As Told To Michael J. Phillips

NOTICIAS Quarterly Magazine Of The Santa Barbara Historical Society Vol. XU. No. 1

Spring 1995

As Told To

ROM 1921 to 1924, Michael J. Phillips wrote a series of articles based upon his interviews with long time residents of Santa Barbara County. The sc ries, "50 Years and More in Santa Barbara," usually appeared in the Satur day edition of Thomas Storke's Santa Barbara Daily T^eivs. Phillips, a na tive of Michigan, worked for several newspapers in the Midwest before coming to California in 1919. He worked at the Daily News as an editor before striking out on his own as a freelance writer. A versatile author, he penned novels, short stories, and plays. Locally, he is best known for his two-volume History ojSanta Barbara Calijomia,From Its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time, published in 1927.

In this issue, we present two of Phillips' interviews. The first is with Caesar E. Lataillade (1849-1938), whose family roots date back to the earliest days of Santa Barba ra. A successful businessman, he was very active in local politics and was instrumental in bringing gas lighting to the city in the 1870s. His life was tragically cut short by a bus accident in 1938. John J. Waugh (1844-1925) then speaks out about his experienc es as a stagecoach driver. One of the first settlers in Los Olivos, he became locally known for his leather work.

Cover photograph is from Phillips' Histor-y ofSanta Barbara California. Back cover illustration is an etching by Edward Borcin. "Overland Mail.” from the collection of the Santa Barbara Historical Society. All photographs are from the collections of the Santa Barbara Historical Society, unless otherwise noted. Text in [brackets] are additions made by the editor of NOTICIAS. 1NFOKT4ATION FOP^ CONTRlBUTOllS: NOTICIAS is a qiuarterly journal devoted to the study ofthe history ofSanta Barbara County. Contributions ofarticles are weT come. Those authors whose articles are acceptedfor publication ivill receive ten gratis copies oj the issue in which their article appears. Further copies are available to the contributor at cost. 1 he authority in matters oj style is the University of Chicago Manual of Style, i^th edition. The Publications Committee reserves the right to return submitted manuscriptsfor required changes. Statements and opinions expressed in articles are the sole responsibility of the author.

Michael Redmon, Editor Judy Sutcliffe, Designer

© 1995 Tlic Santa Barbara Historical Society 136 E. De la Guerra Street, Santa Barbara, California 93101 ● Telephone: 805/966-1601 Single copies $5.00 ISSN 0581-5916

Caesar Lataillade with wife Acacia R;uiz iMtailladc and daughter Catherine. Bom taillade did not marry U7itil 1912.. Courtesy ofCatheiine Lataillade.

SAR E

ATAILLADE

/●

{interviewed Jvlarch ii, igzz) I WAS BORN

in the old Dc la

in December, 1849, so I am past seventytwo years of age.

My father was C. A. Lataillade, a na-

Guerra house, at present standing in front of the old city hall on De la Guerra Street.

1

2 tive of France, who arrived in Santa Bar bara in 1841. He was engaged in the mer cantile business and was also purser on the brig, Chato. when he was only twentytwo years of age.

Their business was to bring merchandise from Lima. Peru, and from the ports of Acapulco, Tcpic, and Matzatlan along the Mexican coast and trade them in California for hides and tallow.

MARRIED MISS DE LA GUERRA In 1846, he married Miss Maria Antonia dc la Guerra, youngest daughter of Don Jose Antonio de la Guerra y Noriega and Maria Antonia Carrillo de la Guerra. He died in April. 1849. as the result of an accidental gunshot wound.

He was taking a shotgun barrel from a forge in which it was being heated when the charge exploded, entering his body. He had intended going to the mines with Gaspar Orena. They expected to take with them one thousand cattle.

Perhaps it might be interesting to you to know how my father got the gun which caused his death. It was one that had been taken from a murderer who had killed a whole family of thirteen at the old mission of San Miguel in San Luis Obispo County. The husband and father of the family was named William Recd.l After the murderer and his comades, who had committed the dreadful crime to PHOTO ABOVE:TAaria Antonia de la Guara.

She married Cesareo Lataillade in 18^^ anaivas pregnant with Caesar when she was tragically widowedfour yea^s later.

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gee the considerable quantity of gold which the head of the family had just brought back from the mines, had fled away, they headed south. Word was sent by courier that they were coming this way.

CHASING MURDERERS On the news arriving here, my father gathered fifteen Californians and tried to intercept them at Hope Rancho, but it seems I the murderers were not I5, traveling along the main road, but by the foothills. My father then had men on the outside of town, / watching, and was to be notified as soon as the murderers were seen.

The very next day, they were seen passing the out skirts of the city, and my father immediately gathered his men and started in pursuit. They were overtaken at the present site of Summerland. As they were surrounded, one of my father’s men, Jose Jesus Rodriguez, rushed in on his horse, seized one of the Americans by the collar, and jerked him off his horse.

The American was on his knees. He pulled his gun and fired, killing Rodriguez instantly. The others of the band were captured, tried, confessed their guilt, and were shot back of where the Central Bank now stands[801 State Street].

At the time of the shooting, one "Chicoque” found the treasure-laden pack mule and helped himself to the gold dust.

BUYS MANY BROAD ACRES In the years 1846 and '47, my father

3

LATAILLADE & WAUGH

bought the ranchos of Corral de Quate^ and Zaca. in all 17,000 acres, with some cattle on them, from one Agustin Davila, placing the title in his wife’s name. He was a foreigner and it was thought at the time that no foreigner could hold title to real estate.

He also bought the Rancho Las Huer tas. which consisted of all that tract of land between the old mission of Santa Incs and the Rancho Corral dc Quate. This consisted of about 4000 acres and was purchased from an Indian named Marcelino, a neophyte Indian.^ My father also purchased what Is now the Cuyama No. 1 and got a grant from the Mexican government of eleven leagues or 48.000 acres ol Cuyama No. 2, for ser vices rendered the government.

COMMISSION IS APPOINTED In 1852. there was a commission ap pointed by the American government to inquire into the land titles of California.

This commission set aside the Rancho Las Huertas, bought from the Indian Marcelino. on account of the seller being an Indi an. This was done because the commis sion did not know that an Indian who lived with his family and apart from his tribe could own land. The grant of eleven leagues to my father was also set aside.

In those old days — 1847, '48, and '49 — the Indians from the Tularcs. where Ba kersfield and Tulare are now, used to come toward the coast to steal cattle and horses.

Several times they raided our stock from Corral de Quate and Zaca. This cat tle-rustling was performed at night.

SOME LAND RECOVERED During the year 1870. there appeared In

Santa Barbara a gentleman lawyer named Col, Whiting, and he interviewed my stepfather, Caspar Orena. proposing that if we should give him a deed for one-half the grant, he would try to secure title for the grant, free from any other considera tion from us.

Mr, Oreha advised that he considered this good business, as we then had noth ing at all. and we concluded an agreement with Col, Whiting. In 1872, there was passed a special act of Congress confirm ing the title of Cuyama No. 2 to the heirs of C. E. Lataillade.4 While my father was alive, my mother sold a one-half interest in the Ranchos Corral de Quate and Zaca with one-half the cattle on them, to Mr. Caspar Orena.

In 1852, Mr. Orena bought what is known as La Espada Rancho, consisting of about 13.000 acres. The same year he built a large, two-story adobe on the same property his sons own now. opposite Ott Hardware Company on State Street, and just above the Daily News office (720 State Street].

TO SCHOOL AND COLLEGE In 1854, he married my mother and I think in 1855 we all moved to La Espada Rancho. In 1860. he sold this rancho with all the stock on it to de la Guerra for $79,000. Then he went on a trip to Europe.

Tlie first school I attended was in a building on the corner of De la Guerra and Anacapa streets. It still stands, although it has been renovated. Our teacher was named Pablo Caracela, We were taught Spanish and in 1856 I was sent to school at the Old Mission at Santa Ines, conduct ed by the Jesuit fathers.

I was in this college in 1861 and '62 when we had the big flood. The Santa

4

NOTICIAS

Yncz River was full co both banks, though of course it was not so wide as it is now.

But the water was deep enough to float a good-sized steamer.

Talk about dry years! It was in 186263 that it rained just enough to keep the stock alive, but in the following season. ’63-’64, we did not have a drop of rain. It was one continuous summer, con

es now stand. The rancheros brought some of their stock to be slaughtered for the tallow and hides. It was conducted by a man named Peyton, If I remember right, the price paid was about four or six dol lars a head.

THE TOWN’S FIRST SHOW The first show as far as I can remember arrived here about

sequently the cattle died by the thousands, and the re sult was the ruination of

1865. It was conducted by a man named Tanner, his

every Californian.

wife, and daughter, who was a young girl, only fourteen years of age, but possessed of a very sweet voice which cap tivated the town. The show was in the old

HOW WEALTH FADED AWAY You see, those who had property had to mortgage it and most of them lost their hold-

two-story adobe building which stood about where

ings. Mr. Oreha brought 1500 head from the Cuya- ^ ma Rancho and turned them loose on the San Julian Rancho, expecting to save consid erable with them, but in 1865, which was a very good year, he gave orders co two Californians co go co the neighboring ran chos and gather all the cattle they could find with our brand. All they found were thirty-six head!

The native Californians were left dead broke by the drouth. There were provi sions sent here from San Francisco to sup ply the families which were completely destitute. Mrs. J, F. Maguire, mother of Henry and Frank of this city, was at the head of the distribution of these provi sions.

^

the Lobero Theatre does now [the Sebastopol build-

The girl sang "La Naranjera” and the family stopped here for quite awhile, then left for the south.

Bear and bull fights were very com mon, yes. They used co have bullfights in the plaza where the city hall now stands.

In one of them I remember there was a man na med Benito Valencia. He was rid ing a fine horse and the corridors of the De la Guerra house were crowded with people, THROWING THE BULL

slaughterhouse where the Miramar coctag-

Amongst chose people was Miss Caro line jimeno, now Mrs, Kahn, living at the corner of Valerio and De la Vina streets.

PHOTO ABOVE: Qaspar Ordia was C^sario Lataiilade’s business partner. In i8^^, Orchamar' ried Lataillade’s widow.

Well, this Californian shouted at the top of his voice chat he was going co cackle the bull to the health of Miss Caroline Ji-

This same year there was a macanza or

5

LATAILLADE & WAUGH meno. He went after the bull and the bull

two hundred head of steers, or a band of

did meet him more than halfway.

The bull stuck his horns time and again into the hor.se, until Valencia was thrown off the horse and ran to the fence to save

horses, on a horse race.

himself. Right away and looking towards where the bull was, he shouted again at the top of his voice, "A la salud de Caroli na Jimeno, carajo!” (Again I salute Caroline Jimeno, damn you!)

Mind you, the bull’s horns , were sawed off, so there / was little danger of his / goring the horse. After / they were tired of the / bull, they would open / the gates, turn the bull loose toward State Street, and those inside the ring would rush and \ try to catch the bull's \ tail and by a certain \ swing throw him down. \ Sometimes one succeed- \ ed. but chat was very seldom.

Bullfighting was great sport as the fighters always rode good horses.

It was the custom among the early Cal ifornians whenever there was any great feast day at the Old Mission to saddle their horses and have their wives and

My uncle was a very good judge of horses. One night he was in town and he heard a horse galloping. He stopped to lis ten and told the friends who were with him, "Tliat clop-clop is from my horse So-and-So," and sure enough, Santiago de la Guerra, whom he had left several days before at San Julian Rancho, had sneaked into town to see his sweetheart and was \ riding Miguel’s horse. \ One of the favorite \ horses of my uncle’s \ was one named Alasan Chiquito, a small sorrel that could not be beatI en in a short distance / race, / Speaking of horse / racing, a great racing / man around here was Juan Carrillo, who was a good man. But he loved to play tricks in races. He came to Nick Covarrubias, who was sheriff at the time, and said, "Nick, I will run the Cavalleri horse against your Barroso a dis tance of six hundred yards.”

daughters sit in the saddle while they rode behind. Thus there would be two or three

JUAN PUTS ONE OVER

on each horse, all riding off to the services.

Nick took him up right away, knowing he had the fastest horse and never suspect

FOND OF HORSE RACING

ing the crick which Carrillo had in mind to play him.

A few days before the race was due to cake place, a stage driver named Woody came to me and said, "Caesar I am going CO cell you a conversation I overheard.

The Californians were very fond of horse racing and there was a certain rival ry between the Arrellanes and the de la Guerra families. Especially this was so of Antonio Arrellanes and my uncle, Miguel de la Guerra.

It was a common thing between chose two contending rivals to bet as high as

PHOTO ABOVE:Nicholas Covarrubias served as Santa Barbara County sheriffin 1868-gand i8yz-g. He later was appointed a U.S.Marshal

by President Qrover Cleveland.

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6

Juan Carrillo has bribed Nick’s driver. You tell Nick."

I did so. but Nick would not believe me, replying. "Impossible! Why, he is my nephew.”

The race came off and, sure enough.

Nick lost. His jockey had pulled his horse on the homestretch, A few days later. Juan Carrillo made a match race agreement with me. The race was to

him very policcly chat the race was going CO be a close one and as it was at catch weights I had concluded to change jock eys, which I did. much to his disgust.

When Juan Carrillo saw chat 1 had frustrated his plans, he cried out, "It’s all off with me!"

The race was run and my horse won. I got even with him for the crick he had played on Nick and won some money as

take place at the old mile course around the salt pond by Mrs. Graham’s place, at Booth’s Point, where Cabrillo Boulc- i

BEDEVILING MIGUEL DE LA GUERRA

vard goes out cowards I Moncecito.

I

One time Arrellanes

My jockey was the same one Carrillo had bribed in the Covarrubias race, and I was well

played a mean crick on my uncle Miguel. They had a race, each betting the horse which was run

aware he would try tc play the same game c me. So three or four days fore the race was to cake

1 it against the ocher.

Well, my uncle lost,

I sent a man to Ventura to bring me a young rider to ride my horse. No body knew about it, but myself, the mes senger, and the boy.

AND THEN CAME CAESAR

The day of the race, the regular jockeys were warming up and Carrillo seeing this felt jubilant, as he had fixed my rider be forehand.

After all the betting was about over and time was up, I called my jockey and cold

what do you suppose ines did? He put chat horse hauling water from a deep well at his home to fill the cement water tank for the day! This was a lowly sort of a job, on which a mule was always used, but he wanted to get my uncle mad by seeing his fine horse at such uses.

Whenever a prominent Californian married it was the custom to celebrate for two or three days — feasting during the day and dancing during the night.

The favorite dances were the joca. fan dango, and concradanza. For I cell you, in chose days the people were real dancers.

Not like today, when you go to a dance and it is two-step, two-step, and no more.

PHOTO A30VL: Aiiguclde Id Cjuetrci, Cac^drLatailldde's maternal uncle,zvas locally knoumfor his horscmayiship. He often matched his horses in races against his rival,Antonio Arrellanes.

7

LATAILLADE & WAUGH BUILDINGS ON STATE BURN

Juan, Bergomota, and Rdna, and Pera Presidente — there were also two kinds

I told you of the two-story adobe build ing on State Street which Mr, Orena built.

(See map, pages iO-11, for location of adobes.] The adjoining building to the south was also a hotel, and it was built of

of winter pears.

In those old days at State Street, about where Canon Perdido is now. there was

brick laid edgewise, a hollow between. It was run by a man named Cranston, and in February. 1871, it caught fire. The flames extended to Mr. Orena s building, destroy ing it completely.5 I remember the month and year because I had just one month before opened a tin shop in the lower room of Mr. Orena's building. Everybody said at the time that Cranston set fire to his building to collect the insurance. Anyway, he skipped to Australia.

I left school at the old Santa Ines Mis sion when I was between twelve and four teen and I have never been back since. In 1865. I was clerking for a merchant named Felipe Puig, who conducted a store on the same spot where the Central Bank now stands, His stock was general mer chandise.

THE DE LA GUERRA GARDENS The De la Guerra gardens, mentioned by several, consisted of a tract of from eight to ten acres, between Cota and a point a little beyond where Ortega Street is now, Santa Barbara Street, and beyond what is Garden Street. We used to have many picnics under the pear trees.

It was all under fence of native red wood and consisted of grapevines, nurser ies. apples, peaches, pomegranates, and several varieties of pears. It must have been planted a great many years prior to 1850, as when I was 10 years old the trees were full-grown. The varieties of pears were Pera Breva, Cochc, Anis, San

an adobe house with a pitch roof right across the street, conducted by a French lady named Lefebrc. The street turned to the right to a narrow alley. On the left in the Lefcbre building was the post office, on the opposite side of the street a billiard room conducted by a man named Jose Lorenzana. Back of his place was a large lot where the Marmomas. or Mexican acro bats used to give performances.6 JUDGE RICHARDS GETS FALL In the early seventies, there was a hur dle race around the lake at Hope Ranch.

Among the entrants were N. A. Covarrubias, Burkhill Jacques, and Captain [S.] Forney.

Judge (Jarrett T.] Richards was riding one of Jacques’ horses and when the horse failed to take one of the hurdles properly he was thrown over twenty feet, but was not hurt. The Covarrubias horse won the race in a very close finish.

The first Catholic church, before even the Old Mission, was near the corner of new De la Guerra Street and Santa Barba ra. It was in one corner of the old Presidio, where the cuartel or soldiers’ quarters were located.

Between Canon Perdido and De la Guerra streets, on Santa Barbara, still stands part of the old adobe of Mrs. Cipriana Flores, widow of the comandante.

Mrs. Flores died recently at the age of 102. The comandante and Mrs. Flores were living there when Santa Barbara was surrendered to Fremont in 1846. My mother was born in this house in 18277 Tlic house of the soldiers, of adobe.

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8 were mostly near Canon Perdido Street in the presidio.

BLESSING THE OLD CHURCH In the early fifties, the old Catholic church on State Street was blessed and its godfather was Teodoro Arrellanes. I re member his throwing handfuls of silver to the crowd outside the church from his

year co come. So the New Year’s Eve par ty was the Baile of the Compadres. The girl was not compadre, but "comadre.”

The young man always asked his co madre if she would go to a dance or the theatre with him and he sent her little presents. This arrangement endured for the year, and the ball signalized the breaking up of the compadre couples for the old year and the making of others for the new year.

hat. I got a fifty-cent piece in the scram ble. This church was destroyed by fire in the sixties.®

DON PABLO ELECTED JUDGE

In the early seventies at the De la Guer ra house it was the custom to break casca-

There was a grand celebration at the De la Guerra house in 1863, when Don Pablo

rones. or eggshells filled with tinsel or per fume, on the heads of the ladies, but only on New Year's Eve.

de la Guerra was elected district judge for the counties of Santa Barbara, San Luis

You see. it was the custom to draw the names of the boys from one hat and the girls from another, and those whose names were taken out at the same time were compadres, or comrades, during the

Obispo, and Los Angeles. The house was lighted with hundreds of candles; there were many guests and a great ball and party was given.

An old Mexican who had his home up Mission Canyon used to come to town

The Flores adobe,formerly the comandancia of the presidio. Birthplace of Antonia Adaria de la Qucrra, part of the building zvas razed to make way for Santa Barbara Street, in foreground.

LATAILLADE & WAUGH cwo or three times a week to sell firewood.

He would turn his burros loose when they were unloaded. We boys would steal some of the burros and hide them in one of the rooms of a roofless adobe which stood near where Parma’s Grand Central Market is now [721-723 State Street], He would, after searching awhile, go home, and then we would lead out the bur ros and give the girls all a ride. T*hat was mostly on moonlight nights, I might say.

When we got through, we turned the bur ros loose and they went home to Mission Canyon.

9 GAY NEW YEAR’S DAYS And all kept open house to receive their friends. On New Year's Day there was much calling-around by the young men, who were wished the compliments of the season and were given a glass or two of their favorite stimulant at each place they visited.

Mr. Orena built the old adobe where El Patio restaurant is now located [29 East De la Guerra Street], in the early fifties. It was rented by a man named Antonio Landini as a billiard room and saloon, and

KICKS FROM CARPINTERIA

later was occupied by Cook Brothers as a general merchandise store.

When Antonio Maria de la Guerra

Landini built the house where the Daily News editorial rooms are now. in 1858 as a residence,

was mayor [1856-7, 1859-60, 1862-3], he had an office in a frame building where Judge [William H.] Wheaton’s of fice is now on De la Guerra Plaza. It was quite amusing and often the ranch ers from Carpinteria, who had rich lands and did not need water, would come and complain bitterly that someone was stealing their water. You would think they were dying of drouth.

You see, they had wooden plows which were fitted only with an iron point, and they could not plow very deeply — not deep enough to get the moisture.

Californians were very hospitable peo ple in those early days. A traveler arriving at any of their homes was very well re ceived. He would partake of all they had, money included.

If a stranger stopped at a ranch house, he was started forth in the morning with a picked horse and guide, so that he would not get lost, until he reached the next stopping place.

Thus a traveler could go from San Die go to San Francisco without it costing him a dollar.

Francisco Leyva built, in the early fif ties, a modern adode building at the corner of new De la Guerra Street and State Street—at the southeast corner. It formed a L as it joined onto the Oreha property on State Street and extended back along De la Guerra. Its frontage on De la Guerra ran along the City Hall Plaza line. He con ducted a butcher business in the corner fronting the plaza and I must say it was always neat and clean. He had a wife and several children.

THE FIRST MINSTREL SHOW I think the first minstrel show here took place about 1865. Some of the lead ers 1 remember. They were Jose Antonio and Porfirio Jimeno, Pedro Maria Cota, and Ramon de la Guerra. Santiago de la Guerra was treasurer. It was a very good show.

They performed in what was known as the Sebastopol building, which was situated about where the Lobero Theatre is now. It was a two-story building. The

NOTICIAS

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NOTICIAS

The twO'Story adobe of Francisco Leyva rested on the southeast comer of State and East De la Quetra streets. A portion ofDe la Querra Plaza may be seen in leftforeground.

lower pare was a score conducted by two Jews. Weil Brothers.

Opposite, toward the west, was an other cwo'seory adobe, and a score, coo. conducted by one Jose Maria Loureyro and daughter. He was afterwards president of the common council.

Also, opposite the Sebastopol building, the Abadie brothers built a fine one. Their adobe building went to the corner of Anacapa Street and stands there yet. One of them married a beautiful Spanish lady by the name of Refugio Lugo. Mr. [Alexan der] Harmer married one of her children.

This would have given us a street 137 feet wide, but [Addison H.] McKay, who afterwards built the McKay block which now stands on the southeast corner of State and De la Guerra streets, bought the old adobe standing there and prevented my plans going through.

Ac chat time, new De la Guerra Street stopped at Anacapa Street where Teodoro Arrellanes' large adobe house, forming an L, blocked the street. He was the second wealthiest man in the county. Jose Anto nio de la Guerra y Noriega having been the wealthiest.

When the Old Man, C. A. Storke,

NEW DE LA GUERRA STREET 1 have spoken of the new De la Guerra Street. The old street was on a line with the front of the present city hall. In 1878, when I was in the council, I had the neces sary steps taken to condemn the scrip cwcncy-cwo feet wide, the length of the entire block from State to Anacapa Street between the old street and the new street, on the north of this scrip. This legislation was passed in Sacramento.

was mayor [1898-1900], I forced through the council the purchase of the Gutierrez property on De la Guerra Street at De la Guerra Plaza, on which the new city hall is to stand. The price was $1600 and they accused us of everything. This purchase was part of my plan to have the big wide street.

ACCUSED OF GRAFT They said the Old Man and I cook

13

LATAILLADE & WAUGH

bribes. He stood by me because the pur chase was a good thing for the city and he saw it. We put it through and it took some litigation. I guess everyone sees now it was a good buy. I’d like to get that property for $1600 and pay compound in terest for the twenty-one years that have passed since we bought it.

In 1864, millions of fish were washed

enades in the city” was read and passed unanimously.

1 was also in the council for many years and also took an interest in state and na

These fish were mostly smelt. A great many people took advantage of what the sea offered them and salted down the fish

tional politics. They called me a boss.

In the late nineties, Judge A. G. Crane owned and occupied with his family the house which the Daily News now occu pies as its editorial office. The four-foot alley, leading to State Street, was there in those days, as it is now. I occupied the site of the building which is now the Dai ly News business office with a sheet-iron building which I had erected on the vacant lot in 1887.

in great quantities. A few days later, crawfish were washed ashore from

GATED COMMUNITY

ashore from a point about a mile above Castle Rock to Booth’s Point, where Mrs. William Miller Graham’s residence is.

Booth's Point to Carpinteria.

We never knew the cause of these strange things. The waves rolled over to ward shore just filled with these fish, many of them alive, though they seemed to be stunned. I salted down a great many.

PLAZA ALMOST 70 YEARS OLD Do you know how De la Guerra Plaza, now called City Hall Plaza, came to be made a park of the city? I will tell you.

On April 21. 1853. the common council of the city of Santa Barbara, consisting of Mr.[Henry] Carnes, presiding, Mr.[Fran cisco] de la Guerra, and Mr. [Jose] Lorenzana. received a committee report in favor of setting aside as a public park the "square bounded as follows: On the north by land of the late Jose de la Guerra, on the south by land of the late Carlos Anto nio Carrillo and Pedro C. Carrillo, on the east by land of Octaviano Gutierrez and Isabel Yorba and Dona Maria del Carmen Rodriguez, and on the west by lands of Leyva. Oreha. and Ortega. ” On April 27. 1853, the ordinance [No. 37] designating "public squares and prom-

Judge Crane was annoyed because peo ple would come down that alley to City Hall Plaza, and he tried to close it up by putting a gate across the upper, or State Street, end.

I wouldn’t stand for that and insisted on having the gate taken away, so that the alley would be free to all, as it still is.

That was a very popular thing, and they had a lot of fun with me. They called it "Caesar’s Boulevard" and "Caesar’s Al ley.

I had rooms in the building adjoining the Daily News editorial rooms on the east, and many a party and picnic have we had out under the shade of the old pep per tree still standing back near your pep per tree.

Well, I have been a busy man and I got a lot out of life. In politics, I ran things for a good many years, and I always played fair. I worked for the city’s interests, too, though I looked after my friends. Wlien I gave my word, I kept it. And that’s a vir tue in politics or anywhere else. ● NOTES: See page 19 ●

OHN Waugh {interviewed July 15, igzz) Concord stage at Hobo Rock,, San T^arcos Pass. Stages had to slow around this S^f-o-ton boulder, making it afavorite spotfor holdups. Hobo Rockioas buried by Highway construction in 1963.

Ill 'niiMWlHi i I I f "■ ^i<.

\ i.

While i have not lived right along for fifty years in Santa Barbara County, it is more chan fifty years since I

first began driving stage into the county.

So maybe I can tell you some things about the early days which others haven’t.

LATAILLADE & WAUGH

15

I was born 73 years ago in Missou- P ri and crossed the plains to the west in 1852. My father had been a missionary among the Indians and they safe guarded us all the way. We were in no danger at any time because of their protection. My mother and brother Lorenzo were with us.

It took us five months to reach Sac ramento. and after staying there a short time we went to Petaluma.

There we got a piece of land from the government, 160 acres, at a dollar and a quarter an acre.

ALWAYS LIKED HORSES I always liked horses and could han dle them and I began driving stage in 1862, when I was 18 years old. I drove first between Petaluma and Cloverdale and other nearby towns. The stage company operated a line from Santa Rosa south, I suppose to San Diego, though 1 never drove below Santa Barbara.

I must have made a good reputation for carefulness and promptness, because whenever the company opened up a new route they were doubtful about, they put me on it. They kept shifting me around to the hard jobs.

It is thirty-four years ago since I com menced driving stage out of Mattel's Tavern, where our little town of Los Oli vos is now. Mr. Mattci came to this loca tion because the jump was too long to Ballard's Station, about two miles south.

You see, they planned to have a stage sta tion for changing horses every fifteen to eighteen miles. They wanted to break it in the middle, the jump from Santa Ynez River to the foot of San Marcos Pass.

Mattci is of Swiss birth. I think. Any way. when he came here he couldn’t speak any English. His first tavern was a little shanty up by the bridge near the railroad.

Ponrait ofJohn Waugh,ca. i gi^, by Claraict Maud,son of Felix Maud. Waugh made the last mail mn try stagecoachfrom Santa Barbara to Los Olivos on March ^1, igoi.

There was only one other house in what is now Los Olivos — old man Crabbe's place a little above. Crabbe trapped and hunted. So did his two sons. One of them, Lonnie, is still alive.

WITH SIX-HORSE TEAMS It was my duty to take the stage when the driver got in from the north in the morning. As soon as the hostler put in a new six-horse team, I climbed up and started. The down stage was supposed to get in about nine in the morning, but it was often delayed for hours, sometimes days. I had to be ready to start on the minute, be cause it carried the United States mail and we had to get it through without delay.

So. day or night, away we went as soon as the change of horses was made.

A Concotxl mud wagon in front of Felix Maud's Hotel Los Olivos. Originally named the Central Hotel, today it is l^own as Mattei's Tavern. The mud wagon was used primarilyfor mountain travel.

Tlie stages were large and quite high.

They had a row of seats all around the top outside. There was room for about sixteen people, all told, inside and outside. Most of the old stages have gone, but a rich man in Santa Barbara has two of them which he is keeping as curiosities. I have forgotten his name.

(Francis T. Underhill and Capt. Joel Remington Fithian had old-time stages. —

Phillips, Editor.)

BY LANTERN LIGHT

stage station was kept for a long time by Pat Kinevan. I understand they call the place up there Kinevan's ranch now. The next stop was Santa Barbara. Our head quarters in your town were the Morris House on lower State [501-503 State Street], now called the Central Hotel, and we kept our horses in a stable cattycornered across the street.

Hie run from Mattei’s to Santa Barbara took about six hours. If we got away on time and had no trouble, that meant I would reach Santa Barbara at three or

Well, as I was saying, away wc start ed. no matter what hour the stage arrived and the horses could be changed. If it was night, the two lanterns in front up over the wheelers would be lighted, and they would throw a little beam of light ahead, but not much. You had to leave a good deal of it to the horses, and the road was rough. If there had been rains, so much the worse.

At the foot of the mountains there was a change of horses and at the top of San Marcos Pass there was another one. This

PatrickKinevan’s Summit House on San Marcos Pass. Here stage passengers could enjoy a homecooked meal while the horse teams were changed.

Summit House burned down in 1970.

LATAILLADE & WAUGH four o’clock in the afternoon. I was through for the day then and drove the up stage back next morning to Mattel's, One of the drivers who ran opposite to me be tween Mattel’s and Santa Barbara was M. T. Cheney, who lives on the hill near Los Olivos here.

The link from Mattel’s north extended to Plato about on the line between Santa

17

Most of the holdups were at the foot of the mountains on the Los Olivos side or on the Santa Barbara side below Kinevans as far from a telegraph wire as possible, so the robber could get a long start.

The stage people thought out a scheme after awhile to fool the robbers. When the box started on its trip, it was chained to the boot by a heavy chain and lock. The driver

Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.

The run from Mattel’s to Santa Barbara

had no key. because the box went through from one end of the line to the other.

was sixty-two miles. It was about as far north, maybe some less, from Mattel’s to Plato.1

FOOLED THE ROBBERS, BUT-

I was never held up, though there were lots of stage robbers about and the other boys were stopped often. I never had a se rious accident of any kind. Sometimes the stages would turn over on the rough mountain roads, but mine never did.

In the early days, the stage robbers op erated alone. The money and treasure were carried in an iron box in the boot with the driver, and the stage robber would step out from the bushes with his rifle or pistol.

We carried no guards, and our instruc tions were not to fight. I never even car ried a gun. The company showed us that if we had a gun and started to reach for it, the robber would shoot us off the box be fore we could get it, and then the horses might run away and kill the passengers.

"PUT’EM UP!” So when the robber stepped out and cold the driver to "Put ’em up!” you bet he put ’em up.

Then when the highwayman saw the driver wasn't armed or couldn’t reach his gun if he was. the next order was.

"Throw off the box!” The driver threw it off, and the robber took it away with him and broke it open,

Wlien this plan was put into effect and the lone robber stepped off and ordered the box thrown off. the driver said, "I can’t, it’s locked on.” And that safe got through all right.

But right away afterwards, the robbers began traveling in pairs, and while one kept the driver and the passengers covered with his gun, the other filed through the chain and grabbed the box just the same.

I never admitted it at the time, I did have a stand-in with one of the boldest and most successful of the robbers. He was a school teacher up north and taught at Mendocino and Ukiah. I went to school with him and of course knew him well.

I guess there wasn’t enough money in school teaching, because he quit chat after awhile and took to stage-robbing. He nev er stopped me and I never told on him. He would get on and ride with me until he came to the timbered country this side of San Luis Obispo, Then he would bid me good-bye, drop off and lie in hiding until the next stage came along, when he would stick it up.

Fie was captured after awhile, north of here, and sentenced to three years in San Quentin. When he came out. the compa ny bought him off by giving him a pass and a pension! He could ride anywhere

HicT^orris House underconstruction at the northwest cofnerofState and Haley streets, i8yi.

One ofseveral stagecoach stops on State Street, it was originally named Shaw Houseforitsfirst oivner, Dr.James Shaw. over the company's lines, and he didn't hold up their stages anymore. What did he do with the money he got from robbing the stages? Why,he saved it.

Stage robbers were not so numerous or as well paid down this way as they were up north. Around Sacramento, out of the gold diggings, there would be large quanti ties of dust and nuggets in the iron box nearly every trip. At that. I had some big hauls sometimes, I suppose, I carried all told in my career, millions of dollars.

Every second stage station, 1 suppose, also had a blacksmith shop. This was nec essary because the rough going wore out the horses’ shoes or loosened them, and

dicion by gangs of men working for the stage line. These gangs were used all along over the country, wherever the roads were bad. and because of the work they did on the right of way furnished them by the government, the stage line charged toll.

The cost of going over the San Marcos with a private wagon was a dollar.

Gaviota Pass was not used by the stage line, and I don’t think there was much of a

they had to be repaired. At some of the stations near town, there was a chance for

HOW HE HANDLED REINS

the passengers to eat, but out in the wilds it might be impossible to get food unless the hostler had time to cook it. Most of

The stage driver usually drove with two hands, though a good one could han dle the reins with one. The lines for the

them were hustlers, at that. The stage sta tions were always located near wood and water.

The fare between Santa Barbara and

leaders, you held between your top two fingers, the first finger and the second.

The swing team reins were between the second and third, and the wheelers’ be

Los Olivos was $5.50 each way, meals ex tra. If you could sleep while the coach jolt ed and bounced along over the mountains, you were that much ahead.

The route was over the San Marcos

tween the third finger and the little finger.

The wheelers were right down under you. beneath the footboards.

It was hard work for the horses, but

Pass, which was kept in pretty good con-

road there. Refugio was a better pass than Gaviota.

The stage drivers got $125 a month and this was practically clear, as we were never charged for food or lodging on our runs.

they were well-fed, with plenty of grain and most of them stood up well under it.

19

LATAILLADE & WAUGH

Some of them would do their eighteen to

pany abandoned the line to Santa Barba

twenty-five miles a day and grow fat at

ra. That was three years later, I suppose

it. They liked it. too, and were always ea

they quit because the railroads had begun

ger to go.

carrying the express, and the passengers

I was married at a place up the other side

went by train or wagon, and did not use

of the Santa Ynez River. My wife has been

the stages. I didn’t follow stage-driving

dead for about a year. I live here in Los Oli

any longer, but went to ranching near here.

vos with my two sons, Charley and Ed.

It seems funny to come down to the

LOTS OF INDIANS ABOUT

stage station and see the big automobile stages come tearing up. Tliey cover as

In the early days, there were lots of In dians about, but they never bothered me

much territory in an hour or two as we did all day. I like to see them whiz by,

much. There was a big settlement of them

I have a pass and can ride wherever I

up the river about thirty miles from here.

I drove out of Los Olivos until the com-

want to on those automobiles. But give me a good horse every time.

NOTES LATAILLADE 1. Accounts conflict concerning the December, 1848 crime. The number of victims varies from eight to thirteen. H. H. Bancroft gives a figure of ten. There arc also discrepancies about the backgrounds of the five murder ers; they were American, or English, or of German descent, or various combinations thereof; they were ex-soldiers, sailors who had deserted, or miners.

2- Variations in spelling include Cuati or Quati.

3. Lataillade is probably referring to Alamo Pin tado granted to Marcelino in 1843, Sec Rob ert G. Cowan, E^anchos ofCalifornia {¥icsno.

Academy Library Guild) 1956.

4- The claim to Cuyama No. 2 was patented on January 10. 1879.

5. The American Hotel, owned by A. S. Crans ton, burned in March 1871, See Stella Haverland Rouse, "Olden Days: Hotel Fell to Santa Barbara Midnight Blaze in 1871 News-Press,? March 1971, A-15.

6. This adobe was probably built by Lewis Bur ton. It blocked State Street between Canon Perdido and Carrillo streets. For a more complete discussion, see Owen H. O'Neill, ed., History ofSanta Barbara Coufity, State of California, Its People and Its Resources(Santa Barbara, Harold McLean Meier) 1939, Part I, 196. Las Marmoncs may reler to Las Ma-

romes, a troupe mention in Katherine M. Bell's, Swinging the Censer, Rpniniscences of Old Santa Barbara (Santa Barbara, Katha rine Bell Cheney) 17-25.

7. The presido chapel was located on the north side of the 100 block of East Canon Perdi do Street. See Wackenreuder map for loca tion of Flores adobe.

8. The first Our Lady of Sorrows Church opened on the southwest corner of State and Figueroa streets in 1855. This building burned in 1865 and a new structure was erected across Figueroa Street from the first church. The congregation moved to its present site at Anacapa and Sola streets after the 1925 earthquake.

9, Caesar's Alley was approximately where Storkc Placita is today, just above 720 State Street.

WAUGH 1 This is a curious passage. There was a stage stop, Pleito, located just north of the Mon terey - San Luis Obispo County line. If Waugh is referring to this stop, his mile age estimates come into question. Sec Charles Outland, Stagecoaching on El Camino Reu/ Los Angeles to San Francisco, i86i-i^oi (Glendale; The Arthur H. Clark Company, 1973),

SANTA BARBARA HISTORICAL SOCIETY BOARD OF TRUSTEES Richard Glenn Jo Beth Van Gclderen .

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CONTENTS Pg.l: Caesar E. Latailladc Pg. 14: John Waugh