Historical and biographical record of southern California; containing a history of southern California from its earliest settlement to the opening year of the twentieth century, Part 30

Author: Guinn, James Miller, 1834-1918
Publication date: 1902
Publisher: Chicago, Chapman pub. co.
Number of Pages: 1366

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lecting the money without any more dangerous outbreak than a few muttered curses on the hated gringos.

After peace was declared, Governor Mason ordered the money turned over to the prefect of the pueblo to be used in building a jail. When the city survey was made in 1850, three street names commemorated the incident, Cañon Perdido (Lost Cannon) street, Quinien- tos (Five Hundred) street, and Mason street. When the council, in 1850, chose a design for a city seal they selected the device of a cannon statant, encircled by the words "Vale Quinien- tos Pesos-Worth Five Hundred Dollars." The members of the city council made repeated demands on the ex-prefect for the five hundred dollars, but he refused to turn it into the city treasury, claiming that it was entrusted to him for a specific purpose, and until a jail was built no money would the city get. The city built a jail, but the ex-prefect still held on to the money. The council began legal proceedings to recover the money, but as the judge of the district and the ex-prefect were very closely related the case was transferred to San Fran- cisco. In some unaccountable way the papers in the case were lost, and as no new suit was begun the city never recovered the money. The council chose a new design for its seal, and all the city has left for its $500 is some street names.

One stormy night in 1858 the Estero cut a new channel through its banks. Some citizen next morning, viewing the effects of the flood, saw the muzzle of a cannon protruding from the cut in the bank. Unearthing the gun, it proved to be the lost cannon. It was hauled up State street to Cañon Perdido, where, mounted on an improvised carriage, it frowned on the passers by. Ten years had wrought great changes in the town and the people. The cannon episode was ancient history. Nobody cared to preserve the old gun as an historic relic, and as finders in this case were keepers, they sold it to a city merchant for $80, and he disposed of it in San Francisco at a handsome profit to a junk dealer for old brass.

Santa Barbara in early days had her squatter troubles, in common with other parts of the state, covered by Spanish grants. The most noted of these was what is known as the Arroyo Burro affair. I give the following account of it taken mainly from Mason's History of Santa Barbara: John Vidal, an ex-member of Steven- son's Regiment of New York Volunteers, had for some time rented a piece of land from Dr. Den. When the lease expired, he laid claim to the land under the United States pre-emption laws. The court adjudged the land to Dr. Den,

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and Sheriff Twist was ordered to evict Vidal. A number of gamblers, among whom was the notorious Jack Powers, rallied to the assistance of Vidal.

Vidal and his friends were reported to be fortified at his ranch house. Sheriff Twist sum- moned a posse comitatus of two hundred men, and secured a small cannon that stood on the Plaza to batter down the fortifications. The Twist party assembled at the Egirrea House, then used for a court house. Vidal and his companions came riding up as if to begin the fight. Some say their intentions were to effect a compromise. As Vidal rode up two of his men, "Little Mickey" and a Spaniard, lassoed the cannon and tried to drag it away. Twist fired upon them, and the firing became general. Vidal was shot and fell from his horse. The Spaniard of the cannon episode stabbed Twist with a knife. A running fight ensued, but with- out any further casualties. Vidal lingered four- teen days before death relieved him of his sufferings. Pablo de la Guerra went out to the fort next day and induced the Powers gang to submit to the legal authorities. The disputed traet was afterwards declared by the courts to be government land.

THE PIONEER NEWSPAPER.

The pioneer newspaper of Santa Barbara was the Santa Barbara Gasette. The first number was issued Thursday, May 24, 1855. It was a four-page, five-column weekly, size of page 12×18 inches. One page was printed in Spanish. W. B. Keep & Co. were the proprietors. The names of the members of the company were R. Hubbard, T. Dunlap, Jr., and W. B. Keep. Later on the firm was Hubbard & Keep. In their salutatory the publishers say: "After tak- ing into consideration the fact that there are now in California more newspapers than in any three states in the Union, the doubt of future success of one more might naturally arise in the minds of some wiseacres of our county. A field is undoubtedly open for enterprise and energy in this portion of the state. The counties of Los Angeles and San Diego have, for some time, supported papers, and without boasting we believe that the county of Santa Barbara possesses many advantages over these."

The Gazette was vigorously edited. It made strenuous efforts to arouse the officials and the citizens of the sleepy old city to make improve- ments, but it was labor in vain. If it did not arouse them to put forth efforts, it did excite their wrath. In the issue of October 4, 1855, the editor draws this picture of existing con- ditions within the city: "There are deep, un- covered wells, pit-falls and man-traps in various

parts of the city, rendering it extremely hazard- ous to traverse the streets at night, not only for horses and teams but foot passengers as well. There are unsightly gorges and gullies through which the water flows into the street in winter. The slaughter houses reek with filth, and the horrid stench from them pollutes thc atmosphere." In another issue the editor ap- peals to the citizens "to tear themselves away from the blandishments of keno, billiards and cards long enough to examine the route for a post road" over which the mail could be carried through the coast countries to and from San Francisco.

The Gazette in its issue of May 1, 1856, thus inveighs against the want of public spirit in the city officials and citizens: "It does not sound well to hear it said that since the incorporation of this city, more than six years ago, not a single improvement of general utility has been made, if the survey and maps be excepted. Not a street has been graded at the public expense, nor an artesian well nor a public edifice of any kind even projected, nor a wharf at the landing attempted or planned or even its cost esti- mated." These plain statements of facts were not relished by the old fogies of the town, and they resolved to erush the paper. Its principal revenue had been derived from the publie print- ing. A bill was passed by the Legislature (at the instigation, it is said, of a seion of one of the ruling families whom the Gazette had casti- gated) authorizing county officials to publishı legal notices by posting them on bulletin boards. The public patronage was not sufficient to sup- port a newspaper. The plant was sold in 1858 to two Spaniards, who removed it to San Francisco, where the paper was printed in Spanish as the Gaceta de Santa Barbara. It lingered out an existence of several years, being edited and printed in San Francisco and published in Santa Barbara. Then it died.

Through the first decade of its existence as an American city, Santa Barbara grew in a leisurely way. It was in no haste to become a great city. Old customs prevailed. The Span- ish language was the prevailing form of speech. Trade and travel came and went by sea as in the old hide drogher days. Twice a month a steamship landed the little budget of mail, some- times water-soaked in passing through the surf from ship to shore. Passengers were carried ashore from the surf boats on the backs of sailors, for there was no wharf. If there was no tip offered the sailor there might be a dip proffered the passenger. The sailor was already soaked; if he toppled over with his burden when a breaker struck him a little more salt water did not disturb him. It was different

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with his burden. Those acquainted with the bucking propensities of the sailors always tipped before they left the boat.

The feudal lords of the old régime still ruled. They had cattle on a thousand hills and an army of retainers. The retainers had votes and the cattle kings controlled their dependents' ballots. The second decade-the decade between 1860 and 1870-saw the beginning of the end of old time manners and customs. The story of the dethronement of the cattle kings more properly belongs to the history of the county at large than to that of the city.

THE NEW ERA.

The terrible dry years of 1863 and 1864, which destroyed cattle raising, the dominant industry of the county, disastrously affected the city. Destitution prevailed and everybody was dis- couraged. There was no advance, no building. no progress during the early '6os. It was not until immigration began to drift southward about 1867 that the city shook off its lethargy and aroused itself to action. The Santa Barbara wharf was constructed in the summer of 1868. This greatly facilitated commerce. Previous to this vessels anchored a mile or two from shore, and all freight to and from the ship was taken on surf boats. In early times the only road between Santa Barbara and San Buenaventura was along the beach around Punta Gorda and Rincon Point. In high tide it was often impos- sible, and it was rendered dangerous on account of masses of earth falling from the cliffs. A new road was constructed that avoided the dangers of Rincon Pass, and a stage line up the coast gave increased mail facilities and regular communication by land between Los Angeles and San Francisco without waiting for low tide. Increased steamship communication with San Francisco brought tourists and visitors, and the city began to fix up to receive its guests. June 2, 1870, a franchise was granted to Thomas R. Bard, S. B. Bunkerhoff, Charles Fernald and Jarrett T. Richards to lay. gas pipes in the streets and light the city with gas. Several large hotels were erected, among them the famous Arling- ton. Property values advanced. Blocks that in 1870 sold for $100 in 1874 changed hands at $5,000.

The Santa Barbara College was founded in 1869 by a joint stock company, of which Elwood Cooper was a leading member. The college building was erected in 1871. The college sus- pended in 1878 for want of support. The rooms on the lower floor of the building, now the San Marcos, are occupied by the high school classes; the upper floors are used as an apartment house.

The cornerstone of the new court house was

laid October 5, 1872. The building was con- pleted in 1873 at a cost of $60,000.

The First National Bank of Santa Barbara was organized in 1873. In 1876 its building was completed and occupied. The Santa Barbara National Bank was organized July, 1875, as the Santa Barbara County Bank.

The Natural History Society was organized December, 1876, with a list of twenty-one mem- bers. For the first two years of its existence the society met in the Santa Barbara College building. It had but a small collection. In 1883 about 1,200 volumes of government publica- tions that had been in charge of the Santa Bar- bara College were transferred to it. Funds were donated for furniture and bookcases. Its collections have had several lodging places, and are now kept in rooms on the ground floor of the San Marcos.

THE PUBLIC LIBRARY.

The first movement looking towards the founding of a public library for Santa Barbara originated with the Odd Fellows. That organi- zation along in the later 'zos had a considerable collection of books which were loaned out to readers. The time and trouble involved in loan- ing the books and looking after them was too great to be done gratuitously, and the asso- ciation after a time discontinued loaning, and the books were stored away.

Under the state law of 1880 for establishing free libraries, the city council, February 16, 1882, adopted a resolution to establish a free library and reading room. At the next city election T. B. Dibblee, Jas. M. Short, O. N. Dimmick, W. E. Noble and S. B. P. Knox were elected library trustees. The Odd Fellows donated all the books in their collection, numbering 2,921 vol- umes. The first librarian appointed was Mrs. Mary Page. The city has erected a neat and commodious library building, so planned that it can be enlarged without change of design or inconvenience to the patrons of the library. The library now has about 14,000 volumes. Mrs. M. C. Reed is the present librarian, and Miss D. Chambers, assistant.

The decade between 1870 and 1880 marked the transformation of Santa Barbara from an adobe town to one built of brick and wood. The increase of population was not great. After the decadence of the cattle industry many of the natives left the country. The population of Santa Barbara in 1860 was 2,351; in 1870, 2,970, an increase of 26 per cent: in 1880, 3,469, an increase of 17 per cent. The decade between 1880 and 1890 witnessed its most rapid growth. Its population in 1880 as previously stated was 3.469; in 1890, 5,864, an increase of nearly 70

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per cent. In the early '8os began a concerted movement among the counties of Southern Cali- fornia to advertise their resources in the Eastern states. "California on Wheels" was sent on its mission east. Railroad building, and particu- larly railroad projecting by real estate agents, was active. It is remarkable how easily rail- roads were built then-on paper. A beautifully illustrated pamphlet advertising the Santa Ynez valley issued at this time, states that among the many railroads building or soon to be built is the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe line from Santa Monica via San Buena- ventura to the headwaters of the Santa Ynez river, making "the shortest, coolest and most superb scenic route from Los Angeles via the Salinas valley to San Francisco."

August 17, 1887, the first passenger train from Los Angeles arrived in Santa Barbara. The same afternoon came one from San Francisco via Saugus. The city turned out en masse to celebrate the event. There was a banquet in the evening and a grand ball. The boom in real estate was on in earnest and prices expanded, but the railroad before the end of August stopped building, and the real estate bubble collapsed. While the boom lasted, some large sales were made. The recorded transfers for seven months

aggregated over $5,000,000. . As many of the contracts were not recorded, the sales really reached about $7,000,000. A number of sub- stantial improvements were completed. State street was paved with bituminous rock for two miles at a cost of $180,000. Other streets were graded and miles of sidewalk laid.

The first through trains on the Southern Pa- cific coast line from San Francisco and Los An- geles passed through Santa Barbara March 31, 1901. Among the recent improvements at Santa Barbara is the completion of St. Anthony's Col- lege, a Franciscan college for the preparation of young men who wish to enter priesthood. It is lo- cated on rising ground near the old mission. The corner stone was laid June 13, 1899. It was formally dedicated April 25, 1901. It is a stone building, three stories high, and cost about $50,000. The school for a number of years had been conducted in a wing of the old mission. The president is Rev. Peter Wallischeck, O. F. M. February 27, 1896, a horrible tragedy occurred in the monastery of Santa Barbara. An insane domestic, employed in the building, shot and killed the Guardian Father Ferdinand Bergmeyer.

The new high school of Santa Barbara will cost, when completed, about $60,000.

CHAPTER XXX.

VENTURA COUNTY.

BEFORE THE COUNTY WAS CREATED.

T HE history of the territory now included in Ventura county up to the time of its segregation from Santa Barbara prop- erly belongs in the sketch of that county. As but little space could be given it there, I give a brief review of some of the principal events occurring during the Mexican and early Ameri- can periods. The mission buildings of San Buenaventura formed a nucleus from which the settlement of the district radiated. The country contiguous, after the secularization of the mis- sions, was held in large ranchos by owners living in Santa Barbara or Los Angeles, and the district suffered from absenteeism.

At the time of the American conquest and for years afterwards the district was sparsely populated. In early days San Buenaventura was one of the stations or stopping places on the so-called Camino real (royal highway), that led from mission to mission up and down the coast.

It was an easy day's ride from San Fernando or from Los Angeles, as rides were made in those days. Although surrounded by a mag- nificent cattle country, there was but little ship- ping from its port in the hide droghing days. Dana, Robinson and others who were on the coast at. that time make but meager mention of it. The cattle of its extensive ranchos trans- ported their own hides and tallow to market, that is. they were driven to some point near Santa Barbara or San Pedro for slaughter.

The old mission figured in the Civil war of 1838, when Juan Bautista Alvarado and Don Carlos Carrillo were hostile rivals for the gover- norship of the territory. The battle of San Buenaventura was the Waterloo of Carrillo. It was not much of a battle, as battles were fought in the American Civil war from 1861 to 1865, but it was the most sanguinary conflict in the struggle between Northern and Southern Cali- fornia over which, Los Angeles or Monterey, should be the capital, and who, Alvarado or Carrillo, should be governor.

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HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Casteñada, in command of Carrillo's army of the south, had fallen back from Santa Barbara on the approach of Castro with the army of the · north and taken position in the mission church of San Buenaventura. Castro pursuing, with three pieces of artillery, reached San Buenaven- tura in the night and planted his cannon on the heights overlooking the mission. In the morning he summoned Casteñada to surrender. The summons was indignantly rejected, and the battle was on. For three days there was a rattle of musketry and a roar of artillery. Each sup- posed he was annihilating the forces of the other. On the third night the southern soldiers, weary of slaughter, attempted to steal out under the cover of darkness and make their way to their desolate homes. They did the stealing part admirably, but when they had crawled out they were promptly halted by the enemy lying in ambush; and as promptly surrendered. After the battle came the painful duty of burying the dead and caring for the wounded. There was but one dead and one wounded-a dead south- erner and a wounded northerner, or possibly the reverse (authorities differ). The mission building had received several severe wounds. Castro's marksmen could hit a mission, but not a man. It is said that there are several of Castro's cannon balls still embedded in the adobe walls of the old mission. The battle of San Buenaventura was the Gettysburg of the Civil war between the arribanas (uppers) and the abajanos (lowers).

At the time of the American conquest there was not so far as known an American settler in San Buenaventura. Col. Stevenson, when he was commander of the military district of the South, in 1847-48, sent Isaac Callahan and W. (). Streeter to take charge of the mission prop- erty, which had been abandoned by the superin- tendent. After the organization of Santa Barbara county the San Buenaventura district con- stituted a township of that county. November, 1852, an election was called to elect three school commissioners for the township of San Buena- ventura, but whether any were elected the rec- ords do not show. The boundaries, as defined in 1855, are as follows: "First township to ex- tend from the division line of Los Angeles county to the Arroyo known as Arroyo del Rincon. The elections shall be held at the Mission San Buenaventura." The boundaries of the school district were the same as those of the township. The school trustees elected in November, 1855, were José A. Pacifico and Sanchez Rey Olivas.

In December, 1855, John Roselli was teach- ing a public school at the mission of San Buena- ventura. The school was taught in the Spanish

language. This was probably the first common school taught in the district and the pioneer school of Ventura county.

In 1857 A. Schiappa Pietra, then a resident of Santa Barbara, started the first store in San Buenaventura. At that time there were but two places in the whole district where travelers could be entertained. One was a tent on the Sespe rancho and the other a hotel kept in the east wing of the mission. In 1858, the American residents were A. M. Conway, Griffin Robbins, W. T. Nash, W. D. Hobson, Mclaughlin and Park.

In 1859 the first attempt was made to form a county out of the eastern portion of Santa Barbara. A petition containing 130 names was sent to the legislature praying for the formation of the county of San Buenaventura.

The Los Angeles Star of January 29, 1859, commenting on the project, says: "We might, however, have remained silent, had not the in- terests of Los Angeles county been brought into the question. Our informant stated to us that we are to be deprived of Fort Tejon township; and that according to the petition it was to be incorporated into the new county, giving to us the Rancho of Conejo or some other place al- most entirely valueless in exchange. It is an old maxim not only taught by the fireside, but spread upon every statute book, that he who takes from another without his consent is guilty of robbery. And he who assists in such an act is equally guilty with the leaders. Has Los An- geles county been consulted in this matter? We are certain it has not. Has Tejon district been asked if it would accede to it? We find no one who can answer. San Buenaventura then would like to control not only the 130 persons who are said to have signed the petition, but also the board of supervisors of Santa Barbara county and the like body of Los Angeles county. Don Antonio de la Guerra, chairman of the board of supervisors of Santa Barbara, immediately on hearing of the movement, ordered the clerk of the county to send the representatives of the county in the legislature and the senator of the second district a comparative statement of the number of votes the would-be new county could cast; the pro rata amount of debt they would have to assume; and requesting these represent- atives to show to the legislative body the folly of the undertaking." The Star assures its read- ers that our delegation in the legislature will see to it that no "snap judgment" is taken by these plotters for a new county.

It is rather strange that this county division project did not carry in that legislature. The leg- islature of 1859 was a secession body. It passed a bill dividing the state and creating the state of

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South California, subject to the approval of the people. At an election held in the fall of 1859 the proposition was voted upon by the counties of San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Los An- geles, San Diego, San Bernardino and Buena Vista. A majority of the voters favored divis- ion, but the state was not divided. It was a pro-slavery scheme designed to give the slave- holders of the south morc representation in congress. The election of Lincoln, in 1860, put an end to the plot. Nothing came of that county division scheme, either.

In 1860, there were but nine American voters in the precinet of San Buenaventura. The first survey of a town site was made in 1862, by Waterman, Vassault & Co., who owned the ex- mission lands. The first attempt to incorporate the town was made in 1863. Messrs. Simpson, Beebe, Stow, Escandon and others met at the hotel kept by V. A. Simpson and drew up a petition to the legislature asking for incorpora- tion. The legislature, probably considering it too small a matter to waste time on, did nothing with the petition.

The Noahian deluge of 1861-62 made an in- land sea of the Santa Clara valley, but did very little damage. The cattle and horses escaped to the foothills and the loss of stock was light. During the famine years of 1863 and 1864 there was a heavy loss of cattle. The dry years, how- ever, did not bring about a subdivision of the ranchos as in Los Angeles. The ranchos were restocked gradually and the old industry, cattle- raising, continued for a time.

The flood of 1867-68 was more severe than that of 1861. "On Christmas day, 1867, the wa- ter rose until it was three feet deep in Main street (San Buenaventura). The lower portions of the town were submerged and the inhabitants had to be removed to a place of safety. The warm rain falling on and melting the recently deposited snows of the mountains filled the rivers to overflowing and caused the flood. The land from the Santa Clara hotel to the river was flooded. Forty-seven women were rescued from the flooded houses and carried on the backs of horses or on the shoulders of men to . places of safety."

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Historical and biographical record of southern California; containing a history of southern California from its earliest settlement to the opening year of the twentieth century, Part 30

Author: Guinn, James Miller, 1834-1918 Publication date: 1902 Publisher: Chicago, Chapman pub. co. Number of Pages: 1366

Author: Guinn, James Miller, 1834-1918
Publication date: 1902
Publisher: Chicago, Chapman pub. co.
Number of Pages: 1366