Introducing "Noticias"

APRIL, 1955

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Introducing "Noticias “Noticias” was chosen as the name of this publication because to most Californians it is a familiar and appro priate Spanish word meaning—news—knowledge—infor mation. It is hoped that the publication will live up to its name and impart to the members of your Society and the interested public, not only news of the “doings” of the Society, but also something of historical knowledge and information.

The auspices are good for the success of this venture because it is launched by able sponsors, Elbert S. Conner, Chairman of the Publication Committee, and Wilberta M. Finley, Editor. The aims of your Society, for which this publication speaks, are to collect, preserve and exemplify memorabilia of Western American history since the prim itive or Indian era. This history is a serial story which will continue as long as men live in this region.

Your Society seeks to secure and preserve what suit able historical material can be salvaged from the past and to add to it that of the present, which day by day itself becomes the past. It is hoped that these efforts will provide interest and edification to living generations and make a heritage for those to come.

To achieve its aims, your Society needs the support of the community. It needs a continuing supply of suitable historical material by gift or loan—■material not only of the past but of the present. By the able and tireless efforts of your volunteer Curators, Mr. and Mrs. W. Edwin Gledhill, the Society’s material is organized, safe guarded, and exhibited in our free public museum in The Old Mission of Santa Barbara which we occupy by the courtesy of the Franciscan Fathers.

To carry on its work, your Society needs a member ship which will sustain it not only by their interest and activity, but by their dues. The annual membership dues range in amount from S5.00 to .15100.00. The By-Laws of the Society, in true democratic spirit, provide that the rights of members of all classifications are equal.

May I, as President of your Society, bespeak public support of the purposes of the Society and appreciation of the generous efforts of the editorial staff of “Noticias.”

FRANCIS PRICE President

SPECIAL LUNCHEON — APRIL 15 Speaker: Dr. John Walton Caughey Topic: “Steamer Days” Place: El Paseo Restaurante Reservations: 5-3021

Phone Chamber of Commerce,

(For details, see Page 3)

Society History and Activities W. EDWIN GLEDHILL Curator Looking into the record of events which lies behind our present Santa Barbara Historical Society, we fi nd that a meeting was called on October 7, 1932, in the Tower room of the Santa Barbara County Court House to discuss plans for organizing an historical society. On October 25 of the same year the following members were elected to office: Paul G. Sweetser, President; Fred Schauer, Vice-President; Francis Warren, SecretaryTreasurer, and Miss Elizabeth Mason, Custodian of the Tower Room. This small group worked to collect and preserve all material of an historical nature that they could gather. Miss Mason and Mr. Schauer had been connected with the Santa Barbara Society of Natural History until it disbanded and the new Society inherited some of that material.

On June 7, 1943, the present Santa Barbara Historical Society was incorporated as a non-profit, educational institution under California laws. Mr. Sweetser served as the first president and later as secretary, which office he fills today. Miss Mason continued as Curator until her death and Mrs. John Russell Hastings acted as sec retary until her illness.

Following Mr. Sweester the presidents were: William H. Ellison, Howard Rowe, T. Wilson Dibblee, D. Mac kenzie Brown, Hugh Weldon, and our present president, Francis Price.

From its home in the Court House Tower the bulk of the material was divided between tlie liome of Mrs. Hast ings—the Trussell-Winchester adobe—and Miss Mason’s home at 2323 Rancheria Street. The Tower Room was used only for storage thereafter.

(Coniinued on Page 4)

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NOTICIAS

NOTICIAS around the Horn to him a hundred years ago—gift of Mrs. Dwight Murphy.

QUARTERLY BULLETIN OF THE SANTA BARBARA HISTORICAL SOCIETY

The “Life mask” of Gen. George Washington, by Jean Antoine Houdon, one of the only four known to exist, This was a gift of the late Mrs. Henry Rivers of Montecito.

1955 Officers and Directors Francis Price President . . . .

First Vice President Hugh .]. Weldon Charles A. Storke Second Vice President Paul G. Sweetser Secretary Mrs. Elmer H. Whittaker Treasurer . . . . .

Thirty-three letters of Edward Vischer and Alexander S. Taylor; a silver watch which had belonged to Mr. Taylor; and two likenesses, one of Mr. Taylor and one of Mrs. Taylor—all presented the Society by Mrs. Ray mond H. King.

Directors: Elbert S. Conner, Dr. Donald C. Davidson, W. Edwin Gledhill, Mrs. Henry Griffiths, Percy C. Heckendorf, Rev. Basil Kelly, O.F.M., Duncan McDougall, Dr. Philip W. Powell, John T. Rickard, Miss Edna Sharpe.

Curator W. Edwin Gledhill Mrs. W. Edwin Gledhill . . . . Associate Curator Elbert S. Conner . Chairman Publication Committee Editor Wilberta M. Finley

Scores of items equally deserving of mention are in the Society’s possession, and will be dealt with in future “Noticias.” Very important historic material has been given by William Dibblee, the Misses Ynez and Delfina Dibblee, Mrs. Francis Underhill, Francis Price, Miss Katherine Burke, Miss Alice Jackson, Mrs. Caesar Lataillade and her daughter Miss Katherine, Charles Storke, Max Richter, Mr. and Mrs. William Louis Otte, and many others.

MAILING address: OLD MISSION, SANTA DARDARA, CALIF.

School Text on Local History Tribute to Our Staff Since the opening days of the Santa Barbara Historical Society’s headquarters in the Old Mission, less than a year ago, a number of loyal volunteer workers have donated hours of their time to museum projects. This issue would not be complete without a word of gratitude to those who have contributed so generously of their efforts and enthusiasm, in maintaining card files, cata loging material, and doing research in various fields, as well as serving as gracious hostesses to the public.

Among the volunteer workers are Miss Anna Lincoln who acts as Assistant Curator, and Miss Katherine Burke, who supplies and arranges flower decorations.

Assisting in the library are the following; Miss Ellen Hayward (president of Reina Del Mar Parlor, Native Daughters), Mrs. Eugene Coffin, Mrs. Guy Stockton, Mrs. James Colt, Mrs. Wilbur Jacobs, and Mrs. Rhean Beck.

Serving as hostesses are: Mrs. Edna Williams (chair man of the Mission Canyon Chapter, D.A.R.), Mrs. Hen rietta von Blon, and Mrs. Edwin Potter.

Miss Margaret Conklin is part-time secretary.

Among Our Donors A great deal of material of high historic interest is finding its way into the society’s hands, for the benefit of present and future history-lovers. Public thanks are due donors of such valuable items as the following, now to be seen at the Society’s Old Mission headquarters: The diary of Judge Charles Huse, from the late be loved Dr. Anna McCaughey.

A collection of papers and paintings by Francis Thompson of the Brig “Pilgrim,” bequeathed the Society by the late Mrs. Mildred Lacy Williamson.

The handsome, large, framed mirror which had be longed to Don Jose de la Guerra y Noriega and came

“Way of Life in Early Santa Barbara,” is the title of a history text for third, fourth, and fifth graders in our local schools—written by Francis Price at the sugges tion of Dr. Einar W. Jacobsen, superintendent of schools.

For some years Mr. Price has been giving talks to new teachers on local background history.

First portions of the new text, dealing with the Indian period, have been serialized in the Santa Barbara NewsPress, and already are in use in mimeograph form in the schools. Future book publication is planned. The work carries Mr. Price’s copyright, but it is made available for the free use of our schools.

An interesting sidelight is the fact that one of the episodes dealt with appeared in the 1907 “Olive and Gold, Santa Barbara High School annual, under Mr. Price’s authorship—demonstrating our president’s sus tained interest in the history of our locale.

About Our Mission Headquarters Our Society, so far as is known, is the only secular organization to occupy any portion of a California Mission. Permission to locate our offices at the Old Mission came through the Very Reverend Father David Temple, Provincial of tlie Province of Saint Barbara (which includes the Southwestern United States), after specific clearance with Rome. Father Basil Kelly, O.F.M., who is custodian of the Old Mission, and one of the Society’s directors, was most helpful in directing our request into proper channels. To be housed at the Old Mission at a lease figure of SI.00 per year for a tenyear period, argues well for the progress of the Society across the years immediately ahead, and vastly increases its opportunities for service.

Board Meetings Regular meetings of the Santa Barbara Historical Society Board of Directors are held on the first Thurs day of each month, at the Old Mission headquarters.

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Steamer Days

April 15 Topic

Members of the Santa Barbara Historical Society are urged to mark their calendars for Friday, April 15, and to bring interested friends with them to the luncheon scheduled for El Paseo Restaurante on that date. Under the Society’s auspices, Dr. John Walton Caughey will address members and guests on the subject “Steamer Days—Water Transportation in the 19th Century—San Francisco to Los Angeles.”

Reservations for the luncheon may be made by tele phoning the Chamber of Commerce, 5-3021. Arrange ments are in charge of the Program Committee, Duncan McDougall (chairman) and Dr. Donald C. Davidson.

Dr. Caughey, Professor of History at the University of California at Los Angeles, is a writer and lecturer of note on historical subjects. His one-volume history of California is unique in its field. Others of his written works are “Gold Is the Cornerstone,” “Rushing for Gold,” “Letters of R. R. Taylor, Forty-Niner,” and “The Indians of Southern California.”

Many Santa Barbarans can still recall the days when travel and freight into and out of this area relied entirely upon water transportation, and will be on hand to hear what Dr. Caughey has to say about “Steamer Days.”

1882 Mission Paintings Two gifts received by the Society recently, within a single week, present a remarkable coincidence. Each was an oil painting of the Old Mission, done in 1882 by Edward Edmondson. The two paintings are of opposite exteriors of the Mission. The first was a gift from the Santa Barbara Public Library, and the second was pre sented by Father Basil Kelly, O.F.M., from the Old Mission.

MEMBERSHIP

APPLICATION

The Santa Barbara Historical Society SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA

Please find enclosed my payment of S covering dues for year ending MARK CLASS OF MEMBERSHIP

□ □ I I □ Q

Benefactor Patron Contributing Member Sustaining Member ...

Active Member

. , .

$100.00 25.00 15.00 10.00 5.00

NAME.

Sketch of the Stomboch home in its originof setting, from on old photograph.

Cooperation Preserves a Landmark Preservation of the historic Stambach home, recently assured through the generosity of the Assistance League of Santa Barbara, is an example of civic cooperation which might well serve as a pattern of future action when other landmarks need protection.

In this instance the Santa Barbara Historical Society through its alert Curator, W. Edwin Gledhill, spear headed the action. A public spirited contractor, Fred Reid, who was involved in razing the historic residence, lent his cooperation. The Santa Barbara News-Press made its columns available for public appeal. Eleven individuals offered to undertake the preservation of the structure. And finally, the Assistance League purchased the home to be used as headquarters for its civic activities.

Altogether a splendid record, shared in by many, with the common aim of saving a fine example of early local architecture for future Santa Barbarans.

Built originally by Col. Charles C. Hunt in 1879-80, and sold in 1891 to Dr. Henry Stambach, this fine old residence was designed by P. J. Barber, outstanding architect of the period. It stood originally at State and Anapamu Streets, on the property now occupied by Hitchcock’s drygoods store, but was moved to its present location at Victoria and Mora Villa Avenue in 1891, at the time of its purchase by Dr. Stambach.

As “Noticias” goes to press word comes that the Assist ance League has arranged to move the Stambach home to a site at Montecito and Castillo Streets, adjacent to the Trussell-Winchester adobe. Elmer H. Whittaker has offered to contribute general contracting services incident to the remodeling.

ADDRESS. Please tear off and return with check for member ship dues to: Mrs. Elmer H. Whittaker, Treasurer 123 East Canon Perdido Street Santa Barbara, California

Rare Newspaper Added A New York paper of contemporary period, contain ing Washington’s farewell address to his troops, was added to the Society’s files last month, the gift of Norris Stoltze.

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NOTICIAS

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Society History and Activities (Continued from Page 1)

1 S-TORf

“ Rpon In 1945 Mrs. Hastings arranged for the Society two outstanding exhibits of fine, early paintings, silver and furniture loaned by Santa Barbara families. The first was held in an upstairs room in the Santa Barbara Museum of Art and the second, of a later period, in the Faulkner Gallery of the local Public Library. Both were very favorably received and brought credit to the Society.

In 1948 the Society was presented by Mrs. Hastings with the Trussell-Winchester adobe, built in 1854, and the adjoining corner lot. At that time it was hoped that funds could be raised to build a replica of the old St. Charles Hotel on the corner to house exhibitions and a library, using the adobe as an example of its period. But funds were scarce and that plan did not materialize.

With the death of Miss Mason and the illness of Mrs. Hastings the activities of the Society were at a relative standstill, until early in 1954 when Francis Price accepted the presidency. With him were elected the following board members: Dr. Donald C. Davidson, W. Edwin Gledhill, Mrs. Henry Griffiths, Rev. Basil Kelly, O.F.M., Duncan Me* Dougall, Dr. Philip W. Powell, John T. Rickard, Miss Edna Sharpe, Charles A. Storke, Paul G. Sweetser, Hugh J. Weldon, and Mrs. Elmer H. Whittaker.

This group was unanimously re-elected, with the addi tion in January, 1955, of Elbert S. Conner and Percy C. Heckendorf. Edwin Gledhill continued to act as vol unteer curator.

Through the efforts of Mr. Price five rooms in the Old Mission were taken out of the enclosure and the Santa Barbara Foundation provided the funds to turn them into three exhibition rooms, a library and a store room, and to remodel other quarters for the use of the Mission.

The Society owes a deep debt of gratitude to Elmer H. Whittaker who volunteered to supervise this work of re modeling at the Mission.

Mr. Gledhill and a small and faithful staff of volun teers, collected the material from several different store-

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rooms and, with the help of Mrs. Gledhill and Miss Anna Lincoln, managed to be ready for an opening tea for members on May 19, 1954. That the members were sur prised and delighted with the new quarters and exhibi tion was ample reward for the hours of work put in by this small group.

There have been three exhibits, of different periods, held in the Borein and Harmer rooms and the large gallery since the opening, and the plan is to rotate them throughout the year. The first, covers the Spanish-Mexican period, the second the American from about 1845 to 1885, and the third from 1885 to approximately 1925.

The members and public enjoy the change, and very beautiful and interesting material has been loaned to augment that owned by the Society. Because of the lack of a full staff the Museum could only be open to the public on Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons from two to five o’clock. From January until the end of March the rooms were kept open on Sunday afternoons

by Mrs. Edna Williams and members of the Mission Canyon Chapter of the D.A.R. On those afternoons (in winter) about 200 saw the exhibit in two short hours, and over 5,000 had signed the guest book from May 19, 1954, to March 27, 1955. These came from many parts of the world and nearly every State.