PART II: The Waterfront District Emerges
By Lydia Rao
Start at the beginning with Part I.
The 1870s were a busy time for the expanding waterfront – the first fish market opened and the Overland Telegraph Company connected the first telegraph line from San Francisco. Now, news arrived within seconds, while travel still took days. The first fresh delivery followed in 1872, and that same year the Santa Barbara Yacht Club formed, with the clubhouse at the foot of Stearns Wharf. The town was becoming a well-known health destination, with individuals instructed to visit for the fresh sea breeze and refreshing ocean to boost one’s health.
In 1873, Mr. and Mrs. Bennett constructed a bathhouse at the foot of Bath Street; it cost a quarter to rent a bathing suit. An improved bathhouse was built two years later but was swept away by a storm soon after. To keep up with the increase in tourism, a narrow-gauge track was built in 1876, which enabled mule-drawn trolleys to transport passengers up and down State Street, and a passenger steamer arrived daily. There were only two routes– the first took disembarked passengers from the wharf up State Street to the Arlington Hotel, the second ran along the boulevard to the beach (now known as West Cabrillo). Stearns Wharf, the main hub for transportation in and out of town, was used not only for unloading passengers, goods, and mail, but also transporting lumber, sheep, and cattle from the ranching operations out at the Channel Islands.
The 1880s saw an increase in civic activity, as the townspeople became interested in shaping the waterfront into a more scenic promenade. In 1881, citizens built a road leading to Castle Rock that carved into the cliff behind the rock so it was accessible even at high tide. In 1887, the Santa Barbara Yacht Club officially incorporated in preparation for the completion of the railroad, and the first train arrived in August with 5,000 visitors from Los Angeles. Santa Barbara’s population was only 6,500 at the time. Once the railroad was completed, an addition was made to Stearns Wharf. The wharf finger that today holds the Sea Center was originally built in 1888 and connected to the shore in a sweeping arc, with railroad tracks laid out on the wharf for the direct loading of lumber. Commercial goods were loaded directly onto waiting cars, with fish arriving to Los Angeles the same day in ice cars. This wye was taken out less than a decade later (by a storm) and the remainder became the fishermen’s wharf. Santa Barbara was finally connected to the outside world by land and sea, but the idea of a harbor would now be overlooked in the following decades in favor of railroad improvements. The railroad took priority because it was a much faster way to transport groceries, meat, hardware, steel, fish, lumber, and lemons.
The beautification of the waterfront continued in 1891, when citizens voted to pave Ocean Boulevard two feet above the high tide line. The project also included a paved park, fountain, benches, and a band shell. After plans were adopted, Thomas B. Dibblee, who lived on the cliffs above (now Santa Barbara City College), deeded the lands at the foot of the bluff for what would become the Plaza del Mar. The wetlands surrounding the freshwater springs in Pershing Park were backfilled and the plaza was finished the following year. Community concerts were held in the plaza every Sunday. The famous palm trees were planted in 1895, and a pleasure pier was constructed at the end of Castillo Street. This gave people somewhere to promenade over the water, as Stearns Wharf was a largely commercial operation by this time. In 1896, the streetcar mules retired after 20 years of service, replaced by electric streetcars. Around the same time, gas engines started replacing sail and rowboats for fishing operations. Change was coming quickly to the small seaside town.
The first automobile arrived in Santa Barbara at the turn of the century, and in 1901 abalone fishing was banned in shallow water. Only experienced divers could access this prized possession, and Japanese divers monopolized the industry until their internment in World War II. That same year the first Los Banos del Mar was built (in what’s now the middle of Shoreline Drive at the intersection with Castillo), and it included a confectionery and bowling alley. The Potter Hotel opened in 1903, attracting many famous names who would also go on to build homes in town, including Peabody, Knapp, and Fleischmann. That year also saw the Yacht Club host its first regatta, and the Castagnola brothers arrived from Genoa, Italy. They would go on to form the Castagnola fishing fleet and give the other main fishing business in town – the Larco brothers – some competition. In response to the increase in tourism, Ocean Boulevard was changed to the more romantic “Esplanade del Mar” in 1904, changed again to West Boulevard in 1915, and finally named Cabrillo Boulevard in 1919. Harbor plans reemerged at this time with a focus on the estero at the foot of Mission Creek. However, the 1907 bond vote to dredge a new harbor was defeated by only 37 votes. The Great White Fleet visited in April of the following year, and Santa Barbara welcomed the sailors with a Battle of the Flowers, a fantastic floral parade ending at Plaza del Mar.
In 1910, another harbor request was made, and yet another denial from the federal government was issued in 1911. That same year the Larco brothers opened Larco’s Fish Market at 114 State Street, a sandstone building that was later moved to Cabrillo and now serves as the Visitor Center. One year later the Rincon Sea Level Road opened, connecting the nine miles between the Ventura Bridge and Carpinteria. Though safer than the windy Casitas Pass, the road was often awash at high tide. In 1913, the salt pond (now the Andrée Clark Bird Refuge located by the zoo) was revisited as a site for the harbor, proposed by John C. Brackenridge, an engineer who had visited Santa Barbara to help revamp the streetcar system. He made his own surveys, drew up plans, and had support, but was ultimately thwarted by the city, which refused to repour East Boulevard.
In 1914, Santa Barbara was hit by “the Great Flood,” a huge three-day storm, which ripped out large portions of West Boulevard and swept away the Santa Barbara Yacht Club clubhouse. More than half of the palm trees lining the boulevard were uprooted, and the pavement was totally undermined. After repairs were made, a seawall was poured in 1915, at a total depth of 15,’ which lines the sidewalk today. This led to serious consideration for a harbor, until World War I halted everything. The second Los Banos del Mar was constructed up against the cliff (the first burned down in 1913) and opened on March 22, 1915. The second Los Banos del Mar featured a large pool, 132 changing rooms, and 850 bathing suits for rent. That same year, the Loughead Aircraft Manufacturing Company relocated to Santa Barbara, setting up offices at 101 State Street. The company launched its seaplanes off West Beach at the foot of Bath Street.
Several decades had passed, and yet a problem remained with the growing waterfront district. While ships had a place to dock and offload cargo, they still were at the mercy of southeastern storms. Though infrequent, the storms were devastating. when they did happen, like in 1914. Small boats could be pulled out of the water, but large ships were forced to slip anchor and find shelter down the coast or out at the Channel Islands. By this time, it was clear no help would be coming from the federal government in the building of a harbor, and so members of the Yacht Club started bringing local bonds up for a vote – first in 1903 and again in 1909. Citizens voted mostly in opposition because it was believed the harbor would only benefit the yachtsmen, and not the rest of the community. It was clear that the townspeople failed to see the economic benefit of a harbor Check back next month to see how the harbor was finally built.
To view photos that capture some of the stories mentioned above, be sure to visit the museum to see the
exhibit 170 Years of Harbor History, on display through January 22, 2024.
Some sources below for those inclined to read more:
Bookspan, Rochelle, et al. Santa Barbara by the Sea. 1982.
Dana, Richard Henry, Jr., Two Years Before the Mast. Harper & Brothers, 1840.
Everett, William B. Noticias: Santa Barbara Street Transportation. Santa Barbara Historical Museum, 1968.
Everett, William B. and Gary B. Coombs. Mule Car and Trolley: The Story of the Santa Barbara Street Railway. Institute for American Research, 1984.
Graffy, Neal. Street Names of Santa Barbara. 2008.
Graffy, Neal. Santa Barbara Then and Now. 2012.
Graffy de Garcia, Erin. Noticias: Safe Haven. Santa Barbara Historical Museum, 2010.
O’Neill, Owen H. History of Santa Barbara County, State of California. Harold McLean Meier. 1939
Tompkins, Walker A. Santa Barbara Yesterdays. McNally & Loftin, 1962.
Tompkins, Walker A. Historical High Lights of Santa Barbara. Santa Barbara National Bank, 1970.
Tompkins, Walker A. A Centennial History of Stearns Wharf. Santa Barbara Wharf Company, 1972.
Tompkins, Walker A. Santa Barbara Past and Present. McNally & Loftin, 1975.
Tompkins, Walker A. It Happened in Old Santa Barbara. Santa Barbara National Bank, 1976.