USA > California > Santa Barbara County > History of Santa Barbara county, California, with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 71
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296
HISTORY OF SANTA BARBARA COUNTY.
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Mr. Careaga is a good sample of the high-minded Castilian race who owned this country fifty years since, urbane, dignificd and polite. His place is about four miles below Los Alamos, and is composed of valley, plain and hill, eminently adapted to grain, stock or fruits. The house is modern in style, with central portion two stories high, and wings of one story to correspond. Shade and fruit trees, flowers, graveled walks and drives, give evidence of a refined and cultured taste. A windmill and tank furnish an abundance of water to keep the lawns, flowers and shrubbery in good condition. It is an oasis, such a place as a Mahomedan would locate only in Paradise, but which, as time rolls on, we may expect to see more frequently in the blest valley of Los Alamos.
LA LAGUNA RANCHO
Lies at the head of the Los Alamos Valley. It was granted to Miguel Abila, Nov. 3, 1845, and con- firmed to Octaviano Gutierrez; acreage, 18,212.48. The U. S. patent calls for 48,703.91 acres. The rancho is bounded on the north by the Tinaquaic and Sisquoc Ranchos; on the east by Government lands; on the west by the Los Alamos Rancho; and on the south by the Ranchos San Carlos de Jonata, Cañada de los Pinos, La Zaca and Corral de Cuati, the latter two cutting into the rancho from the south, almost divid- ing it into two nearly equal portions. Geographically considered, only the westerly of these portions belongs to the Santa Maria Valley, but hoth parts are here considered. The rancho has suffered many decimations. Dr. J. B. Shaw is now one of the prin- cipal owners occupying the old site of the buildings and the small lake from which the rancho was named; 8,000 acres. The county road from Nipoma to Gaviota Pass and Santa Barbara passes through the rancho. The soil is extremely rich and especially well adapted to agriculture. Wheat grows luxuriantly, yielding perhaps as well as any land in the State. Rye has reached the stately height of fourteen feet in the stalk. Hemp of the finest quality is grown with great success, reaching a height in the stalk of from eight to ten feet. An abundance of water is found ten to twenty feet from the surface. This rancho, it is anticipated, will shortly be cut up and rented for three-year leases on the following terms: First year, fifty cents per acre; second year, one dollar per acre; third year, one dollar and fifty cents per acre; the right of stubble and straw for pasturage being reserved by the owners. On March 1, 1881, the stock on the original tract of 48,703 acres was: horses, 100; cattle, 250; sheep, 10,000. In the year 1876-77, Dr. J. B. Shaw pastured 1,500 cattle and 5,000 sheep. Deer, bear, quail and pigeon hunting-grounds are found on this rancho.
LOS ALAMOS RANCHO
Was granted to José Antonio Carrillo, March 9, 1839, and consisted of 48,803.38 acres. The U. S. patent was issued Sept. 12, 1872. It embraced about
a third of the entire valley. To the north were the Government lands of the Santa Maria Valley; to the east the Rancho La Laguna; to the south the Ranchos Santa Rosa, Santa Rita and La Purissima; and to the west the Rancho Todos Santos. In 1881 Careaga & Harris owned 17,000 acres of the Los Alamos Rancho; John S. Bell, 13,000; Dr. J. B. Shaw, 4,400; and Gaspar Oreña, 4,000 acres, comprising fine agricult- ural, timber and grazing lands. These figures are, however, constantly changing from time to time. Mr. J. S. Bell is at present engaged in cutting up his ranch, and selling the small farms thus formed. He is also renting 100 and 200-acre tracts at the follow- ing rates for three-year leases: Fifty cents per acre for the first year; one dollar per acre for the second year; and one dollar and fifty cents per acre for the third year; reserving the right of the stubble and straw for pasturage.
On March 1, 1881, there were 300 horses, 500 cattle, and 25,000 sheep pastured on the tract repre- sented by the original patent.
THE TOWN OF LOS ALAMOS.
Some three or four years ago, Mr. J. S. Bell, of the Los Alamos Rancho, and Dr. J. B. Shaw, of the La Laguna Rancho, jointly determined to found a town. Each appropriated for that purpose adjoining tracts of half a square mile, making a town site one mile square. It is now the terminus of the San Luis Obispo and Santa Maria Valley Railroad, whose other terminus is at Port Harford. It is a flourishing town of rapid growth. It has a church and a fine school house. A. Leslie, its pioneer trader, is post- master, insurance agent, and dealer in dry goods and groceries. Laughlin Brothers are dealers in general merchandise. J. D. Snyder keeps a first-class hotel, the " Union," and is also agent for Wells, Fargo & Co's Express. There are three saloons, a restaurant, and a billiard saloon. There are two blacksmith shops, Whitcher & Pierson's, and Homer Waite's. C. D. Patterson's livery stable, Brown & Hessei's butcher shop, and J. S. Bell's fine flouring mill, J. Purkiss, miller in charge, complete the business establishments of the town.
The town has an elevation of about 500 feet above the sea. Los Alamos is seventeen miles from Lom- poc, twenty-seven from Gaviota, fifteen from La Graciosa, fourteen from Ballard's Station and sixty- four from Santa Barbara. A few miles from the town of Los Alamos is a curious lake called " La- guna Seco." On the south side the shore is of deep mud, dangerous to cross. The Mexicans say the lake has no bottom, and that it remains the same year after year.
C. D. PATTERSON,
The subject of the following biographical sketch, is a native of the State of Ohio, and was born Decem- ber 13, 1848. His parents were farmers. After having finished his education, he removed to Jefferson County, Kansas, and turned his attention to farming,
RESIDENCE & RANCH OF JUAN B. CAREAGA, NEAR LOS ALAMOS, SANTA BARBARA CO,CAL.
WINES & LIQUORS Wholesale & Retail.
LOS ALAMOS -PIONEER GENERAL STORE
WAGONS & MACHINERY Stationery Toys Etc.
LALESLIE
PRODUCE boughta sola
FIREMANSI FUND- TAS, CO
THE LION
ALESLIE NOTARY PUBLIC
INS AGENCY
COMMISSION MERCHANC
STORE AND POST OFFICE AT LOS ALAMOS SANTA BARBARA CO.CAL. A. LESLIE PROPR.
RESIDENCE OF A. LESLIE, LOS ALAMOS, SANTA BARBARA CO. CAL.
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THE WESTERN PART OF THE COUNTY.
but as this was during the reign of that fearful pest, the " Kansas grasshopper," his crops were a failure, and in 1874 he bid adieu to the land of the festive " hopper" and started for California, arriving at Stockton on the 19th of November. Remaining here one year he removed to Merced County, and again engaged in farming, putting in 1,740 acres of wheat and barley. In 1876 he came to Los Alamos, where he has since been engaged in farming and the livery business, meeting with good success.
Mr. Patterson is one of the substantial citizens of Los Alamos, and is a Democrat and member of the Masonic and K. of P. Lodges.
He was married February 16, 1870, to Miss Hen- rietta M. Ernul, of Oskaloosa, Kansas.
A view of Mr. Patterson's livery stable and business place is given in this volume.
ALEXANDER LESLIE
Is a native of the Highlands of Scotland, and was born May 8, 1847, of highly respectable parentage. His father, John Leslie, a self-educated and self-made man, is one of the leading agriculturists and stock- raisers of the north of Scotland. His uncles on bis father's side are all highly educated gentlemen and one of them, George A. Leslie, was President of the British Bank of North America, but was drowned six years since, by the capsizing of a small boat in Ontario, Canada. The mother of Mr. Leslie was also a lady of culture, who had no less than six brothers, who were civil engineers, and one who was a Presbyterian minister.
The young man received a good education. which was finished under the afterwards famous Govern- ment Inspector of Schools for Great Britain, John Boyd. He began life in California when twenty years of age, thirty dollars in debt. His first occu- pation was that of stock-raising, which he followed for ten years, when he removed to the valley where he now resides, and started the first buildings of Los Alamos, on a capital of $2,000. To-day he is doing a business of $40,000 per year, an example of that success which is possible under our institutions, and which is attained by fair dealing and persistent application to business.
Mr. Leslie is at present actively engaged in busi- ness, having three stores, in one of which is a general assortment of merchandise; in another, the post-office, school books, stationery, toys and candy; and in the other, liquors, wholesale and retail, all of which are under his direct supervision. He has just completed a large addition, making ample room for his extensive business, and which is now, to use his own words, " the best store of modern times."
Mr. Leslie was married in 1876 to a daughter of the country of his adoption, Miss Martha Streeter, the ceremony being performed by Father Jones, of Santa Barbara. In religious matters he is a supporter of the Presbyterian faith, a staunch Republican, and one of the leading members of the A. O. U. W. and K. of
P., of Los Alamos, for which latter lodge he erected a hall. He is also Postmaster nud Notary Public. having held these offices successively for five years.
A view of his different places of business may be seen in this volume.
JOHN DILLARD SNYDER.
New York has perhaps furnished the largest num- ber of business men the past fifty years of any State in the Union. They are generally endowed with energy sufficient to overcome all obstacles, and achieve success out of the most adverse circum- stances. The cause of this eminence may be found in many things. Something is due to the inherent energy of the Dutch race that settled New York over two centuries since, and something to the situation of the State which made it the commercial highway between the lakes and the sea coast. The develop- ment of its resources was the work of such men as De Witt Clinton, who some eighty years ago, while Governor of the State, projected the Erie and Albany Canal, and lived long enough to see it completed. The effect of this canal was to arouse the whole cen- tral part of New York, which hitherto had been as a wilderness, into the most unparalleled activity. Out of this seething business population came such men as Stanford, Jay Gould, Vanderbilt, Astor, and Stew- art, men whose enterprise spans the world, and whose energy mocks failure. Out of the population, aroused to the utmost activity, came a host of business men who spread themselves over the earth, among whom we may reckon the subject of this sketch, John D. Snyder. He was born in 1844, in the State of New York, and at an early age came to California fully impressed with the idea that success in business must be attained by the hardest kind of labor. He en- gaged in farming on an extensive scale, and was soon able out of the profits to erect a large and commodi- ous hotel, the " Union Hotel," containing some thirty or more rooms. Every detail of the business, from the smallest expenditure for the table to the gangs of men who do his work in the grain-fields, becomes a subject for the closest scrutiny. If a charge for beef is slightly in advance of the ordinary price, be is sure to detect it. If a bummer gets into one of his elegant rooms, lightning falls on somebody. There is no soldiering in his employment. " Ready for bus- iness" best describes the man. He is blest with a constitution that enables him to stand up to the im- mense strain that such a multitude of business affairs brings. He is also agent for Wells, Fargo & Co.
As he is scarcely past the period of youth, we may expect when the solid work of middle life comes, to see him rival the persons mentioned in this article in his business operations.
HIGHWAY ROBBERY.
In January, 1882, three highwaymen robbed the stage at a point near the unoccupied adobe house a couple of miles below Los Alamos. Two attempts
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HISTORY OF SANTA BARBARA COUNTY.
had previously been thwarted by the coolness of the driver. This time they secured Wells, Fargo & Co's express hox, and robbed the driver, George Rich- mond, of a gold watch, lately presented to him by the stage company. A lady passenger was not molested.
TODOS SANTOS RANCHO
Contained originally 22,200 acres, and was bounded on the north by the Punta de la Laguna Rancho and by Government lands; on the east by the Los Alamos Rancho; on the south by the La Purissima Rancho, and on the west by the ranchos Jesus Maria and Casmali. It was granted to Salvador Osio, Novem- ber 3, 1844, and confirmed to William E. P. Hartnell. The United States patent calls for 10,772.17 acres. Its physical characteristics are the same as those of the valley in general. On March 1, 1881, its live- stock was represented by 50 horses, 200 cattle, and 3,000 sheep. The ranch is now owned by H. M. Newhall, Mrs. Hartnell, and others. I. Fernandez has 4,000 sheep on rented land. The
JESUS MARIA RANCHO
Contains by its original patent 42,184.93 acres, and extends from the Santa Ynez River and Lompoc Col- ony on the south to Casmali Rancho on the north about twelve miles; and from the Pacific Ocean on the west to the ranchos Todos Santos and La Puris- sima on the east, about ten miles. Its north half belongs to the Los Alamos Valley; its south half to the Santa Ynez. It was granted to Lucas Olivera, April 8, 1837, and two-thirds of it, the southern part, confirmed to Luis T. Burton. About 10.000 acres of this portion is adapted to cereals, and, under the management of Benjamin Burton, son of Luis, are being leased out to farmers. The north half of the rancho partakes of the general character of the Los Alamos Valley. The stock of the rancho on March 1, 1881, numbered 40 horses, 500 cattle, and 10,- 000 sheep, about equally divided between the north and south halves.
Near Point Purissima, adjacent to the mouth of the Los Alamos Arroyo, is
LOMPOC WHARF,
Built in 1876. In December, 1881, the wharf com- pany put up a neat residence for J. W. Rule, the resident manager, and family. A large tank and windmill were also erected. The force employed at the wharf at that time numbered twelve hands.
THE CASMALI RANCHO
Was granted to Antonio Olivera, September 12, 1840, and contained 8,841.21 acres. It lies between the Guadalupe and Punta de la Laguna Ranchos on the north, and the Jesus Maria Rancho on the south, with a coast line of about two miles, and a depth into the interior of about six miles. Its eastern boundary is formed by the Todos Santos Rancho. Some cereals are raised, but stock-raising is the principal business -
the statistics for March, 1881, being 25 horses, 150 cattle and 6,000 sheep. The black sand found on the sea-shore is mined for gold to a small extent, two to three dollars per day being realized for each man.
In 1875 an attempt was made to colonize this rancho, but it failed.
POINT SAL.
Point Sal is at the extremity of a prominent cape that projects into the Pacific from the Government lands that lie between the Casmali and the Guadalupe Ranchos. It is about six miles from the mouth of the Los Alamos Arroyo, nine miles from Guad- alupe, twenty-four miles from Los Alamos, and twenty-one miles from Lompoc.
C. H. Clark, who came to the State in 1857, took up his abode at Point Sal in 1871. He had pre- viously been in charge of the Todos Santos Rancho. He took as a partner, W. D. Harriman, and commenced unloading vessels by means of lighters. Ten cargoes of lumber were unloaded that year through the surf. Over one million feet were sold to the new settlers. On November 12, 1872, Goodall, Nelson & Perkins, of San Francisco, petitioned the Board of Supervisors for a franchise to build a wharf. The petition was rejected on account of technical irreg- ularities. At the same time J. W. Foster's similar petition was rejected on the same grounds.
At one time, John P. Wagner petitioned the Super- visors for a franchise to build a railroad from the Point to Santa Maria. This was rejected because of irregularities in its presentation.
In 1874 Clark & Harriman built a wharf at Point Sal, of which a third interest was sold to Hayward & Harmon, of San Francisco. A prediction was made at that time, that a new county including this section would be constructed in two or three years.
In 1876 the wharf was carried away by a storm which raised a very heavy sea. The next spring it was rebuilt, and was washed away again the fol- lowing winter. It was then rebuilt and still remains. Goodall, Nelson & Perkins became half owners and still retain their interest, in company with Harmon, under the title of the " Point Sal Wharf and Lumber Company."
When the landing was first built, John B. Ward, one of the heirs of the Estudillo Rancho, got a bill through Congress donating him a tract of land, including the landing-place, on condition of building a road from Point Sal to Fort Tejon. He built a road over the mountain to the Guadalupe Rancho, and then claimed that he had fulfilled the contract, as there was a natural route from his rancho the remainder of the specified distance. He succeeded in getting his patent and held the land, compelling those who had made improvements to purchase from him or leave. The other roads leading from Point Sal were built mo-tly through the liberality of C. H. Clark, while he was interested in the wharf. The surface of the land about Point Sal is hilly and even
29
THE WESTERN PART OF THE COUNTY.
mountainous. The coast is a bold one, rugged cliff's rising from twenty to a hundred feet from the water's edge, still C. HI. Clark had some 250 acres of land under cultivation, which he leased to J. Wright.
There is a school house and a flourishing school at a convenient distance. The roads abont the point are generally good. There is at the point a laguna about three miles long, which covers an area of about 3,000 acres. It is a great resort of geese and ducks, and the ubiquitous sportsmen. Large numbers of geese are shot for their feathers.
INCIDENTS.
In the early days of the point a lighter was lost in a high tide. One of the men attending the lighter stepped into a bight of the rope, and the lighter moving out the rope cut his leg entirely off. The man died, while being taking to Guadalupe, from exhaustion. the men not knowing how to stop the bleeding. He left a wife and children. In 1861, a sloop left San Francisco for San Diego with five men and one woman on board. During a heavy sea the sloop upset, and all on board, save one man, were drowned. A Portuguese sailor, when thrown into the sea, being a good swimmer, reached a boat that was in tow and escaped to the land. In 1872, five men were drowned in coming ashore from a schooner. The vessel was loaded with lumber for the settlers, and the Captain sent the boat ashore for information as to the landing. The mate and cook and the Captain's wife were all that were left. They shipped the cable and made their way to Santa Barbara, where a crew was obtained. Two of the bodies floating ashore were buried by C. H. Clark near his residence. On Christ- masnight, 1876, the schooner Anna Lisle, broke from her moorings, drifted to the beach and became a total wreck; loss $20,000. The schooner was named after a daughter of N. S. Harmon, one of the owners. It is stated that during this storm the waves broke twenty feet above the wharf. In 1876, Mr. Clark found a chain and other parts of a gunboat, which the natives say was wrecked in 1837. The boiler, some of the machinery, piles of balls and the brass ten-pound guns have at times been uncovered by the tide. Mr. Clark took out about ten tons of chain, which he sold for old iron. The anchors are still there. The wreck is about six miles south of Point Sal, at the mouth of the Los Alamos or San Antonio Creek.
C. H. CLARK.
Charles Haskell Clark was born in Vermont in 1834. He is of revolutionary stock, the family hav- ing furnished many names famous in financial, polit- ical, and military matters. He came to California in 1857 and to Point Sal in 1871. He brought with him the enterprising habits of his native State, and soon after arriving here began to plan extensive improvements. The history of Point Sal before related is substantially his history, he being the pro- moter and founder. When one looks at the decliv-
ties of Point Sal, the conglomeration of clay and rock against which the sea is continually pressing in huge swells, the whole country, or at least that por- tion near the wharf, looks as if it might slide iuto the sea after any considerable storm. A miner would point out numbers of numerous slides which had occurred. The irregularity of the surface required zig-zags to enable a loaded team to reach the wharf, or to leave it, in fact, the outlook was so bad that most persons pronounced the matter impracticable; yet the grades were carried so carefully around the obstructions that loaded teams never met with any accident. A series of financial reverses put the property into other hands, but the Point Sal Wharf, roads, and warehouses remain a monument of his industry and enterprise.
He married Miss Clayton, a sister of the IIon. Charles M. Clayton, formerly member of Congress. She is a lady of high mental attainments, who has furnished many lively descriptions of the scenery, character of the country, and the storms which sometimes lash the sea into mountain breakers. They have a large family of children, mostly girls, who inherit the mother's intellect and beauty, with the father's industry and energy. The elder is already a descriptive writer of great merit, and all are musical, their voices often mingling with the sweet tones of the organ, accompanied with the solemn bass of the deep sea. Since the wharf prop- erty passed out of his hands he has devoted himself mostly to stock-raising, his place carrying about 500 head of cattle and horses. His buildings, of which an illustration is given, occupy a delightful nook in the coast between Point Sal and the Chute Landing. Mr. Clark possesses the confidence and esteem of the community, and has held several responsible offices. He is often called into council with leading Republi- eans, and is considered a probable candidate for Legislative honors.
CHUTE LANDING.
Eager-eyed competition, the bane of the monopo- list and the saviour of communities, is ever on the alert to follow in the wake of any pioneer enterprise, and either share its profits or destroy them; so here. There had been much complaint about the high rates charged at the Point Sal Wharf, and for shipment to San Francisco. One St. Ores, a Cana- dian Frenchman, told the farmers that he could build a chute landing for lumber, grain, and freight gener- ally. that would result in a great saving to them. The following gentlemen took stock in his state- ments, and in the company which was formed: J. HI. Rice, Paul Bradley, A. J. Triplet, S. D. Triplet, J. K. Triplet, Chas. Bradley, II. Stowell, A. Leslie, and W. L. Adam. The capital stock was fixed at $10,000, but the total cost was 821,000, the wharf and moor- ings alone costing $10,000. The arrangements for loading and unloading schooners may be briefly described as follows: From the road which encircles
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HISTORY OF SANTA BARBARA COUNTY.
the face of the eliff there is built out a wharf, about 150 feet long, which projects over the sea forty feet, at an elevation above the surface of the water of about eighty feet. At the outer extremity of this wharf a frame-work is ereeted, in which a slide, which works vertieally, is placed. From a firm anchorage in the roeks of the cliff a wire eable, about three-fourths of an inch in diameter, stretches over this slide and ahont 600 feet out to sea, to a buoy firmly anebored on the bottom. The slide on the frame serves to elevate or lower the cable. Upon this cable is suspended permanently a traveler, which works easily baek and forth upon it by means of nicely-adjusted shieves. To this traveler is suspended cages of various sorts, depending upon the nature of the material to be transported. An engine upon the wharf furnishes all needed motive power.
The method of operation is as follows: The slide in the frame-work being lowered and the eable being eoiled away on the wharf, a schooner approaches seeking to be unloaded. She passes inside the cable buoy, laying side on to the wharf. From her, cables are run out in four directions to buoys and fastenings in the roeks, and the vessel firmly secured. The end of the wire-eable is taken on a row boat and carried ont to and over the schooner and to the buoy beyond, where it is seeurely made fast. The engine now starts up and raises the slide, which, carrying up the eable, takes up all undesirable slaek. The traveler and a cage or cages is run down to the ship, loaded, and at once hauled back by means of a rope attached to it and to the drum of the engine. When it is drawn np a few feet above the end of the wharf, the load is deposited on a tramway car, which a horse hauls to the mainland, where the car is unloaded and from whence it goes baek for another load. The pro- cess is simply reversed in loading vessels.
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