The Greening of Santa Barbara

Quarterly Magazine Of The Santa Barbara Historical Society Vol. XLVII, No. 4

Winter 2001

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'Te Greening of Santa Barbara

>> ’ i-iiLE DRix'iNG through the neighborhoods ojSdntd Barbdni, itiscdsy to understandtvhy this A‘’community is an oJjicidUy designated free Cicy USA.'Ihe number and variety ojtrees and other plantings in the city’s parks and(dong its streets is tndy remarkable. 'Ihis greening ofSanta Barbara has a long histony certainly one ojthe benchmarks ofthat history is theJounding oJ the Board ojParkCommLssioners in n)oi and the beginnings oja city parkdepartment.

In this issueof NOTiciAS, lidivard / lartleld salutes this one hundred yecir milestone by telling a poiiion ojthishisto)-y. He kmnvs the sidject oj his story zi ell; hL^jather,John I larLjeld,ivas Park Superintendent jwm igyilo ^935, the most trying years of the Cjreai Depression. Under Plaiijeld's leadership, the Park Department became a prima>-y source ojxvork f>r the unemployed, 'fhe zvide range <fprojectsimdertaken during these years transjonned the urban landscape ojSanta Barbara, blartjeld also played a central role in a project zvhich brought the city nationed attention andzvas a source ojgreat civic pride — Santa Barbara’s involvement in the 'loumciment ojPpses parade. In this period ofeconomic distress, the acclaim zvhich the city enjoyed ivith its successes in Pasadena teas especially gratijying to Santa Barbarans. John / lartjeld indeed made the most oj his time as Park Superintendent.

Front cover photograph .shoivs <i portion oj Alameda Plaga,one oj the city's oldest parks. Back cover image is the logo oj the City Parks Centennial, courtesy ojthe CityojSanta Barbara Parks and [(ecreation Department. y\ll photographs arejrom the collection ojthe Santa Barbara I listorical Society unless zioted othenvise.

THE AUTHOR: FdivardA. Ilartjeldzvas bom in the .superintendent’s house on Cjcorge Steedman’s A lontecito estate, Casa del Herrero,in icjzS. / le attended the i 'luversity oj Calijoniia Santa Barbara College and Pyitgers University in Hew Jersey where he earned a B.S. Degree in Management. He held a variety oj management positions with Dun byBradstreet, Inc. in San Francisco, the Ijadio Corporation oj.America in Los Angeles and at its corporate headquarters in .Hew lbrkCity,andzvith A4a.x Factor &■ Co. ofI loUyzvood, Calijoniia, both domestically and intenuitionally. I jion retirement in u)8y he rctwiied to Santa Barbara.

NOTiciAS is a quarterly journal devoted to the .study ol the history of Santa Barbara County.

Contributions of articles are welcome. Those authors v\'hosc articles are accepted for publicanon wi receive ten gratis copies ol the issue in which their article appears. Further copies arc available to the contributor at cost. The authority in matters ol style is the University oj Chicago Adanual oj Style, iqthedition. The Publications Committee reserves the right to return submitted manuscripts for required changes. Statements and opinions exprcs.sed in articles arc the sole responsibility ol the autln>r.

Michael Redmon, Editor Judy Sutcliffe, Designer © 2002 The Santa Barbara Historical Society 136 E. De la Guerra Street, Santa Barbara, California 93101 ● Telephone: 805/966-1601 Single copies S5.00 ISSN 0581-5916

3anta Dakdara City ARK DEfARTMLNT

Cwie:fit Murffiy John Hartfeld AND THE

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MIRAC For their Centennial celebration to be held in 2002,1 dedicate this story to the men and women ojthe Santa Barbara City Parks and Recreation Department and to the members oj the Parks and Recreation Commission. It is due to their efforts that we continue to enjoy such zuonderjxd recreational opportunities and can take pride in our parks, beachfront, and tree-lined streets. I lookforward to the special recognition that they and their predecessors will receive during the centennial year; the importance oj their work is all too seldom recognized by the people most benefitingfrom it.

. . .we, which now behold these present days, Have eyes to wonder, but lack tongues to praise.

William Shakespeare, Sonnet 106

DWARD A. MaRTFELD

NOTICIAS

78 Looking out over Santa Barbara at the

populated area streams and marshes. Tliese

beginning ot the twentieth century, one saw the early stages of the "greening” of the city. Individual property owners, deter mined to make their barren coastal shelf between the Riviera and the Mesa more

were supplemented late in the eighteenth century by olive, pepper and fig trees and a few others brought from Europe and Mexico by the Spanish and in the nine teenth century some items were introduced

livable, had for some years been planting a lew trees and shrubs here and there, but

from distant lands by passing sailing ves sels, Only a very small fraction of the thou sands of plant species found outside the immediate area were known here by 1900.

The appetite for new varieties of plants was considerable. After all, Santa Barbara

the choices were quite limited. There was little desirable native vegetation such as oaks, pines and ceanothus which tended to grow nearby in the mountains and foot hills, and willows and sycamores that

already had many of the ingredients

One oj the outstanding early Jigures in the heautification oj Santa Barbara ivas Francesco Franceschi, ivho arrived in iSg^. During his twenty-^ear stay, he introduced hundreds oj new phnit varieties to the South Coast.

CITY PARKS

79

thought to be necessary for the "beautiful life”; seclusion, wonderful weather, and a

be chc principal instrument of horticultural beautification, and in 1902 it established

majestic mountain backdrop along with sandy beaches and a scenic coastline made

the City Park Department and a Park Com mission to oversee the Park Superinten dent’s activities and to assist him in his vast

tranquil by a protective island chain. The population of the city was only 6,000 but something very special and beautiful is how many people around the country regarded our city, and soon, with the advent of the new railroad and subsequently the automo bile. they came in growing numbers to live, to winter” or to simply vacation. To make this "Eden” complete it had to be lush, and this would require tens of thousands of trees and shrubs of good variety. In addition to residential landscaping, trees and shrubs were needed in profusion in open park lands and along the city’s many miles of streets.

Early in the twentieth century, horticul tural pioneers such as Francesco Franccschi, Dr. A. B. Doremus, and E. O. Orpet started introducing and experimenting with hun dreds of new plant varieties from around the world, and they found Santa Barbara's cli mate and soil conditions to be hospitable to many of them. Tlicir work was to prove of incalculable value in the "greening” of Santa Barbara, variety being so essential to land scaping aesthetics.

Franccschi imported and grew many plants at his place on the Riviera, and the area on Alameda Padre Serra. known to day as Orpet Park, served as an experimen tal horticultural space with over five hun dred tropical and semi-tropical shrubs, trees, and plants being introduced to Santa Barbara there from seed by 1930, many

by Orpet. Also, Alameda Park was rap idly becoming one of the most interesting parks of its size in the country with sev eral hundred plants including a wide vari ety of semi-tropical trees and shrubs planted by Dr. Doremus, many of which he acquired on a trip abroad in 1912,' The City ol Santa Barbara needed to

responsibility for the beauty of the town, a task often taken for granted, both with respect to its physical magnitude and its effects upon life's quality, Frederick Law Olmsted, one of America’s greatest park landscape architects, likely revealed his per sonal lodestar when he prcxlaimed that "the landscape moves people like a symphony” By 1930 the Park Department was re sponsible for 207 acres within the city in cluding 70 acres of beach frontage land vdth very little landscaping as yet, 96 other un developed acres and 41.3 improved park acres: Hillside(Orpet), 3.8; Alameda,9.33; Plaza del Mar. 4.54; Vera Cruz, 1.6; Oak, 1702; Dc la Guerra Plaza.0.47 and Ortega, 4.67 acres.^ (Tlic 360-acrc Gould Park, out side the city limits above Montecito, was given to the city in 1926, but did not lend itself to development.) There was soon to come a very special period in which the superintendent and his department's activi ties would be the center of considerable in terest as the local point of a great leap for ward in the greening of Santa Barbara and the development of its parks, beaches, streets, and recreational facilities.

ENTER

MURfflY

The name ol Dwight Murphy is im mensely important to the history of Santa Barbara, His contributions to his adopted city and its citizens arc simply too numer ous to mention, and he was chc sort of in dividual who seemed to not particularly care whether he received public recognition lor what was to be decades of constant de votion to Santa Barbara’s development and beautification and to its people.

80

NOTICIAS its fullest, he retired and settled here permanently. Over the next several decades, operating much oi the time from an of fice he established in El Pasco, he would apply his business acumen, tireless energies, and wealth to the benefit of the Santa Barbara area. He spent his leisure time raising horses and cattle on his ranches in the Santa Ynez Valley, and was credited with saving the palo mino horse from extinction in this country.

Murphy was a philanthro pist with a significant differ ence; his combination of great wealth and innate humanitarianism, and very importantly his executive skills was brought to bear in an incred ibly effective way involving an unbelievable array of worthy causes. In fact, for decades,

Dwight^lurl^hy in Fiesta costume. A /iiJp/t)’ weis one nj Santa Barbara’s greatest bc7iefactors emd ivorhed closely with John Flartjeld during the latter’s teyiure as Pdrl{ Supermteiident. PhotO'

when government cither could not or would not deal with something worthwhile need ing attention. Dwight Murphy would sec to it that it was handled with little fanfare

graph by 11. Edgerton and Florence T^icAllister.

Born to wealth, he first came to the area in 1904 with his parents and their estate in Montccito is now the site of the Westmont College campus. He proved himself to be a capable businessman, rising to the presi dency of the family business, the Standard Railroad Equipment Company. He fre quently spent time here, involved in com munity affairs, and eventually married Grace Price of Santa Barbara, the daugh ter of Judge and Mrs. S, S. Price. They had one child. Marjorie Grace Murphy.-^ In 1925. wanting to both avoid the cold of the cast and to enjoy Santa Barbara to

and often using his own money.

On the level of the individual he sup ported child welfare, scholarships, and the underprivileged, usually without the recipi ents ever knowing whence the money came. At the community level no great works were completed, such as the con struction of the breakwater at the harbor or Bradbury Dam at Lake Cachuma or the restoration of the Old Mission following the 1925earthquake, without some signifi cant support from Dwight MurphyDur ing the Depression of the 1930’s, he worked tirelessly as the head of various unemploy ment relief agencies at the city, county, and state levels. In later life he would play a

CITY PARKS

81 Then there was the last remaining

leading role in reforming the state’s horse racing as chairman of the California Horse Racing Board.

Thomas Storke in his 19v58 book. Cali'

beachfront property in private hands, a cwo'block'long area containing a lumber yard just to the cast of Stearns Wliarf, In 1930 Murphy helped underwrite a loan of $200,000 to buy and hold it for the city until a bond issue could be approved in Janu ary 1931/ The area east of the Cabrillo Pavilion had been acquired in 1904,and the rest of East Beach was taken over by the

jomia Editor, wrote. "It would require many pages to list even in part the contri butions in time and money which Murphy has made since coming to Santa Barbara 40 years ago. There has never been a ma jor civic activity during that time in which he has not participated."' He continued his good works until he passed away in 1968 at age eighty-four.^ In 1927 he joined the Park Commission

city in 1927, after being held by a citizens group lor some years. Included was an area on the north side of the boulevard intended to provide a "park strip” buffer and screen which was not developed until recently.® In 1930, Dwight Murphy was instru mental in making possible the full devel opment of most of today’s much longer Palm Park area when he promoted and helped finance a long, permanent rock re taining wall to protect it and Cabrillo Bou levard. The roadway had been washed out

as its chairman and the monthly meetings were held in his office. He became the cata lyst of many major contributions to the city which the City Park Department made, first by leading the efforts to bring into the park system the acreage ol both Pershing and Ortega Parks, the latter be ing reclaimed from swamp land."

For decades Cabrillo Boulevard was subject to serious damagefrom storms like this one in 1914.

Murphy was instrumental in getting a protective wall built along the boulevard in the early 19305.

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NOTICIAS

immediately alter it was completed in 1905, and two subsequently built walls had failed."^ The successful completion ol the wall meant the ocean side of the boulevard could be sately expanded and landscaped, a most beautiful beach and park area.

Waiting on the horizon were the cflects of the Depression, which in 1929 gradu ally started to work their way through the economy to the point where millions even tually lost their jobs, their fortunes, their homes, and their pride. Municipal outlays and donations for parks development and street tree plantings in Santa Barbara soon virtually stopped, and the city's salaried employees underwent pay reductions and hourly workers were cut to live days of

work a week. '* The vision Murphy must have had, when he joined the Park Com mission, for the future development of the parks and beachfront along with badly needed street plantings, was becoming frus trated. Yet he was obviously not the kind to simply become a caretaker.

Being a retired businessman of some note he quickly found an opportunity within the problem; he became instrumen tal in the forming ol the Citizens Unem ployment Relief Committee and enlisted volunteer subscriptions to put the unem ployed to work on city projects,’’ Murphy set the stage for but the lirst act of what was to become a golden opportunity for the Park Department to advance the city's

John I lartfeld and his wijc, Qoldie,in Ponca City, Oklahoma,igiS. Courtesy of die author.

cm'PARKS development and beautification at a pace far faster than otherwise possible, despite the most far-reaching economic depression in the nation's history.

DWlKjrtT MURfriY FINDS

JOHN ha^lld In early 1930. E. O. Orpet resigned as Park Superintendent after serving nine years, and his replacement remained only a few months. In August Murphy recruited a young Dutchman by the name of John H. Hartfcld for the job, and also to serve with him as a parks commissioner.

Murphy found Hartfeld at the George Steedman estate in Montccito, Casa del Ilerrero, which is one of two estates in Montecito today that are held in trust by foundations and promote public tours. Us ing the landscape designs laid out for Steedman, Hartfcld supervised the instal lation of the plantings, walls, fountains, drives and walks, starting even before the main house was completed in 1925.

Hartfeld had done similar work in Okla homa as the superintendent of the grounds of another new estate built in 1916 for E. W Marland. Marland was the founder of the Continental Oil Company and later Governor of Oklahoma. Today, the prop erty houses the Ponca City Cultural Mu seum and is likewise open to the public.

While working there Hartfcld married Goldie Borrer, another employee of Marland's. The wedding took place in the new mansion, with Marland serving as best man. Following the ceremony, in an act probably not too unexpected of an Okla homa oil boomer of the period, Marland drove the newlyweds down the main street with a circus band he hired for the occa sion.

Orphaned in Holland at the age of three, and having experienced a very painful

83 childhood there, Harttcld loved his adopted country intensely, and doubtless had much to prove as superintendent of Santa Barbara's growing park systemd"^ He was to soon have considerable opportunity to prove himself on a larger scale than ever before. This would come through the confluence of two important forces: Dwight Murphy and the Depression.

What better opportunity could Hartfcld have to demonstrate his creative and organizational skills than to be Park Superintendent in Santa Barbara? Yet it was to be the influence of Murphy and his humanitarian efforts to relieve the misery caused by the Depression that would give him the chance to do what he loved best on a grand scale. The financial, cultural, and social differences of the two men were substantial, but they became extremely important to each other’s purposes and the symbiosis of this new relationship was des tined to produce many impressive works.

It is said that Roman conquerors return ing from wars received a triumphal parade, and rode in a chariot with a slave whisper ing in their ear reminding them that all glory is fleeting. John Hart!eld was to have his triumphal parades, to be sure of a com pletely different type, but literally wit nessed by millions and triumphal beyond anything of which a poor orphan had any right to dream. Once his glory came he likely thought little about it ending someday, but the end was to be abrupt and come through a strange and unex pected turn of political events; he would be, as one newspaper editorial was to put it, "sacrificed on the altar of political tyr anny and stupidity."''^ Despite becoming one of the most popular and celebrated city officials of his time. Hartfeld was also to become a tragic figure. First, however, he would bringgreat credit to his department and its employ-

84

NOTICIAS

ces. Within the brief span of five years, with the help of large numbers of the un employed, he developed several parks on land dedicated to park use but which had been sitting idle for years, including much of the 1.5 miles of beach front land along Cabrillo Boulevard east of Stearns Wliarf.

In addition, he would play an important role in the work done to expand the adja cent beach area for sunning, swimming, and other recreation, as well as line miles of city streets with trees.

Hartfcld was not to be satisfied with just doing the usual kinds of things ex pected of Park Superintendents. He was to personally initiate and rally community support for the idea of having Santa Bar bara represented in the Tournament ol Roses parades in Pasadena. This aroused considerable excitement and pride in his fellow citizens in the depths of the Depres sion. and it brought the city to the atten tion of the country in a dramatic manner.

Wliile certainly more ephemeral than creating parks such as a bird refuge, laying out recreational facilities, or lining streets with trees, Hartfeld's floats became par ticularly memorable because of their un precedented size and beauty.

ThL 3ALT fOND ^LT3 A DLAUTY TRLATMLNT John Hartfeld's first real challenge in his new job was the Andrcc Clark Bird Ref uge, at the eastern entrance to Santa Bar bara. Previously known as the "salt pond" and as a horse race track and potential yacht harbor, it had remained an eyesore since it was purchased by the city from the trustees for a group of sixty citizens in 1909.^-^ To make it both a respectable sight and sanctuary for large numbers of birds at the eastern gateway to the city would require a major undertaking, partly because of heavy concentrations of salt in the wa ter and soil which inhibited most desirable types of vegetation that attract birds.

A wealthy neighbor, Mrs. William A. Clark, had recently donated $50,000. She looked down on the pond from her home across Cabrillo Boulevard. She told Dwight Murphy she wanted it made into some thing attractive (it was rather offensive when it dried up in the summer), and for it to be named after her late daughter, Andrce.

In the first directive to Hartfeld after he arrived on the job, the Park Commission instructed him "to proceed to develop not

One of [lartfeld’s early successes as Park Superintendent teas the transformation ofthe Andree ClarkBird Refuge into a "beauty spot"as one newspaper put it. Photograph by the author.

CITY PARKS

85 The cask involved chc dredging of chc pond and chen chc imporcacion of large amouncs of fresh soil iii' eluding chc cransfer of much of ic by huge rafes co crcace chrec islands co i provide a secluded sanccuary for chc birds. Shorcly, che small Park Dcparcmcnc crew, chircy men ac mosc.

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was augmcnccd wich chc jobless chac would be paid wich funds from Murphy's new Cicizens Uncmploymcnc Relief Commicccc.^*

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Along wich che necessary grad ing, development of parking, pedescrian walks and ocher physical improvemencs, some six hundred crecs and shrubs were subsequcncly placed around chc edges of chc new Andrcc Clark Bird Refuge, plus grass and ground cover planes, and chcrc was a

3T

An on-going project during Hartjdd’s tenure as Park Superintendent ivas the planting oftrees throughout the city. One ofthe areas receiving attention was Bast Cabrillo Boulevard. Photo graph by the author.

only chc islands but along che shore as fast ”!6 as planting conditions would permit.

These improvements co chc 48.37 acres of the sale pond and chc surrounding land would double chc city’s developed park acreage.’^ Following a plan created by landscape architect and Park Commissioner Ralph Stevens, Hartfcld cackled chc job but ic was first necessary co mitigate chc sale prob lem in the water and the soil.'” A water well in Sycamore Canyon and pipeline had earlier been installed co bring in fresh wa ter, but a good deal more would have co be done if chc reeds and marshland grasses, which would attract a wide variety of birds, were co survive.'®

scparacc program co plane crecs along chc railroad cmbankmcnc,^^ The prominence of che projccc aroused a good deal of inceresc and che pa pers carried regular arcicles abouc ic. The May 17, 1931, Morning Press rcporced "Bird Refuge Transformed Inco a Beaucy Spoc, Lake Bordered By Shrubs and Grassy Lawn and Change Has Made Eascern Ap proach To Cicy Along Boulevard Accraccive.” Ocher news rcporcs indicaced chac several new variccics of birds were caking up residence including 175 domcscicaced mallard ducks chac had been donaced by Major Max Fleischmann, anocher of chc city’s major benefactors.^^ In October of 1931, Ralph Hoffmann, director of chc Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, confirmed what appeared co be chc grow ing success of che Bird Refuge ac that point.

He identified chircccn different types of birds then, and subsequent less authorita tive accounts claimed up co two hundred different types of water and land fowl, some permanent and many jusc visiting

NOTICIAS

86 during the winter months,often thousands at a time.24 In December 1931. there was still con siderable salt that had to be eliminated be low what Hartfcld referred to as the "dead line." Also, the pond was not very attrac tive because the water level was six feet below the edge ot the basin. In late Decem ber. Mother Nature took a hand with a major storm that carried much of the salt water out to the ocean. Before this runoff ended a gate at the west end of the pond was closed to keep the salty ocean water from re-entering. This advanced the pro cess of soil leaching and now the neces sary reeds and marshland grasses could begin to thrive. In July 1932, experiments were started to determine what kinds 25

would grow.

TRL ^UrLHNTLNDLNT LXrAN03 nU fRO JLCT AGENDA Long before Mother Nature’s drama had played itself out at the Bird Refuge.

Hartfcld was busy planning beautification projects, with the support of CURC funds, on a scale never before seen in Santa Bar-

bara. A story in the Morning Press of Janu ary 15, 1931 began, "Hartfcld . . . Out lines Mammoth Program . . . How Santa Barbara is to Be Materially Bcautitied and Improved at the Same Time That a Com prehensive Step Is Taken To Relieve Un employment Conditions. . . .” A few days later the papers carried another story quot ing the superintendent, "Uniform Street Tree Planting, a Method of City Beautifi cation . . . Just Been Launched on a Com prehensive Scale - Will Eventually Become City-Wide in Scope and Virtually Sclf-Expanding." The story indicated it had pre viously been done but only in scattered ar eas, and that Hartfcld believed that uni form planting of street trees of good size and suitable type can make a "magical ’26 change.

These two announcements covered the setting out of 3,520 trees, including 175 palms along East Cabrillo Boulevard from State Street to Milpas Street, plus several groupings in the Palm Park area; 80 large pines, including 20 at Sheffield Reservoir; and the transplantation of 150 trees on West Arrellaga Street. Ice plants were set along Alameda Padre Serra to prevent cro-

//ait/eW, at left, prepares to inspect the Bird Refuge with two colleagues, i g 92. Courtesy of the autlwr.

CITY PARKS sion, and a soccer field was developed near the coast (it would later be dedicated to Murphy). City property was mapped and the trees and shrubs in the parks were la beled with their botanical and common names. Oak Park gained stone walls along its creek banks. A good deal of East Beach had been unsightly and unusable due to normal ocean tidal action and storms, but

87 ment, boardwalks and barbecue pits at East

Beach.

In June ol 1931, the unique 15.5-acre Franceschi Park, with its many new and rare specimen plants imported by that park's namesake, was accepted into the

it now had the benelit ol the new,long rock protective wall to preserve much of the beach and Cabrillo Boulevard and the land

park system with some encouragement and influence by the Park Commission, includ ing the omnipresent and influential Dwight 30 Murphy.

The already limited usable sand area at the eastern end of East Beach was also be

scaping in between.

Additionally. Hartfeld announced that

ing threatened by storms, along with the Cabrillo Pavilion and the boulevard itsell,

trees would be planted to fill in implanted spaces along the full length of San Andres, Chino. Dc la Vina. Chapala. Arrellaga, Rancheria, and Cota streets and along Ortega Street from Milpas Street to State Street. To augment the program Hartfeld was "setting out a City Nursery , . . with some 4,000-year-old trees . . . on a tenacre site . . . to be grown and then trans planted along the streets.” This project in

and Mrs, Clark financed two large groins which would greatly expand the beach and thus prevent future damage. The city soon announced, again with the aid and encour agement ol Murphy, that three more groins would be installed lurther to the west.-^'

cluded two thousand Cocos plumosa and Plwenixreclinata palms, the most popular 27 palm trees in the city at the time.

Earlier the Park Commission had di rected the superintendent to plant the south side of East Cabrillo Boulevard between the Cabrillo Pavilion and Sycamore Creek,and to landscape the grounds of the main pub lic library at Anapamu and Anacapa streets, which had recently been re-opened following the 1925 earthquake, along with the grounds around the adjoining Faulkner Gallery addition which had just been com 2H pleted.

During the winter months of 1930-31, more than 2,200 trees were planted around the city, and a project was being started to plant trees on the Westside "to make more attractive the railroad entrance to the city” and by June the department had completed installation of extensive playground equip-

MUKrnY A5 fAKK C0MMI33I0NLR. DUT Yi^LATLY LXPANOS ril3 RLLILf LffORT3 The Citizens Unemployment Rcliel Committee was funding employment for two hundred men, with one hundred ol these assigned to the Park Department, when Murphy decided to resign from the Park Commission on October 15, 1931.^^ In parting he gave tributes to Hartfeld and the commission for "working in splendid harmony.” In what was going to turn out to be the foundation ol an even greater burst of development for the department, Murphy gave as his reason lor leaving a "desire to give attention to the unemploy '33 ment problem.

In order to start announcing his grandiose plans back in January, with only 130 men under him, including the 100 unem ployed sponsored by the CURC,Hartfeld apparently had known more sources of re lief monies were on the horizon, and shortly

NOTICIAS

88 it was announced chat Murphy had been appointed chairman oi the county branch oi the President’s Organit:acion For Unem ployment Relief. Harcfcld was to soon have the services of hundreds of workers for dozens of projects he had yet to make public, such as a greatly expanded Ease Beach rehabilitation program chat would help put food on the cables of 580 men and their families and greatly facilitate both the beach development and the landscaping beautification of most of chat arca.^-’’ Shortly thercaltcr the governor ol Cali fornia made Murphy the chairman of the California Unemployment Relief Committee.36 In addition to relieving much suffer ing, Murphy was now able to "lather" many more beautification projects lor his city, despite his absence from the Park Commission, and his hand-picked super intendent would see CO it chat the best pos sible use was made of the large numbers of men chat would now be available. John Harcleld would also capitalize on the fact

that, due to the Depression-induced decline in construction, the nurseries oi Santa Bar bara were forced to drastically cut tree and shrub prices to move out their stock, thereby enabling him to buy many more plants with his department’s meager an 37 nual budget of $60,000.

The greening of Santa Barbara was making a major leap forward, much to the delight of its citizens, including the large number ot unemployed, all ot whom were kept abreast of developments with numer ous stories in the papers about the coming beauciiicacion ot Santa Barbara and the jobs

to be had.

nARTfLLD ON

OWN

Once Murphy removed himsclt from the chairmanship of the Park Commission, and substantially larger amounts of rcliei monies started to flow from state and fed eral agencies in response to applications Harcleld could make directly, the latter

Martjeld supervised the construction oj thisfloat entered in Santa Barbara’s

Indepe7idence

Day parade. Thefloat toolijirst prize and Hartjeld went on to oversee the construction of the city’s entry in the 'loumament of Bpses parade. Cmirtesy of the author.

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CITY PARKS became increasingly independent oi city hall where the coffers were now under a good deal of strain. He had taken over both the selection and execution of the innumer able beautification, recreation, and other parks development projects needed throughout Santa Barbara. This was re flected in the minutes ot Park Commission meetings. The commission had lost its strong leader and also had less to do be cause project funds had dried up. By 1934 many monthly meetings were not held due to the lack ol a quorum. There are no min utes to be lound for 1935.

Hartfeld seemed to be quickly proving that he was the right man in the right place at the right time to be Park Superintendent, but there was an additional reason that possibly motivated him. He confided to the author,in one of the rare instances he talked about his very difficult youth, that upon coming to the U. S. in 1914, he had gone hungry for some time belore iinding his first job in Connecticut. Hunger was now stalking the unemployed of Santa Barbara.

Did his experience in that regard have something to do with his incense drive in pushing forward Santa Barbara’s unprec edented beautification and development projects in the midst ol the Depression?

Not even family members could speculate about this because he was an unusually re served and modest man, not likely to ex press such thoughts.

TriL TLMfO INCRLA3L3 By the end of October 1931. Hartfeld added even more projects for the unem ployed: a foundation for a new walk from Los Banos del Mar to the new breakwater; extensive improvements at Franceschi Park such as scone retaining walls, the grading of a new road, larger parking area, new paths, trimming and conditioning of rare

89 plants and trees, planting ol ice plant on the slopes; the lining of five blocks along Cacique Street with donated palms; 150 conifer trees planted in the parks; and stak ing and retying of the approximately 5,000 street trees already established throughout the city. Other projects included the im provement of the largely barren Pershing Park by draining and grading portions of it and then planting grass. The original five acres of Pershing Park, containing some horse barns and an arena, had been used for years for horse shows and athletics. It was finally purchased by the city in 1927 with Dwight Murphy’s support, and four acres of adjacent swampland, occupied by tennis courts today, was donated to the city at about the same time.^'*

By March 1932, fifty thousand yards of sand had been moved with the help of a narrow gauge railroad for the East Beach improvement project including the Palm Park area. One newspaper proclaimed that, "the City has reclaimed a wonderful ex panse of beach.

Work was now started to clean up Mission Park across from the Old Mission, including the clearance of some old buildings. These 78 acres had been purchased from the padres in 1928 for $37,000; they later donated the 2.0 acres above Alameda Padre Serra including the old reservoir and other historical structures.

The park was to be planted in wildflowers and a fence of roses would be erected along the street.'’^ Also in February, the papers reported chat 75,000 rooted ice plant cut tings had been planted in the "Riviera sec tion’’ on banks which had been cleaned up by the unemployed who had also cut and stacked 65 cords of wood for beach barbe cues.^' In March the Cabrillo Pavilion and Bach House, which had been given to the city in 1927, was placed under the supervision of 42 the Park Department.

NOTICIAS

90 fA3ADLNA ANO ^LORY TOR 3ANTA DARDARA Hartfeld now undertook a project chat w'ould eventually bring Santa Barbara to the favorable attention of the entire country, in an astonishingly cost effective and dramatic manner. He went to the city council and pro posed chat the city sponsor a float for the Tournament of Roses,starting with its Janu ary 1,1933 parade. He had never built a float before and the council decided chat he could build a city entry For the local 4th of July parade, and it w'ould base its decision on the results ot that effort.

His float won first prize on the 4ch and Mayor Harvey Nielson soon signed a con tract with the Tournament of Roses Asso ciation at a O oacherins O at the Samarkand

Hotel and gave Superintendent Hartfeld credit for having worked up the enthusiasm for the entry. Nielson went on to say,"Wlnen I saw what he and his workers did with a few dollars . . . for the Fourth of July . . . I decided to give them my backing.. . [l] had thought an entry would cost thousands of dollars and did not think we could afford it.”

According to the President ot the Tourna ment of Roses, "Santa Barbara has always been the only southern California commu nity of importance that had no entry. (Ac tually, the city had had previous entries.)

The press and the public became in creasingly interested in the parade entry and both the cooperation of local civic groups and general excitement about it spread rapidly. Yet the city would not ad vance any money to finance it. no doubt

John Hartfeldproudly stands on Santa Barbara s 1933 entry in the Rose Parade,"Castles in Spain.

Photograph courtesy ofthe author.

C\T\'PARKS

91

due to the Depression, and contributions and considerable efforts by some fifty-eight individuals and civic organizations were needed to scrape up the $600 in cash that was required.’-'' Hartleld was allowed to use the Park Department yard for the construc tion. and the labor would be supplied by park and street department workers and a tew others. They had to do the work on their own time, however, and also pay their own expenses when it came time to take the float to Pasadena and finish it there.

orr TO rA3ADLNA The December 27. 1932. Los Angeles Times broke the news chat in Santa Barbara’s initial bid tor honors its float would depict "Castles In Spain", the theme of the parade being "Fairy Tales In Flow ers." It would be one of fifty-six "major units” in the line of march. The day before

the parade. Hard eld singled out for special credit landscapist Ralph Stevens, artist John Gamble, architect John Frederic Murphy who designed the float, and Mrs. Margaret Murphy who designed the cos tumes of the young ladies to be on the float.'’”

Following the parade it became clear from various news stories that the float was a sensation and it won Class A-1 for cities between 20.000 and 40,000 population.

The judges said it was considered carefully for the Sweepstakes Prize along with two other entrants, and agreed chat "Santa Bar bara would have won if perfection of line and form had been the most important of the rules we were forced to follow."’^ Some individual judges were quoted as saying "it showed the work of brilliant architects and artists and was a veritable painting in flowers so artistically designed and executed, so perfectly balanced, chat even the crowds

'Castles in Spain ”ivonfirst prize in its division. Coxirtesy ojthe author.

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92

NOTICIAS

Vie Park_ Department depended on d variety ojrelieffunding during the Depression era to complete a numberof beautification and recreationprojects. Here a crew plants trees along East Carrillo Street, ^934-

on che street fully appreciated the fact that

ation of rare beauty...an illusory spectacle of

its simplicity was in large measure its charm, and it was remarkable since the

magnificence seldom seen ... so large that it required four sections to translate the entire idea intoflowers...symphony in pastelshades in sweet peas,roses,stocks,chrysanthemums, gladioli and delphinium. B(mance was rep resented in the person ofa fifteenth-century kyiight in armor who rode ahead of thefairy princess.[The horse, Don Jose, was from Dwight Murphy’s ranch and ridden by its

float was competing with many assembled 'M9 by experts in this kind of work.

Some news accounts were even more generous with their praise, implying that Santa Barbara deserved the Sweepstakes Prize. The most complimentary of all was that published by the Pasadena Star-Neivs.

In the January 6, 1933 issue of The Santa Barbaran it was reproduced in its entirety, offering the reprint "as an indication of the publicity the entry drew for the commu nity as well as for its complete descriptive value,” Tlic article went on at great length and likely could have won a prize itself if lloweriness of English prose was the crite rion, but the following excerpts provide the basic details and images it gave of the float; ...immensefloat...afairy vision,ivas...cre¬

foreman.] A court ofladies-in-waiting and pages surrounded a beautiful maiden ... a fountain inflowers... effect was that ofsun light shining on soft colored flowers . . . the main body of thefloat,a garden scene ofroses ...the castle...a vari-colored sight... 15feet in height... in the manner of a make-believe castle, with tiny loindoius and towers, sup ported by large buttresses ... approximately 75,000 blossoms...preceded by the sixty -piece band ofSanta Barbara State College... ac-

cm'PARKS

93

ampcinicd by a male chorus ... white mili tary unijorms Back in Santa Barbara the city employ ees and other volunteers that helped with

costumed Caballeros and senoricas. Visitors

the float, including many that suffered in the cold while dccoratins it lor two straisht

Hartlcld organized a group of volun teer businessmen and others to convert

days and nights, and paid their own ex penses for the privilege, were feted with dinners, movie showings ot the parade at the Granada Theatre, and other celebra tions.50

eight so-called ramadas into parade floats.

These were movable platforms previously used in other Fiesta events by merrymakers and musicians and ior decorative purposes.

Before Stanwood sot throush with Hartfeld he also made him chairman ot

Ot course the business community was particularly grateful to John Hartlcld, and the Chamber of Commerce and several other local organizations honored him in dividually and the city received a silver cup trophy Harttcld’s efforts in getting Santa Bar bara represented in the Tournament of Roses parade in January of 1933 established a tradition that continued until two years after World War II, during which period the city won three sweepstakes, and four division first prizes. Alter that the city de ”52 cided it could "no longer afford them.

Tlic four floats Hartfeld would promote and construct from 1933 to 1936 were com pletely financed with donated monies, flowers and labor.

Following Santa Barbara’s Old Span ish Days Fiesta of 1932, its El Presidente Sam Stanwood apparently had seen a "good thing" in the new superintendent and asked Hartfeld to develop some floats for the 1933 Fiesta parade, which had previ ously been mainly an equestrian event. Here too, Murphy had made his imprint on Santa Barbara’s history by helping to start Old Spanish Days Fiesta in 1924 and by serving as its first president. An unforget table feature of the parades tor years was a dozen or so of Murphy’s golden palomi nos and their astonishing array ot silverladen saddles and bridle equipment glitter ing in the sun, mounted by handsomely

to the tack room on Murphy's ranch were often left breathless by both the extent and beauty of his collection.

building and street decorations and also chairman o( a publicity group to issue and distribute nationally a series of promotional cachets and "first day covers” bearing the Old Spanish Days Fiesta shield.

MOKL rWJLCT5 INITIATED Meanwhile, the greatly accelerated beautification of Santa Barbara continued apace and the papers reported that Italian scone pines were being planted on the s'SOO and 600 blocks of East Anapamu and Quarancina between Coca and Dc la Guerra streets, and also chat the planting of jacaranda trees, grown in the Park Department nursery had commenced along the sevenblock stretch ot Moncecico Street from Milpas Street to State Street.

Additional project announcements in cluded barbecue pics at Franceschi Park and a series ot projects at Cabrillo Athletic Field Including a bicycle crack to. as Hartfeld put it. "accommodate the national back-co-chebicycle craze,” plus facilities for croquet, horse shoes, lawn bowling, and archery, along with showers, lockers, and rest rooms. This 10.v5 acre sice had been sitting idle since it was purchased in 1925 with proceeds of a 1924 bond issue. Then on September 17, 1933, the name was changed to Dwight Murphy Field and it was dedi cated CO Murphy in an Impressive cer-

94

NOTICIAS

cmony before five thousand people. Few of

oversee the placement of flowers and the

the people in Santa Barbara's rather large pan theon ot venerated benefactors could ever be

lloat took third prize in its division.

.54

58

more deserving of such recognition.

In March 1933, with CWA unemploy ment fund monies, three ofHce workers

- A fARTICULA^LY d^OOD YLAR rOl RLCKLATION

were added to the job, already in progress, ol listing all varieties ot exotic plants around Santa Barbara, both in public parks and now private estates as well. Already completed was the job of labeling those in the parks, and part oi the project was an

During 1929, the City Council created the Board of Recreation Commissioners to

ongoing effort that would result in the pub lishing of a "full iamily history" of each species and, for the bcnclit of park visi tors, identification ol where each could be successfully grown, along with maps lo cating examples ot them around Santa Barbara.^'’

establish and supervise recreational pro grams both at the parks and city schools, and late in 1933 the Recreation Planning Council was formed to study recreation needs. Due primarily to the rapid growth in the flow of unemployment relief monies being obtained by the Park Department, 1934 was to prove to be an especially sig nificant year for sports and recreation en thusiasts.

At the former high school property, now the sice of Spencer Adams Park, fa cilities were installed which included horse

At the close of 1933, the Park Superin tendent announced that"materials salvaged trom the old high school at Victoria and Dc la Vina Streets, which had graduated its last class in 1924, would be used to con struct various facilities at Oak Park.

Alameda Park, the storehouse at Garden

shoe courts, shuffleboard surfaces, roque courts bowling green, and an area for boccc. Also, space for softball and ocher sports was being planned, and the superin tendent announced chat the work on the

and Ortega streets. West Beach and Dwight Murphy Field," and early in the new year the planting ol pepper trees along the "new" state highway”^ In January he presented in book form to the Park Com mission the "complete" WPA.project, the construction of a battery of tennis courts,

previously announced projects at Dwight Murphy Field was also being completed with the help of the unemployed using State Employment Relief Administration (SERA)funds under the supervision of park 60 department employees.

Early in the year, Mrs. William Clark

grandstands, and rest rooms, which was approved by the board. This plan would eventually produce the 78-acre Municipal Tennis Center, which today is across High way 101 from the Bird Refuge, at 1414 Park Place.

donated money to have the Park Depart ment create a bridle path extending around the Bird Refuge and Dwight Murphy Field, and it was completed in June. Also in June, Los Banos del Mar pool was purchased from the Edison Co., which had built it in

Apparently due to disruptions caused by winter floods, the 1934 Tournament of Roses entry was constructed by a commer cial company in Pasadena for $600, which had been raised. However. Hartfcld and some of his associates went to Pasadena to

1915. It would be replaced in 1939 by the 62 present structure.

On August 12, John, or Jack as many people called Hartfcld, threw a baseball, probably for the first and last time in his life according to his family, but it was likely

95

cm'PARKS

In December Harcleld went before the

one ot the more gratifying things he did during his years with the city. Mayor Nielson insisted he throw out the first ball before a crowd of 3,500 enthusiastic base ball fans to dedicate Cabrillo Bail Park at

city council to lay out plans for the first phase of development for the Municipal Tennis Center; six tennis courts, a grandstand, clubhouse and parking area lor 420 cars and an archery range. His purpose was to obtain the $2,500 necessary for materi als for the first two courts to be built and

the waterfront, because, as the Mayor put it, "the man directly responsible for Cabrillo Ball Field in its inception and con struction is Jack Hartfeld, Superintendent of Parks." After a few more laudatory and

ready in the spring, with SERA-funded labor.^'^ Although pressed financially, the city council had to give him the money or lose the reliel funds.

congratulatory remarks, plus a few obvi ously of a political character, he asked Hartfeld to speak, but the latter, as was often the case, was too modest to do so.

MORE RLLiLf TOR TUL UNLMRLOYLD DLAUTY AND RECREATION FOR TNE CITY

In any event, it must be noted that the Santa Barbara All-Stars, probably inspired by their new "standard baseball playing grounds with turf and baselines" along with grandstands and dressing rooms, beat the Santa Maria Elks. With help from relief funds(CWA,SERA and County Unem

Undoubtedly recognizing that the De pression was giving the city an opportu nity that may never come again. Hartleld’s office continued to submit proposals to the

ployment Relief), the Park Department was able to combine a beautification project with recreational facilities that would serve the people of Santa Barbara for many years.

This five-acre property had been obtained along with other beach area land with monies from the 1924 bond issue.

unemployment relief agencies which had grown in number. At its October 1934 meeting, Hartfeld told the Park Commis sion he was eyeing the "strip of ground between the boulevard and the ocean front from Palm Park to Milpas Street” feeling that "inasmuch as the land in question is

Design drawing for Santa Barbara's entry in the 1935 ‘Iburnament oj Roses. Note the tractor operat(yr’s communications setup, highly innovativefor that day.

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CIT\'PARKS at a very prominent location and should be developed . . . it should soon get attention.

Such thinking was made possible by the great amount of work that had been done to both protect the area from storms, including Murphy’s rock barrier and the groins further cast, and to rehabilitate the beach areas. The 175 palm trees proposed earlier from State to Milpas streets were in place, but now additional soil was brought in and the lawn was planted from Palm Park to Milpas. Then the superintendent submitted applications for SERA funds for the labor for building the parking lots for five hundred cars beyond Milpas at the Cabrillo Pavilion.66

97 duccd an extensive natural accumulation of sand on the west side of it making possible today’s harbor building and parking facili ties there, as well as the beach development beyond to the Shoreline Park bluffs known as Leadbettcr Beach, which had been used for some years as a children’s day camp.

This section was not landscaped and made 68 a beach park until 1965.

In November of 1934. more SERA ap plications for monies were approved to the tune of 14.240 man-hours for three "im portant Park Department projects . . . the planting of 1.000 trees and shrubs for vari ous thoroughlarcs and the improvement of the tennis courts at Oak Park and Plaza

Major Max Fleischmann had advanced $500,000 for the breakwater construction,

del Mar [Pershing Park], and for sidewalks in west Alameda Plaza. (Research for

but when the contractor went bankrupt Dwight Murphy kept the project going by negotiating a plan with the bank to pay the workers until the bonding company settled. Its completion in 1930 and the beach restoration and stabilization work to

this article tailed to locate the original city files on Depression-era unemployed relief fund applications made by the Park Depart ment, and newspaper accounts of the pe riod may not have reported all ot them.)

the cast of the harbor, gradually produced a vast increase in the amount of sandy beach area available to the public. Previ ously Leadbettcr Beach and the much longer East Beach area attracted few bath ers because of their limited usable sand

fA^ADLNA 3WLLf3TAKL3 mLL DLCK0N3 A<L1AIN Meanwhile, the event that was destined

Santa Barbara Street to the Bird Refuge has increased in width by as much as one hundred yards since the early 1930s. Since the 1940’s, sand being dredged from the

to bring Hartfcid and his men and women at the Park Department and their beloved city nationwide attention, and no little glory, had begun to unfold in September when the local papers revealed that prepa rations were underway to enter the float in the Tournament of Roses parade. In keeping with the Aesop’s Fables theme of the event, "The Jay and the Peacock” was to be the subject of Santa Barbara’s float.

A call went out for the citizens to begin growing the appropriate flowers. Again, Hartfcid announced, as with the two ear lier floats, that while float construction

harbor has been deposited on the western portion.

The completion of the breakwater pro-

would take place in the Park Department shop with the full cooperation of the city, it was to be built with volunteer help and

strips and poor condition. In fact, statis tics from 1932 and 1933 indicate that bath ing use in the immediate harbor was about ten times as great as that on the entire area cast of the wharf, and the use of the Leadbettcr area for bathing was also very

limited.

The East Beach stretch of sand from

98

NOTICIAS

donations. Hartfcld would oversee the de signing process while his assistant, Arthur Sanders, would do the detail work.^*^ On October 10, 1934, the Los A.nge/es limes revealed to readers details of the pro jected Santa Barbara float.

W5L TRILL RACL DLLiUN October g, Santa Barbara. Other southland cities may well take zvarning, be cause Santa Barbara ivill leave noflower ungrown that may be needed to bring its en try across the line a winner next JTew Year’s Day. Workwas begun this afternoon by Park Department Employees . . . Supt. John I lartjeld is directing the work zvith Arthur Sanders who drezv the design, and Jvlrs.

Eunice MacLennan of the Airtist’s Division ofSanta Barbara Associates,as authority on bird line, design and coloring...float will be mmmted on a tractor and trailer... threepeacocks and the bluefay [sic] . . . largest of the peacocks... revolving slozvly ... dnvercon-

nected by telephone with the guide concealed in thejront.

The lloat was mounted on a huge "I” beam trailer with steerable wheels at the front, which was pushed by a large farm tractor and the "driver” received instruc tions from the one doing the steering up front. This was believed to be the first use ol electronic communications under a float.

The competition could glean from the Los Angeles Times article that the 1 loat was going to be rather large, but the cat was really out of the bag when, because ol its immense size, it had to be taken out of the Park Department yards for, as Hartfeld put it. a "practice cruise.”The local press then revealed that it measured 65 x 19 feet. The common gossip of the time was chat this was twice as big as anything ever seen in the parade, and histories of the Tournament of Roses were to refer to it as"the lirsc big float”. Ocher awesome revelations, at least by the standards ol the lloacs of the day. were chat seven men were needed un derneath to drive it and operate "the me chanical devices which will make the lloat’s

l kirtfdd works on thefloatfor the i y?6 Rose Parade, his last effort. Courtesy of the author.

fountains play real water and the peacocks preen their tails. Later it was learned that the Santa Barbara State College Band of seventy-five musicians, in their white and green uniforms, would pre cede it down Colorado Boulevard.

The Los Angeles Times published a news release from the Santa Bar bara Chamber of Commerce stating the lloat would have hall-million flowers”.^*’ Actual estimates at the pa rade were to run in the 100,000 to 200,000 range.

In any event, being so large, it had to be taken apart and re-assembled in Pasadena before it could be decorated, and thirty people, mostly Park De partment employees, committed themselves to the task.^-'’ Unbcliev-

CITY PARKS

99

ably, only $'600 in cash was needed to fi nance the float, but in depressed economic conditions even that was hard to round

many; ... delightful tale of"^IheJay and the Peacock’’. ● ● ivon the Qrand Sweepstakes

up, and the last of it dribbled in at the last minute. Many residents got into the spirit by contributing flowers, yet some had to be purchased.’® Typically, the process of placing flowers on the floats was a roundthe-clock affair for about two to three days prior to parade day.

thatparaded before 1,000,000 enthralled speC' tators in Pasadena today .. . huge Peacock

PAY3 or ^OLOKY Finally the grand day arrived and it seemed that the judges this time had no need to equivocate, as they had done in 1933. The Sweepstakes Prize went to Santa Barbara and there was jubilation among all those that had participated in the enter prise, followed by considerable celebration in the city for several weeks.

The next day, the float would be seen on the pages of thousands of newspapers as the subject of the very first image to ever be Hashed across the U. S. by wire photo from Southern California. Of course, no show at a movie house in those days was complete without a few minutes of newsreel which would likely show some thing of both the Rose Bowl football game and a winner or two trom the parade.

Robert Phelan. Santa Barbara’s pro fessional motion picture cameraman, was on the spot during both the parade and the day-to-day development of the float both in Santa Barbara and in Pasadena, and his movies were to be a feature ol showings at the local movie houses and the various banquets honoring Hartfeld and his amazingly supportive crew that made it all possible.^® In the gloom of the Depression Santa Barbara certainly could use something to celebrate and it now had the nation watching.

The subsequent news accounts were

Prize in the 6.^th annual JoumamentojR^)ses

stood on a revolving table and thrilled croivds ivith its changing vision ojbeauty.'^...Santa Barbara’s park superintendent, in whose mind the ambitiousjhral entry was bom seV' eral years ago ivas being "snozved under” by corigratuLitkms expressed orally, by telephone and telegraph from near and far. Hartjeld said, "’Ihis was a community projectfrom start to jinish and while this ojjice and the Park Department ivorkers did most of the work... help given by others cannot be overestimated.” so ...hisfirst attempt at designing afloat... victoryforSanta Barbarafloatsnatchedfnnn apparentfailure in last minutes ofprepara tion as added workers secured... revealed to day by an exhausted but proud park super intendent . . . lastfew flowers ofmore than 1^0,000...ivere affixed as the zero hour ap proached and the big entry rolled out ofthe municipal shedl^'... masterpiece... another spectacle!... largest in the parade, but canny judges do not aivard prizes on size alone. It was sixty-eightfeet long and eighteen feet wide, towering to a height offourteenfeet... seal ofthe city of Santa Barbara rotating on the rear ofthefloat.^^... Pic residt is eloquent testimony to the value ofwhole-hearted com munity cooperation...not until yesterday that this city ivon the most coveted floral trophy in the country.

Many more rather unrestrained tributes were paid in numerous news reports and a $200,000 figure was placed by the Cham ber of Commerce on the value of the pub licity received. Hartfeld was kept tied up for weeks with appearances before civic clubs, the city council and others with tes timonials to himself and to the volunteers and contributors, and he particularly praised his department employees and

100

NOTICIAS

chose others that "made ic possible”, as he S4 was CO say many cimes.

A Ifccle humor, and apparently a little chagrin for the president of the Tourna ment of Roses Association, enlivened the Sweepstakes award presentation banquet in Pasadena. A news account reported as follows: 3ANTA DA^DARA "3TLAL3 3HOW” IN R03L3 TOU^NLY r^L^LNTATiON TLA3T Secretary Herron[Santa Barbara Cham ber of Commerce]stepped to the 'mike’and aftera briefspeech,askedpermission to introdiiceTHayoriNielson and have the mayor ac cept the award and present it to parf{super intendent Ilartjcld. Before anyone had time to 'catch his breath'Santa Barbara’sshow ivas on and THayor Nielson accepted the award

and immudiatdy presented it to liartfeld. The chairman then announced that there would be no further presentation or acceptance speeches.'^'' Tlie trophy, a large green onyx desk sec with a sterling silver clock and pen hold ers, was again ceremonially presented to Harcfeld at a banquet ot 250 members of various civic groups by Henry Kinscll. chairman of Santa Barbara Associates, a community service organization, declaring "chat only through the commissioner’s tire less effort had the winning entry been pos sible.” Stating he would guard the trophy as a symbol of what organized effort could do for Santa Barbara, Harcfeld cried to fend S6

off all personal credit.

Ic certainly seems possible that Santa Barbara received more valuable nationwide publicity, and at less cost, through its en tries of floats in the Tournament between

"Columbus at the Court oj Feidinand and Isabella"took Jirst prize in its division in the 1936 loumament ojl{oses.

CITY PARKS

101

1933 and 1936, than any ocher project in the history of the city. Harcfeld also built many ocher floats, during and after his time with the city, for various focal parades in cluding floral "boat floats” for Semana Naucica.-

including law suits, and much arguing for some time, but Hartfcld stayed out of it. apparently not wanting to be part of the struggle. Following his death, his wife told the family that Thomas Storke, publisher of the Santa Barbara NeivS'Press. had

He was to soon promise to manage the entry in the Tournament of Roses for 1936 and. according to a press report shortly thereafter, all service clubs got behind the 20-30 Club in its announced campaign to «7 raise the necessary funds.

promised to back him if he would run against Hanson at the next election. She opposed the idea, but because of his modest and essentially apolitical nature, it seems unlikely he considered it very seriously.

Hanson survived a recall election, but

TUL PAY Of PLfLAT

before the next regular election he left town under threat of indictment for malfeasance in office. He claimed to be broke and needed

Tlicn a relative newcomer in town ran for mayor making promises chat could not possibly be fulfilled, especially in depres sion times. Unfortunately two well-re garded candidates, despite being warned that the newcomer, E. O. Hanson, was likely to win with his promises unless one of them dropped out, stayed in the race, and Hanson won.^ Having made campaign threats chat he was going to "clean out city hall.” he did so with the help of a patrolman he had just appointed chief of police. It was a "midnight massacre” involving virtu ally all of the city’s department heads, including Hartfeld. Ac midnight he locked them all out of their offices'^^ and placed his supporters in key positions, including the Park Commission, from which two members had resigned in pro test over Hartfeld’s dismissal.

The city council meetings took on a Roman circus atmosphere, and the council angrily enacted an emergency ordinance limiting the mayor’s hiring autliority to only four positions; his secretary, the janitor, the assistant janitor and the telephone operator, and allowed him to only fire the last three 90 with the approval of the council.

There were challenges by both sides.

money to leave, and it was reported Dwight Murphy gave him some for that purpose, and a malfeasance suit was then dropped.®^ Hanson died in 1946.

"3WAN 30NY;” AT TA3ADLNA Fulfilling his promise to oversee the 1936 Tournament of Roses entry, Harcfeld produced another float on the scale of the winning entry of 1935, and it cook first prize in its division. Again the community at large showed its appreciation to Harcfeld. and CO the city employees who turned out CO build the float, some despite trepidation chat this might put their jobs in jeopardy.

The mayor had fought strenuously, but unsuccessfully, with the city council against having Harcfeld build the float. Yet even Hanson’s appointee to succeed Hartfeld 92 gave the latter his support.

Later chat year. Hanson sent two pa trolmen to Harclcld’s home to cake the 1935 trophy, an attempt which was unsuccess ful. Hartfeld held on to it until giving it to the city shortly before his death in 1965. It was later returned by the city to the Harcfeld family.

Following John Harcfcld’s dismissal, there were many articles in the local press

NOTICIAS

102 deriding Hanson's action, including one

as a ivlwlc for his sincerity and fair-

written by Dwight Murphy and repro duced in an editorial;

mindedness. On Saturday,following the dis missal ojJohn Hartjcld as Park^ Superinten

A POOl{l{EWAI{D

dent, he made this stateinent:

It is seldom that Divight Mw-phy, w-ho

"1 ivas sorry to leatm that ?Ar. liartfeld

has given so much of his time and wealth to

was discharged as parh superintendent.

Santa Barbara expresses an opinum. De

When 1 was chairman ofthe board of parh

voted to making this a more beautiful city, to

commissioners?4r.Plartjeldwasemployedas

perpetuating thefriendly spirit and traditions

superintendent ofparks tofill the vacancy left

of the Fiesta and to materially assisting his

by the resignation ojM.r.E.0. Orpet.Wiany

fellow man, he is respected by the community

improvements were made to the parks and l?eaches underWlr.I laHfeld’s supervision.He ivas loyal, conscientious and energetic. Plis

I lartfeld was one of Tnany city employees ivhofell

ability was clearly demonstrated when the

to the axe ofEdmund O./lunson, the most con

Santa Barbarafloat ivas awarded the sweep-

troversial mayor in the city s history. .i'

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103

CITY PARKS stak.es trophy at the Pasadena 'Tournament.

His discharge asparksuperintendentseems a poor reward jorfaithjul service.”'ThoU' sands ofother[air-minded citizens wilt agree withJHr.JHurphy.John I lartfeld,a capable

produced many miles of tree-lined streets.

The forty or so landscaped park, recre ation. and beachfront acres the public was

and highly qualified superintendent, has been sacrificed on the altar ofpolitical tyr

enjoying when Dwight Murphy first be came active in Santa Barbara’s parks in 1927 was increased nearly four-fold byjune of 1935 when John Hartfeld departed, and

anny and stupidity. All of which, serious to Santa Barbara, has made this community

the subsequent huge natural and man-made addition of sandy acreage to East Beach

93

the laughing stockofCalifornia.

After leaving the employ ol the city, except for an occasional lond reference to Dwight Murphy or his good works, and in keeping with his nature which did not permit him to complain or speak ill ol any one. or to promote himself, he never spoke of his days as superintendent, He would, however, take with him the

was made possible as well. While this was certainly no miracle in the divine sense, the synergy of such disparate elements as Murphy, Hartfeld, and the Depression, and the fact that they came together so coinci dentally and effectively produced a reason ably good facsimile of a true miracle, the collaboration of the two men having left behind a substantial legacy of beauty and

knowledge that he had done much to help the unemployed and bring together his community in unusually difficult times, and that he had seized and nearly completed all of the many challenges and opportuni ties awaiting him when he took over the Park Department in 1930. Largely through both the individual and combined efforts

enjoyment, particularly for Santa Barbara’s "signature” beachfront and entry way.

Following his work with the city, Hartfeld was a landscape architect, contrac tor, and nurseryman for thirty years, design

of Dwight Murphy and himself, the Bird

terestingjobs was the emergency transplant ing of large trees to conceal the oil field in stallation at Ellwood following its shelling by a Japanese submarine in 1942. His last project, shortly bclore liisdeath, involved the donation of the design and many of the ma terials and man hours for the landscaping of the Santa Barbara Historical Society’s his toric Fernald House, following its move to its present location at 414 West Montecito Street. His wife, who he adored and respected greatly and who in turn was his steadlast supporter, died in 1966.

They had two sons and a daughter, all living at present, who remember their mother as gentle and even-tempered, but always subtly employing the will, common sense, and courage she developed growing up on the family ranch near the turn-of-

Refuge. Dwight Murphy Field, Franceschi Park and the Cabrillo Ball Park were fully developed, as was nearly all of today's 1.5 mile-long stretch of East Beach including the major protective measures and recon struction work required to make possible both the landscaping development along the boulevard and the great expansion of the beach itself. Ortega, Pershing and Mis sion parks, along with the former high school site received various degrees of de velopment for contemporary needs, and significant improvements of various kinds were undertaken at the older Oak Park and Alameda Park. The Municipal Tennis Cen ter was set on course for full development.

Although not completed, Hartfeld’s "uni form street planting program” had already

ing and landscaping many large residential, commercial, and institutional properties around Santa Barbara. One ot his more in

104

NOTICIAS

che-ccntury frontier town of Llano, Texas.

She suHcrcd from a weak heart damaged by childhood rheumatic fever and, as the eldest child, she helped raise nine younger ones. She was clearly an example of the "good woman behind every successful man." It was her heart condition chat prompted their move to California in 1918 in search of a milder climate.

Over the years Santa Barbara has ben efited immeasurably from numerous wealthy benefactors, but lew people without substan tial wealth have been given the chance with which John Harcleld was blessed to not only help their fellow man in an important way, but CO also contribute to the renowned beauty and fame of the town in such a personally creative and lasting manner.

Parh^SupcrintendentJohyi I lartfdd,wearing hat at center,poses with his creiv m 1933. Ccnirtesy of the author.

Autmor’3 NoTE3 Strangely, due to my father's reticence, my knowledge of what he did for the local parks, streets, and beaches was virtually non-existent beiore this project was started, despite having been very close to him for many years. Requests by Jeff Cope and Kathleen Sullivan of the Parks and Recre ation Department, for historical materials on my father’s days as superintendent, aroused my interest in the subject. What followed was a personally rewarding re search odyssey which uncovered hundreds of newspaper articles, photos, etc. m a variety of neglected places, an important source being my brother Jack who 1 found had inherited and preserved our father's files. It soon became apparent chat all this

needed to be pieced together in readable form so that the whole could be fully appreciated, and Michael Redmon of the Santa Barbara Historical Society’s Gledhill Library urged me to do so for Noticias, and further helped by filling in some missing facts.

Being rather young at the time, my first-hand recollections of my father's days with the city arc very limited. My most vivid memories arc of the Rose Parade floats which became family projects, and dad allowed me and my brother to be with him underneath the 1936 float as he per sonally maneuvered it dowm Colorado Bou levard (the more attractive sibling, Doris {Mrs. Don Ray}, rode in public view on the 1933 lloat). Also, tagging along with

CITY'PARKS

105

dad from cimc-co-cimc when he was su perintendent, much like a mascot, brought me into brief but memorable contacts with a number of our leading citizens of the day, including Dwight Murphy. Understand ably, Murphy has been a prominent and well-known part of Santa Barbara’s his torical record, but, for a variety of reasons, not the least being an unassuming nature, it was as though the history of John Hartfeld and his various contributions to Santa Barbara and its citizens soon "dis appeared beneath the waves’’, as it were, never to be heard of again.

The Santa Barbara heritage in large

measure is a blend of special "place" and what extraordinary people have done to make that place even more special. Thank fully, our Historical Society is preserv ing the stories of the people that dedi cated themselves to adding to the beauty of our city, and how and why they did so. Those who follow them need to know those stories if they are to fully appreci ate their own good fortune and take an interest in preserving the special charac ter of the place called Santa Barbara, here on the Pacific rim, in a real sense a "last frontier” and magnet for people seeking paradise on earth.

N0TL3 1. John H. Harcfcld, "Eleven Park Areas in Santa Barbara”. Western City, July 1931, 33, Mary Louise Days, llistariesofIndividual Parl{s City ojSanta Barbara California,(Santa Barbara.City of Santa Barbara Community Develop ment Department, 1977). 103.

2. ^V/oniing Press(Santa Barbara). 12June 1931; Hartfeld. 33.

18. Dwight Murphy, "Andrce Clark Bird Refuge," Noticiasb no. 2(Summer I960): 21.

19. Minutes, Park Commission, 7 October 1928.

20. Afoming Press(Santa Barbara), 1 May 1931.

21. /Morning Press(Santa Barbara), 31 October 1931.

3. Saiita Barbara Jdeivs-Pre.ss. 29 July 1951.

22. /Morning/Ve.s's(Santa Barbara). 17 October 1930. 17 May 1931, 19 September 1931. 15 October 1931.

4. Ibid.

23. /Morning Pre.ss(Santa Barbara). 17 May 1931.

5. Thomas M. Storkc, California /Tc/ifor(Santa Barbara: News-Press Publishing Company, 1958). 372-386.

24. Nloming Press(Santa Barbara). 17 October 1931.

6. Santa Barbara INews-Prcss. I April 1968.

25. Nloniing Press(Santa Barbara). 30 December 1931. 9July 1932.

7 /Morning Press(Santa Barbara), 29 May 1931.

8. Stella Haverland Rouse, "Olden Days,” Santa

26- Morning Press(Santa Barbara). 28 January 1931.

Barbara News-Presi. 18 September 1983.

9. Days, 8.

10. Ibid.

27 Hartfeld, 33.

11. Newspaper article, 11 P'cbruary 1932, dipping lile, Santa Barbara Historical StKicty

29. Hartfeld. 33, Morning Press(Santa Barbara), 4 March 1931, IBJunc 1931.

30- Minutes, Park Commission, lOJunc 1931.

12. Santa Barbara Daily News. ISSeptcmber 1933.

13. Jacoba Hartevcld (John H. Hartleld's sister), conversation with author, 1971.

14. Newspaper editorial, 1935, dipping tile, Santa Barbara Historical Society.

15. Walker A. Tompkins, Santa Barbara Yesterdays(Santa Barbara: McNally & Loftin, 1963), 23; Days, 11.

16. Minutes, Park Commission, 18 October 1930.

17 Hartfeld. 33.

28. Minutes, Park Commission, 9 July 1930, 14 August 1930.

31- Morning Press(Santa Barbara), 2 October 1931, 8 October 1931.

32. Morning Press(Santa Barbara). 2 October 1931, 33. Morning Press(Santa Barbara), 16 October 1931.

34- Morning Press(Santa Barbara), 18 November 1931, 35. -Moniing Pn.\ss(Santa Barbara), 5 l-'ebruary 1932.

NOTICIAS

106 36. Storkc. 376.

3Z Santa Barbam Daily News,5 januATy 1934.

66. Morning Press(Santa Barbara). 2 November 1934.

38. Days. 38; Morning Pre.s.s (Santa Barbara), 31 October 1931.

67 Mommg Press(Santa Barbara), 8 December 1932. 8 March 1933.

39. Newspaper article, 5 February 1932, 20

68. Days. 26.

February 1932. clipping file. Santa Barbara Historical Society.

40. Sa^itaBarbara Daily News. 11 March 1932; Days. 30.

41. Newspaper article, 20 February 1932, clipping file, Santa Barbara Historical Society.

42. SantaBarbara Daily News, 30 March 1932.

43. Newspaper article, 1932. clipping file, Santa Barbara Historical Society.

44. Morning Press(Santa Barbara). 28 July 1932.

45. Newspaper article, December 1932. clipping file, Santa Barbara Historical Society.

46. Ibid.

69. Morning Press(Santa Barbara), 2 November 1934.

70- Newspaper article, 2 September 1934, clipping file, Santa Barbara Historical Society; Santa Barbara Daily News, 12 September 1934, 28 September 1934.

71. Joe Hendrickson, 'Ihe Ibumament ojl^ses:A Pictorial History(Los Angeles: Brooke House), 1971. 107 72. Santa Barbara News-Press. 9September 1934.

73. Morning Press(Santa Barbara), 29 December 1934.

74. Los Angeles limes. 20 December 1934.

i7. Morning Press{Stam Barbara), 31 December 1932.

SantaBarbara Daily News. lOJanuary 1933.

49. Newspaper article, January 1933. clipping file, Santa Barbara Historical Society.

50. Newspaper article, clipping file, Santa Barbara, Historical Society; Morning Press (Santa Barbara), 6 January 1933.

51. Letter ol President, Santa Barbara Chamber of Commerce, 4 January 1933: PasadenaPosL, 18 January 1933.

52. Days, 4.

53. Morning Press(Santa Barbara), 1 December 1932, 23 December 1932, 31 December 1932.

54. Morning Press(Santa Barbara), 17 September 1933.

55. Santa Barbara Daily News,7 March 1933.

75. Santa Barbara Daily News. 24 December 1934.

76. Santa Barbara Daily News, 27 December 1934.

Mommg Press(Santa Barbara), 27 December 1934.

77 Newspaper article, 1 February 1935. clipping tile, Santa Barbara Historical Society 78. Newspaper article, n.d., clipping file, Santa Barbara Historical Society; Morning Press (Santa Barbara), 4 January 1935, 8 January 1935.15 January 1935.

79. Newspaper article. 2 January 1935. clipping file. Santa Barbara Historical Society.

80. Santa Barbara Daily News. 2 January 1935.

81. Ibid.

82. Newspaper articles, 2 January 1935, clipping file, Santa Barbara Historical Society

56. Morning Press(Santa Barbara), 27 December 1933; SantaBarbara Daily News, SJanuary 1934.

83. Newspaper editorial, 2 January 1935, clipping

57 Minutes, Park Commission. 18 January 1934.

84. Santa Barbara Daii;y A’eu'.s. 4 January 1935;

58. Morning Press(Santa Barbara), 27 December 1933; Stella Haverland Rouse. "TTic Way It Was," Santa Barbara NeivS'Press. 4 January 1987 59. Days, 5.

file, Santa Barbara Historical Society Morning Press(Santa Barbara). 2 January 1935. 4 January 1935. SJanuary 1935.

85. Morning Press(Santa Barbara), 17 January 1935- 86, yV/oniing Press(Santa Barbara), 24 January 1935.

60. Newspaper article, 1934, clipping file, Santa Barbara Historical S(x:icty.

61. Santa Barbara Neivs'Press. lOJunc 1934.

87 Newspaper article, n.d.. clipping file, Santa

62. Days. 27.

89. Newspaper article, 1 June 1935, clipping file.

63. Santa Barbara Daily News. 7 August 1934;

Barbara Historical Sodccy 88. SantaBarbaruNews-Press. 19 April 1992.

Santa Barbara Historical Society.

Santa Barbara News-Press. 12August 1934;

90. yVfommg Press(Santa Barbara), 11 June 1935.

MomingPress(Santa Barbara), 13 August 1934.

91. Santa Barbara News-Press. 19 April 1992.

64. Morning Press {Santci Barbara), 28 December 1934.

65. Minutes, Park Commission. 17 October 1934.

92. Newspaper article. 1935. clipping file. Santa Barbara Historical Society 93. Newspaper article, n.d., clipping tile, Santa Barbara Historical Society-

EDITORIAL

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR The article which appeared in the Summer 2001 issue of Noticias, "Horses and Horse Sports in Santa Barbara County, 1919-2001,” elicited a critical response. This letter takes issue with the two-page treatment(pp. 47-48) concerning the administration of the Earl Warren Showgrounds in the period 1993-2001, specifically as it applies to equestrian activities at that venue.

Editorial policy precludes publishing letters to the editor.

However, issues were raised in such a way that clarification of certain points was necessary. It is apparent from this letter that the issues involved were ones of some controversy, capable of eliciting rather high passions in some circles. It speaks to the high level of engagement, care, and concern which Santa Barbarans bestow upon their community.

The following issues were raised: Referring to pari-mutuel wagering, the author wrote, "the wagering percentage allocation has been rescinded.”

Although the Showgrounds no longer received a state-directed allocation, it continued to retain local commissions from pari-mutuel wagering.

The author pointed out that from 1993--1999 the Foundation of the American Show Horse "produced the July National at its own expense . . . turning substantial profits over to the District.” The President of Earl Warren Showgrounds supplied figures in response showing that the National Horse Show provided a net profit which was less than two percent of the Showground’s annual revenue.

Concerning possible development plans for the Showgrounds in the late 1990s, the District Board retained the Tynan Group to prepare a study of alternatives. A number of plans and ideas were discussed, but no formal development plan was ever prepared or approved.

107

NOTICIAS

108

The Board established an in-line skating lacility at the Showgrounds to improve revenue flow and in response to direction from the California Division of Fairs and Expositions to seek other ways to serve the community. An equestrian group, Friends to Restore Earl Warren Showgrounds, felt that this move adversely affected equestrian events and the Showgrounds’ future profitability.

The President of the Showgrounds pointed out that the lawsuit brought by the Friends to Restore Earl Warren Showgrounds cost the Showgrounds over $30,000 in defense tees, monies which could have been put towards facility improvements. The Friends contended that environmental and open-meeting regulations were not being followed. The lawsuit and appeal failed.

The author wrote, "Current management has established a policy in which every type of activity must be selfsupporting . . . .” The Showgrounds President took issue with this, stating that no such policy was ever put in place. Fie made reference to "segmenting different departments to determine where our income and expense is coming from and to use this information to improve our profitability." He pointed out that the Showgrounds showed a profit in 1999, the first in ten years.

The author wrote, "Management is also restricting horse show entries except the District's two shows to two-thirds normal capacity, so that it can rent showground facilities for other events at the same time." In response it was pointed out that the sizes of the balance of the equestrian shows were such that it was possible to rent the unused portion of the grounds, thus generating increased revenues.

It is obvious that both sides in this debate deeply care about the Earl Warren Showgrounds and wish to see it continue as a vital part of our community today. Let’s hope that through better communication a common ground may be found so that the future good health of the Showgrounds is assured.

SANTA BARBARA HISTORICAL SOCIETY 2002 BOARD OF TRUSTEES President

Leslie L. Hovey Lawrence Hammccc

. 1st Vice President

Dr. Jo Beth Van Gcldcrcn

2nd Vice President

Michael Rodrigue Jean Smith Goodrich . . .

Secretary

Elizabeth Edwards

Dr. Glen Adams Victor Bartolome Leslie Bernstein Alexandra Crissman Melissa Dvorak

Allen Finger Thad MacMillan

Treasurer

Mary Standice Frank Stevens StcFani Taliaferro

Jane Rich Mueller James Vitanza Gen. F. Michael Rogers, USAF(ret.) Eileen Winters Robin Schuttc

MAJOR CONTRIBUTORS-2001 COLLECTORS SERIES '[he Siinta Barham 1Ivitorical Society xvishes to thank and to acknowledge with pride thefolUnving mcmlxm and iiL^tituticmsJor their most generous contributions to the 2001 Collectors Series programs: PATRONS $1,000 and up) Stewart & Katherine Abercrombie

Donald &Jane Patterson Richard & Robin Schuttc

Geary's ol Beverly Hills Lawrence & Astrid Hammett

Eleanor H. Simpson

Nancy Balch Marston Lee McGrath

Barbara W Spaulding Hugh & Mary Thorson

Waterford Wedgwood USA. Inc.

Donald & Jo Beth van Gcldcrei Ivano Paolo Vit

Ruth Brooks Scollin

Tie WedgwoexH Museum

John & Stuart Watling Adelc Wilder

Thad & Laurie MacMillan John & Barbara Merritt Jack & Kathy Moseley H. Travers & Joanna Newton Barbara Parker Robinson Michael & Joann Rodrigue General F. Michael Rogers C. William & Nancy Schlosser Ruth Brooks Scollin

Jonathan & Eileen Winters

George Shattuck & Carla Amussen

Mary Louise Case

SPONSORS($250 and up)

Robin & Scefani Taliaferro

Alger & Marjorie Chaney Richard & Alexandra Crissman

Wiley & Susanne Blair

William & Barbara Tomicki

Dora Bradley Arthur & Ruth Bromfield

Alice Van de Water

BENEFACTORS ($500 and up) Leslie S. Bernstein

Molly M. Smith

John & Patricia Bnxime

David & Melissa Dvorak Priscilla Gicsen

Ernest & Gloria Bryant Robert A. Chick

Jean Smith Goodrich Perri Harcourt

Jamie & Marcia Constance

Tliomas fc Eleanor Harriman

Janet Milligan Crary

Harry & Leslie Hovey

Roy 6e Elizabeth Edwards Baroness Lcni Fc Bland

Richard E. Hughes Josiah & Karen Jenkins

Gordon & Constance Fish

Richard & Marilyn McCcx>k Thomas & Eileen Mielko

Nancy G. Gray Chris & Dee Gronbeck

Donn Miller

Stanley & Betty Hatch Arthur L. Holt

Jane Rich Mueller William & Nancy Myers

Nelson & Elizabeth Howard

Chapin & Cynthia Nolen

John & Josephine Hunter Frances D. Larkin

Hubert & Susan Vos Marie M. Wangeman Shirley A. Wilson Elizabeth S. Youkcr SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS Arthur Earl Winery of Los Olivos Josephine C. Dutf George & Poney Eaglccon Virginia Gardener Barbara P. Ingram Kaleidoscope Flowers Wendy Minot

'The Santa Barbara HistcmcaL Society lt,6 E. Dela Querra Street,Santa Barbara, California gsioi

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Santa Barbara California Permit No. 534

NOTICIAS Quarterly Magazine of the Santa Barbara Historical Society 136 E. Dc la Guerra Street Santa Barbara, California 93101

Address Service Requested

CONTENTS Pg. 77: City Parks, Dwight Murphy, John Hartfeld, and the Depression Miracle