History of San Luis Obispo County and environs, California, with biographical sketches, Part 24

Author: Morrison, Annie L. Stringfellow, 1860-; Haydon, John H., 1837-
Publication date: 1917
Publisher: Los Angeles, Calif., Historic Record Company
Number of Pages: 1070

USA > California > San Luis Obispo County > History of San Luis Obispo County and environs, California, with biographical sketches > Part 24

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May 20. 1892 .- M. Lewin announces that at his shaving parlors on Muoer! street he has fitted up a room especially for ladies, where he will . curl und trim the hair in the very latest style, using his own famous handmetmixture.

HISTORY OF SANTA MARIA VALLEY

By J. H. Haydon

SANTA MARIA

The town of Santa Maria was laid out and surveyed in 1875 by Isaac Fesler, John Thornburg, Isaac Miller and R. D. Cook, comprising the S.E. quarter of the S.E. quarter of section 10, the S.W. quarter of the S.W. quarter of section 11, the N.E. quarter of the N.E. quarter of section 15, and the N.W. quarter of the N.W. quarter of section 14. The blocks were three hundred and fifty feet east and west, and three hundred feet north and south, with streets one hundred feet wide and alleys twelve feet wide extending east and west. Main street and Broadway are one hundred twenty feet wide. Many additions have since been made, and the original beauty marred by streets of irregular width.

As the town was located in the central part of the valley, it was named Central City. A few years later a post office was petitioned for, and as there was already an office of that name in the state, the name of the town and post office was changed to Santa Maria. Very little building was done the first year. A man named Johnston started a small store on the northwest corner of Main and Broadway, in 1876. This was bought out by Cridell & Fleisher one year later. A blacksmith shop, livery stable, and a few small business houses were erected, among them a hotel. In 1878, the First Meth- odist Church was erected. The Presbyterian Church was organized on Christmas day, 1881, but held their meetings in three places, Guadalupe, Santa Maria, and Pine Grove schoolhouse. The church was not specifi- cally located in Santa Maria until 1882. The old church building on Chapel street was erected in 1884. The Christian congregation erected their building in 1885. The Methodists and Presbyterians have erected new and more appropriate buildings ; and the Christian Church has, in the last few years, been altered and greatly improved.

In 1880 two school districts were formed- Agricola, one and one-half miles west of town ; and Pleasant Valley, about the same distance southeast. A petition for a new district, named Central, was presented to the supervisors in October of 1881. On account of the districts already formed, the territory was very small. The petition was granted and the school was opened in the Methodist Church in February. Bonds were voted and a schoolhouse was erected that year, when seventy-eight pupils were enrolled.

The Pacific Coast Railroad, starting from Port Harford, now Port San Luis, in San Luis Obispo County, with destination at some point in Santa Ynez valley, reached Santa Maria in 1882 and gave a wonderful impetus to the town. It at once became the receiving point for nearly everything pro-

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dusel on ales son salles and all things shipped in for farm culture and

SOIT WirTz Was pecer a "boom" town. Its growth from the start was -06 00 - ve Torymovements came as they were needed ; and when needed, -000.000 0 kbpsgdy to supply the want. John Crosby built the first hopel vo 1875, a small frame structure which served all needs until 1882, when Mr Whodo gretel another and larger one on the south side of West Main -im r-Aldi! the American House. Like all new towns, the first buildings 00 -mal Trimis or board structures ; and fires are a necessary evil in all cel towns. Such a fire occurred in 1883 on the west side of South Broad- Bzw -lrving the furniture store of T. A. Jones & Son. This led to the erection of the first brick building in the town, now known as Hart's Hall, Un! eneled by T. A. Jones. The next brick building was erected by Reuben Mart wy lie southwest corner of Main and Broadway, in 1884.

Tine history is in no way intended as biographical, but a true history of the Guy coll not be complete without a notice of one man who has done much for Santa Maria. Reuben Hart, often called "The Father of Santa Mario" erected a blacksmith shop on the southeast corner of Main and Broadway. in the year 1875. Energetic and economical, he saved money In on the start. In 1884 he built the second brick building. and then started a will water system for the supply of water to the citizens on the south side n Mwin street, which he later enlarged by purchasing the rights of two rival man - until he supplied the entire town. The water system established umalected by Mr. Hart was purchased by the city in 1915 for $72,000. Lote wommodations being badly needed. in 1888 Mr. Hart removed the Wk-with -hop and built in its stead the commodious hotel known as the 1075show, much enlarged. the Hotel Bradley. Still later, when more Hip rom- Were needed, he erected a line of commodious brick buildings (loupe length of block one on Broadway. He has prospered and amassed pocit, but he deserves the title he holds. "Father of Santa Maria."

Several succeeding fires destroyed many of the wooden structures, which war ded by larger buildings of brick, until very few of the original houses are left to tell the story of the early struggles to carry on small busi-

An Eye for the Beautiful

Ver opth uitlement of the valley and town, the settlers began plant- o ded sol ornament, first the eucalyptus, and then the pine and mont coop - rpg- The roads leading into the country were lined Mer 990 des dyptus, which, being a tree of rapid growth, soon bic hawcool as well as for its beauty. This remarkable tree oplys feet in five years, with a body of from six to vi down then, it will at once send forth from two of another five years, will be as large as the parent Were of deep and wide-extending root, it draws for many feet around ; and as the land has Ti moje, muy of the farmers, preferring value to Mo approaches to the city are still beautiful An I mal In the pepper trees are remarkable for the Next

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Efforts at Fruit Industry

The attempts at fruit-raising began with the early settlers, and at first were considered a great success. Trees grew rapidly and came into bearing at two years old. This led to extensive planting, largely of apricots, prunes, apples and pears. For six or seven years the trees grew thriftily and the fruit was good. Then the trees declined and the fruit grew smaller in size and poorer in quality, until fruit-raising was abandoned as unprofitable, and the large orchards were removed and the land used for better-paying crops. With irrigation and judicious fertilization all these fruits can be made to yield an income equal to, if not greater than, that realized from any other crop to which the land is planted.

Banks

The Bank of Santa Maria was chartered in May, 1890, with William L. Adam, president, and P. O. Tietzen, cashier and manager. Cash capital, $50,000. Today its capital and assets are $325.000. The First National Bank began business in 1905. Archibald McNeil is president and Ernest Gibson, cashier and manager. A few years later, the Valley Savings Bank was organized as a loaning institution. It does not receive deposits. William H. Rice is president, and Thomas Adam local manager.

Homicide

In 1890 occurred the most regrettable thing that has ever happened in Santa Maria. A man named Criswell was running a saloon on East Main street. He had started the red-light district, which caused him to be con- demned by the people of the town, in very harsh ways. In revenge, he posted some very libelous statements in front of his saloon. They were torn down by the constable without a court order, but were replaced by Criswell the next day. "Doc" Southard, the constable, went to remove them again, without an order from the court. Criswell was standing in front of the saloon, when Southard approached ; both were "gun men" and dead shots. A few harsh words passed, and both drew guns and shot simultaneously. Southard fell dead; and Criswell, fearfully wounded, was placed in his bed- room back of the saloon. Dark threats were made against him by Southard's friends. and the sheriff placed what he thought was an ample guard in the room. A mob of a dozen men, disguised, went to the saloon at midnight : the guard made no resistance and Criswell was hanged in the room, choked to death by the rope. It was one of the most cold-blooded, ghastly murders ever perpetrated by a mob, but the perpetrators were never apprehended. The best citizens thought that both men could well be spared and no decided effort was made to bring the perpetrators to justice ; but it must ever remain a dark stain on the history of the town.

Telephone

In 1892 the Sunset Telephone Company began operation in a very small way in the town. J. C. (Barney) Martin was manager. For two years very little progress was made; then J. Il. Haydon was placed in control and he succeeded in getting telephones into the principal business houses and many dwellings. The people learned that the "phone" had come to stay and that it was a necessity. Haydon remained manager until 1898, when L. L. Colvin

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was appointed to smsceed him, and under his management telephone business rapidly Inten-wi The system was not improved, and there was so much complaint Pot the Home Telephone Company started a plant of their own with .. fatter system and improved phones. This forced the old company ho mile Prof Improvements, and the telephone spread all over the district. Wow voit tex houses in town or country are without a telephone. Both Pompames fire merged under the name of the Santa Barbara Telephone Co.

Incorporation

In 1900 the first effort was made to incorporate the town. Two classes of people were violently opposed to incorporation. The first class were those who feared their taxes would be increased and would not vote for any improvement that might cost them something; unfortunately we have a few of that class still with us. The other and much larger class was the saloon element, who feared that incorporation would result in a dry town. The proposition was twice voted down. In April, 1905, another effort was made, and this time a proposition was made to the saloon people that they might name the board of trustees. This was accepted, the town was incor- porated and the law went into effect, September 5, 1905. We still have the saloons. but under close restrictions : closing at 11 P. M. and all day Sundays, with clear windows and no gambling.

Temples and Halls

The corner-stone of the Masonic Temple was laid in 1906, and the build- ing completed and dedicated in May, 1907. This by far the best and costliest building in the city acted as an inspiration to others. The Jones buildings were erected immediately, completing the block on the east side. One year later the Odd Fellows building was erected on the southeast corner of Main and lincoln streets. The Presbyterian Church on Chapel street was pur- chased and made over into Lisbon Hall. These, with the addition of Hart's Hall, furnish ample accommodation for all lodges and associations in Santa Maria.

Lodges in the City

Almost every lodge or society is represented in the little city. The Laling lodges are the Masons, Knights of Pythias and Independent Order of Odd Fellow>, together with their sister associations, the Eastern Star, W her Sisters and Rebekahs. Following is a list of the first officers of the je m . fl dges, as chosen at their organization :

Masjon Lodge, F. & A. M., of Santa Maria : A. H. Orr, Master ; Harry I Age. K. of P .: H. C. Bagby. Chancellor Commander ;

Hogy odd Fellow's: Benjamin F. Brock, Noble Grand ;

1. Robert Travers, High Priest ; J. H. Haydon, St. Maria High School

is formed in 1891, embracing at that time For two years the high school was

CION HIGH SCHOOL

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SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY AND ENVIRONS

connected with the district school. In 1894 an election for voting ten thou- sand dollars in bonds to erect a high school building was lost; but the voters expressed a willingness that a building be erected through direct taxes. This was done by the trustees, then consisting of the clerk of each school district, and the first part of the building was completed that year. The school was accredited by the State University in 1897, under the management of Prof. J. C. Russell, then principal, and from its first organization it has been the pride of the town and district. The building has been enlarged and the grounds beautified until today no high school of equal size in the state can boast of superiority. Under the superintendency of Prof. Nelson C. Smith, the school has a proficient staff of teachers, with one hundred and thirty-five pupils, and every study belonging to a first-grade high school is success- fully taught.

Grammar Schools

The growth of the town and the consequent increase in the number of children had caused the erection of a four-room building in the northwest part of the town, but by the act of incorporation which extended the city to two miles square, so much additional territory was added to the school district that additional school room was required. This need was met for a few years by renting buildings ; but that plan having proven very unsatisfactory, bonds were voted in the sum of $24,000, and two new and splendid buildings were erected, which meet every demand.

Hotels

To meet the growing demand for hotel accommodations, Francis Joseph McCoy erected a hostelry, known as The Inn, one block north of the high school building on Broadway. This building has more than forty rooms, all outside, and each with a bath. There are ample garage accommodations for the traveling public, and everything is first-class.

Traveling salesmen unite in saying that Santa Maria is the liveliest and best town of its size in the state. With its splendid line of commercial houses ; its ample hotels and restaurants ; its first-class lawyers, doctors and dentists : its good churches and extraordinary school accommodations ; and its beautiful residences and intelligent, hospitable people, why should it not be the best? Added to this, it is the center of the largest and richest super- visoral district in Santa Barbara County. The city has about three thousand five hundred inhabitants, figuring from its children of school age, no census having been taken since 1910. It has three newspapers, two private hos- pitals, a good fire department, a perfect lighting and power system, natural gas, good telephone and telegraph facilities, and broad, well-paved streets. The city owns its own water system, the income from which pays the interest and will eventually pay the water bonds; therefore it is not in debt. Homeseekers surely cannot find a better place in which to seek a home.

Roads

One of the great drawbacks to the southern part of the valley and mesa of the La Graciosa country was the almost impassable roads, with an open, treeless plain to the ocean and sand dunes that had blown up over a great part of the mesa. The sand was lifted and blown about by the strong winds

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that pregled drone about sf's months of the year. Planting of trees greatly ington | the win !. bull ile roads were so very sandy that travel, even by ligin centaure was very low and disagreeable.

For many geirs the only method of working these sand roads was by ¿loops eiras 60 Them. This was a temporary improvement only. In 1892 Wahar FMiatt, then supervisor of the fifth district, conceived the idea of pagine from -ix to ten inches of hard-pan on the sand and thoroughly drag- ging and rolling it smooth and hard. This proved to be a great success. The Ervat number of trees planted and their rapid growth had so broken the inn o of the wind that sand to a considerable extent ceased to be blown Tto the roads, and traveling was very much improved. When oil became nbabiff and cheap, it was worked into the hard-pan and the sandy roads lichtwe the best in the valley.

Santa Maria Oil Fields

I fim the time oil was found at Summerland, many people thought that it might be found in the hills south of Santa Maria. John Conway may be called the pioneer. He had faith enough to secure the opinion of some experts and began securing oil leases on lands supposed to be in the oil belt. These leases had time limits and he only secured the co-operation of one company, the Casmalia Oil Co. This company operated near Casmalia and succeeded in finding a grade of oil too heavy to be valuable. Conway had the lease of the Careaga ranch, but failing to interest capital, gave up the k. c. 1. 11. Mckay then secured the lease and succeeded in forming the Western Union Oil Co., of which he was manager. The company began drilling a well on the south part of the lease, with William P. Logan as drilling superintendent. Oil was struck in this well in August, 1901, at a depth of nearly two thousand feet. A slight earthquake a few days after this well came in, broke and disarranged the pipe and the well for a time was useless.

Two other wells were then begun, one of them about a half mile east of the first well. This well was completed in much shorter time and proved to be a gusher. Several new companies were quickly formed and oil leases Here acquired. The most important of these companies were the Union Oil ha, which bought the Hobbs tract of land and leased the Fox tract (the Aber Stubblefield ranch, and the Pinal Company, composed of local cpu.this which secured an option on the Coleman Stubblefield tract of pont hundred eighty acres. The Final No. 1 was a paying well, and No. 2 m an grent gusher. This well threw the oil in great streams far over railpe cidiy six-foot derrick and brought thousands of people to see Non . 001 . tim . the Union Oil Co. brought in their first well, I do fer That these wells were two miles north from the West- unarela one belt of off territory, and excitement became intense. ve Gained rapidly and everybody who had any ready w und t any kind of a company.

@ e6, that had failed to sink a well in Cat canon, co Hồ & điện ranch : and the New Pennsylvania, the Asso- Mo Breve -lire, the Hopkins and many other companies portions. Soon what had been an unexplored www | by derricks, and roads were constructed

OIL FIELD OF THE SANTA MARIA VALLEY

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where horsemen had refused to ride. The Union, on account of its immense capital, took the lead, and the Pinal and the Pinal-Dome, both of local capital, acquired large tracts of oil territory. Many of the new and smaller com- panies, in which local citizens had invested, failed to make good, and the small investors lost money; but usually the promoters came out all right, for the money spent was that paid in by the purchasers of stock.

The Newlove ranch of over three thousand acres lying between the Pinal and Western Union was purchased by the Union Co. for three and one-half million dollars, and has yielded millions of barrels of oil and is only partly explored. In this oil belt deep drilling is required, some of the wells reach- ing a depth of nearly five thousand feet, and the cost of a well ranges from $20.000 to $60,000. The oil sand is from two hundred to one thousand feet deep, and the wells, when finished, are durable. Very few wells have failed to yield a paying quantity of oil, and the oil is of the highest grade found in the state.

Early in the oil-prospecting stage, several attempts were made to sink wells farther east in what is known as the Cat canon territory; but owing to the formation of the soil, the prospectors failed to succeed. With improved facilities, later efforts were successful, and fine paying wells were found. This region is generally called the Palmer, from the first and strongest company operating there. The oil operations there have been so great that the Santa Maria Valley Railroad was built from Betteravia to the Palmer Annex, and the Pacific Coast Railroad was extended to the Palmer. The town of Sisquoc was started for a shipping point for oil-well supplies, and has a good general mercantile store and the very unnecessary saloon.

SANTA MARIA VALLEY AND ENVIRONS

In writing of a country or place, the necessary starting point is "Where is it?" Santa Maria Valley is the real and only entrance, on the north, from Northern California to Southern California. As we are implying that Santa Maria Valley is the northern boundary of Southern California, it may be that a few words of explanation are necessary. A straight line drawn from the eastern boundary of the state through the Tehachapi pass to the ocean has always been considered the dividing line between Northern and Southern California, and that line falls only a few miles north of this valley.

The valley is almost a perfect ellipse, but widens at the western or ocean end, thence bending north and south in a northeasterly direction to the intersection of the mountains at the terminus of Foxen canon. Nothing was known of this great valley until Fremont's expedition in 1846. Upon what small things do great events depend! Through the reckless nerve of one little woman Fremont's great "pathfinding" expedition became possible. Fremont had married Jessie, daughter of Senator Thomas II. Benton of Mis- souri. Through the influence of Benton the expedition had been planned and Fremont had been selected to lead it. Leaving his wife in St. Louis, with instructions to forward by courier any mail of importance, Fremont started on his long trip. In the meantime the government had forwarded orders recalling the expedition. The orders reached St. Louis four days after his

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY AND ENVIRONS

deparaus, Jen AIr- Ur mont suppressed them. Those were not days of tele- graph and railroads The shortest time of mail from Washington to St. Loff- Was seyeni dage. and as the troop of forty-two men had left Independ- itec fome days Tofore the letter reached St. Louis, the recall was impossible. The wa- Noenone - third trip across the continent, and during the interval The Aroled States and Mexico had become engaged in war. On July 5, 1846, In Obimidt imireral Castro at Sonoma. He was elected governor of the ter- Tury lø the Americans, after which he started to Los Angeles.

HE entered the Santa Maria valley July 21st near where the city of Soos Mana now is, and stopped two days near La Graciosa, supposedly at the Mookshire Springs. Fremont had intended to go south by way of Gaviota pass; but finding the Mexicans in control there, he secured the guidance of William Foxen, then the owner of Rancho Tinaquaic, who guidel him through Foxen canon up the Santa Ynez river, and over the mountains, reaching the valley near Goleta. Mr. Charles Buckner, formerly of St. Charles, Mo., who was with Fremont, says that Foxen'was the only white man in the valley. Mexicans in those days were not considered white people. Mr. Buckner speaks of the valley as "broad, of very sandy soil and very little water," from which we infer that the western part of the valley was not traversed by Fremont, that the direct route to Gaviota was taken, and that the fastest time possible was being made.

The carly padres certainly passed through the valley, but it has not been found that it impressed them sufficiently to be recorded. The western part of the valley is covered by the Guadalupe, Laguna and Casmalia land grants.

Guadalupe Rancho

The Guadalupe grant starts from the ocean with an ocean line of ten miles and extends eastward eight miles. This grant was made by the Mexican gov- ernment, March 21, 1840, to Diego Olivera and Teodoro Arellanes, and covered originally 30,408 acres. In 1857, Congress confirmed the grant. In 1870 a patent was issued for 43,680 acres. By what logic, or other considera- tion, the extra 13,000 acres got into this grant is unknown. As the addition covers the most valuable portion, the reasons therefor may be easily sur- mised. The western portion is largely covered by sand dunes. The eastern is black adobe or heavy sandy soil and very productive. The rancho passed to the Estudillo family before the time it was patented ; and John Ward, who had married a daughter of Estudillo, did the first farming, in 1867. Congress voted a triangular tract of land lying between Guadalupe rancho and Punta de la laguna rancho to John Ward in consideration of the construction of Etwapoh road from Point Sal to Fort Tejon. He constructed nine miles of Ho road and claimed the land, as there was a natural pass-way from Fort Www.lewaldlupe: and the patent was issued. The rancho house, now ( odb William Stokes, which used to be known as the "Old Adobe," was Toutedito Dasesolivera in 1843.

Sharp Fati des The only business followed by the Spanish owners, but clD W. h. ve since been produced in great abundance. Efforts Tor 000 mff Men tolures. The climate is cool and health-giving, but = protected by wind-breaks, and is not a marked suc- part of the rancho has produced one hundred

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History of San Luis Obispo County and environs, California, with biographical sketches, Part 24

Author: Morrison, Annie L. Stringfellow, 1860-; Haydon, John H., 1837- Publication date: 1917 Publisher: Los Angeles, Calif., Historic Record Company Number of Pages: 1070

Author: Morrison, Annie L. Stringfellow, 1860-; Haydon, John H., 1837-
Publication date: 1917
Publisher: Los Angeles, Calif., Historic Record Company
Number of Pages: 1070