History of Santa Barbara

The area was settled by Native Americans called the Chumash about 13,000 years ago. When the Spanish missionaries arrived, the Chumash inhabited the coast and the Channel Islands. Together, 150 autonomous villages had a population of around 18,000. The languages spoken here were different, but related.

Founding the city

When Sebastian Viscaino sailed into the Santa Barbara Channel on 4th December 1602, he named it after the virgin and martyr, Saint Barbara, who was commemorated on this day. The city and county names followed suit later on.

The Mission and El Presidio were founded by Father Junipero Serra at about the same time in the 1780s. This started an era of colonisation and the Christianisation of the native Chumash. In the 1820s, the missions were secularised and the Spanish governed the area until 1822, when California became a Mexican territory. In 1846, Colonel John Fremont and his soldiers reclaimed Santa Barbara for the United States.

Farming and ranching grew from 1830 to 1865. Although Mexican and Americans ruled during this time, the actual lifestyle of the locals was not greatly affected. The era was dominated by horses, cattle ranches and the community.

The Victorian period

After the Civil War, the look of Santa Barbara began to transform. Spanish colonial houses were soon outnumbered by Victorian-style buildings. Shipping grew in importance, as goods and people from the East began flowing in through the small but growing port. Agriculture also gained in importance as people realised just how fertile the land was.

Devastation

In 1925, the town was devastated by an earthquake.  Locals quickly realised that most of the buildings left standing were from the Spanish colonials, and that the majority of the Victorian houses had burnt down. A decree was passed to make the downtown area Spanish colonial, using indigenous building techniques.

Modern times

In the late 1800s, Santa Barbara County saw an unprecedented boom. Streets were paved and public sewers installed. By 1901, the railway linked Santa Barbara with San Francisco, replacing the Wells Fargo Stage Coach line. By 1910, the population of Santa Barbara City had increased by 100 per cent. Even during the depression from 1915 to 1917, Santa Barbara County continued to attract tourists and wealthy residents from the East.

Today, Santa Barbara has transformed itself from a quiet, agricultural village to a busy, affluent community.