San Luis Obispo County History

Transcribed by Peggy Hooper

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Source:
A Memorial and Biographical History of the Counties of Santa Barbara,
San Luis Obispo, and Ventura, California
by Yda Addis Storke
Published in 1891 in Chicago by the Lewis Publishing Co.


CAMBRIA. 

The town of Cambria had its beginning about 1866. Its site was claimed as a portion 
of one of the large grazing ranchos, part of whose territory later became known as  
Government land. The greater part of the tract whereon Cambria is situated is composed of 
undulating ground, rising into low, smooth hills, or sinking into valleys fertile though 
small, through which flow numerous streamlets. In 1867 the land now occupied by the town 
was covered by a virgin forest of pines; and the lumber from these woods has created an 
industry which has done much to support and build up the section. As long ago as 
1869, two saw-mills worked here steadily, and the houses of the vicinity have been 
built from lumber of home production. Early in the '60's, a copper mining excitement 
broke out in this section, leading to the establishment, a year or two later, of the 
town of Cambria. In 1867, there was no means of communication between the village 
and the county- seat, save by private conveyance. In 1868 a weekly mail service, by 
means of a spring-wagon, was instituted. Travel was slight, and passengers few. Within 
a year, a tri-weekly service, with a covered stage, replaced this, and now the patronage 
greatly increased, as the comforts of this line exceeded those of travel by mustang. 

Although born of the mining interests, Cambria survived these, basing its growth 
and prosperity upon agricultural industries. School-houses were built, mills were erected, 
stores were opened, and evidences of substantial prosperity multiplied. The first 
building in Cambria proper was a store built by George E. Long and S. A. Pollard. 

The name of the new town was a subject of dispute for some time. Some of the settlers 
favored the name of Rosaville ; others inclined to the Spanish term of Santa Rosa; and others 
insisted upon San Simeon, notwithstanding there was already a port of that name in the 
county. At last a compromise was effected upon the present name. A steady growth 
now ensued in this section, and the port of San Simeon became frequented by vessels 
which conveyed to market the products of the region. In 1871 was built near Cambria a 
cheese factory, which consumed daily 9,000 pounds of milk, manufacturing therefrom 
1,200 pounds of cheese. One feature of the early history of Cambria was the co-operative 
movements of the agriculturists for mutual benefits, social and commercial. One of the 
phases of this development was the establishment in 1872, of the " Farmers' and Stock- 
Raisers' Co-operative Store," for the purpose of lessening the retail price of articles for- 
merly purchased through middlemen. This enterprise had a stock of $40,000, divided into 
2,000 shares at $20 each. In April, 1881, the weekly output of butter in the vicinity of 
Cambria was 21,900 pounds. 

The present population of Cambria is about 300. The town contains three general mer- 
chandise stores, all carrying heavy stocks, �everything from a needle to an anchor," 
two drug stores, one variety store, one stove and tin shop, one blacksmith shop, five  
saloons, one shoe shop, two carpenter and undertaker shops, one butcher shop, one saw- 
mill, one hotel, and one boarding-house. There is a public school with two departments, a 
Presbyterian and a Catholic church, telegraph, express and postoffice with daily mail. The 
only brick building in the town is the Odd Fellows' Hall, a handsome two-story structure. 
The town is picturesquely situated amidst pine-covered hills, and surrounded by a wide 
expanse of very fertile country. The principal industry continues to be dairying, and the 
section is exceedingly prosperous. 

Santa Rosa Valley is six miles long, by half a mile to one mile wide, and through it flows 
the Santa Rosa Creek, a living stream of pure water. This valley is quite thickly settled, 
and few farming localities show greater signs of prosperity. The rich alluvial soil appears 
adapted to the growth of almost every kind of grain, fruit or vegetable. At the head of 
this valley stands Mammoth Rock, a rocky promonotory 200 feet high, with perpendicular 
sides, separated from the hills on the north by a narrow pass through which the Santa 
Rosa Creek runs into the valley below. It seems as if some tremendous force has riven 
the rocky wall, to give passage to the little stream skirting the mountain's rocky base. 

Passing down the coast from San Simeon Bay, about six miles south, was formerly 
found Leffingwell's Wharf, a good landing place for small vessels, which supplied the 
neighborhood with lumber and sent out a portion of the native products. This wharf 
was washed away in 1881-'82. 

The next landing place is Cayucos, thirteen miles south of Cambria, an entrepot of con- 
siderable commercial importance, with certain advantages as a harbor. In the early days, 
when boats made of skins were used in plying between the shore and visiting vessels, those 
light canoes were called cayucos, whence the name of the rancho and the town. Captain 
James Cass, who came to this point in 1867, and engaged in the business of lightering, 
saw the necessity of a wharf, and accordingly built one; this proving inadequate, 
it was extended, making a structure 940 feet long, extending to twenty-one feet of 
water, with a warehouse, store, steamship and telegraph companies' offices. Cayucos is 
now quite a thriving trade center, being surrounded by a rich dairy and farming country. 
The population is 600 to 700, of whom many are Swiss. The town was laid out in 1875, 
with streets 100, and eighty feet wide. The beautiful belt of land between the beach and 
the hills, reaching to Morro, was surveyed into lots of live to ten acres each, to be occu- 
pied as homesteads, and made accessible by a beautiful beach road. The region about here, 
known as the Rancho Morro y Cayucos, is very fertile and productive. Greatly in its 
favor are its ease of access and its natural advantages of climate and water. There are 
hereabouts over 8,000 acres of the best dairies on the coast. 

The Rancho Morro y Cayucos was acquired in clear title by Don Domingo Pijol, 
by a decision of the Supreme Court of California. It was subdivided into small farms 
about 1877. Eight miles south of Cayucos is    (see Morro)