Dwight Murphy: Architect of Santa Barbara's Renaissance

NOTICIAS Quarterly Magazine Of The Santa Barbara Historical Society Summcr/Aucumn 2005

Vol. LI. Nos. 2, 3

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Dwight Murphy Architect of Santa Barbara’s Renaissance

HI£ AUTHOll. F.divwxlA. I lanjddiaanativeSantaBarhaiwiandsonqfJohnH.llaitjdd, the city's Siiperintendent oj Parl{sJrom uj'^oto 1935- He attended local schools, including UCSB,and thenjorthirty-seven years luorkedfora numheroj U.S.corporations,domesti cally and intepiationally. He retired to Santa Barbara in 1985. / Ic ivrote a histoij oj his Jather’s taiure cls Superintendent of Parl{sfor the Winter2001 issue o/NoLicins. / le is currently zuorlting on a bookabout Dzvight Aiurphy.

AUTHOR'S ACKNOWLHDGEMENTS.- My most importanc contributor was Dwight Murphy's only child, Marjorie Grace Murphy Bacon, w'hosc oBerings about her lather were invaluable in under standing him and the principles which guided his life. Incredibly, due to his extreme modesty, she was almost totally unaware of his great ce>ntributions to Santa Barbara and Calitornia; she had been admitted primarily to his equestrian and ranching worlds.

Early in my research my good iriend Paul 'Vcblen, former Executive Editor of the Santa Barbara Neivs-Press provided several invaluable referrals. These included Beverly Jackson, Si Jenkins, Hcloisc B. Power, and Carol Storke. Others included Lee Carr and Tonia Simon, owners of Rancho San Fernando Rey; Joshua Odell oi San Marcos Ranch; and Linda Paich ot the Solvang Museum of the Cow'bov.

Of particular help in seeking out photographs and other documentation were Michael Redmon ol the Santa Barbara Historical Society, Mary Louise Days ol the Santa Barbara Trust lor Historic Prc.servation, John Crockett ol the Santa Ynez'Valley Historical Society. David Myrick and Maria Hcrold ol tlic Montccito History Committee, Ed Fields ol UCSB’s Davidson Library, and the staffs of the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum and the National Archives and Records Administration. Additional individuals and institutions that made meaninglul contributions included E.R.(Jim) Blakley. Dennis Cogan, Walter C. Douglas. Paige R. Noble ol the Calitornia Horse Racing Board, and the rclcrence stalfs at the Santa Barbara Public Library and the Belleville (Illinois) Public Library.

Insightlul contributions were made by two former employees of Murphy’s: Werner Funkc, who worked as a chaufleur and handyman, and Raymond E. "Dutch” Wilson, who performed in the weekly palomino exhibitions at Murphy’s Los Prietos and San Fernando Rey ranches.

Board minutes ol three ot Santa Barbara’s distinguished institutions were made available

by Charles Slosserol the Santa Barbara Foundation, Nadine B. Greenup ol the Santa Barbara Cot tage Hospital Reeves Medical Library, and Don Chalfant ol the Santa Barbara Club. Additional information was provided by Maude Bornand,Jean Gourlcy, Joan Brandofl-Kcrr, Marian Kadota.

Scott Grieve, and Ann Cowin.

Finally, my brother. Jack (John A.) Hartlcld, faithfully preserved our father’s files and generously offered them for my use.

Front cover photograph shoivs Divight Aiurphy in Fiesta costume. Baclicover and page 10^ photograph sIurvs scidpiure ofDivight Aiurphy astride his palomino, Del l\ey, the sire of l\ey de los l\cyes. Sculpturexvas commissioned by Clara Hinton Qoiddand executed by Amot-y C.Simotisin INFORMATION FOR CONTRIBUTORS: NOTiciAS is a quarterly journal devoted CO the study of the history of Santa Barbara County. Concrihucions of articles are welcome. Those authors whose articles arc accepted lor publication will receive ten gratis copies of the issue in wliich their article appears. I hirthcr copies arc available CO the contributor at cost. The authority in matters of style is the UniversilyofChicagoAlaniudofSlylc, i^th edition. Tlie Publications Committee reserves the right to return submitted manuscripts for required changes.

Statements and opinions expressed in articles arc the sole responsibility of the author.

Michael Redmon, Editor Judy Sutcliffe, Designer © 2005 The Santa Barbara Historical Society 136 E. Dc la Guerra Street, Santa Barbara. Calilornia 93101 ● Telephone: 805/966-1601

Single copies $7.oo ISSN 0581-5916

Dwight Murphy Architect of Santa Barbara’s Renaissance The editorial page of the ScintaBarbaraNcws-Prcss offered the following after the death of Dwight Murphy in 1968.

There is scarcely a public improvement,an organiza tion or an institution ofthe many that have made this a proud and gracious community that cannot claim Dwight Murphy as one ofits most gracious supporters and co-creators...

He gave his time,energy and counsel,too,to the drudgeiry of organizational work—for the Cachuma Water Project and the state-wide water development program, for the city’s master planning committee, for the Chamber of Commerce,the Commiuiity Chest, the Cottage Hospital Board, and for A Child’s Estate, among countless other enterprises.

The monuments he built for posterity, both tan gible and intangible,willlastfor generations. Without them this would be a less beautiful,less prosperous and less lively community.

Once in 1953 he was named Santa Barbara’s “Man of the Year.” He was in fact, as much as any lo ni cal resident, the “Man of the Century.

was improvable. Among its concepts was youthful volunteerism including the creation of and participation on citizen boards and commissions to improve local govern-

Early in the twentieth century Dwight Murphy became a disciple of the Progres sive movement, based on the notion that through altruistic good works humanity

Edward A. Hartfelc 61

62 mcnc and the quality of life. This was something Murphy took very seriously.

Due to his talent for getting things done, and his friendly, approachable nature, he was sought out as a volunteer for virtu ally every signihcanc local civic, social, and humanitarian task, and cook on challenging appointments at the statewide level. His life seemed dedicated to noblesse oblige, but out of the public eye wherever possible.

Another of Murphy’s youthful ideals was humanicarianism. He particularly ad mired the accomplishments of Herbert Clark Hoover with his great organizing skills, and with whom he became friends. Murphy’s first known humanitarian act took place in the early 1920s when he anonymously set up trust accounts around Santa Barbara to aid unfortunates of every description, and even subsidized students and young people starting in business; it was many years be fore his secret began to surface publicly.

In newspaper publisher Tliomas Storke’s

NOTICIAS 1958 book, Calijomia Editor, he wrote of Dwight Murphy: The private records of local hospitals, organizationsjar the underprivileged, child welfare and similar charitable agencies, would reveal the true depth ofTAurphy’s nature, but they will ofcourse never be re leasedfor publication. He has never gone in jor personal publicity.

As a newspaperman, to whom come sto ries ofthe unfortunate and the afflicted, and as a closefriend,I am in a betterposition than anyone living to assess jAurphy’s worth to Santa Barbara.1 know ofscores ofthe unfor tunate whom he has helped in every phase and degree ofhuman misery.1know ofmany young men he has anonymously set up in business.1 know ofnumerousfunds he has established for charitable purposes. In most instances, Murphy himselfhas no personal knowledge of who is receiving the benefits ofhis generosity.

He leaves that to the discretion ofthe persons entrusted to administer suchfunds.^

Dzvight Murphy’sfather,PeterMurphy, originally christenedhisAlmtecitoestateGtayszonc Terrace. but Interchanged the name to El Tejado.

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DWIGHT MURPHY Murphy appeared on the Santa Barbara scene just before the city was struck by a tragic earthquake and then the nation’s deepest and most protracted economic depression. Murphy worked tirelessly to relieve individual suffering of every kind.

This included working thousands of hours as a volunteer administrator to help keep the city's hospitals, charities, and its primary budding community foundation solvent and operating. He also founded the country's first Depression work relief program within months after the Great Crash of 1929, the Citizen's Unemploy ment Relief Committee. Murphy then worked in key positions in programs patterned after his CURC on the county and state levels. The reach of Murphy’s innumerable benefactions went far beyond Santa Barbara, all without expectation of reward or even recognition.^ Dwight Murphy’s public recognition came principally through his contribu tions in the held of equestrianism. He supported the local horse show through its lean years, fathered and financed Santa Barbara’s annual Fiesta parades, unlocked the key to breeding the magnificent golden palomino and served for sixteen years as a State Horse Racing Board commissioner, the last eight as chairman.

As the result of his horse breeding work the once nearly extinct palomino is a common sight today, both in the U.S. and elsewhere. His palominos were a highlight of the city’s Fiesta parades which attracted huge crowds and inter national attention, and greatly reinforced Santa Barbara’s determination to pre serve Spanish cultural traditions and to adhere to Spanish-Colonial architectural guidelines. In assessing the significance of these classically beautiful animals to Santa Barbara’s Hispanic renaissance and growing fame, California historian

and former Scare Librarian Kevin Starr wrote: Dwight ?4.urpliy singlchandedly rccovered the palominofrom its virtual disappearance as a type: the equestrian equivalent oj architect Qeorge Washington Smith s revival ofAndalusian architecture ... In Tvlurphy s palominos,featured so prominently in thefirst and thefollowing Old Spanish Daysfiesta, here on the streets ofa California city pranced the cerammialroyal horse ofSpain,golden and triumphant^ It was fairly late in life that Murphy undertook a sixteen-ycar-long campaign against entrenched interests as a State Horse Racing Board commissioner. He successfully ended the corruption rife in the huge racing industry. The resistance of the big tracks to his early efforts was both relentless and often malicious, but upon resigning as commissioner the track owners were unstinting in their praise of him for having brought decency and order to their industry. It consequently became a model for the rest of the country.

THE MURPHYS DISCOVER SANTA BARBARA Dwight Murphy was born to Peter Henry Murphy and Jennie Elizabeth (Pat ton) Murphy in Illinois on January 15, 1884. Peter was bright, industrious and fun-loving, and soft-spoken Jennie ran the family. Peter had held a number ofjobs with the Erie, Pennsylvania and Union Pacific Railroads including locomotive engineer and master railroad mechanic. The couple had four other sons and a daughter and soon after Dwight was born, the Murphys moved to a bleak one thousand-acre farm in Kansas to raise cattle.

The railroads were a booming industry, but a serious problem plagued them; loco motive sparks set hre to the freight cars

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with disturbing regularity because their

suggested that they try"a little town down

roofs were made of wood lined with paper insulation. Peter was also an inventor and

the coast” called Santa Barbara. The sug gestion would prove to be an auspicious one both for the Murphy family and Santa Barbara.®

in 1892 he quit railroading and organized the P. H. Murphy Co, in East St. Louis.

Illinois, to produce the fireproof and wa ter-tight Murphy Rool lor freight cars. It met with considerable success and over the years the company developed additional products such as corrugated metal end walls that strengthened the freight cars, and pneumatic equipment. In 1898 the firm was incorporated as the Standard Railway Equipment Co. A branch was established in Chicago and the main plant eventually was re-located to Pittsburgh. Pennsylvania, as was the Murphy home.

Peter developed a throat ailment that caused him to lose his voice and in 1904 he and Jennie toured the country to find a place where his affliction could possibly be cured. In San Francisco a railroad official

While staying at Santa Barbara’s new world-class Potter Hotel, and enjoying the local spas and mineral springs, Peter Murphy regained his speech within a few weeks. TTie Murphys were so impressed that before they returned home they bought a thirteen-acre building site on Cold Springs Road in nearby Montecito.

They built a Renaissance Palladian twostory mansion, described by the press as palatial, and later acquired another one hundred adjoining acres. They originally called the estate Qraystonelhrace. but later changed it to Bl Tejado, Spanish for "The Tiled Roof.”

For the last few years of his life Peter was in failing health and spent much of his

7/i€ second El Tejado was designed by [Reginald Johnson. Vieformer Alurphy home is now Kerrwood HalL on the Westmont College campus.

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DWIGHT MURPHY time at EL Tejado, while Dwight managed the family business. Peter died in 1917, and in 1929. Jennie, who had married Robert James Baldwin, demolished the house and replaced it with a new two-story mansion designed by architect Reginald Johnson.

She passed away in 1933 at eighty-two.

Due to shortages of help during World War II the family sold El Tejado in 1944. A year later, Westmont College acquired the property for its campus upon the insistence of Westmont founder and benefactress Ruth tCcrr, who called the house the most beautiful she had seen. Now known as

65 cake a look ac the place on the coasc where his father had regained /lis health. Both Santa Barbara’s climate and way of life appealed to the young man.

Hearing about the beauty and warm weather of the Santa Ynez Valley and surrounding mountains he borrowed a horse and went over to see it for himself.

It was during this period that Murphy, despite his slight build and marginal health, determined to join the U.S. Forest Service. Along with many other youthful Americans, he was inspired to undertake such service by the relatively new and pro

ICcrrwood Hall, the building is still the "heart of the campus.”®

gressive notions about public service and conservation being advanced by President Theodore Roosevelt. Just a year earlier

MURPHY’S YOUTH AND DISCOVERY OF CALIFORNIA

the president had made his first and much publicized tour of California, including a stop in Santa Barbara where a mounted escort of newly organized Forest Rangers escorted him around town.® The president

In a rare personal interview in 1951, Murphy recalled his boyhood in Kansas.

Ac age four he was given a gray mare and immediately started riding it bareback with a rope halter. Due to the lack of fences, and the fact that cattle rustling was com mon. it was necessary to herd the cattle everyday and young Dwight rode with the ranch hands. Half a mile from home, the mare would usually decide he had gone far enough. "She would whirl, I would fall off. and then walk back, stopping to pull cactus spines from my bare feet and crying hard. Every day I took a fresh dislike to horses. Next day I would try again.” Over the years a growing respect for and love of horses was to become an important part of his life, and one chat he would share with millions of people in a variety of ways.^ Although Dwight’s health was not very sound, as a teenager he went to work operating metal scamping machines at his father’s plant in East Sc. Louis during school vacations. He did not attend college and in 1905 decided he should go out and

also spent four days in the Yosemtte back country with naturalist and founder of the Sierra Club. John Muir. Muir had a profound effect on Roosevelt who conse quently urged Americans to preserve their "marvelous natural resources" stating "we arc not building this country for a day, it is to last through the ages.”® Murphy took the U. S. Forestry Ser vice examination, received a high recom mendation and was promptly accepted as an Assistant Ranger in the Santa Barbara National Forest, later renamed Los Padres National Forest. He was required to furnish two horses, his outi firearms, and much of his own supplies while living much of the time on the trail and foraging in the wilderness.

Murphy’s youth spent on the family’s austere frontier cattle ranch had prepared him mentally, if not physically, for the adventure he was undertaking. He was assigned to Madulce Station, little more

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Dwight Murphy,left,and 16m Dinsmoreat theMalduce rangerstation,igo6. Murphy spent two years as a U.S. Forest Service ranger. Collection ofDennis Cogan.

chan a couple ol wooden shacks deep in the rugged wilderness some cwency miles norch of Santa Barbara. He worked co build trails, fight fires, plant pine trees, construct and man ranger lookouts, work on survey parties, and keep an eye on and sometimes even arrest squatters and ocher law breakers scattered around the hills.

Among his fellow rangers he formed the first of his innumerable lifelong friendships on the West Coast. Once Dwight Murphy made a friend he would remain a friend for life; everyone chat would encounter him personally over the years quickly either felt a kinship or at minimum respected his courage, honesty and sense of fairness, and his subtle Irish sense of humor was always close co the surface.

One winter, a survey party which

included Murphy; Tom Dinsmore, sub sequently a county supervisor; and three ocher rangers, nearly lost their lives while fording the freezing cold Santa Ynez River with a wagon drawn by eight mules. Sur prised by the strength of the current, the entire party was carried downstream and the wagon, along with their camp ouchc and supplies, were lost and two of the mules drowned.

After spending two years as a ranger Dwight decided co return east co work in the family business. Wliilc he could not know it at the time, he would return co the Santa Ynez Valley, and become prominent in its history in untold ways.

Years after he left the Forest Service and was staying at his Los Prietos Ranch in the Santa Ynez Valley, a persistent forest

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DWIGHT MURPHY hre developed at Grapevine Creek in the Sisquoc area, part of his old beat as a ranger two decades earlier. A crisis developed and there was an urgent need for a message to be delivered by horseback during the night to the crews on the front line ten miles distant. Forest Service officials turned to their friend and neighbor for help, and rather than sending a ranch hand Murphy rode into the night to deliver the message.

According to a newspaper story, it was his timely ride that "turned the tide in the battle with the fire.” At the time of his ride, Murphy was in his forties, the wealthy president of a major industrial enterprise.

It was a typical example of Murphy’s selflessness, of his willingness to answer the call of those who needed help.”

"THE BEST DAMN SPANIARD Murphy became intrigued by the lore and romance of Spanish California’s equestrian culture during his days as a ranger. The Spanish empire had controlled the American Southwest for nearly three hundred years prior to settling Alta Cali fornia. When the Spanish arrived in the Santa Ynez Valley, the Chumash village

the 35,000-acrc Rancho San Marcos granc was issued which included the sice of che asistcncia and its associated structures.

In 1938, Murphy gave up his Los Prietos lease and through purchase and lease he gained control of most of the original Rancho San Marcos lands for the purpose ol improving Hereford cattle and palomino horse breeding. The gorgeous but extremely rare golden palomino was made famous by Spain’s Queen Isabella who collected them and sent a few to the New World tor the noblemen among the conquistadorcs, but the strain became nearly extinct. Murphy called his new property Rancho San Fernando Rey and it became famous throughout the equestrian world for Murphy’s unique and much celebrated palomino breeding efforts.

In 1935. Leo Carrillo, star of stage and screen and internationally lamous ambas sador of goodwill for Calilornia’s Hispanic culture, complimented Dwight Murphy by calling him "the best damn Spaniard ever born on the East coast of Ireland.” While

Santa Barbara took possession of these lands in 1804,an asistcncia or satellite mis

the statement included some geographical inaccuracy it reflected Murphy’s love of early California’s heritage, a heritage he worked hard to promote and conserve.

In the mid-1930s Murphy gave Carrillo a golden palomino, Conquistador, that Carrillo proudly rode for years in parades throughout the West including Santa Barbara's Old Spanish Days Fiesta.

sion was built. Here the Franciscan padres trained the Chumash neophytes in farming and the raising of livestock. According to mission records the asistcncia had 16,598

SANTA BARBARA AT THE TURN OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY

of Mistivaghehewang was located near the foot of today’s Highway 154 which traverses San Marcos Pass. Alter Mission

head of cattle in 1814. Within a few years the Franciscans were forced from the land under a Decree of Secularization, and sub sequently the entire valley became a scries of giant land grant ranchos raising tens of thousands of cattle tended by hard riding Chumash and Catalan vaqueros. In 1846

In the aftermath of California state hood in 1850 and the increasing influx of Americans to the South Coast, the look of Santa Barbara began to change. The town’s traditional building material, adobe, began to give way to buildings made of wood.

68 favored by the Yankees coming from the east. The first telegraph line in 1870 and, more importantly, the completion of the deep-water Stearns Wliarf in 1872 eroded Santa Barbara’s isolation from the rest of the country and accelerated population growth and commercial development. By the late 1800s many of the city’s remain ing historic adobes were in pitiful condition and there was little public outcry to try and save them.

The closing years of the century saw gas street lights replaced by electric bulbs along with the introduction of telephones and electric streetcars, all ol which required a jumble ol poles and wires. Until 1900 there was no street paving except for State Street, most of the town was largely bar ren of trees, the two-mile oceanfront cast of the wharf was undeveloped, and there was little infrastructure to facilitate civic improvements. Architecturally the town was a crazy quilt of styles.

Growth continued with the arrival of the railroad from Los Angeles in 1887 and the closing of the railway gap to the north in 1901. In the early 1900s, a Progres sive movement formed with an interest

NOTICIAS in embryonic civic planning. One of the most noteworthy aspects of this planning impulse was a move to give the city a more coherent architectural look, based on vari ants of various Hispanic styles. Money alone could do little to achieve any real change; leadership, vision, and endless vol unteer hours would also be required. Com ing forward were Dwight Murphy, Major Max C. Flcischmann, newspaper publisher Thomas Storke and Pearl Chase, along with Bernhard Hoffmann, Frederick For rest Peabody and Pearl’s brother, Harold.

The qualities required tor a true renaissance were represented by this extraordinary group of dedicated people.

DWIGHT MURPHY ADOPTS SANTA BARBARA After his return to the East in 1907, Murphy made regular trips back to Santa Barbara, where he formed a number of important friendships. Among his new acquaintances were Judge and Mrs. Samuel S. Price and their daughter, Grace, whom he began to court. Eventually Dwight proposed to Grace by telephone from

'[he main ranch house under constniction at Murphy’s San Fernando R^y. On this ranch, Murphy would breed his ivorld-famous palomino horses.

DWIGHT MURPHY

Leo Carrillo with his palomino, Conquistador. T^urphy bred the horse on his San Fernando

ranch

and later presented the animal to hisgoodfriend.

Pittsburgh. The pressure ol work made it difficult for him to get away so the couple agreed to meet in Kansas City, Missouri, where they were married on February 12, 1910. Their only child, Marjorie Grace Murphy, was born in Pittsburgh in 1912.

Grace’s brother, Francis, became a senior partner in the oldest law firm in Santa Barbara, Price Postel & Parma, and a close friend of Dwight Murphy’s.

Murphy worked his way up Standard’s corporate ladder, served as treasurer for sev eral years and in 1917, following his father’s death, took over as general manager and president. Then in 1920, he obtained the Los Prietos lease on U. S. Forestry Service land where he built a house overlooking

the Santa Ynez River, which he called Ihc Lodge. He then added an elaborate com plex of ranch buildings and homes tor his employees, named the whole Los Prietos Ranch, and by 1925 commenced experi ments in palomino breeding.

In 1921, apparently as part of their plan to eventually relocate to Santa Bar bara permanently, the Murphys bought a lot on Lasuen Road, overlooking the city, where they built a relatively modest house in 1924. That same year, Murphy opened an office in the beautiful new Andalusian style complex of retail stores and othccs, El Paseo, in the hrsc block of East Dc la Guerra Street, built by Bernhard Hoffmann. Mur phy retired in 1925, moved his small family

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inco thdr new home and sold his stock in Standard. This proved to be a rather fortu itous stroke, for within four years the great Wall Street stock market crash wiped out most of Standard’s market value.

During his frequent visits between 1907 and 1924, Murphy got to know most of Santa Barbara’s more prominent citizens.

ity toward government and business as the result of revelations of political corruption and industry practices that were harmful to workers, the public in general and the economy. Tlie final years of the nineteenth

PROGRESSIVISM

century saw a growing determination to do something about America’s problems.

Tlie Progressive movement promoted the notion that man was both improvable and improving. At the local level it relied upon volunteers employing scientific management principles to bring democracy and order to local government through volunteer com missions and boards. Tlicodorc Roosevelt

Tlie years after the end of the Civil War in 1865 saw the development of a number of alarming trends. The quality of life in the cities was deteriorating as a rising tide of im migrants and the farm population crowded inco them. Also, there was growing hoscil-

became a leading exponent, attacking what he referred to as "chat most dangerous of all classes, the wealthy criminal class’’ and others chat placed self service ahead of "their "12 larger social obligation.

Progressivism continued to grow as a vitalizing and edifying force in the coun-

Included were members of the body politic, civic activists, and local philanthropists, the sorts ot people who knew how to get things done.

Dwight JVliirphy, atfar right, celebrates an early Fiesta ivithfriends andfamily. County Supervisor Sam Stanwmd is secondfrom left;Murphy’swife, Qrace,isfourthfrom left; her brother, Francis Price, is seventhfrom left;and the 7^url}hys’daughter,iMarjorie,standsjust behind herfather.

DWIGHT MURPHY try in the early years of the twentieth century, The disillusion which grew out of the slaughter of World War 1 did much to slow the tendencies of Progressive volunteerism, which would be overshadowed

71 After World War I, despite the dwin dling of the Progressive spirit in the land, a number of Santa Barbara’s citizens recog nized that the character of Santa Barbara’s

Because industry and those made rich

future development was at a crossroads, Tliey were disturbed by the materialistic example of Los Angeles which, with the help of a relentless boosterism, seemed to

by it badly needed to change their image, both for practical reasons and out of a sense

be out of control to the point that the qual ity of life was suffering. In contrast, Santa

of guilt, early in the century there also de veloped an increased interest in individual

Barbara was attracting aesthetes seeking genteel living in an environment compatible with their artistic and psychological needs.

In addition to the established community of the well-to-do. colonics of artists, poets and theatrical people were developing. The Los Angeles model simply w^ould not be accept able, but avoiding it would not be easy.

Migration to Southern California

by the materialism of the 1920s and the Great Depression of the 1930s,

humanitarianism and philanthropy that survives to this day despite World War I and the Great Depression which wiped out many potential philanthropists. Two of the most devoted and effective members of the new altruism, Herbert Hoover and Dwight Murphy, needed no such motivation: Hoover because of his Quaker religious conviction and Murphy due to his innate Irish sense of generosity. But, what made them stand out above most others was

reached record levels in the early 1920s, during which time the cities of the Los

the depth of their devotion to their causes

bara benefited from its relatively isolated setting and distinctive natural, cultural and

including a willingness to give unstintingly of their personal time and effort combined with the application to their altruism of their extraordinary organizational, leader ship and administrative skills.

SANTA BARBARA’S WATERSHED YEARS The spacious Pacific Umdscapes. The pink, enormous mountains—'Ihe people grow to match the scenery—they expand out there[California] more cosily...gigantic uncultivated beauties like the beauties of the prehistoric world—men playing and thriving in the raw magnificent landscapes ofprimordial processes and upheavals—the sun dropping into the Pacific and the red' 13 gold holocaust ofthe sky.

—Edmund Wilson

Angeles Basin doubled, tripled, and even quadrupled their populations. Santa Bar

social qualities which would help to shape 14 its coming renaissance.

Dwight Murphy was a businessman who enjoyed getting things done efficiently and the bigger the challenge the more he enjoyed it. It soon became apparent that power was only important to Murphy as a tool with which to advance the interests of Santa Barbara and its people, not for personal gain. With the help of his two principal allies, the wealthy and generous Max FIcischmann and newspaperman Thomas Storkc, he moved to hll what he perceived to be a leadership vacuum. Both Murphy and Fleischmann had offices in El Paseo, while Storkc’s growing newspaper empire was located just across from El Pasco in Dc la Guerra Plaza. The three moved forward to bring about a Progressive renaissance in Santa Barbara.

72 Murphy had a humble, self-effacing nature and moved easily among all he en countered regardless of their backgrounds.

His disarmingly friendly personality made him readily accessible and it wasn’t long before he was being asked to participate in a myriad of civic, social and humanitarian causes and agencies; it was rare when any were turned aw'ay without some sort of as-

NOTICIAS of volunteers. Secondly, because some projects took vast amounts of money he personally solicited contributions from the available sources. He approached the wealthy members of the community, many of whom he of course knew personally He sought out public sources of money, which included the promotion of bond issues, the details of which he was sometimes inti mately involved. Thirdly, Murphy used his own resources, either as seed money to show his personal support or. on occasion, to fund an entire project.

Despite the waning of Progressivism throughout the rest of the country during the early 1920s, a small handful of Santa Barbara citizens joined with Murphy to support the Progressive concept of achiev ing popular control of government through volunteer commissions and boards at the community level. This approach attracted the volunteers necessary for promoting the city's development in an orderly fashion through the participation and will of the people. Murphy became deeply involved in the process, helping to found and serve on several such boards and commissions at

Local newspaper publisher, 'Thomas Storl{c,

both the city and county level. The con

was an ally ofMurphy’s on a number ofcivic

cept reached full flower following the 1925 earthquake when hundreds of enthusiastic citizens joined a lengthy list of boards and committees organized for the rebuilding ol the commercial district.

projects.

sistancc. He soon became the ultimate civic volunteer and humanitarian, his leadership and knack for problem-solving often being his most important contributions. His wealth was simply one of the many tools that he brought into play when necessary.

The 1920s and 1930s were pivotal in the history of Santa Barbara’s development and Dwight Murphy was at the heart of it all.

The pragmatic Murphy addressed his undertakings with a three-legged approach.

He unhesitatingly undertook much of the detailed drudgery involved in research, planning, promotion, and in the recruiting

THE SANTA BARBARA NATIONAL HORSE SHOW Although it was not recognized at the time, the founding of the Santa Barbara Horse Show in 1919 was the Erst significant event in what was to become Santa Barbara’s post-World War I Progressive renaissance. The 1919 show was held in the Palm Ring on the grounds of the Belvedere Hotel, formerly the Potter Hotel. This

DWIGHT MURPHY horse show was Dwighc Murphy's hrsc recorded involvement in the civic affairs of Santa Barbara. In 1923 he made a personal appearance in the show ring, along with his eleven-year-old daughter, Marjorie, Mur phy aided the show financially in the early years,sometimes saving it from failure, and eventually it developed into one ol the finest equestrian exhibits in the country.

In 1920. the hotel’s name again changed, to the Ambassador, and the horse show continued to be held in the Palm Ring until 1924, even though the hotel itself burned down in 1921. The show relocated and Murphy bought land for it at the corner of Bath and Yanonali streets. Tlie Horse Show Association raised money to build new fa

73 more acres added by donation in 1931. Tliat year, County Supervisor Sam Stanwood started a movement to resume the show, a committee was formed and funds to rebuild were solicited. The shows resumed in the new Pershing Park arena in July of 1931, under the name Santa Barbara National Horse Show, with Dwighc Murphy as first Vice President. Ocher state-sponsored fairs and horse shows soon began offering larger premiums than the local show and there was a decline in participation. This and the onset of the Depression took a financial toll. Murphy took over as president and pulled the show through with an influx of money and a good deal of help from his strikingly beautiful palominos which became a featured attraction.

cilities but the very morning construction was to begin the great earthquake of June 29, 1925 put everything on hold.

In 1927, as chairman of the City Board of Parks Commissioners. Murphy led ef forts to get the city to buy five acres at the

difficulties only one show was held between

loot of Castillo Street to which he got five

1942 and 1947. and in 1948 Murphy bc-

In 1938 the 19th District Agricultural Association took over responsibility for operating the shows and a flower show was added. Due to World War 11 and ocher

An architect s vision ofthe Earl Warren Slunvgrounds,before thefacility's completion in ig^8. Courtesy 19''“ District Agricultural Association.

NOTICIAS

74 came president of the both the Santa Bar bara National Horse Show and the Santa Barbara Horse Show Association which ran the shows from 1949 to 1957^^ The shows were so successful they outgrew Pershing Park, but the city de clined to expand the grounds and in 1949 Murphy and others started a search for a new location. Shortly thereafter the as sociation donated $1.5 million toward the State of California’s purchase of a 136-acrc site at Highway 101 and Las Positas Road.

About one hundred acres of it was sold off for the Municipal Golf Course and a school, leaving chirty-hve acres for the new show grounds. On July 26. 1958, fol lowing a formal dedication ceremony, the first Santa Barbara National Horse Show of 700 horses was held in the new 2,700 scat arena. It was named for Earl Warren in recognition of his support as governor for the state’s purchase of the land. Most of the money had come from the $40 mil lion annual income the state was receiving from horse race track betting income levied by the State Horse Racing Board of which Murphy was chairman and guiding light 16 for years.

Murphy made the dedicatory speech at the opening, "This is undoubtedly the most beautiful horse show facility in the world and bordered on two sides by the beautiful green grass of a public golf course.

Next year the flower show building will be completed . .. Our appreciation to Ear! Warren,former governor and Chief Justice of the United States.’’ In view of Murphy's forty years of extraordinary dedication to the people of California at the behest of several governors, and particularly his multifaceted contributions to the equestrian world including the horse shows, the Fiesta and horse racing, one could reasonably ask why the new showgrounds were not dedicated to him instead of his close friend

Warren. Murphy’s mcdescy may have had 17

something to do with it.

OLD SPANISH DAYS IN SANTA BARBARA ... conjuring up splendid images out ofthe past and continuing them so that we may 18 enjoy them today. ●Leo Carrillo In the closing years of the nineteenth century, the Santa Barbara community occasionally produced celebrations which employed the area’s Hispanic heritage as their theme. After World War I there was growing interest in having an annual event during the summer to attract visitors, A play about the history of Santa Barbara was produced in 1920. In 1924, in dedieating the rebuilding of the city's Lobero Theatre, a committee decided that there should be a Fiesta celebration lasting sev eral days, with the principal event to be a parade emphasizing Santa Barbara’s early Hispanic heritage. There was apprehension that it. like the 1920 pageant, would fail to achieve the interest and participation necessary to sustain it as an annual event.

Ac a meeting in the city manager’s office, Dwight Murphy was prevailed upon to accept the chairmanship of the parade committee.

When Murphy asked what kind of a parade was wanted he was told chat it was up CO him. He was told chat $200 had been allotted for expenses. This would not go very far, even in chose days, so he orga nized a fund drive and made his own sizable contribution. He called together a group consisting of Francis Price, Sam Scanwood, artist Ed Borein, Harry Sweccser, James Rickard, and T Wilson Dibblce. They met several times and decided that while the

DWIGHT MURPHY parade would be largely equestrian. It would also feature various figures from the area’s Hispanic past. Murphy visited the service clubs and asked their members to serve as stand-ins for the Chumash,the explorer Juan Rodriquez Cabrillo, the early Franciscan padres, and the soldiers of the presidio.

Murphy then called upon several com mittee members and influential friends to organize the various elements of the parade, the floats, carriages and ox carts and the teams to pull them. He personally headed up the effort to gain the support and par ticipation of de.sccndants of the old Spanish families, and to recruit area equestrians and locate horses for those needing mounts tor the parade. A reception was given for the matriarchs of the descendant families including the Carrillos, de la Guerras, Dlb-

75 blccs, and Orcegas. The program included Charles F. Lummis, chronicler of the early Southwest, who spoke glowingly of the old Spanish heritage. Lummis had recently given up his efforts to promote Spanish imagery as a development metaphor for Los Angeles.

In order to make the parade as authentic as possible, the descendants were asked to produce examples of family garments that had been preserved for generations.

Murphy, his wife, and Francis Price then approached the suppliers of the movie industry's costumes to produce dozens of 19 garments modeled on the originals.

For the parade, some participants were loaned beautiful thoroughbred horses from Murphy’s Los Prietos Ranch, along with silver ornamented saddles. On parade day.

Francisca de Id Querra Dihblee and Qrace Murphy pose with Dzvight Murphy, astride his horse, Fernando, during Santa Barbara sfirst Fiesta in igi^.

76

NOTICIAS

the DailyNeivsannounced chat "Fernando with marcel waved, cream-colored mane and flying rail will lead che equestrian divi sion . , . On his proud back will be a $5,000 silver mounted saddle with hand worked leather." The rider was Dwight Murphy, astride his favorite horse.

The parade was an unforgettable event in large measure due to che beautiful col lection of thoroughbred horses and che authentic costumes. Consequently, a meet ing of interested citizens was held in the city council chamber, which was filled to overflowing. The opinion was expressed chat Fiesta" would have died alaorning” had it not been for the work of Murphy and Sam Stanwood, and of course Murphy's dona tions, which he continued for many years.

The 1925 earthquake caused a severe scale back of Fiesta chat year. Nonethe¬

less, che first of what became annual Fiesta bowl pageants was held in Santa Barbara High School’s Peabody Stadium. Charles Pressley, who would serve as manager of Fiesta for many years, wrote che play. In 1926, Murphy led an effort to enlarge Fi esta. Hundreds of new parade entries from around the West expanded Fiesta’s central event. Often Murphy supplied California governors and ocher VI.Ps with palominos equipped with beautiful silver saddles to ride in che parade. All chat was required was chat they appear before che parade at Pershing Park where his remuda of palomi nos and thoroughbreds was housed, select one and return it afterwards. Following the 1926 Fiesta che celebration incorporated as Old Spanish Days in Santa Barbara, Inc., and Murphy was unanimously elected che first BL Presidente.^'' The Daily News editorial of August ' 4, 1928 pointed out chat "Mr. Murphy carried the load of responsibility and bore the Rnandal burden of [earlier] fiestas. His faith and

I

w.

courage made possible the success of today ... In good season and bad, through all difficulties, Mr. Murphy has carried on in his determination to bring the hesta to che point where it would become a real community event."

He soon became informally recognized as the "Father of the Fiesta" and later was the

tlWiffn

T^urphy q/ten loaned his stable of palominosfor the use ojdignitar ies in the Fiesta parade. I lere he greets James Pplph,Jr., governor ojCaliforniafrom 1931 to 1934.

77

DWIGHT MURPHY first to be officially honored with the title ElPresidente Honorario. In succeeding years the event grew in popularity and size. By 1940 there were one thousand equestrian 22 entries in the parade.

Murphy himself. Tliis was the first of many significant civic projects in which Murphy and Flcischmann collaborated.

SAVING MISSION SANTA BARBARA

which it sought donations. Still, Murphy contributed to the church over the years in

The 1925 earthquake destroyed or significantly damaged 618 buildings. The early morning temblor struck as Father Augustine Hobrecht, Minister Provincial of the Franciscan Province of St. Barbara, was attending Mass and as the congregation started to run to the exits the much loved padre exhorted his flock to "remain seated and prepare to meet your maker.” Tlie two bell towers came tumbling down and the 23

church faqade was heavily damaged.

The overall damage was considerable and Fr. Augustine immediate ly visited Dwight Murphy, who described himself as a "Presbyterian Irishman," at Los Prietos Ranch, to appeal for help. Murphy volunteered to be chairman of the restora tion committee and lead the statewide fund drive which raised the necessary $600,000 for repairs. Principal local donors included Max Fleischmaiin, Caroline Hazard, and

The Santa Barbara Mission ivas heavily damaged by the earthquak.e which struck Santa Barbara on the early morning of

June 29,1925.

When Murphy was a young man, he and his family had left the Catholic faith because his father disliked the manner in

his own way. Friends with Fr. Augustine, the two played poker from time to time.

Murphy jokingly explained his losses with the accusation that the good padre hid cards up the long sleeves of his Franciscan habit. Murphy also went to the aid of St. Francis Hospital which,although only two years old at the time of the earthquake, had to be demolished and rebuilt. When he died in 1968, Murphy was honored with a plaque by the St. Francis Board of Trustees recognizing forty-three years of

78

NOTICIAS

continuing financial and volunteer admin istrative work.

In 1951 it was discovered that chemical reactions in older portions of the Mission's fagade and bell towers were weakening parts of the structure, thus requiring a second and even larger restoration project.

Again, Fr. Augustine sought Murphy's assistance and again he volunteered to serve as chairman of the reconstruction fund drive. In seeking contributions from around the state for the latest restoration Murphy publicly expressed his reasons for supporting the preservation of Mission Santa Barbara; While the. Old Tvlission receives its support in its oivn right, it is quite certain that the place of that Old Mission in the interest and knowledge of Americans—ifnot in their hearts—has beai enlarged and strengthened by the fact that the old church looks over a city worldfamousfor its Old Spanish Days Fiesta and a city that hasprovided its Mission with adequate and beautifulforeground—not over a city self-centered in gain, where an old church is a crowded anachronism.

In this, the last of his numerous col laborations with Murphy, the generous Fleischmann again made a substantial contribution.^® A WORLD CLASS CITY BEGINS TO TAKE SHAPE .. .the city of Santa Barbara, lying betiveen the ocean and the Coast Ifinge, has ahvays held peculiarfascination.Bright sunshine, mild ocean breezes, the sparkling strand and the misty mountains, together with a delightfid old-world atmosphere, the inheritance of the Spanish conquistadors, all contribute in making an especially strong appeal to the 26 artistic temperament. ●Winsor Soule, 1924

In 1920. the Community Arts As sociation was formed for the purpose of bringing together and promoting amateur dramatics, art, and music. In 1922. a Plans and Planting Committee was added with the financial support of Dwight Murphy, Bernhard Hoffmann, Max Fleischmann, Frederick F Peabody and several others.

The Plans and Planting Committee set as its primary goal the city’s adoption and enlorcemcnt of a Spanish Revival archi tectural style for the downtown district.

In 1924 the city council, with the encour agement of Plans and Planting, adopted Ordinance 1203, known as the Building Zone Ordinance which allowed the city to regulate the use of property.

Immediately following the earthquake the Plans and Planting Committee also asked the city to adopt building design controls with an Architectural Board of Review to administer them and to encour age Spanish Revival architecture. Included were tough provisions that could force merchants to remodel or even rebuild their buildings in Spanish Revival and employ earthquake resistant construction. Eleven days after the earthquake this passed. Tlien Dwight Murphy helped found and became the first chairman of the city’s Master Plan ning Committee.

With its handful of influential supporters and aided by the destruction of the earthquake and the interest generated by the Fiesta pageantry, the Plans and Plant ing Committee made Santa Barbara the first preservationist-controlled city in the country. With the encouragement and ex ample of Progressives such as Murphy and Hoffmann, large numbers of enthusiastic citizens joined the extraordinary effort and served on various committees and boards to make Santa Barbara the only community in America to achieve conformity of archi tecture. Pearl Chase succeeded Hoffmann in

DWIGHT MURPHY 1927 and for halt a century the Plans and Planting Committee served as the promoter and protector ot Santa Barbara's Hispanicstyle architectural standards and landscape aesthetics.

With the hundreds of reconstruction and restoration opportunities presented by the earthquake, the architectural im age of the business district was quickly

79 recast in the new Spanish Revival style and order was brought to Santa Barbara’s overall development. The beautification oligarchy was now in a position to capi talize on nature’s unique setting and create a civic Eden while hopefully creating a bulwark against crass commercialism. In the words of California historian Kevin Starr, "Hispanicizers , . . seized control of the reconstruction apparatus . . . for the first time in California and perhaps American history, preservationists, planners and aestheticizers had gained control of a city and were refashioning it to their pur’28 poses.

The annual Old Span ish Days Fiesta, the new Court House, Arlington Theatre, Biltmore Hotel and the redesigned com mercial district emerged as significant Hispanic boost er statements, and, under Murphy’s leadership, the expansion and development of the city park system and the beautification of the entire waterfront com

f

menced. By 1932, Santa Barbara was clearly becom ing the haven of beauty for which it seemed to have

ii Humorist Will l^ogers was a jrknd ojMurphy’s and an en thusiastic participant in the Old Spanish Days Fiesta. Here he tak,es part in the 1933 celebration.

Cemrtesy Santa Barbara Trustfor Ilistoric Preservation.

NOTICIAS

80 been destined by nature. In distinctive counterpoint to the frenzied and often careless proliferation of building styles of nearby Los Angeles, Santa Barbara’s physical renaissance and new booscerism emphasized beauty and quality of life.

ers, Leo Carrillo, and humorist Irvin S. Cobb visiting Borcin, Murphy, and Flcischmann,especially when in town to take part in fiesta and the rodeos at Pershing Park. All. except for Rogers, relied upon

THE EL PASEO STUDIOS

Murphy to provide them with horses and silver saddles for the parades. Rogers insisted on riding his cowpony. Bootleg

HEADQUARTERS OF THE RENAISSANCE

ger. and on wearing his ordinary cowboy outfit. In 1930 Carrillo and Cobb were in

Santa Barbara createdfor itselfin architec' ture, life-style, civic value, and pageantry an alternative version of what California offered in the matter of better living... It also embraced ... most vigorously, the Hispanic 29

metaphor.

—Kevin Starr

town to join with Murphy,Borcin,Storkc and about ninety others to participate in the first equestrian trek of Los Ranchcros Visitadorcs, which was launched from Murphy's Los Prietos Ranch. During the 1930’s the Ranchcros grew to about six hundred members and for years had its own social club and dining facilities at El Pasco.

As comedian, actor and cowboy

Following the completion of the El Pasco Studios in 1924, when Dwight Murphy, Max Fleischmann, Freder ick F. Peabody and owner Bernhard Hoffmann opened offices in the new complex, literally overnight it became the headquarters for Santa Barbara’s Progressive renaissance. Starting with the planning work of the first fiesta, Dwight Murphy’s second-floor office at #119 became the locus of innumerable formal and informal meetings including chose of citizen groups and official civic boards such as the City Master Plan ning Committee, the East Boulevard Improvement Association, and the Board of Park Commissioners.

The E! Paseo courtyard became the sice of many fiesta activities including entertainments and retail mercados and the Rescaurante del Pasco became the

humorist-philosopher, Will Rogers was an American classic, beloved around the world. One of Storke’s favorite stories concerned a one-man benefit show Rog ers put on at the Lobero Theatre to raise funds for the Old Spanish Days fiesta. In commencing on his interest in the fiesta and his affection for the old Spanish families of California, he facetiously said, "Nothing in my life has given me the thrill chat 1 feel tonight in being here, and taking part with you in honoring two of chose old Spanish families—the Murphys and the Flcischmanns.’’^° In 1935 travel writer Charles Stephen Brooks wrote that "the image of Santa Barbara chat most lingers in my mind is chat of a leisurely lace morning in the res taurant of the El Paseo as polo players, a retired senator from an eastern state with

most popular dining spot in town. West ern artist Ed Borein had his studio in the

a young lady on his arm. a Hollywood actor, an affluent cattle rancher, a hand ful of artists, and canned and beautiful

complex and it was not unusual to see famous personalities such as Will Rog-

women of all ages drift in for cocktails and luncheon. To find another group so

DWIGHT MURPHY smart, one would need to visit a best resort in Europe.” Despite the Depression. Santa Barbara continued to develop its own.

31 unique identity.

CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD CREATING PARADISE Santa Barbara has, built into its very substance, a meaning. A reason for being.'Ihe natural beauty ofits setting speaks of this meaning. Its history and its past generations ofdwellers speak ofit. The lavish care with which its inhabitants haveplaced theirworks on its earth and its watersspeakofit.... what Santa Barbara seems to besaying transcends all of mankind’s material sciences, most ofhis culture.

—Introduction to the City's 1964 General Plan It was during 1924 that Dwight Murphy began to take an interest in the development of the waterfront. He, Max Fleischmann, Frederick F. Peabody.

David Gray. Huguettc M, Clark, and Clara Hinton Gould joined several other public-spirited residents to form the East Boulevard Improvement Association and funded it with donations of $2,500 to $5,000 each. The objectives were to re route Cabrillo Boulevard further inland to help avoid storm damage, to acquire new parks acreage, and to promote a bond issue to help carry all this out. Murphy took it upon himself to convince several property owners near today’s Bird Refuge to donate land in order to widen the boulevard's right-of-way. An editorial later stated that "it was his genius chat unscrambled the difficult situation . , . relative to the bond issue.”

There had been discussions for years of the serious need for a harbor, but no

81 real progress was made until 1925 when one of the numerous collaborations be tween Murphy and Fleischmann formed to solve the problem. Whether Murphy or Fleischmann initiated the process is not clear, but Murphy underwrote preliminary studies for a breakwater showing the cost would be $400,000.

Fleischmann offered to donate $200,000 toward it provided the city got voter ap proval lor a bond issue in like amount.

Murphy promoted the bond issue with the help of Storke’s media influence. The voters approved the bond by an extraor dinary margin of 19 to 1.

The original plan called for an offshore barrier, parallel to the coastline, almost one thousand feet long, but a sand buildup developed behind it almost immediately.

This necessitated an extension to the shore that increased the total length to 1.800 feet. Fleischmann contributed another $350,000 to cover both the addition and additional improvements such as a walk way and lights to make the entire length usable for both pleasure and commercial purposes. Tlie city's interests in the project were represented by a harbor commission but Murphy monitored the construction, served as a trustee for Fleischmann's do nations. wrote checks against them for progress payments, and later stepped in with his personal guaranty for a loan to keep the job going when the contractor became insolvent.

Stearns Wharf had not been properly maintained for many years and by 1927 it had become too dangerous for public and commercial use. Murphy and Fleischmann bought it from Stearns’ heirs, invested $250,000 to rehabilitate it and with two additional partners, Thomas Storke and E. S. Spaulding, added a Yacht Club building which later became the Harbor Restaurant.

NOTICIAS

82 THE PARKS Dwight Murphy’s El Pasco office was just across Dc la Guerra Street from City Hall and in 1927 the mayor took a short but fateful walk to sec him. He asked Murphy to take on a very important volunteer job, Chairman of the Board of Park Commis sioners. Murphy accepted the challenge, and over the span of only four years set in motion harbor, beachfront, parks, street tree planting, and recreational projects that would forever change Santa Barbara.

Since the city’s Park Commission and Park Department were founded in 1902, the small parks system had been the budgetary stepchild of the city. The parks had come to depend on donations of money and volunteer time for the little development that took place and for much of the main tenance. Murphy’s plans for the parks and their recreational facilities depended upon his personal donations plus whatever con tributions he could garner from his wealthy Montccito friends, with the possibility of bond issues for major projects and land acquisitions.

When Murphy became head of the parks commission the city had a total of 154 acres of land dedicated for parks, rec reation and beachfront use of which only 37 had actually been developed. The other 117 acres, at seven different sites, had been accumulating through bond issue and do nation over a twenty-year period without any action by the city to develop them.

Included was today's Andrcc Clark Bird Refuge, then a disgraceful sight known as the salt pond, and the mostly unusable 1.5 mile strip of beach area along East Cabrillo Boulevard. All of it, including the boulevard, the beach itsell , and a small area of vacation shacks, known as Palm Park, was subject to periodic damage by winter storms.

During Murphy’s administration, another forty, mostly undeveloped, acres were added to the park system. This in cluded Pershing Park, followed by some city-owned swampland, filled in with 1925 earthquake debris, which became Ortega Park, plus the last two blocks of beach frontage remaining in private hands. Mission Park was sold by Mis sion Santa Barbara to the city to help defray reconstruction costs after the 1925 earthquake. Finally, the city obtained the 15.5-acre Franceschi Park, the site where Francesco Franceschi worked to introduce nine hundred varieties of trees and plants to California, To clinch the acquisition of the two blocks of beach frontage, which the East Boulevard Improvement Association had been unable to acquire in 1924, Murphy personally underwrote a $200,000 loan to buy and hold it until a bond issue could be 34 approved.

The cost of developing all 157 un improved park acres was daunting. The Boulevard had been paved in 1905 from State Street eastward past the salt pond, but that winter a large section of it was wiped out by storms. Over the next few years two retaining walls were destroyed along with sections of the boulevard. In 1930 Murphy put an end to this cycle of destruction. First he called upon Huguette M. Clark, whose hilltop estate was lo cated at the eastern end of East Beach, to donate money for two groins to be placed near the new Cabrillo Pavilion, which had nearly been undermined by a storm. As part of the plan that was worked out. the city donated money for three more groins further west, Murphy approached the county for a $74,000 advance, the bulk of the cost of a retaining wall consisting of heavy boulders extending nearly a mile along the boulevard cast of Santa Barbara Street. Today the lo-

DWIGHT MURPHY

83

cation of the wall is marked by an ice plant cover and a stable, much-used beach about

his close friends,” For the first time it was disclosed that he had initiated the search for

one hundred yards in width. The retaining wall allowed the Park Department to grade

an airfield for the city under the auspices of the Chamber of Commerce.

The Santa Barbara Foundation, which

East Beach and permanently develop Palm Park with soil, grass, and 175 palm trees as well as create parking for 500 automobiles at Cabrillo Pavilion. By then the rehabilita tion of the salt pond had been completed, and the two projects created the city’s signature eastern gateway and its most 35 intensively used recreational area.

On February 23, 1928, a committee of over a dozen community leaders including the mayor, two newspaper publishers, and heads of various charitable, labor, and women’s groups, as well as the Community Arts Association, unanimously selected Murphy to receive the first Frederick Forest Peabody Memorial Medal for his commu nity contributions during 1927. In com menting upon the award one newspaper editorial noted that "his guiding hand had a large share in many important events dur ing the year, many of them known only to

Fleischmann, Murphy and others had founded, became the focal point of ef forts to solve the silting up of the harbor and the accompanying beach erosion to the cast of Santa Barbara. The Founda tion was a non-profit corporation "for charitable and eleemosynary purposes,” which Fleischmann funded and, during the 1930s, its activities were largely guided by his restrictions which favored scholarship grants. In 193v1, however, the trustees felt obligated to examine the harbor problems and Murphy volunteered to lead the search for solutions. The trustees approved a small grant to the city for a study, and a mov able dredge was decided upon. In 1938, dredging commenced. Then in 1940, Flcischmann donated $80,000 to the Foundation for a sand pumping plant, along with the deed to some Serena Beach property which

East Cabrith Boulevard, in the vicinity of today's Andree Clar}{Bird Refuge, as it looked about igoo.

Murphy worked hard in a myriad of'ways to beautify the city’s waterfront area.

84

" NOTICIAS

could be sold for the extra expenses of the project; ironically, its beachfront was

lowing the completion of the breakwater,

subsequently washed away and most of its value lost for some years.

Subsequently, the more formal Harbor

Beach area, as well as the development of the entire harbor area.

Research Committee was formed by the Foundation, with Murphy as chairman,

THE GREAT DEPRESSION INTERVENES

and the city, state, and federal govern ments were approached for additional assistance without result. Then the U.S, entered World War II and the Navy, which established a small base in the harbor, took responsibility for any work that might be needed for the duration ol the war. Fol lowing the war the federal government officially backed the movable dredge pro gram that is still in operation. The pumping plant was never built.

Ever since the breakwater was com pleted it has been the subject of criticism due to the effect it had on sand drift. Still, today’s wide expanses of East and West beaches arc largely the result of the break water. The massive buildup of sand, fol¬

also made possible the popular Leadbcttcr

The Great Depression which followed the October 1929 stock market crash was soon felt in Santa Barbara and the vision for the city's renaissance seemed threatened.

Nationwide, business activity declined precipitously and unemployment became a very harsh fact of life. Nearly all of the population suffered the ravages of the Great Depression in some degree including the wealthy residents of Montecito, the people Murphy had often turned to for financial contributions. Public funding also dried up and the chances of the electorate passing bond measures diminished.

Tliankfully, Dwight Murphy did not lose his confidence due to this bleak situa-

'Ihis rockwaU,the construction ofwhich Murphy championed,allowedforthe area along East Cabrillo Boulevard to be developed as prime recreationalspace.

85

DWIGHT MURPHY tion and, being a resourceful and devoted humanitarian, it was not long before he was working towards solutions. In 1930 he founded, with the help of Max Fleischmann, Harold Chase, and automobile dealer Ed Alexander, who died two years later, the Citizens Unemployment Relief Committee (CURC). the first of its kind in the country. They jointly contributed $50,000 to put two hundred workers to work full time and pay them enough to at least keep food on the table for their fami lies. Half were assigned to the Park Depart ment and the rest to the Street Department.

Helping the unemployed satisfied two of Murphy’s pursuits, humanitarianism and Santa Barbara’s physical renaissance.

None of the park superintendents prior to 1930 possessed experience in actual land scape and park facilities construction work, and, as an accomplished executive, Mur phy obviously understood the importance of recruiting experienced people that could get the job done properly and efficiently. In August of 1930, he found his man in John H, Hartfeld. who had been superintendent for the development of the grounds of four large estates. These included George Steedman’s Casa del Herrero in Montecito where Hartfeld was then completing the job of landscaping the grounds. His first assignment from Murphy would be a major one; the conversion of the old salt pond, at the eastern gateway to the city, into a freshwater bird refuge with attractive landscaping.

The critically important and complex job of rehabilitating and beautifying the old forty-four-acre salt pond property got its initial financing when Murphy enter tained Huguette Clark at his Los Prietos Ranch. Ostensibly, the purpose of her visit with Murphy was to see his ranch and palominos. However, her estate over looked the salt pond and she was known

to be irritated with the inaction of the city since the acreage was acquired twenty years earlier. Before she left that day she committed $50,000 to start the work of converting the ugly salt pond to a bird refuge provided it would be dedicated to her daughter, Andrce.

Tlie work was made especially difficult by the fact that the salt in the ocean wa ters, which periodically flooded the pond, inhibited the growth of the reeds and other plants necessary to attract land and water fowl. It was therefore necessary to dredge the pond and bring in large amounts of fresh soil including that needed to build three island sanctuaries for the birds. The work gained serious momentum when Hartfeld’s regular crew of thirty men was joined by one hundred paid with CURC funds. Once work on the lake itself was completed the surrounding area was graded and parking, sidewalks, grass, and ground cover, along with six hundred plants and trees, were in stalled. Within a year the salt problem was overcome, partly due to the flushing effect of the runoff of a major storm, and in 1931 36

the project was declared a success.

SAVING HIS PROJECTS WHILE RESCUING THE STATE'S UNEMPLOYED By mid-1931. the Depression contin ued to deepen and contributions to the CURC dwindled. In August. Murphy dropped by Thomas Storke's office to tell him he was resigning from the Parks Commission as he felt he could no longer accomplish much there. Murphy now planned to "give some attention to the unemployment problem.’’ At first it was believed that his resignation was the end of Park Department development and beautification efforts, but it soon became clear that this was not to be the case.

86

NOTICIAS In the fall of 1930. President Hoover

formed the President’s Emergency Com mittee for Employment(PECE), mainly as a psychological weapon to fight declining confidence by encouraging communities to deal with their own problems, as was the case with the CURC. His administration hesitated to advance relief monies because of the negative effects of handouts on personal responsibility and due to a fear of deficit financing which was something pre vious presidents had traditionally avoided at all costs. In August of 1931, however, the presidential election was approaching, and in order to put a more positive face on his Depression fighting efforts. PECE was

were received. A second, expanded appeal to 232 people produced $89,000, and as the unemployment situation worsened the no tion chat local philanthropy could be relied upon was abandoned. Attention was then directed to local public agencies and a few jobs and work camps were created.

In lace 1931 the California Unemploy ment Relief Committee was created, which was supported by tens of millions dollars in federal loans rather than outright grants.

The governor appointed Murphy to head it for Southern California, but eventually made him statewide chairman. As the

transformed into the President’s Organiza tion for Unemployment Relief (POUR), The emphasis would be on encouraging local groups to raise money, the very ap proach Murphy had fostered the previous year with the CURC, plus coordinating charities and encouraging the maintenance

Depression wore on, these and existing local charitable programs were unable to cope with the rising flood of applicants.

At one point, fewer chan twenty percent of the applicant families nationwide had any employment income.

Much of the work that needed to be done around Santa Barbara necessitated manual labor and it was the funds from

of employment levels with appeals to employers.

the unemployment relief agencies now under Murphy’s control chat would see

Hoover appointed Murphy California State Vice Chairman and, tor its adminis

through CO completion the many remaining projects he had envisioned. By lace 1931. park superintendent Harcfeld had hundreds

tration in Santa Barbara County, the Emer gency Unemployment Fund Committee was organized by Murphy. Flcischmann, Alexander, and Harold Chase to take the place ot their CURC,with Chase as chair man. Under the circumstances the com mittee had to operate quietly and promise potential contributors, many of whom had been hit hard by the Depression, that their names would not be divulged. Likely this was in part to protect them from further charitable appeals to which they might not be able to contribute. Also, there was a fear that publicity would draw the unemployed from out of town and undermine efforts to help local citizens.

Of sixty-five people contacted only thirty-seven donations totaling $30,000

of men working for him on a multitude of long neglected parks and other projects.

Murphy’s agencies also granted monies for several hundred men for the city’s engineer ing and street departments which, among numerous other undertakings, built parking for the new breakwater and extended Cabrillo Boulevard west from Castillo Street with a forty-fooc-widc road to connect with Leadbetcer Road.

By the time Harcfeld left the Park De partment in 1935. Murphy’s program for the development and beautification of 157 park and beachfront acres was a reality, including the 40 acres he helped acquire for the city, plus hundreds of smaller projects.

Importantly, Murphy deserves credit for

DWIGHT MURPHY

87

creating today’s widely recognized sig nature eastern gateway comprised of the Andree Clark Bird Rcluge and Palm Park along with the breakwater. These things stand today as a tribute, although largely unrecognized, to his progressive vision and dedication to the city of Santa Barbara and its citizens.

DISPARATE CHAMPIONS OF A BETTER SANTA BARBARA It was early in the 1920s that Dwight Murphy formed his unusually strong relationships with Max Fleischmann and Thomas Storke and under Murphy’s leadership the three became the power base driving nearly all of the major projects behind the citv's renaissance. In 1927, Pearl Chase took over as head of the Plans and Planting Committee and for years she personally goaded private and commercial interests to adhere to strict architectural and landscaping beautification guidelines.

For many years, these four were the key principals of Santa Barbara's renaissance.

As heir to some of the Fleischmann yeast fortune, Major Max C. Fleischmann was extraordinarily wealthy and very like ly the city’s largest benefactor, in financial terms, during the first half of the twentieth century. Some of his contributions included funding for the breakwater, the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, and the polo holds between Summerland and Carpinteria, Further contributions included two restorations of Mission Santa Barbara, the rehabilitation of Stearns Wharf, the founding of the Santa Barbara Foundation, and a sizable contribution toward the development of Cottage Hospital, He loved big game hunting and deep sea hshing and natural science in general, and frequently traveled around the world by private yacht and airplane, often on expeditions on behalf of the museum. Due to his fondness for those kinds of things he devoted considerable time to the administration and development of the museum, leaving oversight of his other projects to his close and trusted friend Dwight Murphy. The only one Murphy is not known to have been involved with

jL

1

cause he had a lifelong distaste for the killing of animals for sport and the museum had become associated in the minds of people with Fleischmann’s safaris.^® Thomas More Storke enjoyed much influence as ainnewspatwas thelocal museum, possibly part be

v1

V'.

Another of T^urphy s partners in philan thropy was Max C. Fleischmann, prime mover behind construction of the Santa Barbara harbor andfounder ofthe Santa Barbara Foundation.

88 pcrman and by 1938 he had established a virtual media monopoly locally and strong political connections in Washing ton. D.C. and Sacramento. From 1935 to 1941, $22,000,000 in federal relief aid was received for projects in Santa Barbara County in response to city and county ap plications and Storke's political influence undoubtedly was important for getting 39 much of this money.

Murphy and Storke became very close friends and allies in furthering the develop ment of Santa Barbara, particularly when Storke’s political influence and lobbying was needed to get voter approval and government funds for the big projects Murphy was shepherding. These included the East Boulevard improvement and land acquisition, land acquisition for a municipal

NOTICIAS airport in Golcta, and development of Earl Warren Showgrounds and the Municipal Golf Course, and for voter approval and government funding for the breakwater and the Cachuma Reclamation Project.

Interestingly, Murphy and Storke were "strange bedfellows.” In sharp contrast to Murphy’s mild, self-effacing manner, Storke’s demeanor was authoritarian; Storke was known as Mr. Democrat and Murphy, Mr. Republican, and Storke was Catholic and Murphy,Presbyterian. Beside their mutual interest in Santa Barbara’s progress, the two men shared a love for horses. Over the years they rode together frequently on each others’ranches, with the Rancheros Visitadores, and during the an nual Fiesta. Wlien Dwight Murphy passed away in 1968, Storke professed to Mrs.

Dwight Murphy,at left, and Pearl Chase, secondfrom left, were both great organizers and believers in civic responsibility.

DWIGHT MURPHY I'larold Chase,Peart Chase's brother,participated in a number ofphilanthropic organizations, ineluding service as president ofthe Santa Barbara Foundation. Portrait by Clarence Mattei.

89 federal levels. Around 1920 she cook up an interest in Santa Barbara's architectural and horticultural bcaucihcacion as a mem ber of the Plans and Planting Committee which she eventually headed. Her brother.

Harold, was active with their father in the family's extensive real estate business and oversaw the development of the two thousand-acre Hope Ranch into an attrac tive residential enclave for the affluent.

He was a highly regarded member of the community and supported a number of Santa Barbara’s humanitarian causes and civic activities, including many of chose in which Murphy, Scorke, and Flcischmann participated, including the Santa Barbara Foundation for which he served as presi dent for several years.

Harold married into wealth and after his father died he assumed full control of the family flnances and business interests. He sec Pearl up with an office and a secretary but little of the family wealth seemed to go coward her various causes. She therefore

Murphy chat he had lost the best friend he ever had, Scorke died in 1971.

The combination of these two de termined individuals and their combined

had to rely primarily on the contributions of others. Pearl could be somewhat autocratic, still, she deservedly became known as Santa Barbara's Woman of the Century.

In 1963,Scorke, Pearl and Harold Chase,

media, political and financial power, social influence, and business acumen represented an almost irresistible force. Probably the most important, dilficulc, and productive collaboration between the two men was the

and Murphy joined to help found the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation,

Cachuma Reclamation Project. Wliile the

of Santa Barbara’s progressive "big four” responsible for the city’s extraordinary 40 seminal period of progress.

two had some differences over the project's details, Cachuma addressed the county’s growing thirst. It also allowed for a great expansion in development,something even the commercially oriented Scorke became apprehensive about in his later years.

Pearl Chase abandoned teaching to become a volunteer activist on behalf of health, social, environmental, and pres ervation issues at the local, state, and

dedicated to reconstruction of the Spanish Royal Presidio. Harold died in 1970, and Pearl followed him in death in 1979, the last

HERBERT CLARK HOOVER Due to Herbert Hoover's extraordinary humanitarian effort during World War I, he was credited with saving some ten mil lion Europeans from starvation. He was friends with both Murphy and Scorke and

NOTICIAS

90 the latter credited Hoover with teaching him any number ol lessons in practical 41 politics.

Murphy probably first met Hoover on August 17, 1928, when he headed a del egation to welcome and entertain Hoover and his wile upon their visit to Santa Barbara shortly after Hoover received

been as satisfying as the results of their benefactions.

When Hoover was being considered

by Democratic Party leaders as a candi date for the presidency Storkc supported his candidacy with the statement that he "always had the greatest admiration and respect for him.” After Hoover announced

landslide. He foresaw the danger of a stock market crash, and the resulting Depression

as a Republican candidate for president in 1928, Storke supported him editorially Yet ironically, as a delegate to the 1932 Democratic convention,Storke was one of

largely cost him his bid tor re-election in 1932, when he lost to Franklin Roosevelt.

two delegates who played a pivotal role in the last minute choice ot Roosevelt to run

Today his accomplishments as an engineer, humanitarian. Secretary ol Commerce in the 1920s, and the head ot two commis

against the incumbent Hoover.

By 1932, farm and real estate values had plummeted and 55,000 businesses and 3,600 banks had failed. Thirty million American families were without regular

the Republican nomination tor president.

Three months later Hoover was elected in a

44

sions to reorganize the executive branch ol the federal government following World War II arc often overlooked due to the 42

Great Depression.

Interestingly, in many respects Mur phy’s private life, as well as his unbounded dedication to the quality of lilc tor others, was almost a mirror image ■ of Hoover's. Both were born I in modest circumstances j* and were motivated by the ^ conviction that persons of wealth were particularly obligated to help others less \ fortunate, and doing so anon- y ymously wherever possible. | Both were staunch Progres| sives, despite their political 3 conservatism, and possessed a genius for organization and leadership which made their altruistic efforts incredibly efficient and effective on a broad scale. As former businessmen, achieving their ends pragmatically and more efficiently and effectively , than their peers may have

Muri^hy 1005 cl great admirer oj Herbert Hoover.

I lere,from left to right. Hoover, T^iirphy, and Francis Price visit at El Tejado.

91

DWIGHT MURPHY incomes. Many people still regarded California as the land of opportunity and hundreds of thousands came west looking for work. In one month alone the Southern Pacific Railroad forcibly removed 80,000 transients from its box cars. By the time Roosevelt was inaugurated in March of 1933, 1,400 more banks had failed, com

volunteer chairman, president, director, trustee, or committee member to help keep the city’s hospitals, charities, and budding community foundation solvent and operating. For example, from 1929 to 1939 he served Cottage Hospital as treasurer and on various administrative committees, and from 1925 until his

munism began to surface openly, and the question on the minds ol many was not if but when would revolution come.45

death 43 years later, St. Francis Hospital counted on his contributions of "time.

Following the Depression Storke

charitable organizations for varying

proved to be one of Hoover’s staunchest defenders, asserting that "he was simply a handy scapegoat. . . and a world citizen ot the first magnitude.”*’® During the 1930s and 1940s, Dwight Murphy’s brotherin-law and a Stanford University trustee, Francis Price, worked with Hoover on

lengths of time.*’^ Because Murphy’s organizational, leadership, and business skills were so extraordinary, apart from his monetary contributions, the value of his thousands of volunteer hours over

various projects for the university and encouraged him to visit Santa Barbara to meet with area alumni. On one such

effort and money,” as did numerous

half a century clearly was far greater chan any philanthropist could have ever afforded to donate in money.

Few people outside of Santa Barbara were familiar with the name Dwight

of the Murphys at the family estate in Montecito and also visited their Rancho

Murphy when he was appointed to the State Horse Racing Commission by Governor Earl Warren in 1943. Braven

San Fernando Rey in the Santa Ynez Val

Dyer, a much celebrated sports colum

ley to sec the palominos.

nist for the LosAngdes Times, therefore contacted Warren T. "Doc” Hanley, a

occasion in 1939, Hoover was the guest

SANTA BARBARA’S GUARDIAN ANGEL During the Depression, Murphy stepped up his personal humanitarian efforts, which he began in the early 1920's when he set up secret trust funds for the city and county health departments, giving them author ity to spend monies for any emergency, large or small, involving any kind of pain or suffering. Due to his practice of anony mously channeling contributions through numerous charities and third parties, the amount of money he personally poured into humanitarian causes and civic develop ment projects can never be known. He also labored for thousands of hours as founder,

Santa Barbara newspaperman, to see if he knew anything about Murphy.

Hanley had known Murphy personally for years. Dyer published Hanley’s letter in his "The Sports Parade” column of August 20, 1943: Dear Braven...

In this beautiful little city surrounded by purple-haz^d mountains and the azure sea, if the question is asked, "W/io is Dwight Murphy,” the citizen will reply, "Are you kidding?” For Dwight Murphy is kaown to all—the rich, the poor, the black, the white, the sick, the well, the happy and the sorrowful. He is a legendary figure. Some

92

NOTICIAS

who have never seen him have the most to thank him for. He is thefriend ofthe downtrodden—the conjidant ofthe mighty. Every fraternity, every church, every organization and every municipal or county project has benejited by his generosity. Qod only knows how many individuals—Mr. Murphy kept no track—but even some of the boys in our armed forces are indebted to him for their educational advantages.

But— ’’who is Dwight Murphy?"is afair question. The humble person that signs this would say,"He is the most sincere American 1 have ever known.” He knows you, if you know what 1 mean, whether in dungarees, business suit or tails. And his ready recognition comes regardless of who he is with .. . hut in his spare time he busied himself with the welfare of humanity. For it was he, associated with such men as Maj. Max Fleischmann, Harold Chase,Ed Alexander and others who organized thefirst work-relief program in America,paying wages to hun dreds ofunemployed out oftheirownpockets.

Flundreds ofthousands oftheir dollars kopt the poor and unfortunate ofSanta Barbara fromstarving. Theyweretruly "theirbrother’s keepers’’...ivith depressionsand catastrophes come undernourishment, and sometimes epidemics and to cope with any emergency there has beenforyears in the hands ofthe lo cal health officer a sum ofmoney(Murphy’s) large enough to handle any emergency ofany size. This will come as a surprise to Santa Barbarans themselves.

—Warren'I. "Doc’’Hanley While Santa Barbarans were not im mune to the suffering of the Great Depres sion. they were undoubtedly better off than people in most other areas of the country.

In considerable degree this was due to the behind-the-scenes donations and heroic labors of Dwight Murphy.

THE SANTA BARBARA FOUNDATION COMES OF AGE In 1928, Murphy became a founder, cruscce and dedicated volunteer partici pant in the operation of the Santa Barbara Foundation. Due to the stock market crash, Fleischmann’s original endowment of 5,500 shares of Fleischmann Yeast Co. stock lost much of its value and its dividend income shrank. Fleischmann s restrictions on his endowment allowed for little in the way of humanitarian charity, and dur ing the Depression the few small grants that were possible went mostly toward scholarships. Only one small endowment provided funds for a few small humanitar ian grants, specihcally for the Red Cross and the Visiting Nurse Association. Even the annual contributions to Fleischmann's brass band, the support of which was the original purpose of the Foundation, were phased out when the musicians could re ceive government aid.

Toward the end of the Depression the Foundation made a number of policy changes that ultimately allowed it to realize its full potential. First, Dwight Murphy offered to give up his seat on the Board of Trustees to make room for the first woman trustee, and Clara Hinton Gould, who had donated her Montecito estate to the Foundation in 1929, and the only female Foundation member, was promptly voted onto the board. Consider ing his value to the Foundation, Murphy’s offer seemed to serve as a wake-up call for the trustees to recognize the importance of women to the Foundation’s viability, and a new era for the Foundation began to unfold. Murphy continued to serve as a trustee for several years and retained his membership until he died.

Gould had supported Murphy and his projects for some time and was so

DWIGHT MURPHY impressed with him that in 1932 she com missioned famed sculptor Amory F. Simons to execute a bronze statuette of him in the costume of a Spanish Don mounted on Rey de los Reyes, his famous palomino.

She loaned it for display around town and then gave it to Murphy.

Within two months of Gould’s election as trustee, Fleischmann announced that he was waiving certain restrictions on his endowment to allow much more latitude in the grant process beyond scholarships and the occasional small pet projects aided thus far. Immediately thereafter, it

93 of members and trustees were raised, a requirement that at least five trustees be women was implemented, and twentynine women were shortly accepted as members^® The opening of memberships and trusteeships to women in 1940 and the new policy of increasing public awareness and interest in the Foundation were major milestones in its development as an outstanding community resource. Today, it is the vibrant focus of philanthropy and associated social activities in an excep tionally philanthropic community. It has

was proposed that a search be undertaken for women Foundation members. Then,

the highest per capita giving level of all Southern California community founda

two weeks later, the limits on the number

tions. By 2003 its assets had grown to

JHurphy served with distinction for sixteen years: on the California Horse Racing Board. In 1952, he was presented with the saddle whichfamedjockey,Johnny Longden,used to win his 4000''“ race. Qeorge Jessel presided over the dinner at which Murphy was honored. Reprinted with permissionfrom the Santa Barbara News-Press.

94

NOTICIAS

nearly $200 million and over $75 million had been distributed to some 350 charities and thousands of deserving students have 49 received grants and loans.

THE FOUNDATION’S WATER SUPPLY RESEARCH COMMITTEE About 1937. Dwight Murphy joined with a small inlormal group of Santa Barbara Foundation trustees, including o Tliomas Storke and Francis Price, to search

tion identified today’s Bradbury Dam site, just downstream from Dwight Murphy’s Rancho San Fernando Rey, as the logical place to build a dam. The projected cost of the large dam exceeded the North County’s financing capacity. In 1943 the Bureau sug gested a much narrower site several miles upstream above Santa Barbara’s Gibraltar dam, thus threatening Santa Barbara’s water supply and signaling the start of the most intensely fought issue in county his tory. Meanwhile, in 1945 Murphy sold off all but three hundred acres of his Rancho

for a reliable water supply. At first the Foundation lent neither its public nor its financial support to their work. A number

San Fernando Rey and acquired the adja cent seven hundred acres which included

of possibilities were investigated including lateral bores in the nearby mountains, the distillation of sea water, and the reclaim

the old Rancho San Marcos headquarters and hot springs, dubbing his new purchase, San Marcos Ranch.

ing of sewage water, all of which proved impractical. As temporary measures to head off water rationing in 1948, some

Once it became apparent that the pres ent Bradbury Dam site offered the only long range solution for both the coastal

water wells were drilled within the city and cloud seeding met with some success. The Gibraltar Dam spillway was raised once a hard-fought bond issue passed with leader ship from the small but powerful group.

Then in 1949. another significant change in Santa Barbara Foundation poli cies began to develop at the suggestion of Dwight Murphy. With the end of the

and north county areas, the Water Supply Research Committee threw its support be hind it. In fact, due to the cost of a dam at

Depression and of World War II, Murphy felt the Foundation needed to increase the public’s awareness of its existence, "thereby receiving more interest and support,’’ and the Foundation began to engage in public ity activities. Murphy also pushed for the Foundation to "choose some worthwhile

that site, the support of the City of Santa Barbara was essential, and the efforts of Murphy,Storke, and Price became critical to the process of gaining the city’s partici pation as well as federal support. Despite the likelihood the most important part of his San Marcos Ranch would be inundated by the dam’s reservoir, Murphy worked intensively behind the scenes on the promo tion, research, and detailed planning for the construction of the huge facilities.

There was strong resistance in the Santa Ynez Valley, throughout the north ern part of the county, and even in Santa

development project each year and carry it to a conclusion.’’ The trustees agreed and the Water Supply Research Committee, with Murphy as chairman, became the first such officially sponsored project of the Foundation.

Barbara, and water meetings at times ended in near riots. Storke fought hard for the project by using both his political clout and media power, and the battle over the project even extended to the halls of the

In 1941, in response to North County water shortages, the Bureau of Reclama-

Congress. During 1949, Murphy and oth ers formed the Citizen’s Committee for

DWIGHT MURPHY Cachuma Water which won Santa Barbara voter approval despite violent opposition, and the government appropriated an initial funding of $5,000,000.

THE BITTERSWEET CACHUMA RECLAMATION PROJECT Once the decision was made to build the dam that would destroy much of his ranch.

Murphy stated. "You can’t measure things by your own likes and dislikes—you must 51 realize what is best for the majority. .

Shortly thereafter, the Federal Bureau of Reclamation condemned 443 acres of the San Marcos Ranch for the reservoir, and the loss of this acreage forced Murphy to end the raising of palominos and Herefords because it included the choicest of his pastures. There was also the fear that the drilling of the 6.4-mile-long Tecolote Tunnel might cause his hot springs to stop flowing. In fact, construction on the dam and tunnel began in 1950 and soon there were serious disruptions of springs and wells on both sides of the mountain, including Murphy’s springs.

Construction of the tunnel proved to be a most difficult job and took much longer than anticipated. The largest construc tion project in county history produced Bradbury Dam. Tecolote Tunnel, and the South Coast Conduit and cost some $44 million. Despite claims that the lake would never hll. the dam spilled in 1958 thus vindicating the vision and struggle of Murphy and his committee. As was so often the case, it was Murphy’s intense behind-the-scenes devotion to planning and promotional detail that was critical to the 52 project’s success.

In March of 1955, at age seventy-one, Murphy leased his San Marcos Ranch to Robert S. Odell, owner of the Santa Bar bara Biltmore Hotel, in anticipation of its

95 eventual sale to Odell. The sale was delayed while Murphy negotiated his settlement with the U. S. Government, Once that was completed in 1956, the transaction was completed. The property remains in the Odell family today, Murphy declined to disclose how much he received from the government and Odell, but indicated his loss had been "many thousands of dollars,’’ which he said he would "write off as my contribution to the great Cachuma water '53 development.

The Cachuma Reclamation Project was one of many examples, and probably the most soul searching, of Murphy’s sacrifices on behalf of the public because it involved much more than money. It involved his direct physical and emotional connection with the things that he loved most and which formed the very fiber of his being and life since coming to California in 1905; his days roughing it in the surrounding mountains as a forest ranger, the historic Rancho San Marcos land grant and its connections with early California, his days on the trail with his Ranchero Visitadores friends, and his historic Los Prietos Ranch and Rancho San Fernando Rey ranching activities over three decades. His parting gesture was the donation of his magnificent collection of .saddles and bridles to the San ta Barbara Historical Society. Sacrifice on behalf of others came naturally to Dwight Murphy: it was what he did and it was what he loved to do, but in this instance it 54

brought pain as well.

Wlien the sale to Odell was completed, Murphy commented, in his customary understated manner, that his thirty-five years of ranching activity in the Santa Ynez Valley "was a most interesting experience and I leave the valley with a great deal of "55 regret.

In 1943. following the sale of El Tejado, Dwight and Grace Murphy bought a more

96

NOTICIAS

Murphy worked tirelesdy to see the Cachuma Lake project through tofruition, even though overjour hundred acres ofhis beloved San Marcos Rpnch ivere lost to the reservoirwaters.

97

DWIGHT MURPHY modest home in Santa Barbara at 2401 Garden Street, and, as their only remaining residence following the sale of San Marcos Ranch, it was where they lived out their lives. He suffered a heart attack from which he succumbed on April 1, 1968, at Cot tage Hospital. As one might expect, the luncral services were private and his grave is marked with the smallest of headstones with the simplest of legends: Dwight Murphy 1884-1968. . .. he gave all he had to his works a simple, gentle, selfless soul—a warning to us all not to give up hope about mankind ... What is important is that the world should go on pro56 ducing men built on that pattern.

(Lord Moran on Sir Alan Brooke) THE LEGACY OF A RENAISSANCE MAN If any single person deserves rccognition as Buildcr of Santa Barbara.” it would be Dwight Murphy. In the spirit of Progressive volunteerism he became a founding member of the Plans and Planting Committee when it was launched in 1922

and founding member of the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission, the very first such commission in California and of the Santa Barbara County Forestry Board. He also became chairman of the Santa Barbara Parks Commission for four ground-breaking years which led to the fourfold increase in the city's developed parks acreage. At age 77, he accepted the chairmanship of the city’s Citizen’s General Plan Committee coordinating the efforts of 101 citizens on 15 neighborhood groups which produced the 1964 General Plan providing the framework for future devel opment policies. And, behind the scenes, he worked tirelessly on projects such as locating land for the municipal airport and the Earl Warren Showgrounds, solving the city’s water problems and obtaining A Child’s Estate for the city, and then lead ing the campaign for funds to build the zoo. Although never recognized as such, he deserves the title of "Father of Santa Barbara’s Signature Gateway,” including today’s beautiful harbor. East Beach/Palm Park area and Andrce Clark Bird Refuge.

In large measure he deserves credit for turn

and the East Boulevard Improvement As sociation in 1924. chairman of the Santa

ing Santa Barbara into the internationally admired city it is today.

In California Editor, Thomas Storke

Barbara City Master Planning Committee,

wrote of Dwight Murphy;

It would require many pages to list even in part the contributions in time and money which JHurphy has made since coming to Santa Bar bara qo years ago. There has never been a major civic activity during that time in which he has 57 not participated...

NOTICIAS

98

NOTES 1 Santa Barbara News-Press. 2 April 1968.

19 Starr, 276, 297

2 Thomas M. Storke, California Editor{Los

20 Stella Havcrland Rouse, Santa Barbara’s

Angeles: Wcstcrnlorc Press, 1958), 386.

3 Santa Barbara News-Press, 1 January 1954.

4 Kevin Starr. Material Dreams:Southern

Renaissance and Old Spanish Days Fiesta (Santa Barbara: Schauer Printing Studio, 1974), 68.

California Virough the i92os(New York:

21 Morning Press(Santa Barbara), 27 August 1926.

Oxford University Press, 1990), 298.

22 Santa Barbara News-Press. 4 August

5 SantaBarbaraNews-Press. 1 January 1954.

6 Santa Barbara News-Press, 29 July 1951; David F. Myrick, Montecito and Santa Barbara Volume II; The Days of the Qreat Estates(Glendale; Trans-Anglo Books.

1991), 300.

7 SantaBarbaraNews-Press, 29July 1951.

8 Edward S. Spaulding, A BriefStory of Santa Barbara (Santa Barbara: Santa Barbara Historical Society, 1964). 69.

9 Edmund Morris, Theodore Rpe(New York: Tlic Modern Library. 2001), 229-231.

486.

10 William S. Brown, "History of the Los Padres National Forest.” San Francisco, 1 June 1945, 92. Typescript on file in Supervisor's Office, Los Padres National Forest. Golcca, CA. 11 Myrick, 300.

12 Morris, 420; Nathan Miller, Theodore

1968; Paul G. Sweetser, "History of Santa Barbara's Fiesta,” Noticias 12 (Summer 1966): 1-25.

23 Fr. Augustine Hobrecht, O.F.M., "The Earthquake of 1925 at Santa Barbara and Its Effect on the Old Mission,” Noticias 5 (Summer 1959): 4, 24 Santa Barbara News-Press, 29 July 1951, 1 April 1968; Starr, 292, 25 Santa Barbara News-Press. 19 February 1951, 26 Gloria Rexford Martin and Michael Redmon. The Santa Barbara School of the Arts, 1920-1938," Noticias 40(Autumn, Winter 1994): 69.

27 Starr. 278-280; Pearl Chase, "Bernhard Hoffmann, Community Builder,” Noti cias 5{Summer 1959): 15-23.

28 Starr, 288.

29 Starr, 231.

Rposevelt, A Life[New York: William

30 Storke. California Editor, 254-258.

31 Starr. 182-183, 303.

Morrow and Co.. 1992). 17-19.

32 Starr, 293; Fleischmann hie, Gledhill Li

13 Edmund Wilson. The'Twenties{lAcw York: Farrar, Strauss and Giroux, 1975). 134136.

brary, Santa Barbara Historical Society.

33 Morning Press(Santa Barbara). 27 July 1930; Walker A. Tompkins. A Centennial

14 Starr, 65-68, 84,

History ofSteams Whatf(Santa Barbara:

15 SantaBarbaraNews-Press. 29 July 1951.

Santa Barbara Wharf Co., 1972), 27-28.

16 Carol Storke, "Horses and Horse Sports

34 Walker A. Tompkins, Santa Barbara

in Santa Barbara County, 1919-2001,”

Hisfor)'Ala^ers(Santa Barbara; McNally

Noticias 47(Summer 2001): 33-38.

andLoftin, 1983), 250.

17 Santa Barbara A^ews-Press. 27 July 1958.

18 Leo Carrillo. The California lIjove{Eng\cwood Cliffs. N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1961), 276.

35 Morning Press(Santa Barbara), 29 July 1930.

36 Morning Press(Santa Barbara), 17 May 1931.

DWIGHT MURPHY

37 Scorkc, California Editor, 376; Ronald Nyc, "The Challenge co Philanthropy:

99

44 Storke. California Editor, 332.

45 Starr, Endangered Dreams, 246.

Unemployment Relief in Santa Barbara,

46 Storke. California Editor, 74. 298.

1930-1932." California Historical Society

47 Santa Barbara News-Press. 17 May 1968.

Quarterly 56(Winter 1977-78), 310-327

48 Minutes, Board of Trustees, Santa Barbara

38 Richard Oglesby. "75''' Anniversary; Santa Barbara Museum ol Natural His tory,” A/otidiis 37(Winter 1991): 72-93.

39Storke, California Editor, 346-349.

40 Marco Farley, The Legacy ofPearl Chase (Santa Barbara: Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation, 1988), 3-27 41 Storke, California Editor, 74.

42 Kevin Starr. Endangered Dreams:'Ihe Qreat Depression in California(New York:

Foundation, 19 April 1940.

49 Annual Export. Santa Barbara Foundation.

2003.

50 Minutes, Board of Trustees. Santa Barbara Foundation. 28 June 1949.

51 Santa Barbara News-Press, 29 July 1951.

52 Tompkins, History Makers, 361-362.

53 Santa Barbara News-Press, 15 September 1956.

54 Ibid.

Oxford University Press, 1996). 327 43 George H. Nash, The Life ofHerbert

55 Ibid.

Hoover, the Engineer, 1874-19^4(New

56 Lord Moran, C/mrc/iif/(Boston: Houghton

York; WW Norton and Co.. 1983), 70.

572.

57 Storke, California Editor, 376.

Miillin Publishing Co., 1966), 121.

NOTICIAS

100

APPENDIX Commerce (1927).

CITY AND COUNTY CIVIC WORKS

●

Search for water beginning in 1937; Water Supply Research Commit tee of the Santa Barbara Foundation

Waterfront Projects: ●

chairman, sponsored studies, avoided water rationing for city in 1948; Cachuma Reclamation Project(Brad

East Cabrillo Boulevard development (other): widening near Child estate and Bird Refuge, land including park

bury Dam, Cachuma Lake, Tecolotc Tunnel), leadership, research, planning and promotion.

State Water Bond Issue of I960:

ing areas obtained by donation.

Harbor Committee of Santa Barbara

●

Foundation: study of breakwater

●

sanding and beach erosion problems.

Stearns Wharf: in partnership with Major Max Fleischmann purchased and rehabilitated it and added Yacht

●

Santa Barbara County Committee, chairman of Californians for Water.

Planning:

Club building in partnership with two others. ●

●

Walks and light standards: Plaza del Mar to breakwater.

mittees (1961-64). ●

City's Master Planning Committee: chairman.

●

Community Arts Association and Plans and Planting Committee: founder-member.

●

County Forestry Board: founding member.

●

County Planning Commission (estab lished Montedto Zoning Ordinance, the first in California): founding member.

Other Infrastructure Projects: ●

A Child’s Estate: member of com mittee of Santa Barbara Foundation to save the property for the public (1947), General Honorary Chair man of committee to raise funds and develop zoo.

●

Franceschi Park: promoted acquisition

●

by city.

Gibraltar Dam: promoted $2,100,000 bond issue to increase capacity.

●

●

Mission Park: promoted acquisition by city from Mission Santa Barbara - 1927(funds went to Mission recon struction).

Paradise Road Construction: hnanced

Parks and Recreation Develop ment Projects—1927 to 1931: ●

●

Pershing Park: promoted acquisition by city, obtained donation of five ad ditional acres.

Santa Barbara airport site search: headed committee of Chamber of

Andree Clark Bird Refuge: obtained donation to initiate development, completed with own and other donated unemployment relief work funds(Citizen’s Unemployment Re lief Committee).

extension from Paradise Camp to Santa Ynez River. . ●

City's Citizen’s General Plan Com mittee: chairman over 15 area com

●

Beach playground equipment: per sonal funds.

●

Cabrillo Pavilion wading pooh shelter for children and walk to Bird Refuge

DWIGHT MURPHY

101

from donacions and personal funds.

Civic Promotion:

●

Oak Park wading pool and playground equipment: personally donated.

●

●

Ortega Park; convinced city to dedi cate as park, development and person ally donated recreation equipment,

●

●

Park Department nursery for produc ing trees and shrubs: development.

Playground and Recreation Commis sion: chairman of committee recom

Preservation ;

●

●

Mission Santa Barbara reconstruc tion (1925—earthquake): chairman of reconstruction committee, organized drive for $600,000, donor.

mending its establishment. ● Parks and Recreation Unemploy

Mission Santa Barbara reconstruction (1951—deterioration): chairman of

ment Relief Funded Projects—

reconstruction committee, organized drive for funds, donor.

1931 TO 1935:

Even after resigning as Chairman of the Parks Commission in 1931. as the ad

Old Spanish Days Fiesta: organized parade, supported financially.

Pasadena Tournament of Roses Floats; financed.

●

Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Pres ervation; founder, original incorpora tor, El Cuartcl preservation project donor.

ministrator of various unemployment relief work funds at the federal, state, and local level. Murphy continued to have a key role in the execution of his plan to increase four-fold Santa

HUMANITARIAN AND

Barbara’s developed parks and recre

SOCIAL WORKS

ation facilities, and to line the city's streets with trees; National: ● ●

Cabrillo Ball Park: development.

East Beach and Palm Park; rehabilita

●

Dwight Murphy Field: development

●

Franceschi Park: development.

●

Mission Park: development.

●

Municipal Tennis Center; develop ment of first phase.

●

Pershing Park: development.

●

Plaza Del Mar and Pershing Park entrances: development.

●

Spencer Adams Park; development for recreation.

●

Street trees: thousands planted along miles of city streets.

●

Hundreds of smaller parks, recreation and neighborhood improvement projects including donations of play ground equipment for various parks.

●

American Cancer Society; national board member.

tion; landscaping, State-wide appointments by president and GOVERNOR:

●

California Emergency Relief Com mission (advised Governor on dis tribution of $15,000,000 federal and state fund for Long Beach earthquake and other relief); member

●

California Unemployment Relief Committee: state chairman (dispensed federal loan funds).

●

President’s Organization on Unem ployment Relief: state vice chairman for Southern California and county chairman (raised and expended funds).

NOTICIAS

102

OTHER INSTITUTIONS ASSISTED AND SUPPORTED

County appointments by president AND GOVERNOR:

●

Caliloniia Unemployment Relief Committee: county chairman.

●

●

Chamber of Commerce; president, chairman Referenda Committee for National Issues.

President's Organization on Unem ployment Relief; Emergency Unem ployment Relief Fund Committee, county chairman {raised funds and made grants).

●

Hispanic Society of Santa Barbara,

*

Santa Barbara Club: president, revived the club thus preserving the

●

Santa Barbara County Registered Hereford Association; founding dircctor.

●

Santa Barbara Historical Society:

building for the membership‘s Local; ●

Charitable trusts; personally funded for education, sick, needy, handi

capped. ●

Citizens Unemployment Relief Com mittee; founder, contrihutor.

●

City Health Department; personally funded emergency care funds.

supporter, saddle and equestrian art collections donated. ●

Santa Barbara Museum of Art: Char

Community Chest: president, vice

●

president—Advanced Gifts Commit tee chairman. Advisory Committee member.

ter patron.

Santa Barbara Public Library; board member,

●

Security—First National Bank: Chair man of Executive Board.

Cottage Hospital: chairman of execu tive committee, treasurer, various other boards and committees.

●

Society of Los Alamos; member.

●

Valley Club of Montecito; founding member, treasurer.

●

County Council of Social Agencies;

●

president.

County Health Department: person ally funded emergency trust account.

‘'‘Edward S, Spalding, Santa Barbara Club—A History, (Schauer Printing Studio, 1954).

●

●

●

Knapp College of Nursing: investor, supporter.

OTHER PROJECTS, DONATIONS

●

St. Francis Hospital: donor, volunteer administrative work(43 years).

●

●

San Marcos Pass School: originally donated for children of workers re

●

Borcin. Ed: president of committee to finance and publish memorial book.

Columbus statue; donated, with

aligning the pass and then served for many years as schoolhousc for area children. Paid teacher’s salary.

●

mother, to Knights of Columbus.

Los Padres National Forest District

●

Headquarters; donated Los Prietos Ranch facilities to Forestry Service

Santa Barbara Foundation: original incorporator, trustee, vice president, treasurer, member of several commit tees, honorary trustee.

●

for district headquarters.

Sam Kramer Memorial Perpetual Trophy: donated to horse show.

DWIGHT MURPHY

103

SPECIAL HONORS ●

●

●

Peabody.(Frederick Forrest) Medal of the American Legion 1927(first one): for civic contributions.

Bronze equestrian statuette of Mur phy presented to him by Mrs. Fred eric S. Gould.

●

Goodwin J. Knighc(August 12, 1954)

●

Peruvian Ambassadorship: declined.

California Municipal and County Motorcycle Officers Association: honorary member.

●

Presidential nominee (Herbert Hoover); reception committee chair man (August 17, 1928).

California Racing Industry Tribute

●

Resolutions by Santa Barbara City Council commending Murphy for parks and relief work and posthu mously for contributions to the city’s development and welfare.

●

Resolution by County Board of Su pervisors for support of 1960 Califor nia Water Plan bond issue.

●

and presentation by jockey Johnny Longden of saddle commemorating his 4,000th win.(May 20, 1951) ●

Dwight Murphy Field Dedication, 1932(recreational park).

●

Equestrian oil painting by Allen G. Cram in Santa Barbara County Court House, commissioned by Major Max Fleischmann.

●

●

"Man of the Year” award for 1953 by Advertising and Merchandising Club of Santa Barbara.

●

St. Francis Hospital plaque: dedicated posthumously for gifts of time, effort and money.

Santa Barbara Club: room dedicated,

Palomino restoration work honored

●

April. 2003.

Yacht Club Award for Promotina Sailo

with scroll presented by Governor

ing.

104

NOTICIAS

SANTA BARBARA HISTORICAL SOCIETY BOARD OF TRUSTEES President 1st Vice President 2nd Vice President Treasurer

Leslie L. Hovey Edgar L, Sands Dr. Jo Beth Van Geldcrcn John W Hunc Jean Smith Gotxlrich Dr. Glen W Adams Daniel Alcf Leslie S, Bernstein Jon S. Bull Elizabeth H. Edwards

Secretary

Richard Glenn Lawrence T Hammett Betsy Lewis Thad C. MacMillan Tom Miclko

Robin Schuttc Frank T Stevens Stefani Talialerro James Vitanza Diane Waterhouse

Jane Rich Mueller George M. Anderjack. Executive Director David S. Bisol, Curator

The Santa Barbara Historical Society wishes to thank and to acknowledge with pride the following Life Members for their continuing support.

Mr. Stephen A. Acronico Mr. William B. Azbell Mr. and Mrs. Jerry W Beaver Elizabeth Booth

Miss Sally Ganc Mr. Richard C. Harpham Mr. Eric P. Hvolb0ll Dr. and Mrs. C. Seybert Kinsell

Mr. Marvin J. Branch

Mr. and Mrs. William F. Luton, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Ashldgh Brilliant

Mrs. Jane Rich Mueller

Mrs. Virginia Castagnola-Hunter

Mr. William W Murfey

Mrs. Natalie B. Clark-Harpham Mr. and Mrs. Charles Cleek

Mr. David F. Myrick

Mrs. Florence Corder-Witter

Mr. and Mrs. Godwin J. Pelissero

Mr. Richard G. Croft. Jr.

Lady Ridley^Trce Mrs. Alma R. Ritchie

Mr. Oswald J. Da Ros

Mr. Wade Rubottom

Marla Daily Mrs. Albert Dc LArbre Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Fish Mrs. Helen W Foyer Master John Galvin Mr. Michael Galvin

Mr. and Mrs. Peter J. Samuclson Mr. and Mrs. J. Terry Schwartz Mr. Walter G. Silva Mr. and Mrs. Burke H. Simpson Mr. Ivano Paolo Vit Mr. John Woodward

Ihc Santa Barbara Historical Society 11^6 E. De la Querra Street,Santa Barbara, California g^ioi

Non-Profic 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, Calilornia 93101

Address Service Requested

CONTENTS Pg 61: Dwight Murphy, Architect of Santa Barbara’s Renaissance