USA > California > Santa Barbara County > History of Santa Barbara county, California, with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 83
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With the increase of population came the desire of having a municipality of their own, and the pro- ject of a new county was agitated. In the election of 1809 the subject was brought fully before the public. Mr. A. G. Escandon was elected to the Assembly on this issue, but in consequence of oppo- sition, from the other portion of Santa Barbara County, failed to carry the measure through the Leg- islature.
The primary steps made towards the new county not having succeeded, no discouragement was felt as to the final issue, but time and repeated efforts were depended upon to effect the end.
HE
COURT HOUSE, SAN BUENAVENTURA, VENTURA CO. CAL.
353
CONDITION AND COUNTY ORGANIZATION.
FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION.
Pausing a moment in the history of the building up of the county, it is recorded that the Fourth of July, 1871, was celebrated in San Buenaventura with a great deal of originality and interest. There was a firing of guns in the morning, and at nine o'clock a procession formed, containing thirty-seven young ladies on a car, symbolical of the States of the Union, riding in front; a live ram following, symbolical of wool, the chief staple of the district; a schooner, indicative of commerce; members of the Bar; a huge wax doll, to simulate the rising generation; and an apt illustration of the Fifteenth Amendment, com- posed of a Mexican cart with the traditional solid wheels, drawn by long-horned Mexican steers, driven by darkies provided with fiddles, on which they per- formed as for dear life. The President of the day, W. E. Barnard; Orator, Rev. G. O. Ashe; Chaplain, W. C. Meredith, and pupils of the school completed the array. Rev. Juan Campola made an address to the Spanish-speaking citizens in their own beautiful and poetical language, and the festivities were appropri- ately (for this latitude) terminated with a ball in the evening, at which sixty couples met and danced.
BUILDING THE WHARF.
San Buenaventura's greatest publie necessity, the wharf, was begun in 1871. Previous to its construc- tion, as is readily remembered, the transfer of goods between shore and vessel was made by means of lighters. It is unnecessary to say that such means were inconvenient and costly, and greatly retarded business and progress. With the growing needs of the place, demands for increased commercial facilities were heard, and in 1871, Joseph Wolfson commenced the construction of a wharf of sufficient length to meet all the demands of traffic. A franchise was procured in January of that year, and somewhat later work began. The beginning was signalized by initiatory ceremonies as follows: When the machine was ready to take up the first pile, Mr. Joseph Wolf- son, the projector of the wharf, took off his hat and announced that the work was ready, and suggested that some member of the Press should be invited forward to conduct the proper ceremonies, whereupon J. J. Ayres, who was then connected with the Signal office, led forward Miss Camarillo, youngest daughter of Señor Don Juan Camarillo, and took a position on the platform of the pile-driver. After making a few appropriate remarks concerning the importance of the work about to be commenced to the town and surrounding country, he called upon the Señorita. who then broke a bottle of champagne against the timbers of the pile-driver, as a baptismal sprinkling, to which the spectators responded with hearty cheers, after which more champagne was opened and the work commenced.
In the month of February, 1872, the wharf was so far completed that the steamers discharged directly
upon it, for the future avoiding the inconveniences of lightering.
From the first the wharf has been of vast public utility, and is absolutely indispensable. At various times, matters have occurred in connection therewith. which will find description in their appropriate places. When the wharf was opened for business the following rates of toll were established :-
For all vessels owned in port, 10 to 100 tons,
per annum $25 00
100 tons and upwards 50 00
All other vessels, per day, 10 to 25 tons 3 00
25 to 100 tons, per day 7 50
100 tons or more, per day 10 00
On each ton of first-class freight 2 00
On each ton of second and third-class freight_
1 50
Special class, wet hides, iron in bars and cast-
ings, per ton 1 50
Lumber, per M.
1 50
Shingles, per bunch
15
Sheep, per head
07
Hogs, per head 25
Cattle and horses, per head 1 50
Wool, in bales
2 50
Dry hides, each 05
Single packages, each
25
NEWSPAPER ESTABLISHED.
In anticipation of the creation of a new county, and to some extent anticipating the wants of the com- munity, John H. Bradley started the Ventura Signal, at San Buenaventura, the proposed county seat of the new county. The first number was issued April 22, 1871. Perhaps no fitter man could have been found for the position than Mr. Bradley, whose former expe- rience as a writer on the Amador Ledger and other newspapers published in the mines, as well as his business habits acquired partly in the sale of real estate, proved of the greatest service to the new paper, and through it to the county.
Immediately upon the first appearance of the Sig- nal, its editor began the preparation of a series of articles on the climate and other natural advantages of this part of Southern California, in connection with the question of the division of Santa Barbara County, carrying on the discussion until the fact was accomplished. One particularly commendable feature of the Signal was the absence of ordinary political discussions. Mr. Bradley's good sense led him to refrain from political discussions, which find their appropriate sphere in metropolitan papers, and which are totally different from the proper function of country newspapers, but which, nevertheless, too frequently turn aside from their proper sphere of action to deal in subjects unprofitable and impertinent.
STATISTICS OF 1871.
In connection with the proposition to divide the county, some statistics in relation to the matter were prepared, which are herein mentioned. The esti- mates were doubtless exceedingly liberal in some instances. The total area of Santa Barbara as it existed before the division was 5,450 square miles, or
354
HISTORY OF VENTURA COUNTY.
3,491,000 acres. Of this extensive territory the Spanish grants covered 1,570,419 acres of the very best land, leaving 1,920,581 acres of public lands, some of which had been settled npon, but the greater portion entirely worthless for most purposes. In the proposed new county there were 20,600 acres of improved land and 2,000 acres of what is described as wooded land, probably included in private bounds. Of unimproved lands held by individuals there were 390,000 acres. The value of real estate was esti- mated at $3,018,200; personal property, $911,000; giving a total of $3,929,200 for the valuation of the proposed new county. The value of live stock was given as $442,000, there being,2,800 head of horses and mules, 6,000 cattle, and 74,000 sheep. The annual wool product amounted to 350.000 pounds, and 35,000 pounds of butter and 20,000 pounds of cheese were produced annually, the estimated value of farm products footing up $307,000.
The figures are to be considered as sufficiently close to the truth to enable an adequate idea of the property and resources of the eastern portion of Santa Bar- bara County to be obtained. It will also be observed that the region was exclusively agricultural. Even these resources had not been developed to any extent. The wool crop had not by any means reached its fullest development, while a large number of indus- tries which have since been inaugurated do not appear at all on the list. The evils of large land holding had only begun to be lessened; communication with the onter world was difficult and precarious, and to crown all, the population wasstill so limited that the really extensive and important resources could not obtain development. As might be expected the price of land still rated low, hardly more than the Government price being realized for large tracts, as is shown by the sale of the Guadalasca Rancho in December, 1871, by Ysabel Yorba to Dickenson & Funk for $28,000, there being 22,000 acres included.
The Signal, under date of February 17, 1872, said the proposed county contained 2,000 square miles and 3,500 inhabitants, with an assessment roll of $1,200,000. Santa Barbara was left with 3,000 square miles, 7,000 inhabitants and an assessment roll of $2,000,000. The large discrepancy between the esti- mated valuation of Ventura and its assessment roll is left as a subject of reflection by the thoughtful reader. It may be said, however, that the prices of property vary exceedingly, whether considered as sub- ject to taxes or for sale. It is not in the stock-raising counties alone that property hides itself from taxa- tion. In the cities residences that are valued at $100,000 will be assessed at less than ten per cent. of their value.
PASSAGE OF THE ACT.
Public sentiment had become so organized by the beginning of the legislative session of 1871-2, that efficient measures were taken to secure the passage of the desired measure. W. D. Hobson, an influential
and active citizen, was selected to proceed to Sacra- mento and aid in the passage of the bill. Mr. Hobson spent a portion of the winter at the Capital, and was instrumental in securing the desired legislation. The bill, on being brought up before the Assembly, was passed with but a single dissenting voice; and, passing the Senate was approved March 22, 1872. The fol- lowing extracts from the law is all that is necessary to reproduce here :-
LAW CREATING THE COUNTY.
An Act to Create the County of Ventura, to Estab- lish the Boundaries Thereof, and to Provide for its Organization.
The People of the State of California, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows :-
SECTION 1. There shall be formed, out of the east- ern portion of Santa Barbara County, a new county to be called Ventura. * * *
SEC. 3. The seat of justice shall be at the town of San Buenaventura, until otherwise provided by law. SEC. 4. The Governor of the State shall, when this Act takes effect, appoint some suitable person, resident of Ventura County, to act as County Judge of said county, whose term of office shall continue until the first day of January, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, and until his successor is elected and qualified, and who shall hold his office and reside at the county seat.
SEC. 5. There shall be an election held in the county of Ventura, within sixty days from the time of the first meeting of the Commissioner, for the elec- tion of Commissioners, county officers, Supervisors, etc., etc. * * *
SEC. 7. It shall be the duty of the Board of Super- visors of Ventura County, whose election is by this Act provided for, to meet at the county seat on the first Monday of the month subsequent to their elec- tion and qualification, and elect the member from District Number One Chairman. They shall then allow such per diem and mileage to the Commission- ers and officers of election ax they may think proper and just; and such allowance shall be paid by a war- rant drawn in favor of each by the proper officers.
Said Board, or majority of them, shall then appoint two Free-holders, residents of Ventura County, to act as a Board of Commissioners, whose duty it shall be to meet a like number of Commissioners appointed by the Board of Supervisors of Santa Barbara County, at a time and place agreed upon. Such Joint Commissioners shall then organize, by appointing from their number a President and a Secretary, and shall immediately proceed to determine the indebt- edness of said county at the time when this Act takes effect.
After ascertaining the total amount of indebted- ness, they shall ascertain the total market value of the assets belonging to the county under considera- tion. They shall also ascertain the assessed value under the assessment of eighteen hundred and seventy-one of the property in the territory hereby set apart to form Ventura County. Then, after de- ducting the total value of assets from the total amount of indebtedness, so as to ascertain the actual indebtedness, the proportion due from the county of Ventura shall be ascertained as follows :-
As the total assessed value of property in the territory taken from Santa Barbara County to form Ventura County, is to the total assessed value of said county, so shall be the proportion of the actual
355
CONDITION AND COUNTY ORGANIZATION.
indebtedness of Ventura County to Santa Barbara County; and when so ascertained, said Commissioners shall certify to their respective Boards of Supervisors such amounts.
The Board of Supervisors of Ventura County shall then cause to be issued the bonds of Ventura County, payable in five years from the organization of said county, to the county of Santa Barbara, for such sum as the County Commissioners certify to be due, bearing the same rate of interest as the county of Santa Barbara is now paying on such debt. Said Board of Supervisors shall procure and provide a suitable place or places to be used as a Court House and jail, and for the accommodation of the various county officers. They shall then, in accordance with the general laws governing Boards of Supervisors, levy State and county taxes ;- provided, that for the General Fund they shall have power to levy not ex- ceeding eighty cents on each one hundred dollars of taxable property in said county.
They shall also levy a tax of ten cents upon each one hundred dollars of taxable property in said county, which shall be collected as other State and county taxes are collected; and when so collected, the same shall be set apart, pro rata, as a Sinking Fund, to liquidate the debt due from Ventura County to the county of Santa Barbara, effected by the crea- tion of Ventura County; and when there shall be five hundred dollars or more placed to the credit of said county of Santa Barbara, it shall be the duty of the Board of Supervisors of Ventura County, to draw upon their own order such sum, and purchase the warrants of said county of Santa Barbara; and upon presentation to the Treasurer of the county of Santa Barbara, he shall surrender a like amount of Ventura County bonds; said bonds shall then be canceled, and on their face countersigned by the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors and filed in the Clerk's office.
Said Board of Supervisors shall exercise such other powers and duties as are conferred by the general laws on Boards of Supervisors in the counties of this State. The levy of taxes for the first year shall be as effective as if levied at the time provided in the gen . eral law.
SEC. 8. All civil actions, or proceedings in the nature of actions, whether original or upon appeal, civil or criminal, which shall be pending in the Dis- trict Court, County Court, or Probate Court, in the county of Santa Barbara, at the time of the organi- zation of Ventura County, in which the defendants are residents of Ventura County, shall be removed for trial and final determination to the proper courts of Ventura County on motion of any party interested: provided, that all actions commenced for the collection of taxes and licenses, shall not be removed from the courts of Santa Barbara County; provided, further, that in all eriminal causes, where the offense was com- mitted within the present limits of Ventura County, upon the application of the District Attorney of Ventura County, said causes shall be removed to Ventura County.
SEC. 9. All residents or property holders of the county of Ventura, upon application to the County Recorder of the county of Santa Barbara, and upon the payment of fees required by law, shall be entitled to receive a transcript of the record, duly attested, of any property situated in the county of Ventura, and recorded in his office; and upon presen- tation of said transcript to the County Recorder of Ventura County. and upon the payment of the fees required by law, said County Recorder shall record the same, and said record shall have the full
force and effect of the original record; provided, however, the Board of Supervisors of Ventura County shall, within two years, proenre a suitable set of books, and make such arrangements as they may agree upon with the County Recorder of Santa Bar- bara County for transcribing therein all necessary records, properly certified; said records to have the same effect and force of the original records; provided, that the expense of such records shall not exceed the sum of four thousand dollars.
SEC. 10. The county of Ventura shall be attached to and form a part of the Third Senatorial District, and for judicial purposes shall be attached to and form a part of the First Judicial District. The terms of the District Court shall be held in and for the county of Ventura on the first Monday of March, July, and November of each year.
SEC. 11. The county officers of Ventura County shall, except as otherwise provided by this Act, be elected at the same time as county officers in other counties of this State, and shall hold their offices for the term fixed by law. * * *
SEC. 13. The Supervisors of Ventura County shall receive for their services four dollars per day, and twenty-five cents per mile in coming to the county seat. * * * *
SEC. 15. Ventura County shall be entitled to five Notaries Public, as provided by law. * * * *
SEC. 17. All delinquent taxes due the county of Santa Barbara at the time this Act takes effect from the persons or property in Ventura County, shall be paid to and collected by the proper officers of Ven- tura County, and the proper officers of Ventura County, and the Auditor of Santa Barbara County shall certify such delinquent taxes and tax list in duplicate to the Collector and Auditor respectively of Ventura County; they shall be collected by the officers of Ventura County in the same manner as delinquent taxes are collected in the other counties of this State. * * * *
SEC. 19. All Acts and parts of Acts, so far as they conflict with the provisions of this Act, are hereby repealed.
SEC. 20. This Act shall take effect and be in force from and after the first day of January, eighteen * hundred and seventy-three. * *
Under the new Act the boundaries of the county were as follows: Commencing on the coast of the Pa- cific Ocean, at the mouth of the Rincon Creek, thence following up the center of said creek to its source; thence due north to the boundary line of Santa Bar- bara County; thence in an easterly direction along the boundary line of Santa Barbara County to the north- east corner of the same; thence southerly along the line between the said Santa Barbara County and Los Angeles County to the Pacific Ocean and three miles therein; thence in a northwesterly direction to a point due south of and three miles distant from the center of the mouth of Rincon Creek; thenee north to the point of beginning and including the islands of Anacapa and San Nicolas.
AFFAIRS IN 1872.
During the year of the passage of the bill, great activity was manifested in Ventura; to the good effects of the new measure being ascribed the sudden and hopeful growth of business. During the summer
356
HISTORY OF VENTURA COUNTY.
of 1872 many visitors arrived in the county, in such numbers that the hotels of San Buenaventura were crowded, and it was difficult to obtain lodgings any- where in town. To meet the increased demands of travel, Ayer's Hotel was built, since remaining one of the prominent features of the place.
BUILDING OF A SCHOOL HOUSE.
As might be supposed, the subject of providing educational facilities for the increasing juvenile pop- ulation occupied a large share of public interest. On the same day on which the Act creating the county was approved, an Act was also passed empowering the School District of San Buenaventura to issue bonds to the amount of $10,000 for the purpose of building a suitable school house. The proceeds being devoted to the desired object, the work of construct- ing the present fine brick building was commenced, the corner-stone of this, the first public building yet begun, being laid on Monday, September 16, 1872, with appropriate ceremonies. A procession was formed in front of the Masonic Hall, Brice Grimes being Marshal, in which the High School, (Mr. Buck- man in charge); the primary school (Miss M. Halley, teacher); County Superintendent of Schools, School Trustees, Town Council, Members of the I. O. O. F., Masons, citizens, and visitors marched in line. The orator of the day was J. Franklin Williams. The corner-stone was laid with Masonic ceremonies, and contained in its hollow a short description of the town and its history; gold, silver, and nickel coins; the working tools of a Master Mason; a Bible; the names of the School Trustees; the Town Council and the Lodge of Masons; and copics of several newspapers of Southern California.
The building was duly completed, its dedication taking place on the 8th of the following March, with ceremonies equally as formal as attended the laying of the corner-stone. The exercises consisted of songs by the school children; a prayer by Rev. H. H. Dob- bins; singing of the "Star Spangled Banner" by Miss Boukofsky; oration by Mr. Buckman; reading of a report on school finances by Mr. Grimes, and short speeches by Rev. G. O. Ashe, Rev. H. H. Dobbins, B. Grimes, W. E. Barnard, D. D. DeNure, and J. M. Brooks. Principal Buckman's address was reputed to be the chief event of the day, and it was printed in the Signal, filling four columns of that paper. In this able production, the teacher demonstrated the power of the common school to prepare pupils to become efficient and valuable inhabitants of the republic.
NUMBER OF SCHOOL CHILDREN.
In 1872 the total number of school children in Ventura County was 809, of whom San Bucnaven- tura had 323; Santa Paula, 39; Pleasant Valley, 66; San Pedro, 76; Santa Clara, 46; Briggs, 36; Live Oak, 31; Ocean, 68; Ojai, 35; Sespc, 89. On the Simi Rancho, of 96,000 acres, there are now but three or
four children, and the extensive Las Posas has but five.
WATER COMPANIES.
Contemporaneonsly with the formation of the county, movements began to be made towards the construction of canals for supplying water for irri- gating and domestic uses. The old Mission Water- works, begun in immemorial times, and made to bring a supply of water from six miles up the Ven- tura River, were overhauled and repaired. The wet winter of 1861-62 had caused land-slides which had carried a great deal of the aqueduct bodily down hill. The structure was originally of brick, and a foot and a half square inside. Dr. Poli's antiquated grist-mill in town was driven by the force of the stream thus brought. This was the mill that Harrington in early times had run, and of which it was said that by run- ning day and night, it could grind enough grain to keep three Mexican families from starving. It is doubtful at this day whether this remark alluded to the limited efficiency of the mill, or to the almost unlimited size of the Mexican families. In the autumn of 1872, work was prosecuted on the old water-works, the canal was repaired, and the reser- voir cleaned out and partially rebuilt; sixteen to twenty men were employed, and the works were put in a state of comparative efficiency.
Other water schemes were on foot, which were. alluded to by the Signal in the previous winter, in saying that the town had two strings to her bow, they being the Santa Clara and Ventura Rivers, both of which were to be brought near by means of canals, when the abundance of water would be imme- diately utilized. The two Santa Clara Canals had been mentioned in an issue of the Signal in the fall of 1871, when their advantages were fully discussed. In May, 1871, the Signal announced the formation of the
SANTA CLARA IRRIGATING COMPANY,
Designed to conduct the water from that river upon the lands of the fertile Colonia Rancho. The men concerned in this scheme were H. G. Swinney, W. G. Swinney, P. Maddocks, Clay Maddocks, A. S. Clark, R S. Ramsauer, John Allen, G. L. Allen, O. Stewart, E. Stewart, L. Sutton, H. K. Jones, Ben Frost, Wm. Maddocks, A. A. Deal, and D. Gilbert. Their canal was to be twelve miles long, twelve feet wide, and two feet deep, with branches of less dimension. This canal was duly constructed, and is now in use, irri- gating considerable tracts.
" THE FARMERS' CANAL AND WATER DITCH"
Had its preliminary survey in 1871 by Peter Boyle. It has not proved as successful an institution as the south side ditch. It takes water from the Santa Paula Creek, and carries it some eight and a half miles down the valley. M. D. L. Todd, E. P. Todd, J. P. Cuttler, Abner Haines, Horatio Stone, Peter Boyle, ! and James McKinney were the original promoters of
ThomasRBund
THOMAS ROBERT BARD.
THOMAS ROBERT BARD was born in the town of Chambersburg, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, on the 8th day of December, 1841. He comes from a vigorous and sturdy race, the Scotch-Irish settlers, and pioneers in the New World. His ancestors settled in the present county of Franklin, while the greater part of the territory, now the State of Penn- sylvania, was a wilderness. They were noted for ability and probity of character, and took an active part in public affairs.
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