USA > California > California gold book : first nugget, its discovery and discoverers, and some of the results proceeding therefrom > Part 17
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The Santa Barbara mission was founded December 4, 1776. Antonio Paterna and Christoval Bramos were the first priests in charge. The first church was built not far from the present center of the town, near the old presidio walls. It was made of boulders laid in mortar. After the new church or present mission building was erected the old church was used as a school-house until it became unsafe. Here, under the most favorable circumstances, with a mild climate and a fertile soil, the mission grew in wealth and popula- tion. In 1802, Humboldt, who was visiting Mexico, examined the returns of the missions of Alta Cali- fornia, and expressed much astonishment at the amount of cattle and other stock which had accumulated in twenty years, especially as a large number of Indians had to be fed from the yearly production. In 1812 the mission fed 1,300 people, had 4,000 head of cattle, 8,000 sheep, 250 swine, 1,332 horses and 142 mules. The productions for the year were 3,853 bushels of wheat, 400 of corn, 126 of barley and 26 of beans.
In time a new church building was required, and the material from which it was constructed was a peculiar quality of soft sandstone, which was procured in great abundance from a neighboring canyon, and was easily split into the required shapes. Tools had to be made from old scrap iron obtained from the ships, and the wondering Indians were taught blacksmithing. There were at least two hundred Indians, representatives of forty different and hostile tribes, employed in breaking and arranging the stone. This fact alone proves that
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Fathers Rapoli and Victoria, under whose direct charge the Indians worked, were men of far more than ordi- nary ability, for it required no small amount of skill to keep these members of hostile tribes on a harmonious basis.
The girls were gathered together, and taught to clothe themselves, and to card and spin and weave the fabrics from which their clothing was made. Fruit trees were planted, and a mill erected by a small stream, which, in itself an insignificant affair, was, nevertheless, to the Indians the work of some super- natural beings. The friars got along very well with the Indians until several of the chiefs began to revolt at the custom which was gradually being adopted of placing the young squaws in a kind of nunnery as soon as they became of age. This the chiefs of the different tribes objected to, and organized a band of hostile warriors, who attacked and attempted to demolish the mission ; but the revolution was quelled in the bud and the hostiles put to flight.
ยท The missions became so prosperous, and their landed interests so extensive, that several of the neighboring Spanish grandees looked with covetous eyes upon the property of the Franciscan friars. It was all right for the grandees to hold large landed estates themselves, but it went against their grain to see anyone else in posses- sion of them. They accordingly proceeded to incense the Indians against the priests, charging despotism, robbery and tyranny. There used to be a yearly col- lection in Mexico amounting to $50,000 to help the missions, but this was now stopped. The friars knew not what to do. At last several of the Mexicans began claiming large portions of the mission property, and in a
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short time all the missions of California were confiscated by the State. It was a foolish move on the part of the authorities. The Indians immediately ran wild and soon returned to their old haunts and modes of living, committing many crimes and robberies on the colon- ists, until they finally became so dangerous that the existence of the colony was for a time in danger. After a few years almost the entire possessions of the missions were in the hands of the Mexican farmers and cattle raisers.
So far the county of Santa Barbara was chiefly in- habited and controlled by wealthy Mexican ranchers, whose farms consisted of thousands of acres, most of which was unused. When it became known through- out the State that the great ranches were being broken up, and that the best of the land was obtainable, in some instances as low as twenty-five cents an acre, an immigration commenced that in a few months revolu- tionized the whole industrial and social condition of society. The newcomers opened a variety of indus- tries. Wheat, which had been raised in small quanti -. ties and ground up into an inferior quality of flour, for home use, was now raised for export. At first those who engaged in this pursuit were discouraged, owing to there being no wharves from which it could be transferred to ships. As the rich and productive quality of the soil became known, wharves were pro- jected, and the Santa Barbara wharf was constructed in the summer of 1868 by a company of citizens. Pre- vious to this all freight was transferred from the ships, which lay a mile or two from shore, by means of surf boats, and was generally in a deplorable condition be- fore it reached its destination. About this time atten-
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tion was drawn to this locality as a delightful place for residence and health resort, and people commenced coming in from all parts of the country. A boom set in and soon modern Santa Barbara grew up in and about the ancient Spanish Pueblo. New settlements sprang up in the succeeding year in various directions, notably in the northern part of the county, where Lompoc, Santa Ynez and other places are among the centers of population.
The mining and shipment of bituminous rock and asphaltum in this county have assumed some consider- able magnitude during the past year or two, and the output is constantly increasing. At Carpenteria thou- sands of dollars have been expended in erecting refin- ing works, putting in switches, building houses, etc. for the workmen engaged in developing the asphaltum products.
Santa Barbara has always contended that she has a remarkably safe anchorage for large vessels, as well as ample wharfage room for the accommodation of deep sea ships. This has been illustrated in the fact that all British war-ships passing up and down the coast now make a regular practice of putting in here for provis- ions, meats, and supplies of various kinds, all of which goes to prove the availability of the harbor, which jealous outsiders term an "open roadstead " for the accommodation of deep-draft vessels. During a single week recently there have been three British men-of- war in the harbor, the Warsprite, Melpomene and Nymphe. The fact that the United States Government has made a permanent course in the channel of Santa Barbara for speed-testing the war vessels built on the coast is a point of local importance of which the citizens feel proud.
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Hon. Elwood Cooper and others have rendered Sauta Barbara noted for its fine olives, which had become an important part of the daily fare under the padre regime. Its walnuts, almonds, figs, oranges and lemons are not surpassed by those raised else- where in the State. When the Southern Pacific Com- pany conveys all its thousands of Eastern passengers through Santa Barbara, not one in a thousand but will ask for a "stop-over" at that point, and not one but will leave it with regret, whether the season be what the almanacs say should be summer, fall, or winter, but of which changes no note is taken in equable Santa Barbara.
ENTURA COUNTY was segregated from the lower end of Santa Barbara in 1872, and San Buenaventura designated as the county seat. Up to 1860 very nearly all of what is now Ventura county was held by Mexicans in ranches of great extent, and there were but nine foreign families residing within its limits. This was due to the fact that its territory had been selected by favorites of the Mexican authorities because of the salubrity of the climate, the fertility of the soil and the natural beauty of the surroundings; and these favorites had obtained grants for just as large tracts as possible before the country came into the possession of the United States, and by the terms of the treaty with Mexico these grants had to be con- firmed. Americans did not care to till and improve soil which they could not own, and notwithstanding all the great natural advantages, Ventura was avoided. But the time came when some of the Mexican ranchers
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were induced to dispose of portions of their great but unproductive estates. The ranches Santa Paula, Sat- icoy, and Colonia or Santa Clara were divided and quickly found purchasers. New blood was introduced, and the era of progress and prosperity began for Ventura which has never had a check since.
San Buenaventura mission was founded March 31, 1782, by Junipero Serra, and was placed in charge of Fathers Bonito and Camban. The first mass was said in a shanty erected for the purpose near the south- eastern corner of the old orchard of the present mission. The church was first erected near the same place, but, owing to a sudden rise of the Ventura river which washed the foundation away, had to be abandoned. A new church was soon erected on an elevation above any such danger, and palm and fruit trees were planted in great abundance. The building is still standing in the center of the city of Ventura, and is an object of great interest to all. Many of the most prominent buildings in the present town are on the ground once occupied as the garden of the mission. As in the case of all churches built subsequent to the great earthquake, which occurred in December, 1811, the walls are of extreme thickness, being nearly six feet at the base.
The first church was dedicated September 9, 1789. Four priests are interred within its walls. This mis- sion, like many of the others, had great trouble with the Indians, many of the neighboring tribes being extremely warlike. Petty insurrections were numer- ous and frequent, but usually terminated in nothing serious. The habit of shutting up the Indian girls when they arrived at maturity was the cause of more
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trouble than anything else. In 1834 there was quite an uprising and although at the beginning it looked as though the days of the mission were at an end, the fathers, with the aid of the Indians who remained true, succeeded in driving the hostile tribes off. The tile roof of the church was entirely destroyed by the severe earthquake of 1857, but was soon replaced by one of shingles.
Within the past year this county has made rapid progress in material wealth, and its population has increased twenty-eight per cent. It is the largest producer of beans of any county or section of the State. The value of its last season's output exceeded $1,000,000, and the barley crop approximated 700,000 centals. A great deal of the valley and foothill lands formerly devoted to the raising of cereals has been planted to fruits and walnut trees, and during the year 1892 several thousand acres have been set out to young orchards, the apricot and prune predominating. The brown-stone quarries have been worked more extensively the past season, and considerable progress has been made in developing the gypsum and asphalt deposits, which bid fair to become profitable indus- tries.
The oil industry, which has its center at the rapidly growing town of Santa Paula, has doubled its pro- portions within the past twelve months, and the out- put of crude petroleum at that point alone exceeds 1,000 barrels per day. New wells and new territory have been developed, and the outlook for an extensive permanent and profitable oil industry could not be better.
Within the past year an incorporated company has
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obtained a franchise and the right of way to build an electric railroad between Ventura and the beautiful and far-famed Ojai valley, a distance of twelve miles. The track has been laid through and cars, which have arrived at the Southern Pacific depot, will be running over that part of the line very shortly. Huneme, New Jerusalem, Saticoy, Montalvo, and the new towns in the county, have all made progress in 1892, and promise better for the future.
OS ANGELES COUNTY was organized by the first legislature in February, 1850. Its boun- daries embraced considerable more territory than at present. Los Angeles city always has been the seat of jus- tice. The county is now about one hundred and twenty miles long and seventy-two broad at its greatest measure- ment. There are about 3,000,000 acres of land in the county, much of which is wonderfully rich and pro- ductive.
The peublo of the Queen of Angels, as an abiding place for the mission soldiers, was founded September 4, 1781, the proclamation of its establishment having been issued by Felipe de Neve, governor of California, in August of that year. The site was upon the spot occupid formerly by the Indian village Yangna. "Nuestra Senora la Reyna de los Angeles"-Our Lady, the Queen of the Angels-was to be the fostering and protecting spirit, and her name was given to the pueblo. Twelve adult males and their families, comprising forty - six people, founded the place. History relates that one of the adults was a native of China. The houses, built of adobe, very small and roofed over with asphaltum
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brought from near-by deposits, were faced upon three sides of a square, wherein was a public building. Los Angeles was in fact an outpost merely of San Gabriel mission, eight miles to the east, and founded ten years before, to which place the people went for their pro- visions and to witness the Sunday festivities.
History begins for Los Angeles county much back of the city or even the San Gabriel mission. The white explorers who first penetrated to California's wilds, and exploded the once existing theory that it was a vast island, were that band of intrepid Jesuits under Father Kino (more properly Kuhn) who reached the Gila and Colorado rivers and then traveled over the valleys and mountains to the southwest in the year 1700. By 1720 he and his coadjutors had established fifteen missions upon the peninsula of California, but forty-six years later the king of Spain removed them. In 1767 the Franciscan friars took their places, to be in turn displaced five years after by the Dominican friars.
The Indians whom the friars found, and for whose conversion and civilization they so earnestly labored, were an unusually fine tribe. They had forty villages, including settlements upon Santa Catalina and San Clemente islands. Civil war was never waged. Their villages contained from 500 to 1,500 huts. "Suanga" was the largest. These Indians have been called "Calhuillas," a name which is said to have attached to them through a blunder, as the word was used by them as a salutation and signifies "master." They enjoyed a very complete government. In their religion they had no belief in purgatory or hell, and wor- shiped one god, "Qua-o-ar," very reverently. Many
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people question whether the modern innovation on their sound beliefs was a benefit. Local laws and customs among these people constrained each to behavior that might still be exemplary in many Christ- ians. Unlike most California tribes, the men did a good deal of hunting and were very successful in slay- ing deer and smaller animals, which were very plentiful. Their funeral feasts and other ceremonials were very weird and solemn. In one of them a young eaglet, captured just before he could fly, was nurtured to maturity, and then, after a most impressive and mysterious adjuration to send only happiness and prosperity from the Great Spirit to the natives, the bird was killed, and its soul was thereby freed. The body was then burned upon the fire of the feast. A number of legends and traditions existed among these Indians that would have done credit to the proudest of the Latin race. One corresponds closely to the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice. Another relates that the Pleiades are seven beautiful Indian maidens who trans- formed themselves into stars because their husbands treated them shamefully and ate all of the rabbits they killed, instead of dividing with them. Fortunately this transformation business on the part of females is a lost art. One of the prettiest tales is that the moon is the mother of the Indian nation, having given birth to the first female child among them.
The mission San Gabriel was founded in the year 1771. The next mission built upon Los Angeles county's territory was that of San Juan Capistrano in 1776. This mission was particularly ambitious in the size and strength of its buildings, thirty years being required for the completion of the structure. Six
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years later a terrible earthquake shattered some of the adobe dwellings, and thirty-six victims, priests and neophytes, were buried in the ruins.
In 1822 Mexico had become independent of Spain. The same priests at the mission took new oaths of allegiance and administered the new ones to the Indians. There was no apparent change of govern- ment at the missions beyond these oaths. The destruction of the missions was in progress from 1824 to 1836. The Indians were manumitted in 1824-26, and soon fell into degenerate ways. In 1834 order was restored by again placing the Indians under control of the padres. Soon after the authorities at Santa Ana took the "pious fund " from the missions, and then divided up the lands, promulgating laws for the gov- ernment of towns thus established. The priesthoods were abolished. Soon a wholesale destruction of the vast herds of cattle that the missions owned was begun. Only the hides and tallow of the beasts were saved. Many white settlers took bands of young stock and thereby started herds of their own. At the mission buildings were unroofed, timbers burnt, orchards and vineyards torn np and despoiled ; everything ruined. The Indians refused to cut down the vines, but Mex- icans afterward did it. The natives went back to their tule huts and resumed their religion, which had never been really abandoned for a moment. Thus were any benefits that might have resulted to the aborigines swept aside, and the work of the mission fathers went for naught.
The honor of having been the first English speaking settler of Los Angeles county is claimed by W. Whittle and Joseph Chapman. Whittle produces an old Span-
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ish document dated 1835, in which he claims to have been in the country twenty years-that is since 1815. There are now large numbers in the county who may claim the title of "pioneers," and they may well be proud of the progress which has accompanied their residence and recompensed their efforts.
Los Angeles city has made an even race with the country since the beginning of its growth, and during the last five years especially. The permanent residents have no just appreciation of the remarkable advance made. Absentees, returning, after five years abroad, can see it, and find it hard to realize that such won- derful progress could be made in so short a time. New faces are seen everywhere, and it is estimated that the increase in population since the taking of the census has been fully twenty per cent. An internal sewer system, costing $374,000, has been completed, and $395,000 voted to pay for an outfall sewer to the ocean. A municipal water system, to cost $526,000, is to be constructed. There is over $10,750,000 on deposit in the nineteen banks in Los Angeles, or about as much as there was during the boom, when money was not in great demand. The post-office receipts are about the same as they were in 1887, when people stood in line for hours to get their mail.
Los Angeles has twelve lines of railroad centering there. The Santa Fe Company has commenced work on a handsome depot, rendered necessary by growing business. There are one hundred miles of street rail- road, mostly cable and electric, the cars carrying over 12,000,000 passengers in 1892. Much street improve- ment has taken place in a year, and there are now one hundred and five miles of graded road, all of it paved
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or macadamized, and all the business streets are paved with bituminous rock or asphalt.
Coaches run to the most popular resorts, very many persons preferring the coach to the railroad car because of the advantage thus obtained of seeing the country. A coach conveys passengers through the great orchards and vineyards to Baldwin's Santa Anita ranch and Monrovia. Many go and go again, allured by the magnificent beauties along the route, not less than by the gorgeous hospitality of Mr. Lawrence, at the Hotel Oakwood, Arcadia.
The planting of fruit trees during the past year has been something to marvel at. There are now about 1,500,000 fruit trees growing in the county, and an immense area of orchard was planted this winter. Great profits have been made during the past year by our horticulturists in deciduous fruits-prunes, apri- cots, peaches, etc .- and these now rival the citrus varieties in popularity. This year Los Angeles county commenced the shipment of deciduous green fruits to the East on a commercial scale, forty car loads being forwarded from Pomona alone. This industry, which has hitherto been confined almost exclusively to northern California, promises soon to rival the orange business in importance. The introduction of a correct method of curing lemons, and the high prices received for the crop, have given a great impetus to that branch of horticulture.
Pasadena, which suffered much from the subsidence of the real estate boom, has taken a fresh start this year. Property is frequently changing hands and trade is active. Much building has been done and new land placed under cultivation. An outfall sewer
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system has been completed, more water developed, and a large storage reservoir constructed. A manual training school and polytechnic institute of high grade has been opened.
Pomona has more than maintained its prestige as the leading "all around " horticultural center of the county. Shipments of fruit and profits have both been large. Pomona has become headquarters for the olive industry. A mill to crush the fruit has been built. The fruit crop of Pomona for 1892 was worth nearly $400,000, an amount which will be more than doubled two years hence. Five fruit dryers and a cannery have been running all the season. Two fine school buildings costing $16,000 and $20,000 are being built. A great electric light and power system, the supply being drawn from San Antonio canyon, thirteen miles distant, has recently been completed.
Whittier has made many solid improvements during the year, since an improved water supply was obtained. It is estimated that 35,000 trees were planted this year. A cannery, sorghum factory, broom factory and drying establishment have been hard at work. Many . lemon trees are being planted.
Land owners throughout what is known as the "Los Nietos country "-Downey, Los Nietos, Norwalk, Compton, etc .- have been growing rich on their boun- tiful products of corn, butter, cheese, fruit, etc. From Rivera about seventy car loads of walnuts were shipped.
Along the coast great activity has prevailed. At Santa Monica the Southern Pacific has extended its track along the beach three miles to Santa Monica. canyon, where the company is at work on its new
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wharf, 4,600 feet long, the longest wharf in the world. This company has started in to make Santa Monica, and there is no doubt it will succeed. The Soldier's Home, built on the land donated for the purpose- worth several hundred thousand dollars-by Senator Jones of Nevada, and Colonel Baker of Los Angeles, has been much improved, and proposes to compete with the best orchards in the county.
Redondo has lengthened its wharf and built up a big business, being ahead of San Pedro in coastwise freight. A handsome casino has been built for the convenience of visitors, with which the resort has been crowded during the summer. San Pedro expects a big boom now that the government engineers have recom- mended that place as a site for the deep water harbor, to cost nearly $3,000,000. Long Beach is at work on a wharf 1,631 feet long, to cost $15,000. Santa Catalina island has become a most popular resort, having had as many as 2,000 visitors at a time during last summer.
AN BERNARDINO COUNTY was formed in 1853, with the town of the same name as county
scat. There was a small settlement of Spaniards on the Santa Ana river, about where the city of San Bernar- dino is situated. There were no Americans resident in that great territory when gold was discovered.
After Brigham Young and his followers located at Salt Lake he determined to get a foothold on the Pacific coast, preliminary to gaining possession of the whole land. To that end about three hundred men, women and children were sent to plant an outpost in the far-off land, and after numerous trials purchased a
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tract of land from the Lugo family, who were in pos- session of the San Bernardino ranch, a Spanish grant of 46,000 acres, and at once set about making improve- ments. They laid out the town of San Bernardino on the plan of Salt Lake City, giving it broad streets lined with cottonwood trees and irrigating ditches. Fields of grain were planted, orchards and vineyards set out, and soon a thriving settlement was established in the heart of what had been until that time an immense cattle range. Attracted by the fame thus given to this section, many Gentiles now found their way here, and as their ideas and interests clashed with those of the pioneer settlers more or less trouble ensued, and for several years the valley was the scene of many broils and considerable bloodshed. Up to 1857, however, the Mormon element remained in the ascendant. But in that year came the famous Johnson mission of Utah, the first attempt made by the United States Government to bring Brigham Young and his fanatical followers to a realization of their duties toward the law. At the outset the Mormon prophet decided to resist the troops, and with this end in view he sent out hurried but peremptory orders for all the saints to return at once to the headquarters at Salt Lake, in order to present a solid front against the invading troops.
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