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 9

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 9
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 9
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 9

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These climatic conditions naturally and in- evitably make Santa Barbara one of the most healthful sections in the world. The expe- rience of the years has fully attested this, and the fame of this climate has gone throughout the world. Even from the earliest

period of Spanish settlement here, these phases have been noted.

During the mission period, the deaths in proportion to baptisms were less at Santa Barbara and Purisima than at any other of the missions, thus attesting the healthfulness of this region.

In the spring of 1798 the ship Concepcion brought hither several cases of small-pox, and the passengers were prematurely released from quarantine, against the orders of the Governor, who, it may be said en passant, was raging in consequence. He threatened to hang the commandant should the disease spread; bnt, happily for that functionary as for the community at large, the excellently healthful climate protected the people from this scourge, and infection did not spread.

The census returns for 1870 show that in Santa Barbara County, which then included what is now Ventura, the total of deaths from consumption that year was five out of 7,984 population, or one in every 1,567. The deaths from all causes were bnt sixty-three, of which but one-twelfth were from consump- tion. The deaths from this disease in Mas- sachusetts are one in every 283, in New York, one in every 379; in Florida, one in 1,433. The ratio of deaths in Massachusetts is 17.7 in each 1,000; in New York it is 15.8 in the 1,000; in Florida 12.1 in 1,000; in Santa Barbara 8 in 1,000.

The following extracts relative to the healthfulness of Santa Barbara are taken from a paper written by the late Dr. S. B. Brinkerhoff, who practiced medicine here from 1852 to 1880:

Santa Barbara is protected from northern blasts by the Coast Range of mountains, which average from 3,000 to 4,000 feet in height. The heat of summer is tempered by gentle breezes from the sea, the average summer temperature being less than 70°. The average winter temperature is 55°. The changes in the seasons are scarcely perceptible in temperature. Frosts are of

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY.

care occurrence, aud disagreeable fogs seldom prevail. There are but comparatively few days in the entire year when one cannot be out of doors during the day without discomfort. The nights are always cool and sleep-inviting. *

* * The softness and general uniformity of the climate, its freedom from dampness and sudden changes, the opportunities for diversion and recreation, render Santa Barbara pre-eminently a desirable place of resort for persons suffering from bronchial and pulmonary affections. Although many persons suffering from these complaints have come here too late to receive any permanent relief from the restorative effects of climate, yet the greater portion of cases which have come under my observation have been permanently relieved, and many, in a surpris- ingly short space of time, have been restored to health. The climate of Santa Barbara possesses ele- ments of general healthfulness in an eminent de. gree, and perhaps, also, some latent peculiarities in its favor too subtle fer ordinary observation. I may instance the following facts in this connection: Dur- ing the eighteen years of my active practice here I have never known a single case of scarlet fever or diphtheria. I have known of only three cases of dysentery, neither of which proved fatal, and of only three cases of membranous croup. The epidemics and diseases incident to childhood, which in other parts of the country sweep away thousands of chil- dren annually, are here comparatively unknown. Cases of fever and agne I have never known to orig- inate here, and persons coming here afflicted with it rarely have more than two or three attacks, even with- out the use of anti-periodics. I have known instances of small pox at three different times; in each of the first two instances occurring several years apart, the disease was confined to a single case, and was con- tracted elsewhere. Neither of these cases proved fatal. In the year 1864, when this disease prevailed so extensively and proved so fatal throughout the State, there were two cases of the disease, contracted elsewhere and developed here, which proved fatal. Three other persons residing here contracted the dis- ease at this time, all of whom recovered. Although no unusual precaution was taken to prevent the spread of the disease, it was confined to the cases mentioned. Yet hundreds of the native population, either from ignorance or prejudice, had never been and would not suffer themselves to be vaccinated. In the years 1869-'70, when this disease in its most virulent form prevailed so generally throughout the State, not a single case occurred at Santa Barbara, although in daily communication with other parts of the State by stage and steamer.

Some ten miles from Santa Barbara, in a westerly direction, about one and a half miles from the shore,

is an immense spring of petroleum, the product of which continually rises to the surface of the water, and floats upon it over an area of many miles. * * Having read statements that, during the past few years, the authorities of Damascus and other plague- ridden cities of the East have resorted to the practice of introducing crude petroleum into the gutters of the streets to disinfect the air, and as a preventive of disease, which practice has been attended with the most favorable results, I throw out the suggestion, but without advancing any theory of my own, whether the prevailing westerly sea breezes, passing over this wide expanse of petroleum-laden sea, may not take up from it and bear along with them to the places whither they go, some subtle power which acts as a disinfecting agent, and which may account for the infrequency of some of the diseases referred to, and possibly for the superior healthfulness of the climate of Santa Barbara.

Dr. M. H. Biggs, for many years resident in Santa Barbara, in his report to the State Medical Society on the " Vital Statis- tics and Medical Topography of Santa Bar- bara," corroborated the testimony of Dr. Brinkerhoff, saying: "There are no mala- rious fevers. Persons who come here afflicted with fever and ague rarely have more than two or three attacks. They soon become well, often without the use of anti-periodics. The climate seems sufficient to cure the mal- ady. During a residence of over eighteen years I have seen only one case of membran- ous croup, and heard of two others. There is no disease endemic in Santa Barbara --- nothing but what can usually be referred either directly or indirectly to some indiscre- tion in eating or drinking or unreasonable exposure."

Dr. Thomas M. Logan, ex-president of the American Medical Association, and sec- retary of the State Board of Health, made a statement in favor of Santa Barbara as a suitable place for a State sanitarium. In his first official report, published in 1871, is ex- pressed this opinion:

" The secretary informed the board that he had been occupied of late in visiting several

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY.

localities in the southern part of the State, noted for salubrity, as San Rafael, Santa Cruz, Montery, San Luis Obispo, Santa Bar- bara and other places. *

* * While most of the localities named are possessed of climatic elements adapted to different stages and characters of pulmonary diseases, that of Santa Barbara appeared to present that happy combination of the tonic and the sedative climate which would seem to render it suit- able to a greater variety of phthisical affec- tions, and at the same time better adapted to the different stages of cachexia than any other place visited."

Elsewhere Dr. Logan wrote as follows :- " In vain, heretofore, since my appointment to the responsible position of Health Officer of the State, have I sought for such a com- bination of sanitary qualities as are now presented. *

* * As to the climate of Santa Barbara it will be seen that, although lying in about the same latitude as Charles- ton, South Carolina, yet it is totally different, and that the isothermal line would be deflected toward St. Angustine, Florida."

In short, the testimony alike of physicians, tourists and invalids attests the delightful and healthful qualities of the elimate here. Even the present winter, afflicted with a cough of several years' standing, pronounced by physicians sure to result fatally, has found it almost quite disappear in a residence of two months here, with practically no medic- aments, and even without the exercise of precautions against cold, etc.

THE CITY OF SANTA BARBARA.

From Point Concepcion the Santa Ynes mountains follow eastward the line of the coast, at a little distance from the shore. The mountains rise rocky and rugged, 3,000 to 7,000 feet high, and the strip of land be-

tween these and the sea, two to five miles wide, slopes gently toward the sonth, is thoroughly protected on the north, and is composed of very rich soil, which has re- ceived the wash of the hills for ages. Seven or eight miles to the westward runs a range of hills, which behind the town reach their greatest height, of 500 to 600 feet. Their level tops form the mesa-table or plateau land. From the surf- bound beach, the land rises gradually toward the northwest until it is 350 feet above the sea at two miles inland. Thus the town lies on a southeastern slope shut in and protected on the north and north- west by a range as high as the Green Moun- tains, and on the south and southwest by the mesa. Thus the trade winds cannot reach this place; the close vicinity of the sea pre- vents the heats of summer from reaching the degree attained at inland points in this lati- tude and the neighboring mountains absorb dampness and give tone to the atmosphere.

The topography of Santa Barbara is not a little baffling to the stranger, who, accus- tomed to regarding the Pacific Ocean as the western boundary of this continent, distrusts his own senses when he sees the sun rising out of that body of water. While the general trend of the coast from Ventura to Santa Barbara is straight westward, just at this city it curves ontward, and for a short distance runs southwestward, the city being laid out on this southwest curve, with its streets at right angles to that part of the beach west of the wharf. State street runs almost directly northwest from the ocean, while the cross- streets extend almost due northeast and south- west. This arrangement of the streets was determined by the Spanish settlers who pre- ceded American surveying, and the " bias" arrangement, confusing as it at first is, has some manifest advantages over the arrange- ment of most cities, planned with the points

VIEW OF THE CITY OF SANTA BARBARA.

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY.

of the compass. As the city lies on a slope, the streets should properly take the direction that most facilitates drainage. Then, a house whose corners, rather than its sides, are toward the cardinal points of the compass, receives the sunlight in each room some time during the day, as would not happen in houses set " square on."

The few buildings here previous to 1850 were placed without regard to regularity or to the location of their neighbors, and there were no streets. The first grant of which the archives, such as they are, contain a record, was made February 14, 1835. Pre- vious to this, the commandante gave verbal permits to occupy small lots, the right continu- ing as long as the occupancy; and theserights were generally respected as valid prior to 1851. Most of the lots of land in the central portion of the city were granted during the period from 1846 to 1850, while the old ayuntamiento system of town government was continued, with the offices of prefect, alcalde, regidores, and sindico. In 1851 the town council passed a resolution that no title to a town lot should be deemed valid unless it should be recorded in a book kept for that purpose. This book contains the record of 196 lots, varying in size from a few varas to 150 varas square. (A vara is thirty- three and one-half inches.) The descriptions of the land were for the most part given with so much vagueness and uncertainty as to give rise to many lawsuits.

Four leagues of land were confirmed to the mayor and common council of the city of Santa Barbara, by the United States District Court, and, the appeal having been dismissed, the decree of the Federal Court became final. The final survey was approved April 8, 1870. A patent for these four leagues was issued by the United States on May 31, 1872.

It is difficult to speak with any degree of

certainty as to special proceedings prior to 1850, since the archives of that period are inissing.

THE HALEY SURVEY.

The city of Santa Barbara was laid out into streets and blocks in 1851, when the town council directed Captain Salisbury Haley to make a survey and a map of the town. The intention was to have each block 150 yards square, and each street sixty feet wide, except State and Carrillo streets, which were to be eighty feet wide. At that time the value of land was not great, and the surveyor gave good measure, and that not always exact. The streets were straight, and cut each other at right angles, but the blocks were not all alike. In the year 1871 most of the old Haley stakes, set to make the survey, had disappeared, and the council instructed the town surveyor, James L. Barker, to retrace the Haley survey, and this retracing was adopted by ordinance, and this confirmed or ratified by the Legislature. There was, how- ever, some contention for the exact measuring of the blocks, which had the effect of changing the location of most of the streets. Near State and Carrillo streets, this difference is but a foot or two, but near the outskirts of the city, it amounts to as much as ten or twelve feet in one direction, and is about forty feet in the other.

Subsequent to the Barker survey, W. H. Norway was authorized to make another survey, beginning at the initial point, and making the blocks all similar, of the size before stated. The resulting discrepancies are the cause of litigations still pending and unadjusted. There are numbered on the map 369 whole blocks, ten more fractionally numbered, and still more fractional blocks not numbered. The blocks being 450 feet square, ten of them are reckoned as making a mile. The nomenclature of the streets is

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY.

highly suggestive of the city's picturesque early history, many of whose events are thus commemorated.

As elsewhere seen, no less than three of the streets take their names from the episode of "The Lost Cannon." The first street at the northeast of the city is called San Bnena- ventura, from the then village of that name, thirty miles away, which was the nearest to this town when the street was christened; Pitos street was thus named because there grew the reeds from which were made pitos (flutes or whistles); Punta Gorda, from its running into a cape-like bluff; Yudio Muerto, from some Indian found dead thereabouts; Cacique, from the title of the tribal chiefs of the Indians; Yanonali, from the name of a famous old Indian chief who lived there; Montecito, from its leading to the beautiful valley bearing that name. Carpenteria street, too, was named from its running the route to the present settlement of Carpenteria, twelve miles east of this city; and this spot in its turn took the name (Carpenter Shop) from the presence near its creek of a shop of that sort. Gutierrez street was so called after Don Octaviano Gutierrez, a noted member of the town council. Haley street was named after Salisbury Haley, who made the famous " Haley Survey" in 1850; and Cota, Ortega, and de la Guerra streets after the respective families of these names. Carrillo took its name from Don Joaquin Carrillo, the District Judge, whose house fronted upon it; Figueroa was named after José Figueroa, Governor of California during the Mexican rule; his bones lie in the vault of the Mission church here. Micheltorena for Manuel Micheltorena, Gov- ernor in 1842; Arellaga from José Joaquin Arcllaga, Governor in 1792-'94; Victoria for Manuel Victoria, Governor of this depart- ment in 1831; Sola from Vicente Sola, Gov- ernor from 1815 to 1823. Anapanau was

named for an Indian chieftain who held sway from Santa Ynes to San Fernando; Valerio for a renowned Indian robber who dwelt in a cave in the Santa Ynes mountains; Yslay comes from the fruit of a tree used as food by the Indians. Pedregoso means stony, and the street is thus called because cnt through by the creek named Arroyo Pedregoso (Stony Gulch). Mission street takes its name from its proximity to the mission of Santa Barbara. Of the streets which run southeast and northwest, Salinas was so called because it runs into a salt sink or pond; Cañada, from its running into a ravine; Soledad (a soli- tude), because that part of the town was un- inhabited and solitary when the name was applied to it. Voluntario (volunteer), because it runs into the hill whereon was encamped Fremont's volunteer battalion; Alisos (syca- mores), from the trees of that variety there growing; Milpas (sowed fields), from the sowing patches of the Indians in that locality; Nopal, from the prickly-pear cactus there growing in abundance; Quarentena, because at its foot some vessels were put into quaran- tine; Salsipuedes ("Get out if you can"), from the gulches and ravines crossed by it, which rendered travel on this street a serious business. To Canal street was given the name from its being the first on that side extended to the channel; Laguna, because it traverses a system of lagoons; Jardines, or Garden, street is so named for that it cuts through the gardens of Captain de la Guerra and others. Santa Barbara street has a name of obvious origin. Anacapa street points toward the island of that name. State, the principal street, takes its name from the com- monwealth of California. Chapala was so named in honor of a town and a lake near Gnadalaxara, Mexico, from which came some of the early emigrants to Santa Barbara. De la Vina, or Vineyard street, was laid out

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY.

through a vineyard planted in 1802 by Gov- ernor Goycoschea. Baños (Baths) street was so called from its leading to that part of the beach most used for bathing. Castillo or Castle street led to the hill on which stood an old Spanish fort, mounted with cannon. Ran- cheria comes from a cluster of Indian tents that formed a native village at that point. San Pascual street commemorates the field of a battle fought between the American forces and the Californians in 1846. San Andres (Saint Andrew) is claimed to honor Andres Pico, who figured conspicuously in that bat- tle. Chino street is said also to derive its name from the Chino Rancho, in that same district. Gillespie street was named from Lieu- tenant-afterwards Captain-Gillespie, who figured in the American occupation; and Robbins street took its name from Captain Robbins, who owned the Rancho Los Positas, to which this street extends.

The situation of Santa Barbara is particu- larly favorable for effective sewage, the slope of State street being at no point less than nineteen feet in the mile. This street is sewered throughout, starting with eight-inch pipe and terminating with twelve-inch. This line, which is two miles long, is terra-cotta to the wharf, whence it is iron pipe, extend- ing 1,000 feet into the sea. Chapala street is sewered from Gutierrez to Yslay, a dis- tance of fifteen blocks; and de la Viña has three blocks of sewer, and Pedregosa also is sewered from Santa Barbara to State street. All this is after the Waring system.

From State street run two storm conduits, extending in two directions, to the creek and to the Estero; their cost was $20,000.

The city has a Fire Department, partly paid and partly volunteer, comprising one steam and one hand engine, two hose-carts with 2,000 feet of hose, and one hook and ladder company. The quarters are in the

City Hall building. The number of mem- bers is about thirty. The fire alarms are given according to wards.

The watering of streets is provided for with four water-carts, and also a patent street- sweeping machine operates on State street.

Santa Barbara contains, besides the institu- tions and practitioners elsewhere mentioned, six large hotels, three surveyors, about twenty private boarding-houses, three restaurants, eight dry-goods houses, twenty grocery and general merchandise stores, three feed stores, two nurseries, one florist, one tea and coffee store, two feed, lumber and planing mills, three fruit stores, three confectionery stores, five bakeries, two fish dealers, seven meat markets, three wholesale liquor houses, twenty- one saloons, four hardware stores, five drng stores, one foundry, four furniture and up- holstery shops, three second-hand stores, four tailor shops, two men's clothing stores, four shoe stores, three stationers, two curiosity and shell stores, two Chinese fancy goods stores, eight or ten Chinese general merchan- dise shops, one crockery store, four milliners, five jewelry stores, seventeen feed and livery stables, four house decorators, six painters, eight carpenters, nine blacksmith and carri- age shops, eight barbers, four photographers, seventeen insurance and real-estate offices, one skating rink, one theater building, one gas company, one ice company (stock im- ported from Truckee), four saddle, harness and leather goods shops, one luggage trans- fer company, four tobacconists, and numer- ons gurneys, hacks, omnibuses, etc.

The Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital Asso- ciation, mainly composed of ladies, have con- tracted for a cottage hospital building, to cost when completed $12,000 to $15,000. The contract was made in November, 1889, and the work as thus far completed comprises a two-story building with attic, ninety-one feet

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY.

front, in which twenty-five or thirty patients could be accommodated, besides the offices, etc. The outlay thus far, for grading, bridge (across irrigating ditch), building, etc., has been $7,735.29. The funds have been raised partly by donations, partly by a local Trades' Carnival.

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

From the United States census returns for the year ending June 1, 1870, are taken the following statistics:

Population of the town, 2,970; number of births, 131; deaths of children under one year of age, 9; ratio of births to deaths, 14g to 1. Total number of deaths, including adults, for the same period, 23; percentage of deaths for the whole population, 1 in 136, or -77% of 1 per cent. Population of the county, 7,987; number of births for above period, 235; total number of deaths of children under 1 year of age, 15; ratio of births to deathis, 158 to 1, or nearly 16 to 1. Total number of deaths in the county, 64, two being accidental; per- centage of deaths in total population, 1 in 125, or 18% of 1 per cent.

In 1871, the letters of Charles Nordoff, in Harpers' Monthly Magazine and other East- ern periodicals, directed the attention of Eastern pleasure and health seekers to Santa Barbara and its vicinity. Then followed from 1871 to 1875 a great influx of imini- gration to this county. Blocks in the city of Santa Barbara, which in 1870 found a slow sale at $100, rapidly appreciated in value, until they readily brought $5,000 and $6,000. The city was transformed from a Mexican village of 1,500 population to a charming town, with all the characteristics of New England villages except as to climate. Lands in the county which theretofore had been used exclusively for grazing, now be- came farming and fruit lands. From this period dates the beginning of the olive and

the walnut culture; almond trees were exten- sively planted; corn and barley were produced in large quantities. The cultivation of the bean was begun in Carpenteria and La Pa- tira. The failure of the Bank of California, in 1875, brought all this advancement to an end, and the county slumbered until the boom of 1887.

In June, 1886, the Southern Pacific Rail- way Company forined an auxiliary corpora- tion entitled the Southern Pacific Branch Railroad Company, and began the construc- tion of a railroad from Soledad in Monterey County, then the terminus of the Northern Division of said company, to Saugus, a station near Newhall, on the Southern Pacific main line. For several years a steady advance in the values of real property had been going on in Los Angeles and adjoining counties. The construction of this branch line extended this impulse in prices to the counties of Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo. A general advance sometimes trebling and quadrupling the original price was had along the line of the Newport road. A period of building activity sprang up; the population of these counties was rapidly increased. New hotels and business honses were constructed in all the principal places-the Rose and the Anacapa at Ventura, the Arlington at Santa Barbara and the Ramon in San Luis Obispo. Ventura town laid many miles of concrete sidewalk, and generally graded and improved its streets. State street in Santa Barbara was paved with bituminons rock for a distance of two miles, at a cost of $180,000. In August, 1887, the railroad ceased construction, and immediately, presto, change! a sndden cessa- tion of activity took place. Property, which had rapidly changed hands, now became slow of sale, and a considerable drop in prices oc- curred. Building operations largely ceased and further improvements were not attempted.

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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