The People Behind Montecito’s Roads (Part II)
By Hattie Beresford   |   August 29, 2019

Loureyro Roadis named for the family of Spanish-born José Maria Loureyro, a Basque who came to California in the 1850s. He served as president of the Santa Barbara City Board of Trustees in the 1860s and early ‘70s. In 1865 he approved an ordinance regarding the development of the streets in Santa Barbara, and in […]

Early Years of Rancho Tajiguas
By Hattie Beresford   |   May 30, 2019

Lying among the rolling hills and fresh arroyos of the Gaviota coast, Rancho Tajiguas has been a favored spot for times immemorial. The 1769 Portola expedition, which prepared the way for Spanish settlement of Alta California, camped for the night at its mouth and were welcomed and entertained by the Chumash peoples living in two […]

 

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Great Photographers in Santa Barbara
By Hattie Beresford   |   May 16, 2019

On four separate occasions over the past 40 years, my husband and I have evacuated due to wildfire. Each time, the first possessions that are packed in the car are our family photos. More important than art, electronics, books (well, maybe), or clothing, are the images of the important people, times, and events in our […]

On the Road with Arlo
By Hattie Beresford   |   March 14, 2019

The Atchison family came to Santa Barbara from Centralia, Washington, in 1912 seeking health for the father who suffered from chronic stomach problems. Alas, salubrious Santa Barbara was not able to work its magic on Garrett, and he died that July. His wife Sarah had set up housekeeping in a home on Carrillo Street, and […]

The De la Cuesta Family and the Highway
By Hattie Beresford   |   January 31, 2019

In 1912, Santa Barbara motorists heading toward North County had a major decision to make. Where were they going to cross the Santa Ynez River? There were only two bridges, one near Lompoc and the other, aptly called Mission Bridge, that crossed the river at today’s Solvang. To get to either required negotiating dozens of […]

Chronicling CAMA’s Centennial
By Hattie Beresford   |   January 17, 2019

Community Arts Music Association (CAMA) is deep in the midst of its centennial season that celebrates the major milestone with a crowded calendar of events. The 100th anniversary kicked off early in the fall with a gala honoring philanthropist Sara Miller McCune at the Four Seasons Biltmore, staged a red carpet reception before the annual […]

History Never Ends
By Richard Mineards   |   December 20, 2018

Thirty years after it was first published, a third book on our rarefied enclave, Montecito III: History Never Ends, has just hit the bookshelves. David F. Myrick’s first tome in the series, Montecito: The Days of Great Estates, was followed three years later, in 1991, with the second volume, From Farms to Estates. Myrick died […]

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  • History Never Ends Released
    By Kelly Mahan Herrick   |   November 29, 2018

    After years of preparation and research, the third and final volume of historian David Myrick’s History of Santa Barbara and Montecito series is set to be released next week. Published by the Montecito Museum, the non-profit in charge of Myrick’s personal archives following his passing in 2011, this volume, titled History Never Ends, brings the […]

    The Way It Was
    By Lynda Millner   |   October 11, 2018

    The MClub from Montecito Band & Trust held another Lunch & Learn event at the Santa Barbara Club; this time with author Hattie Beresford speaking about her new book, The Way it Was – Santa Barbara Comes of Age. Hattie has written a local history column for the Montecito Journal for the past 12 years […]

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    Winthrop Ames, Santa Barbara’s Community Arts, and Fiesta
    By Hattie Beresford   |   July 12, 2018

    Renowned New York theater producer Winthrop Ames (1870-1937) significantly influenced the development of Santa Barbara’s community arts programs, the opening of the new Lobero Theatre, and, by extension, Old Spanish Days Fiesta. Ames was born into a prominent family in Easton, Massachusetts, whose wealth derived initially from the manufacture of shovels and expanded exponentially through […]

    Project Fiesta 2018
    By Hattie Beresford   |   June 28, 2018

    The Santa Barbara Historical Museum welcomed the upcoming 95th Old Spanish Days Fiesta with the opening celebration of a new edition of Project Fiesta on June 7, in the museum courtyard. On hand to greet attendees were representatives from the museum and Old Spanish Days including Museum trustee Bill Reynolds and interim executive director Michael […]

    Florestal and the Bryces
    By Hattie Beresford   |   April 12, 2018

    Considered by many to be the first American war bride of WWI, Angelica Schulyer Brown, descendant of a member of the famous 1818 Brown Brother’s banking firm, arrived in Santa Barbara as part of her honeymoon in April 1917. “Girlie,” as she was known by her society intimates, had been the reigning queen of Caroline […]

    Remembering Tuna Canyon Detention Station
    By Hattie Beresford   |   March 1, 2018

    The opening ceremonies for the Santa Barbara Historical Museum’s latest exhibit began with a moment of silence and prayer for the victims of the Thomas Fire and the tragic flood/debris flow. Although the exhibit focuses on the victims of another disaster, the wholesale internment of Japanese, German, and Italian residents of California during WWII, the […]