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 7

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 7
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 7
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 7

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).

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY.

notable in that it marks the entrance into public official position of men trained to business habits, who would give personal at- tention to official matters instead of referring them to a commission.

It may be said that the ensuing year of 1868 marked a new era in the history of Santa Barbara, a revolution in all its condi- tions. The drouth of 1863-'64, and its con- sequent financial disasters, caused the breaking up of many of the great ranchos, whose land was uow put on the market, at prices some- times as low as 25 cents per acre; this at- tracted a large immigration, whose members instituted many industries hitherto unknown here. It was found that much of the land was highly appropriate to the cultivation of wheat, under proper care and attention; and this staple, which had been produced in but small quantities, for the manufacture of a little flour of inferior grade for home consumption, was now raised in great quantities, sufficient for heavy exportation. Here arose the need for a new development; to ship it, there was need to lighter the wheat to the vessels, at risk of great loss in the surf. Hence, wharves were projected and constructed to facilitate commerce in this product.

Up to this time, all ships touching at Santa Barbara anchored a mile or two from the shore, whence their freight was transferred by surf- boats. Thus the goods, as well as the mails, were liable to injury or loss. The passengers, too, were carried ashore from the boats on the backs of sailors. This method of land- ing was considerably modified when, in the summer of 1868, the Santa Barbara wharf was constructed by a company of citizens. This structure extended beyond the surf only under the ordinary conditions of winds and tides, and only lighters could approach it with safety, no vessel of more than 100 tons making fast to it. The stairs were unrailed,

and the surf sometimes broke upon them, and this cause and seasickness often occa- sioned considerable difficulty and even danger to the passengers landing, one lady falling into the water, whence she was rescued with much exertion. As the towns along the southern coast were already competing for immigration, a Los Angeles newspaper took occasion to remark of this that passengers for Santa Barbara were dumped into the sea, to swim ashore or drown! The Santa Bar- bara Post, just established in this year, took the statement au serieux, and denied it with much acrimony!

With the utterances of the newspaper, politics, whose fire for some time had lain dormant, kindled anew, and a Republican meeting, held in September of this year, was called the largest assemblage which had as yet met in Santa Barbara.

The total vote of this year was 729, having almost doubled since the breaking up of the cattle ranchos.

The grand jury of June, 1868, reported $2,490 in the city treasury, and a total connty debt of $37,006.24; this body had gone some- what deeply into official matters, and they reported finding systematic frand practiced in the city government; that the records were kept in Spanish; that but one of the five trustees spoke English; that within the past two years 7,000 acres of the public lands had been granted away for less than $6,000; that these lands had not been granted for settlement or improvement, but for spec- ulation; and that some of the members of the council were implicated. The recorder's books showed conveyance to one man of 900 acres for $888, when lands of a similar class were selling for $6 per acre. At least one- third of the members of this honest and energetic jury were native Californians.

The road fund now amounted to a respect-

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able sum, and its disbursement was generally judicious and proper. Road districts were formed, and competent road-masters ap- pointed. Private road enterprises also were undertaken. Among these were the Santa Ynes turnpike road, organized August 6, 1868, and the Tulare Turnpike Road Company, organized December 15, 1868.

A number of Protestant churches were or- ganized this year, as will be set førtlı under the respective headings.

The Ranchos Zaca and Corral de Cuati, containing 17,760 acres, were sold for $26,- 700, and 900 acres of the Santa Paula tract were sold for $13,000.

Eighty new buildings were erected this year; $70,000 worth of lumber was used, and 600,000 brick. The estimated increase of property in the county was $1,000,000. The acres assessed were 1,154,1068; real es- tate and improvements. $695,565.48; per- sonal property, $478,229.72; total value, $1,137,795.10.

In 1869 the assessed value of real estate was $755,864; personal property, $626,267; total, $1,482,131. Of live-stock, there were 5,057 horses, mules and asses; 11,094 cattle; and a great quantity of small stock. The es- timated population was 8,600, of which 700 was subject to road tax. In September of this year, William H. Seward visited Santa Barbara and addressed the people. This year was stigmatized by an unseemly newspaper war between local editors, calculated to con- vey but a poor impression of the refinement and discretion of the citizens. The whole vote of this year numbered 1,172. The rates of assessment, provided by law to be based on a cash value, this year gave rise to a vast deal of complaint, land being assessed so low that the great rancheros paid but nominal taxes, while the levies on land improvements and stock, being the largest items on the roll,

carried rates that bore heavily on their own - ers, thus virtually laying a penalty on the in- dnstry which created these improvements. Land was sold in hundreds of instances for five, ten, or twenty times its assessed value, and in at least one case, a tract which had paid taxes on a valuation of $275 per acre sold for $100 per acre. Such was the re- sistance offered to this abuse, and such the stir created through the press, that in 1870 assessments on large tracts were nearly double what they had been.

During these years, from 1868 on, there was an almost continual agitation over the question of securing a railroad for Santa Barbara; and editorials, railroad ineetings, and applications for charters were rife. As a concession to symmetry, the facts and de- tails necessary to a proper exposition of this subject will be given in another chapter.

In 1870, the census report gave as 7,987 the population of Santa Barbara, which then included Ventura.

On September 25, 1871, was held a special election for State Senator from the Second District, to fill the vacancy caused when Pacheco resigned, he having been elected Lieutenant Governor.

The total tax rate for 1871 was $2.08}; road poll tax, 82.

The First National Gold Bank was organ- ized in March, 1872; prior to this, Mortimer Cook, the president of this new bank, had been conducting a private banking honse, the pioneer estbalishment in the county, of that character.

The election of November, 1872, was the last held previous to the division of the county, Ventura being set off, January 1, 1873. The town of Santa Barbara now reg- istered more votes than had existed in the whole county twenty years earlier. At that time there had been but one school district,

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY.

with some sixty pupils, as against some twenty at this period; while against the one little store kept by Lewis T. Burton in those earlier days, there were now many flourishing commercial houses.

The law creating Ventura County went into effect January 1, 1873; thus from this date on the history of the two counties re- quires separate treatment. Some little con- fusion in the board of supervisors arose from this division, but the matter was adjusted. From the same cause arose the need to redis- trict Santa Barbara County, and three town- ships were accordingly determined.

The elections this year were the occasion of a good deal of enthusiam, " smashing the. machine" being the active principle to a large degree.

The tax rate was $1.47; the assessment roll bore: real estate and improvements, $3,637,- 364; personal property, $1,415,200; money, $33,000. This total of $5,085,564, the board of equalization augmented by a sum which raised the figures to $5,223,094. The in- crease in valnations from the preceding year was $626,014.

In the days of the discovery of gold, and the consequent mining fever, not only had the newcomers passed by the southern portion of the State to the rich mining districts be- yond, but also many dwellers here were drawn there, to settle and remain in the larger cen- ters of wealth and population to the north- ward; and this section was left comparatively deserted. Thus Santa Barbara had lain slumbering peacefully in her balmy golden sunshine, remote, unheralded, difficult of ac- cess, until a whisper began to float beyond, of the delights and virtues of her climate. Then came now and again a weary seeker after health, that greatest of boons and bless- ings, and each one spread the fame of the land to others. And with some of these way-

farers in 1872 came that prince and pioneer of boomers, "California " Nordhoff, whose raptnrons articles on the charms of this coun- try awoke to interest myriads of readers all over the United States, and even Enrope. Then, with the great influx of newcomers, the prices of property were run up to fabu- lons prices, and the climate and other attri- butes of the country, were " puffed " beyond all truth and reason, ad nauseam. Once the tide of immigration set in, the hotel accom- modations were entirely inadequate for the visitors who came pouring in by scores from every steamer, and, although the citizens en- deavored to prevent extortion, overcharges and abuses were very common. From this canse arose various rival schemes for hotel buildings. "The Seaside Hotel Company," formed in 1874, proposed to purchase the Burton Mound property, comprising about eighteen acres, and there erect a hotel which should eclipse all others on the coast. Dur- ing the agitation of this project the citizens in the rival, upper portion of the town, also started a hotel project, which they pushed with so much vigor that the Arlington is the present visible result, while the "Seaside Hotel " is still on paper only.

Nearly all the wharves were erected within a few years after the first great immigra- tion. The Santa Barbara wharf was the first built. The franchise for the San Buenaventura wharf was granted to J. Wolfson, January 1, 1871; the Hueneme wharf to Thomas R. Bard, C. L. Bard and R. G. Surdam, August 4, 1871; the Gaviota to W.W. Hollister, Albert Dibblee and Thomas B. Dibblee, November 6, 1871; and Point Sal to G. W. Foster, August 4, 1872.

The summer of 1874 witnessed a novel kind of political canvass. The Legislature had passed a law authorizing each municipal- ity to determine for itself whether saloons

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY.

should be licensed in the towns. By an ap- parently concerted movement, the ladies of the State undertook to secure the prohibition of license, and they organized entertainments, dinners, etc., and carried on a spirited canvass, inducing thonsands of drinking men, even, to vote against license. The ladies of Santa Barbara displayed quite as much energy as those of other sections, and giant meetings were held in the county-seat and elsewhere. The city election resulted in a majority of 119 in favor of no license. At Montecito the meeting was characterized by great feeling on both sides; the liquor dealers sent thither a great quantity of liquors, which were given away freely and openly, notwithstanding tlie law prohibiting the sale or other disposal of liquors on election day. The "no license " party carried the day by a majority of one. At the Patera, 97 out of 128 voters were in favor of no license. The business of liquor selling went on much as before; various persons were tried for illegally selling liq- uors, but they were dismissed. At last a case from another county was appealed to a higher court, and the law was declared unconstitutional, on the ground that the Legislature had no right to delegate its powers to another body or municipality. When the news of the decision reached Santa Barbara the saloon-keepers held a joilification with bonfires, speeches, and other demon- strations.

Santa Barbara was full of enterprising and brilliant plans at this period. The movement to form a new county from the third town- ship, the wise and wholesome effort to secure the construction of a sewer system, and at- tempts to build a woolen factory, and foster various manufacturing institutions, were among the chief plans.

The year 1874 witnessed the building of the Arlington Hotel, at a cost of about $80,-

000; the three-story Odd-Fellows' Hall, cost $20,000; City Hall, cost $8,000; Presbyterian Church, cost $15,000; new St. Vincent's School on the ruins of the old building, cost $15,000; Tebbetts' three-story building, cost $13,000; John Edwards' dwelling, cost $8,- 000; Charles Pierce's two-story store, $8,000; Russel Heath's stores, $8,000; and T. Henry Stevens' two-story brick dwelling, which cost $4,000.

The assessment roll for this year showed values of $6,010,309, with sixteen taxpayers on $16,000 and upwards.

In the winter of 1874-'75 there were severe storms, one of which flooded a part of the city-2.75 inches of water fell within seven hours-while Stearns' wharf was somewhat injured.

In Angnst, 1875, Santa Barbara had six wholesale and retail grocery stores; nine retail; four dry goods stores, one elothier; three wholesale and retail boot and shoe stores; two manufacturing boot and shoe stores; ten fruit, candy and vegetable stores; three of hardware; thirteen saloons; one ten- pin alley; five billiard rooms; two banks; two anetion and commission merchants; five real estate and house agencies; two warehouses; seven hotels; three restaurants, various private boarding and lodging houses; four barber shops; three bathing houses; sixteen laundries; two paint shops; four furniture stores; eight meat-markets: four drug stores; four tobacco and cigar stores; five livery stables; four wholesale sugar stores; one ice cream and oyster saloon; three saddle and harness shops; four jewelry shops; three grocery and liquor stores; three book stores; two crockery and glass stores; six millinery and dressmaking establishments; three tailor shops; two sewing-machine agencies; two clothing, boot and hat stores; two brick yards; three lumber yards; three sash and

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY.

door factories; three planing mills; one flour- ing mill; one candy factory ; one cigar factory; three carriage and wagon shops; four black- smith shops; two architects and builders; one marble-worker; three daily and four weekly newspapers.

The Santa Barbara County Bank was opened in November of this year.

In 1875, all Santa Barbara mourned over the death of Father José Maria Gonzales, the superior of the Franciscans on this coast, whose missionary career had lasted two gen- erations. He was a saintly man, beloved by all denominations.

In 1876, the county jail was built. The Centennial celebration drew forth much enthusiasm. The political campaign of this year was a very closely contested one.

In 1876 the city of Santa Barbara alone cast a total of 789 votes, whereas in 1850 the whole vote of the county, which then included Ventura, had been only abont 300. During this year, a remarkable enthusiasm over Spiritualistic doctrines existed among many citizens.

During 1876 the western portion of the county began to agitate the project of form- ing a new county, to be called Santa Maria, the scheme coming to naught, however.

The season of 1876-'77 was termed a dry season, although the dronth was far less disastrous than that of 1863-'64. Grain hardly sprouted, and most of the fields thus sown remained brown all winter. Many sheep died, and more were driven away and never brought back; it is estimated that the flocks diminished one-half at this time.

Because of the dry season, for want of rail- ways, or by reason of the general hard times, real estate here depreciated vastly- some good judges say as much as $2,000,000, and lands of every description were placed on the market at one-half the figures of two years

earlier. The improvements of 1877 were estimated at $192,000.

On January 1, 1877, a violent storm of wind and rain prevailed for about an hour, during which a house was blown down, and a portion of the debris fell npon and killed a son of W. F. M. Goss, an estimable youth of eighteen or twenty years.

The total tax rate for 1877 was $1.85 on the $100. The assessment roll for this year held $4,187,175.

On January 19, 1878, occurred a very severe storm, which destroyed nearly all the light shipping in the harbor, driving some of it through the wharf. This storm injured nearly all the wharves on the coast. The old wharf at Santa Barbara was demolished, and some 155 feet of Stearns' wharf destroyed. The debris from these wharves destroyed all but about 100 feet of Smith's wharf at Car- penteria. The Bennett Bath Honses, built some six years before, were carried away, cansing a loss of some $1,300. Much damage was done in the district by freshets, clond- bursts, etc. The steamers could not land during the storm, and for some time there- after, whilst the wharves were nnder repairs, passengers and freight were landed by re- course to the old system of lighters.

About this period there was some little agitation over the tax keeping of the county records, and investigations were ordered, and inade, showing great disorder and confusion in the keeping of the accounts.

The total tax rate for 1878 was $1.65 on the $100.

This year was marked by J. C. Benton's offer to exterminate the squirrel pest by means of a wholesale an inexpensive poison- ing; in this Mr. Benton succeeded far beyond the general expectation, and the board of supervisors carried on the work.

At this time, communication north and

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY.

south from Santa Barbara was had only by way of the Rincon and along the shore, where the water, at high tide dashing against the cliffs, often cut off connection. It had been found difficult to secure the opening of other roads in the county. The Sycamore Cañon road had been located for some time, but some parties whose lands were crossed by it, positively refused to have the road opened.

In September, 1878, a public demonstra- tion was held in honor of the opening of the Casitas Pass road, which, while it was in Ventura County, and built by the sale of Ventura bonds, was greatly to the benefit of Santa Barbara County. Indeed, complaint was made later that Santa Barbara profited more than Ventura.

In 1879, there were inscribed in the great register of this county 2,384 voters.

In the tax list of 1880 appeared 128 names of citizens paying taxes on $5,000 or up- wards. It was remarkable that among these there were hardly a dozen of the old families who, twenty-five years before, had practically owned the county.

The summaries for this year showed valua- tions as follows: value of city and town lots, $489,350; improvements on same, $515,580; real estate other than city and town lots, $2,785,554; improvements on same, $339,- 920; money, $38,634; personal property, $1,306,834; total, $5,507,727; deductions on account of mortgages, $769,668. The total tax rate for this year was $2 on the $100. About 50,000 acres were cultivated, yielding 214,937 bushels of barley; 198,293 bushels of wheat; 60,000 bushels of corn; 20,000 of potatoes; 80,931 of beans; 714,700 pounds of wool; 125,000 pounds of butter; 256,000 of honey; besides a multitude of other products. The population, by the census of this year, was 9,522.

There were three parties in the field at this year's election, Republicans, Democrats, and Workingmen; the last never gained much foothold in Santa Barbara. The road fund this year amounted to $10,000. Official mileage was now established.

In March, 1881, was held an art loan ex- hibition to raise money for public purposes, and many rare and valuable treasures were presented for exhibition. This enterprise was not only pleasing, but profitable, netting $500. A floral and citrus fruit fair was also held this spring. About this time was opened a cannery, to furnish a market for frnits which otherwise would decay and waste.

The bean crop of Santa Barbara County, which in 1880 had been 85,273 bushels, in 1881 amounted to 87,000 bushels, and the following year to 146,700 bushels.

The tax rate for 1883 was $1.692 on the $100 for State and county; the city tax eighty-five cents. The board of equalization this year raised Santa Barbara's assessment roll twenty per cent., the increase aggregat- ing $1,134,300.

In 1884 the county had outstanding bonds amounting to $46,500; cash in the treasury, $34,318.75; county property, about $85,000. The county clerk's estimate gave the county this year at least 2,600 voters, this, by the usual process of rating, giving a county pop- ulation of about 13,000 people. By 1886 it was estimated at 16,529, a gain in six years of 7,007, or seventy-three per cent. It must be remembered, too, that this in- crease was prior to the presence of the rail- road, which subsequently brought a vast immigration with the opening up of the ex- tensive tracts of farming country. Of the pop- ulation perhaps one-fifth is of Spanish de- scent, the rest Americans, largely from the middle western States.

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY.

The school census of June, 1885, reported 3,777 children of school age, and 1,294 under five years old; total, 5,071. There were forty-four school districts.

The State and county taxes collected in Santa Barbara in 1885 were $140,967.96-a decrease of some $800 from the preceding year. The total valuation of Santa Barbara, after the addition of the fifteen per cent., was $9,635,803.

Santa Barbara carried off the first premium for county exhibits at the State fair at Sacra- mento, in 1885.

DESCRIPTION.

In describing the topography of Califor- nia, the following comparisons have been frequently and very appositely instituted to give an idea of the general characteristics: The coast of the State is some 750 miles long, in the latitude corresponding to that on the Atlantic coast of a strip extending from northern New Jersey to the seaboard of Georgia. This distance may be divided into three fairly equal parts, the first point from the northward down marking the situation of San Francisco, and the next toward the south falling at the spot where the coast makes a sharp eastward turn and thence has a general direction almost due east and west for a distance of about seventy miles. This knce-like bend contains the county of Santa Barbara, the aforesaid cast and west line forming the county's southern coast line and boundary. This trend it is, too, in a great measure, that insures to Santa Barbara her delightful peculiarities of climate. This county has the shape of an irregular parallel- ogram, extending from this corner or knee of land bending in the Pacific to where the coast line resumes its general southeasterly direction below Ventura. The county is about seventy miles long by forty-five wide,

and it comprises about 2,000,000 acres, of which about one-third is arable land. Most of its fertile valleys contain prosperous towns, and are rapidly settling up. This de- velopment has been greatly assisted by the branch line of the Southern Pacific Railway, which, connecting with the main line at New- hall, continues up the coast and affords facil- ities for travel and shipments.

The arable land of Santa Barbara is for the most part composed of either alluvial soil or adobe. The alluvial, which is found mostly in the lower levels, is very deep and fertile. When underlaid with clay, it pos- sesses great powers of resisting or enduring drouth, the clay acting as a hard pan to re- tain the moisture instead of allowing perco- lation, as is the case with a gravel substratum. This soil produces in rich abundance all the year around all manner of garden vegetables and deciduous and citrus fruits. Patches of this soil are found on the mesa and hill- side lands which are especially adapted to the growth of the olive and grape.

The adobe soil is generally black, and of considerable fertility, albeit hard to work, on account of its clay-like consistency. To pro- duce the best results this soil needs intelli- gent cultivation and irrigation. It is best adapted to wheat, barley or flax.

This county contains no arid, sandy or desert tracts. The valleys are threaded with streams from the cañons; several of these water-courses, such as the Santa Maria, the Santa Ynes, and the San Antonio, being of sufficient importance to take the name of rivers.

The timber supply of this section is some- what deficient. The live oak grows rather abundantly, furnishing pleasant parks on the high lands, and in the thicker growth in the low lands and canons valuable supplies of wood for fnel. The mountain sides are

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY

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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