Our Community Heritage

JANUARY-MARCH

VOLUME 2

SANTA BARBARA

LUNCHEON MEETING—APRIL 21 SPEAKliR: Dr. Aubrey Neasham, State Historian for Division of Beaches and Parks Topic: “Preservation of Santa Barbara’s Land marks” Place and Time: Restaurante del Paseo—12:00 Noon

Report of the Curator SUBMITTED TO JANUARY 9 ANNUAL MEETING Mr. FresideiU, Members of the Board and Members of This Society: Our staff, and Mrs. Gledhill and myself are grateful for so many wonderful happenings to your Society in 1955—your interest and support of the Society—for our president Mr. Francis Price’s unselfish and devoted work —for these historic and beautiful rooms which he secured as our home, through the interest and kindness of the very Reverend David Temple of the Santa Barbara prov ince, O.F.M. We are grateful to Father Maynard Geiger for ills lending important and valuable papers from the Old Mission archives for the exhibits.

Our thanks go to Mr. Charles Storke and the NewsPress for the publicity given the Society and to Miss Verne Linderman and Miss Litti Paulding for their interesting articles, and to Miss Jean Bradford Fay for her

help.

We wish to extend our thanks to Mrs. Wilberta Finley, editor of Noticias, for her interest and untiring work to make it a success.

During the year of 1955 your exhibitions were at tended by 9,875 visitors, of whom 486 w'cre from foreign countries, with Canada in the lead, followed by England.

There were 3,030 visitors front every State in the Union except Mississippi, and the remaining 6,359 were from California. In the month of August appoximately .5,000 came to see tire Spanish-California exhibition.

The; Santa Barbara Foundation has enabled us, with its gift of 83,500, to keep the exhibit open every after noon imt Monday, from 2 to 5 p.m. From this fund students from the University of California and Westmont have been employed as hosts and hostesses foj' this work, and with the generous co-operation of the following groujjs, our exhibit has been kept open on Sunday after noons also: (Continued on Page 5J

HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Members Hear Jay Monaghan The Santa Barbara Historical Society and the Hispanic Society of Santa Barbara were co-sponsors at a luncheon meeting held on January 17, at Restaurante del Paseo, presenting Jay Monaghan, distinguislied author and his torian. and consultant to the Wyles Collection of Lincolniana at the,University of California, Santa Barbara Col lege. He spoke on the topic: “Forgotten Forty-Niners— The Sydney Ducks.”

Mr. Elbert S. Conner, newly-elected president of the Historical Society, presided. Dr. D. MacKenzie Brown, chairman of the board of the William Wyles Library, and a past president of the Historical Society, introduced Mr. Monaghan.

At the speaker’s table also were Maj. Gen. Robert Blake, president of the Hispanic Society; Thomas M. Storke of the Board of Regents of the University and pui>lisher of the Santa Barbara News-Press; Clarence L. Phelps, former president of the college and a director of the Wyles Library Board; Dr. John C. Snidecor, ActingProvost of the college, and member of the Board; Mrs. Monaghan, and Curator and Mrs. W. Edwin Gledliill.

This was the first public appearance of Jay Monaghan since his return from a year’s study in Australia on a Fullbright Fellowship. Wliile in Australia he covered over 10,000 miles on a quest for material concerning the “Sydney Ducks”—Australian gold miners who came to California in 1849 in search of the mineral, bringing with them their slang phrases, special songs (such as “My Darling Clementine”), leaving a definite imprint upon our own California way of life. When a real gold strike eventually took place in Australia, it drew not only the yVustralians back to their own land, but carried with it manv who had come to California to seek their fortunes.

Educational Service Expanded Santa Barbara Historical Society services are being extended to both city and county schools this year, so that eurrenl exhibits may be shown to individual classes.

Morning hours at the Museum arc being set aside for this pui'posc. Appointments can be made by the teachers through arrangement with the curator (Telephone Wood land 2-7712).

Miss Anna Lincoln, assistant curator, will conduct the tours and give a lecture covering the exhibit and back ground information.

PAGE

2

NOTICIAS

N€TICIA5 QUARTERLY BULLETIN OF THE SANTA BARBARA HISTORICAL SOCIETY OmcKiis AND Directors—1956 Ellicrt S. Conner President First Vice President .

Hugh J. "Weldon Charles A. Storke Second Vice President . . Edna Sharpe Recording Secretary.

Paul G. Sweetser Corresponding Secretary Treasurer Margaret Conklin Directors: Dr. Donald C. Davidson, W. Edwin Gledhill, Mrs. Henry Griffiths, Percy C. Hcckendorf, Rev. Basil Kelly. O.F.M., Dr. Philip W. Powell, Francis Price, Donald B. Welch.

W. Edwin Gledhill Mrs. W. Edwin Gledhill Wilberta M. Finley

.

.

.

.

Curator Associate Curator Editor

There nre five classes oj vumbershif: Bincjaclor $100; Patrojt $25; Contrihutinz $15; Sustainiisz $10; Active $5. Membershsp dues are tax deductible.

MAILING address:

OLD MISSION, SANTA BARBARA, CALIF.

LOOKING AHEAD FOR OVR SOCIETY Elbert S. Conner, who now heads our Society, has been a resident of our area since 1938, coming to Santa Barbara to organize the Convention Bureau of the Santa Barbara Chamber of Commerce. He served the Chamber as manager during the war-time years, and is now executive director of the Society of California Accountants, a State-wide organization of some 2,000 members, headquartering in Santa Barbara.

Mr. Conner for many years has followed an active interest in Californiana, collecting private editions in this general fi eld since 1930. He is a memlier of the California Historical Society, and has just been reappointed to membership on its Library and Gifts Committee. His historical interests have included research and cataloguing of historic documents of Santa Barbara, and cooperation with the Huntington Library in document restoration work.—Editor.

Important things arc ahead for the Santa Barbara Historical Society. The devoted work of our earlier officers and volunteer staff is beginning to bear fruit, and the time is not too distant when we will begin to reflect

Of immense importance, in this direction, is our Kodagraph microfilm viewer, recently given the Society by Edward Orena de Koch. This viewer is outside the ordinary realm of a museum gift. It is a working tool to expand the physical operation of the Society. Look ing to its more effective use, our next objective is a microfilm camera, and funds to make possible micro filming Santa Barbara County source records such as those now in the possession of the Bancroft Library at Berkeley and the Huntington Library at Pasadena, as well as priceless material in our own Library. On micro film, these will be available to our own students, authors, and researchers. This represents real progress toward the long-range objective of centralizing in our Museum all important records of this area.

These steps will help us to activate our cooperative educational program with the city and county schools.

Students at certain grade levels can be brought to the Museum for lectures around our era exhibits with liberal use of our own source material and microfilm records-—■

From the President

give even greater services which wealth of the area we work in.

toric materials is growing in variety and worth. It is important that our whole membership reach out to secure for the Society all available memorabilia, letters, arti facts, family histories and geneologies, old photographs, business records, etc., etc. With a backlog of such ma terials we can better interpret our historic origins to present and future Santa Barbarans.

the

historic

For Santa Barbara and the region surrounding it are second to none as a source origin for data bearing upon important western historical trends and events.

Our Mission, to point up the most familiar example, is the only one that has remained in constant operation since its founding.

It is a glaring anomaly that we are one of the smallest of local historical societies of the state, when our back ground is so rich in historic significance. The challenge lies ahead to reach out in membership, on the basis of service rendered, and give our Society real stature, both locally and among its member societies.

To that end, we want the active participation of our old family desceiidents, our school people, our city and county officers, in fact, our community at large.

Under the far-sighted and active leadership of our curators, the Gledhills, our permanent collection of his-

thus acquainting our own future citizens with our historic background, and supplementing the work of our schools in a most important and necessary way.

1 have not tried to make the above remarks inclusive of all tlie steps ahead for our Society, but rather to suggest some of the immediate ones which make this year of interest and growth in our Society’s own “his tory.” 1 hope all of our membership will share enthusi astically in the process, as the Society enlarges its service potential.

Elbert S. Conner President

Luncheon on Landmark Preservation On April 21, Dr. Aubrey Neashain, State Historian for the Division of Beaches and Parks, will be the guest speaker at a luncheon under the sponsorship of the Santa Barbara Historical Society and the Plans and Plantin D Committee. The luncheon will be held at Restauranle del Pasco at 12 p.m.

Dr. Ncasham will speak on The Advantages of a Master Plan for the Preservation of Santa Barbara’s Landmarks, He will cover in detail work accomplished by the Division of Beaches and Parks in Monterey, Colum bia, and other parts of California. He will also cover projects in the old pueblo town of Los Angeles, such as the Olvera Street area, as well as the work planned in San Diego.

City's Birthday Commemorated The luncheon and the speaker’s topic were arranged to coinmemoraLe an important day for Santa Barbara, for April 21 is the city’s official birthday. On this dale in 1782 Governor Felipe de Neve and Father-President Juniperii Serra in a joint ceremony dedicated the Royal Presidio of Santa Barbara.

JANUARY-MARCH

PAGE

3

Our Community Heritage

haps agnostics, but they had a common interest—devo tion to our community’s welfare.

Noticias presents below, by permission of the author, excerpts from an address given recently by the Society’s former president, Mr. Francis Price, Sr., to the Roosevelt School Parent Teachers’ Association. It was given at the site of the original Orena house, which lay just seaward from the Mission, and was razed to make way for Roosevelt School. In calling attention to the part that every Santa Barbaran can play in preserving our historical heritage Mr. Price’s remarks effectively express our Society’s underlying objectives.-—Editor.

Our heritage originated before the dawn of history.

The Chumash Indians made their contribution to our

By Francis Price This is an auspicious site for a discussion of Santa Barbara’s heritage. It is the place the Chumash Indians called “Taynayan.” The Spaniards called it “Pedregosa.”

Both words mean “a rocky place.” It was here our present community life began with the founding of the Mission. On December 4, 1786, three Franciscan Padres walked past this spot to found the Mission. Taynayan was chosen as the site in obedience to the ancient Span ish Laws of the Indies which prescribed that the main church of a coastal town must be on an eminence so that it could be seen from the ocean to serve as a land mark for sailors. As the only water supply available was the gravity flow of Mission Creek, no higher elevation could be used without sacrificing this supply.

The founding ceremonies were very simple and the only structures erected were a cross and a crude brush hut, but the altar lights then lit are still kept burning, symbolic of the continuous life of our community from that remote day to the present. This continuity is of the essence of our community heritage.

Heritage is what is inherited or passed from generation to generation. While it sometimes applies to properly interests, it also includes in its meaning the lot, condi tion or status into which one is born—his birthright.

In this sense, civil liberties are heritages of free men....

Community heritage, like that of the family, consists of the history, traditions and achievements made by past generations. These are the things which give a town its “atmosphere”—that make it a desirable place in which to live. Santa Barbara is blessed with an outstanding heritage. ...

Community heritage is a living thing which progresses like a coral atoll. As you know, these amazing structures grow from the very bottom of the sea and are built by the deposit of the remains of generations of minute organisms, one on top of the other. One of these micro scopic animals contributes but little to the whole struc ture, hut the combined contribution of countless numbers builds a lovely island which may some day become a continent. The process is never ending, the living con tinuously building upon the dead. So it is with a com munity. Citizens live and die and leave the residue of their efforts, which, increased by those of on-coming gen erations results in an ever-growing community structure. ... Some of our predecessors added great chunks of development to the humble deposits of lesser people.

I am sure that our greatest contributors rest in our cemeteries. Unfortunately for our community, their work and even their names have largely passed from modern memory. They were men and women of many breeds and creeds — Indians, Spaniards, Mexicans, Irishmen, Frenchmen, Germans. Italians, British and Americans.

They were pagans. Catholics, Protestants, Jews and per-

community by discovering it as an ideal place for human habitation and by starting the atoll which became Santa Barbara.

Nearly two centuries ago the Spaniards took over the atoll and began to deposit their contributions. We are prone to think of their remote efforts as merely ancient history which died with them. Such is most certainly not the fact.

Their blood and their works are still with us. Our popular Mayor, John Rickard, is the great-grandson of the last Spanish Coniandante of Santa Barbara. Mr. T. M. Storke, publisher of our leading newspaper, is a direct descendant of the first Spanish Commandante.

Hundreds of other Barbarenos can trace their ancestry to our Spanish founders. Their families have made their contributions to our atoll for nearly two centuries.

To the Spaniards we owe our beautiful Mission, our distinctive architecture, our romantic names for streets and places, our plazas and our traditions such as are recalled in our Old Spanish Days Fiesta. They initiated our municipal government which, though changed in form and national allegiance, has functioned continuously since its establishment in 1782.

When Santa Barbara passed to American rule in 1846, many Americans moved here and they and their descend ants joined with the Spanish-speaking natives in creating our modern city. The building of the atoll didn’t cease with the change of flags. The newcomers merely added their contributions to the living structure—a structure which has now passed to us as our community heritage.

This precious heritage we hold in trust for our children and our children’s children—a living heritage and a per petual trust which will pass on to all generations to come.

This heritage, like every other asset, bears an accom panying obligation—an obligation not only to preserve it, and add to it, but to these ends, to understand and appreciate it, and to pass this understanding and appreci ation on to our children.

This obligation to preserve our children’s birthright which today rests squarely on our shoulders is a greater challenge than any offered our forebearers who made this heritage. They served when our community was small and its life was simple, when our people were nearly unanimous in their loyalty to and appreciation of our heritage. Today, our population has multiplied many times. Our people have widely diverse ideas of what our community should be, and what is worse, some have no ideas and no concern. We are at the crossroads and it is for us to determine the course our community will take. . . . Can Santa Barbara without economic injury retain its hereditary atmosphere which is its greatest charm?

It is later than we think. The avalanche of growth is almost upon us and if we do not direct its forces, it will overwhelm us. . . . We must insist that our public officers adopt and enforce sound plans which will absorb our inevitable growth without destroying our children’s precious herit age. I do not speak of mere zoning. Zoning is a negative approach. 1 refer to wise planning which is afiirmative,

PAGE

4

NOTICIAS

constructive and farseeing — anticipating the problems which will surely arise in matters of traffic, health and congestion—preserving our natural beauty and historical traditions and insuring architectural harmony.

Santa Barbara will grow and grow big, and we can do nothing about it, except perhaps to temporarily re tard it. We can, however, do much about how it shall grow. We can see that it grows big gracefully.

You may say that these observations are generalities.

They cannot apply to me. I am just an ordinary citizen or a housewife with children and other cares which pre vent me from making history and building a community.

If you believe that, you are over-modest. The very fact that you belong to the Parent-Teacher Association . . . is a real community contribution.

What more should you do? Support to the limit of your time, means and ability every worthy community effort. Encourage your children to do the same. Learn what you can of Santa Barbara’s history and traditions from the sources free to all. Read the books and articles on Santa Barbara which are so well selected and cata logued in our public library. Attend lectures on the subject, especially the annual series, “Know Your Santa

The Koch Manuscript A NARRATIVE AROUND THE LIFE AND TIMES OF DON CASPAR ORENA The Society has recently come into possession of a manuscript, in microfilm form, the original of which was given the Bancroft Library by Miss Carlota Koch. Miss Koch, who died last January, was the daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. William Ignatius Koch (Serena Orena) of Santa Barbara and Los Angeles. Her brother, Edward Orena de Koch, presented to our Society in memory of his sister, the microfilm viewer now being so usefully employed at Museum headquarters. Miss Koch and her brother spent their younger days in the Orena House just below the Mission.

Miss Koch’s manuscript, entitled “Las Guipuzcoana” deals in narrative form with the central figure of Don Caspar Eugenio de Orena y Gomez de Escaudon, her grandfather, who came to Santa Barbara from Spain in 1842 to seek his fortune.

Barbara,” conducted by the Santa Barbara Volunteer Bureau. Visit the splendid museums which are a unique part of our heritage. Learn of our plants and flowers at the Botanic Garden; of our animals and prehistoric men at the Museum of Natural History; of our Mission life at the Old Mission, and, finally, learn of our subse quent history at the Museum of the Santa Barbara Historical Society, also at the Old Mission. In these exhibits, Santa Barbara’s history is portrayed from its original state of nature to the current moment. Support these organizations by contributing the much needed modest membership dues and sharing in their activities.

By doing these things, you not only will be making a contribution to community welfare, but you will in form yourself on past accomplishments and failures to enable you intelligently to discharge your duties as a citizen in present and future problems. The greatest com munity waste is ignorance of past experience. Experi ence, it is said, is the best teacher, but of what good is the lesson if the experience is forgotten? .. .

Be it great or small, let us each in his own way make our contributions to our children’s heritage—this beau tiful atoll—our beloved Santa Barbara.

Don Caspar first engaged in the shipping and mer cantile business with his uncle, Don Jose Antonio Julian de la Guerra y Noriega, Comandante of the Presidio, eventually taking title to some 49,000 acres of coastal ranch land. One of these ranches, Los Alamos de Santa Elena, is still in the possession of Edward Orena de Koch.

Don Caspar married his cousin. Dona Maria Antonia de la Guerra Lataillade, and from this union was born Serena Orena, the mother of Edward and Carlota. Upon his marriage he purchased the east wing of the de la Guerra adobes, “la bodega,” making it over into a home for his bride. In 1858 it was added to, and most of the thirteen Orena children were born here.

The De la Guerra and Orena adobes, built in 1826, still stand side by side on De la Guerra Street between State and Anacapa.

To lay the scene for her narrative. Miss Koch traces the family history of the Orenas and the De la Guerras back to the 13th century, and the story as it develops deals with California descendants of these families.

Source material for the manuscript included Don Caspar Orena’s diaries and letters. From it the reader gets an intimate glimpse into the whole manner of life of the period.

The Orena Coot of Arms —one of the illustrations occomponying the Koch manuscript. In the above form this crest dates from 1487, when Froncisco Romirez de Oreno wos decorated for valor In the seige of Mologo, by Kirig Ferdinand.

Below is presented the Foreword, and the Table of Contents of “Las Guipuzcoana”: FOREWORD In California as we know il today, few vestiges remain of the romantic Spanish days, and fewer still of the Spaniards, that stalwart, manly race that traveled half across the world to settle on her shores.

In the face of this transition, this passing of the old regime, it seems fitting to bring to life the figure of one who so nobly personified its ideals, and who was one of the last of those favored few, chosen by Destiny, to light the torch of civilization in a new world.

Carlota Koch Los Alamos de Santa Elena November 1936

PAGE

JANUARY-MARCH

5

Report of the Curator (Continued from Page 1) Soroptimists International Association, Santa Barbara Chapter, Mrs. George R. Welles, President (First Sunday of each month).

Reina del Mar, Parlor No. 126, Native Daughters of the Golden West, Miss Ellen Hayward, Past-President, Miss Mary Ann George, President, assisted by Mrs. Martin Coen, Miss Elisa Bottiana, and Miss Edna L. Sharpe (Second Sunday of each month).

City Club, Mrs. Roland H. Harris, President, assisted by Mrs. Edward Born, Mrs. J. B. Autrey, Mrs. Elizabeth Rocus and Miss Hannah Lindstrom (Third Sunday of each month).

Tierra de Oro, Parlor No. 304, Native Daughters of the Golden West, Mrs. W. F. McKinney, President, assisted by Mrs. Mar garet Kenney Tripp and Miss Miriam Reidy (Fourth Sunday of each month).

Zonta Club, Mrs. 0. 0. Uhle, President, Mrs. Mary Coulter, Chairman (Fifth Sunday of each month).

t

Some very interesting and valuable gifts were given your Society, by 95 donors, during 1955, but time will allow me to describe only a few:

5

The Orena House, built originally where Roosevelt School new stands, below the Mission.

LAS GUIPIIZCOANA CONTENTS

Chapter I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. IX. X. XL XII. XIII. XIV. XV. XVI. XVII. XVIII. XIX. XX. XXL XXII. XXIII. XXIV. XXV. XXVI. XXVII.

Era Montanez Cadiz The New World Val Paraiso The City of Kings Mazatlan California in 1842 The Spanish Comandante of Santa Barbara “. .. the Castle Is a Convent” Maria Antonia de la Guerra y Noriega The Presidio The Destiny of Four Don Jose Antonio Aguirre The Young Consul of France La Guipuzcoana The Port of Silver Trade The Shepherd Kings La Espada Marriage Don Jose Antonio’s Death The Daughter’s Inheritance Paris in 1860 “. .. Never to Return” The House Near the Mission San Francisco Los Alamos de Santa Elena Reminiscences

xxviri.

The Opera and Don Roman XXIX. The Second Spring XXX. The Beautiful Town by the Sea Afterward

The Society is delighted to have Miss Koch’s manu script in its archives, and is exploring possibilities which might lead to its publication.

Mr. Francis Price presented the valuable Vol. I No. 28 copy of the Santa Barbara Gazette of 1855.

A copy was received of “Life and Adventures of Don Augustin Janssen,” from Mr. Price and Dr. William Ellison; and a pam phlet “Ways of Life in Early Santa Barbara,” from Mr. Price.

Dr. William H. Ellison, a former president of the Santa Bar bara Historical Society, has given a translation of the Charles Huse diary by Mr. Price and himself, and a copy of the Spanish text, as well as two of his papers published in the California Historical Society Quarterly.

A gift was made by Mrs. Dwight Mmphy of a large mirror which was owned by Don Jose de la Guerra, and once hung opposite the portrait of Don Jose in the De la Guerra adobe home.

Mrs. Jane Hollister Wheelwright, with her father, J. J. Hol lister, has made a gift of a collection of Col. W. W. Hollister papers, and Mr. Harrison Dibblee of San Francisco has given a group of letters of Thomas Bloodgood Dibblee. Both collections of letters are in the main written to Albert Dibblee in San Fran cisco. Some have to do with the purchase of the San Julian Ranch, and tlie discussion of prices with Caspar Orena. At that time the price of $1.25 an acre was asked by Mr. Orena. It was considered too high by Col. Hollister and Mr. Dibblee.

Mr. Thomas M. Storke presented to the Society a letter from Daniel Hill to Alpheus B. Thompson, 1834.

Mrs. Edward Borein has recently made additional gifts to our Borein collection, among them a Gaucho’s belt of silver, and a lady’s stirrup of silver.

Mr. Harold Chase added the valuable book, “Etchings of the West,” which contains reproductions of the etchings of Edward Borein, and a copy of “California in the Fifties,” published by John Howell.

Miss Maria Lorenza Trussell gave a handsome small paisley shawl, now on exhibit.

Miss Carlotta Koch sent a copy of “On Land and Sea,” by William Thomas, with notes by the donor.

In memory of Ynez Sharpe Strous, the Reina del Mar Parlor No. 126, of the Native Daughters of the Golden West, have given to the Society, Father Maynard Geiger’s translation of Palou’s "Life of Father Serra.”

And lather Basil Kelly, OFM, Guardian of the Mission, has made a gift of a painting of the Santa Barbara Mission, by Edmundson, circa 1883.

From the Santa Barbara Public Librar>% through Mr. John Smith, was received another view of the Mission by the same painter.

Other much appreciated gifts which time will not allow me to describe have been received from the many mem bers and friends in the list appearing on pages 7 and 8, In 1955 we had, as you know, three exhibitions commencing with the 1850-1890 period, which was followed l)y what we call the “Modern” period, from 1890 to 1925.

The last exhibUion which opened for the Fiesta in August and closed December 1, 1955, was of the Spanish-Cali-

PAGE

6

fornia period. The exhibit which opens today is again from 1850-1890.

There exists in Santa Barbara a sharp conflict of ideas as to the further development of the Santa Barbara area.

In the coming growth of this community your Society, by education through its exhibitions, and its work for the preservation of our historic landmarks, can help to preserve some of the unique historic atmosphere of Santa Barbara which is her most valuable asset now, and should continue to be in the future.

Your Curator considers the Society’s part in the saving of the Hunt-Stambach landmark, one of its achievements of the year 1955. The group of women who make up the Assistance League cannot be too highly complimented on what they have accomplished. They have done a mag nificent job. But, far more important, they have shown that it is not necessary to have our landmarks destroyed.

With the courage and interest of the Assistance League in mind, another organization or individuals could save the Packard adobe before it ends in a pile of rubble, meeting the same fate as the Goux adobe.

Mr. Elmer Whittaker played an important part in the saving of the Hunt-Stambach landmark from the time its destruction was temporarily stopped until the day of its gala opening at Christmas time. He has examined the Packard Adobe and prepared plans and an estimate of cost for its preservation, so that it would be stronger structurally than when it was built. It will be sad if this landmark cannot be saved, for it has an interesting his tory. It was a noted winery in the 1860’s, and housed the first experiment of silk industry in the country. Its size and two stories would make it adaptable for many uses—for community use as a branch of the Public Library; for exhibition or lodge use, or for a Spanish restaurant. There is ample parking on the seven lots which are a part of the property, and your Curator invites any ideas from members as to ways and means of saving this adobe.

Your Curator is particularly interested also in pre venting the destruction of family papers which so often follows the death of a member of the family. In this last year, many of our families, without realizing the value to an historical society, have destroyed letters, note books, diaries, Santa Barbara and California pamphlets, old in voices, invitations, theater programs and identified photo graphs of local interest, and a quantity of memorabilia which should have gone into our archives as records of the family and history of the County. At such a time, I hope our members will remember our need also for books on the geneology of Santa Barbara families; on the history of Santa Barbara county and California; and for paintings and books by Santa Barbara artists and authors.

Your Society, at the present time, has only 264 mem bers. The dues that they pay are the only means of financial support that the Society has. If our member ship could be increased to 1,000 or 2,000 members, our value to the community would be greatly enhanced. We hope the future also will bring gilts and bequests to the Society, which will give added security to the work of recording the history of the County.

In 1956 your Historical Society plans to begin an association with both the City and the County schools for educational use of our exhibits. Miss Anna Lincoln is available for this work, and is well equipped to make it a success.

NOTICi AS

The collecting and arranging of historical material used in the present exhibition was under the direction of your curator, assisted by Mrs. Gledhill; Miss Anna Lincoln, assistant curator, arranged the artifacts in the cases, the costumed figures and the decorative use of the Paisley shawls, while Mrs. Lawrence More and Mrs. Don ald Myrick arranged and planned the silver case.

In ending this report, I wish to thank the volunteer members of our staff for their help in 1955—Mrs. James W. Colt, Jr., who is performing a herculean and pains taking task in deciphering the difficult penmanship in which the letters of Col. W. W. Hollister and Thomas B. Dibblee are written, to enable others to read them more easily .. . Mrs. Eugene Coffin, for listing and indexing the splendid collection of books and pamphlets in our growing Library ,.. Miss Ellen Hayward, who is assist ing with library research, as well as the clipping, cata loguing and filing of newspaper articles ... Mrs. Arthur H. Williams and Mrs. Guy Stockton, who are assisting with the latter project . . . Mrs. Henriette von Blon, for her ability to serve as a gracious and informed hostess to our many visitors. Our sincere thanks are due to Miss Margaret Conklin for her excellent secretarial and general office work in the library. And special thanks also, to Miss Conklin, for her excellently planned and arranged music exhibit in September, 1955, in honor of the Pacific Coast Music Festival, as well as for her fine report of it in the October Noticias.

To Mrs. Ruth Lewin, the Misses Joan Weathers and Marilyn Snyder, and Wayne Rollins, Westmont College students who are working under the grant of funds from the Santa Barbara Foundation, we wish also to express our thanks for their work and help to the Society.

Respectfully submitted, W. Edwin Gledhill Curator

Noticias Salutes . .

Ines de la Guerra Dibblee . . . upon the recent publi cation of her “Hacienda Memories and Caravans of Thought,” a collection of poems written by the greatgranddaughter of Comandante Jose de la Guerra y Noriega, and dedicated “to the memory of Thomas Wilson Dibblee,” her brother, who shared with her the love for the old San Julian Rancho and the view of the sea from their Mesa-top home above Castle Rock, over looking Santa Barbara.

Mission Santa lues ... for its fourth annual successful community carnival in Solvang in February, held for the purpose of restoring and repairing parts of its build ing, and of providing more adequate museum space.

Fr. Tim O’Sullivan. OFM. Cap., pastor, reported over 3,000 visitors to the carnival, with net proceeds at about S5,000.

A 36-page booklet has recently been published as a souvenir of Mission Santa Ines. It contains a complete history of this, the 19lh Mission, from the founding date, September 17, 1804, through 1954, giving a numerical catalogue of treasures in the museum, numerous photo graphs both before restoration and afterwards, as well as a plan of the Old Mission and its buildings as it looked at the height of its prosperity.

JANUARY - MARCH

PAGE

7

Santa Maria and San Luis Obispo . . . our neighbor ing communities to the north, on their recently or ganized Historical Societies and upon their newly dedi cated headquarters. Mrs. Irene Julian is Curator at the Santa Maria Historical Society headquarters, and Mrs. Gladys Norton serves in this capacity in the San Luis Obispo museum.

Ventura Historical Society ... organized September 9, 1955, with headquarters in the Pioneer Museum, 77 N. California Street, Ventura. The second quarterly, Vol, 1, No. 2, is just off the press. The editorial staff is com posed of Charles F. Outland, Chairman, and Grant Heil, assistant. Adolpho Camarillo is Honorary Life Presi dent. R. G. Percy, President.

Our curator, W. Edwin Gledhill . . . for his ability to envision projects of great historical magnitude. A cur rent example of his long-range planning is the proposal for restoration of our original Presidio, at least as to structure. Typical of such restorations are those at Williamsburg, Virginia; Sutters Fort, Sacramento; Vieux Carre, New Orleans. Our board of directors has already authorized entering into discussions with local authorities and has appointed a special committee to develop these discussions.

Society Represented at Stockton The Santa Barbara Historical Society was represented by its curators, Mr. and Mrs. W. Edwin Gledhill, at the 9th Annual California History Foundation Conference, held at the College of the Pacific in Stockton on March 9 and 10. The topics listed for discussion and the speakers handling them produced a meeting to delight the collector of California history. Robert E. Burns, President of the College of the Pacific, gave a welcome to the visitors at the formal dinner, introducing as the speaker of the evening, Professor Hubert Herring who spoke on “California Looks to Latin America.” Mrs. W. G. Paden, writer and lecturer, talked on “Side Lights on California History from Old Documents.” Andrew S. Rolle, Professor of History at Occidental College, author 99 of a new book, “William Heath Davis and His Times, spoke on “The California of the Pioneer.” And for a final fillip, President-Emeritus Tully Knowles gave the closing address.

Mr. and Mrs. Gledhill were accompanied on their visit to Stockton by Miss Verne Linderman of the Santa Bar bara News-Press.

Jor their contribution to Santa '^>arbara theJinest communi^ in all the world.

O^nt^’Hltional ‘Bank SlfustQmpaty w

Society Honored by Award of Merit Last January the Santa Barbara Historical Society was the proud recipient of County National Bank and Trust Company’s Award of Merit for its contribution toward making Santa Barbara “the finest community in all the 99 world.

The Award was presented in a televised ceremony over Station KEY-T, with Society President Elbert S. Conner, and Curators Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Gledhill participating.

Mr. Gledhill exhibited examples of the work of early Santa Barbara silversmiths, as well as paintings of his toric interest from the Society’s collections. He also made a plea for preservation of the Packard Adobe, and de scribed the work at Mission headquarters to the television audience.

Spanish Exhibit to Continue Partly due to inauguration of the school tour and lecture program, it has been decided to extend the cur rent Spanish-Araerican exhibit to the end of the school year. Another special exhibit for the Old Spanish Days Fiesta period in August will be prepared after the current exhibit closes some time in June.

New Volume Number: Members please note that the current number of Noticias is Volume 2, Number 1.

There is no Volume 1, Number 4, since it was desired to conform to calendar dating.

Gifts and Loans to Santa Barbara Historical Society FOR PERIOD JANUARY 1955 THROUGH FEBRUARY 1956 Grateful acknowledgment is made to the following for gifts to the permanent collection of the Society, and to those listed as loaning exhibit materials.

GIFTS Mrs. Mamie Goulet Abbott Mr. and Mrs. Byron Abraham Mr. Taylor Alexander Mr. Ira Allschul Rev. Perry Austin Mrs. Rosamund Pierce Barrie Mrs. Floy Hunt Battell Mrs. Wadsworth Baylor

Mrs. Freda H. Beckman Mrs. Edward Borein Dr. Julia Bramlage Miss Katherine Burke Miss Margaret Burke Mrs. Charles Butler Mr. Gerald D. Carpenter Mr. Harold S. Chase Mrs. Lawrence Cohh .Miss Esther Coffin

Mrs. Eugene Coffin Miss Winifred Coffin Mrs. James Colt Miss Margaret Conklin Mr. Elbert S. Conner Rev. 0. B. Cook Mr. Elias Cota Miss .Aurora CovaiTubias Miss Yris Covarrubias Miss Micaela De la Cuesta

Mr. Harrison Dibblee, Jr. Mrs. T. Wilson Dibblee Mr. William Dibblee Miss Maria 0. Dondero Mr. Walter Douglas Miss Vera Dowell Mrs. Charles Ealand Mr. Robert E. Easton Mrs. A. R. Edmondson Dr. William H. Ellison

PAGE

NOTICI AS

8

Mrs. Martin Elmberg Mr. Helmer Ericson Dr. Elliot Evans Mr. Albert Falve Miss Jean Bradford Fay Mrs. Joseph M. Feeley Mrs. Maria Dana Felix Dr. H. Verrill Findlay Mr. and Mrs. George H. Finley Mr. Richard Finley Mrs. Arthur Greenwell Mr. and Mrs. A. Douglas Harmer Mr. and Mrs. Bertram Harmer Miss Ethel Haskell Mr. Warren R. Howell Mrs. E. Hoyer Mrs. Ralph Isham Mr. Duncan Jackson Dr. and Mrs. Charles L. Jacobs Mrs. Jessie M. Johnson Mr. Kirk B. Johnson Mrs. Edward D. Jones Mr. C. C. Jorgensen Mrs. Cyril C. Juster Mrs. Raymond King Miss Carlota Koch Mr. Edward Orena de Koch Mrs. H. 0. Koefod Miss Catherine Lataillade Mrs. William Houston Lazier Mrs. Francis Lee Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Lewis Miss Anna B. Lincoln Mrs. Henry P. Lincoln Mrs. John Lincoln Mrs. 0. L. Lyman Dr. Jacob Rader Marcus Mrs. William Maris Mrs. Charles Mattei Mrs. Mattye R. McAtee Mrs. C. E. McCoy Dr. Isabel McCracken Mrs. Anna Myer McGee Mrs. Shotwell McIntyre Mrs. Alice Day McLaren Miss Gladys Moorhead Mrs. Lawrence More Mr. and Mrs. Dwight Murphy Native Daughters of the Golden West, Reina Del Mar Parlor 126 Mrs. Cleda Neilson Mrs. Edna Newton

Mrs. Roderick Noonan Mr. Reginald Oakley Mrs. Charles C. Ogden Old Mission,

by Fr. Basil Kelly, OFM Mrs. John Blair Oliver Mr. Owen O’Neill Mrs. Maria Antonia Orena Mr. and Mrs. William L. Otte Mrs. Josephine Palato Mr. Harold Parma Mr. John Parma Mrs. Louise Peck Mrs. M. Russell Perkins Mr. Charles T. Pierce Mrs. Fairbairn Poole Mr. Lyman L. Pope Mr. Willard Powner Madame Tai-Chi Quo Mrs. Paul Rea Mr. Max C. Richter Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Robinson Miss Grace Roe Mr. Cameron Rogers Mrs. David Banks Rogers Mr. R. B. Romero Mr. Harry W. T. Ross Mr. and Mrs. Russell Ruiz Mrs. William Russell Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Santa Barbara Public Library,

by Mr. John Smith Mr. Horace Sexton Mrs. John C. Sherer Miss Winifred Smith Mr. Ian Snowden Mr. Howard J. Steib Mrs. Guy Stockton Mr. S. H. Stoltze Mr. Charles A. Storke Mr, Thomas M. Storke Mr. Eldon Tatsch Miss Margaret Thorpe Miss Maria Lorenza Trussell Mrs. Francis Underhill Mr. and Mrs. Reginald Vaughn Mrs. Henriette von Blon Mr. Hugh Weldon Mrs. Jane Hollister Wheelwright Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Whittaker Mrs. Arthur H. Williams Mrs. E. J. Willis Mr. and Mrs. Howard Willoughby

NGTICIAS QUARTERLY BULLETIN OF THE SANTA BARBARA HISTORICAL SOCIETY OLD MISSION SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA

LOANS Mrs. J. M. Abbott Mr. and Mrs. Byron Abraham Alexander House Mrs. Richard T. Ambrose, Sr. Mrs. Soledad Rochin Birabent Mrs. Edward Borein Mr. Harold S. Chase Miss Pearl Chase Miss Esther Coffin Miss Winifred Coffin Miss Dorothy Cotton Miss Aurora Covarrubias Miss Yris Covarrubias Mrs. Allan G. Cram Mrs. George Merrill Davis Capt. and Mrs. Charles Gordon Davy Mrs. Lockwood de Forest Mr. Edward Orena de Koch Miss Delphina Dibblee Mr. Harrison Dibblee Miss Ines Dibblee Mrs. T. Wilson Dibblee Mrs. Ben Dismuke Mr. Walter Douglas Mrs. Charles Ealand Mr. H. H. Eddy Miss Dorothy Edwards Mr. Albert Falve Mrs. Cammillo Fenzi Miss Florence Fernald Mrs. Agnes Field Mrs. Max Fleischmann Mr. and Mrs. W.Edwin Gledhill Mr. Eloy R. Hixenbaugh Mrs. Bernard Hoffman Mr. John J. Hollister Mr. John J. Hollister, Jr. Mrs. Robert Ingle Hoyt Dr. and Mrs. Charles L. Jacobs Miss Jane Kimberley Mrs. Consuela Rickard King Mrs. Caesar E. Lataillade Miss Catherine Lataillade Miss Anna B. Lincoln Mrs. Henry P. Lincoln Mrs. John Lincoln Miss Helen Low Miss Marjory Low

Mr. and Mrs. Abel Maldenado Mrs. Clarence Mattel Mr. Fred Mattel Mrs. Lawrence More Music Academy of the West Mr. and Mrs. Dwight Murphy Mrs. Donald Myrick Old Mission,

by Fr. Maynard Geiger, OFM Mr. Charles A. Ott Mr. and Mrs. William L. Otte Mrs. Marjorie Greenwell Overbaugh Mr. Roy F. Overbaugh Mr. David Parma Mr. John A. Parma Miss Litti Paulding Mrs. Louise Peck Mrs. Godwin Pelissero Mrs. Rafaelito Ortega Philbrick Mr. Cliarles T. Pierce Miss Ellen Pierce Mr. Francis Price Mrs. Dibblee Poett Mrs. James B. Rickard Mr. John T. Rickard Mrs. William H. Roberts Mr. Cameron Rogers Mrs. Harry W. T. Ross Mr. and Mrs. Russell Ruiz Mrs. Melville Sahyun Santa Barbara Museum of Art Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Santa Barbara Public Library Miss Helene Seeley Mr. H. A. Sexton Mrs. Georgians Lacy Spalding Mr. Edward Spaulding Mrs. Samuel Stanwood Mr. Charles A. Storke Mr. Thomas M. Storke Mrs. Edgar Stowe Mrs. James D. Thurman Miss Maria Lorenza Trussell Mrs. Francis Underhill University of California, Santa Barbara College Mr. Winfield M. Van de Mark Mr. and Mrs. R. W. Vaughn Mrs. Henrietta von Blon Mrs. Hugh J. Weldon Mr. Roderick White Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Whittaker