and that famine was imminent. The people of San Francisco promptly raised $3,000 and forwarded food and delicacies by steamer. This generosity was greatly appre- ciated, although it was not needed, as there was no destitution which could not be relieved in the district.

As regarded county politics, Santa Barbara was democratic; but owing to the influence exerted by a few of the leading families, 343 of the votes cast were in favor of the Repub- lican presidential electors. A representative of one of these families, Antonio Maria de la Guerra, raised a company of native cavalry, about 100 strong, which, although they did not reach the field of most active fighting, did excellent service on escort and scout duty on the frontier, their expert horsemanship eminently fitting them for work in the rough country where they served.

In this year the oil interests attracted much interest and immigration, of which account will be given elsewhere, under the respective captions.

The assessment roll of 1865 showed many changes, old names disappearing, and being replaced by new. The total assessments on real estate were $520,591; on personal prop- erty, $227,594; total, $748,185, this being nearly $300,000 more than in 1860.

In 1866, the supervisors deliberated upon the practicability of building a new jail, as recommended by a report of the grand jury, which condemned that in use; the decision was that the state of the exchequer did not admit of the requisite expenditure. It is a noticeable feature that the record of this de- liberation was spread upon the minutes in the Spanish language. The tax rate established this year was $2.43 on the $100.

Up to this time, the irregularities prac- ticed at elections were the source of much

dissatisfaction and inconvenience, admitting as they did, of great frand in voting. In one instance, a whole tribe of Indians was voted; in another, a Panama steamer list was copied entire, and a precinct known to contain but twenty voters was made to give returns of 160. The new law, which went into opera- tion this year, provided for the inscription upon the great register of the name of every voter, together with particulars of his birth, or naturalization, age, residence, and business, such as to identify him fully; and it was further provided that each should be restricted to voting in his own precinct. Most of the smaller precincts were abolished, this meas- ure also tending to obviate many sources of fraud and error.

The supervisors here at this time were seldom in touch with the other county officials, now one and now another of whom fell under the supervisorial displeasure. This year it was the district attorney who fell under the ban of their displeasure, and his office was by them declared vacant, after some previous differences of opinion had been followed by the demand that he file new bonds for an addi- tional $10,000 for the collection of the delin- quent taxes, and his refusal to comply. The contest was somewhat long as well as acri- monious, ending in the district attorney's continuance in office. Yet the board of su- pervisors, which, by the way, contained a inajority of native Californians, would ap- pear, reviewing the events, to have had right and reason on their side.

The total tax rate for 1867 was $3.08 on the $100; the proportion of school tax, 35 cents, shows that provision was being made for the public schools. The whole county vote at this year's election was 624, being a considerable increase on the last vote. At this time Thomas R. Bard was elected to the board of supervisors, a circumstance

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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