Santa Barbara 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.


SANTA YNES VALLEY. 

The Santa Ynes is the largest of the five valleys, including an area of 120,000 acres of 
farming land and 280,000 of pasturage. 

The Santa Ynes Valley is in the form of a horseshoe. The San Rafael Mountains on 
the north and the Santa Ynes range on the south meet at the eastern extremity of the 
valley, which they divide from the narrow strip of land in the vicinity of Santa Barbara. 
These mountains meeting form the toe of the horseshoe, where rises the Santa Ynes River, 
which runs westward through the whole valley, emptying into the Pacific a few miles 
north of Lompoc. The western end of this valley is open to the Pacific, which largely 
accounts for the delightful climate of this section, the western trade winds being felt all 
the length of the valley. This valley may be divided into two parts, the upper or Santa 
Ynes Valley proper, and the lower or Lompoc Valley. The former comprises the fol- 
lowing large ranchos: San Carlos de Jonata or Buell, Corral de Quati, De Zaca, Canada 
de los Pinos or College Ranch, San Marcos, Tequepis, Nojogui (often misspelled Nojo- 
qui), Los Prietos y Najalayegua, Las Lomas de la Purificacion, and part of Las Cruces; 
in all about 223,185 acres, of which at least 50,000 acres are adapted to agriculture and 
horticulture. There are also Government lands obtained from Mision Santa Ynes, and 
comprising the Alamo Pintado, some 6,000 acres in extent. Most of the soil is a rich, 
gravelly loam, which is very easy to cultivate, and which, when kept loose by cultiva- 
tion, retains sufficient moisture to keep fruit trees of all kinds, and vines, to grow entirely 
well without irrigation through the dryest season. Some of the rich bottom lands of 
this district will raise the finest of summer crops, of corn, beans, etc., without irrigation. 

The whole valley is magnificently watered by the river and by tributary creeks from the 
mountains on both sides. Good well water is had almost everywhere at ten to 100 feet 
below the surface, and there is no doubt that on a great portion of the land artesian water 
can be had at little depth. The entire valley is beautifully wooded with scattered oaks and 
sycamores. White, red, and green chestnut oaks (Quercus lobata, rubra, and demiflora) 
are found, the white oak supplying the farmers with fence posts at very small cost. 
Along the creeks are found the alder, the bay or sweet laurel, and the willow. A species 
of pine is found in the San Rafael mountains. 

The valley is reached from Santa Barbara by the San Marcos Pass over the mountains, 
this route being forty-five miles; or else through the Gaviota, a natural pass or defile 
through the Santa Ynez mountains, it being sixty miles by this way. 

This valley hitherto has been so difficult of access, and the removal of crops to market 
has been so expensive, that the farmers' profits have been small, and land has been 
held very low. 

Until recently, this valley was used exclusively for grain, great quantities, of a very 
fine quality, being raised annually. There is no rust or blight found here, and wheat has 
yielded thirty to fifty bushels to the acre. Barley also yields exceedingly well. 

Some years ago, Mr. A. Hayne, Jr., of Montecito, became satisfied that the Santa 
Ynes, particularly the Alamo Pintado, otherwise Ballard's Valley, was thoroughly adapted 
to the culture of the olive. This idea was based on the gravelly nature of the soil, and 
the extreme dryness of the climate, the absence of the fogs felt on the coast obviating 
the ravages of the olive's worst foe, the black scale. Accordingly, in 1884 he set out 
5,000 young trees just below the old Mission. Two years later they bore fruit. Mr. 
Hayne, with the Messrs. Gould, of New York, has since planted another orchard of 5,000 
trees; Mr. Ben. Hayne planted 2,500, and now olive culture has become the leading 
industry of the valley. Next in importance comes vine-planting, the vineyard of Mr. 
Louis Janin having demonstrated that the raisin grape will do splendidly anywhere in 
the valley and on the foot-hills. 

Apricots, nectarines, apples, pears, peaches, quinces, and the small fruits thrive well, and 
are remarkable for the fineness of their flavor. Prunes do excellently well in the valley, and 
no doubt their curing will shortly be added to the local industries. 

The sugar beet promises to do well, and a sugar factory is within the probabilities for 
the near future. 

There are four settlements in the valley; the town of Santa Ynes, lying in the middle 
of the College Rancho; Ballard's Station, and Childs' Station, on the San Carlos Jonata 
Rancho, and Los Olivos. 

The road on the southern slope of the Santa Ynez mountains was built by the late 
J. A. Brown at a cost of $18,000, or $3,000 for each of the six miles of the road. 

The Atlantic & Pacific Railway is surveying the San Marcos Cafion, through which 
this road passes, where it is designed to make a tunnel two miles long. 

Santa Ynez is the town founded in 1882, distant from San Luis Obispo eighty miles, of 
which seventy-five are traversed by the Pacific Coast Railway running to Los Olivos, whence 
the remaining five miles are by stage. 

The town supports two hotels, two or three stores, two livery stables, six or seven saloons, 
and a blacksmith shop, and it has a number of sightly cottages and other dwellings. 

The Santa Ynez Land and Improvement Company has a fine office here. 

There is a baud consisting of fifteen members, which discourses good music. 

Santa Ynez has one of the finest schoolhouses in the county. It is a two-story 
wooden structure, just completed at a cost of $6,000. It is eligibly situated on a 
commanding site. 

Santa Ynez is the Spanish for " Saint Agnes." 

The Rancho Las Cruces is of divided ownership. It is a tract of about two leagues 
(8,888 acres), lying north of the summit, and on the main county road to Gaviota Landing. 
Stock-raising is its chief industry. The so called town of Las Cruces is three and one- 
half miles from Gaviota Wharf, north of the pass, forty-two miles from Santa Barbara. It 
consists only of a postoffice, a store, and half a dozen surrounding dwellings. Less than a 
mile distant are the Las Cruces Hot Sulphur Springs, the principal one of which flows a 
volume of about ten inches, at a temperature of 90�. The Tulare Indians used to fight 
hereabouts with the coast tribes, their warfare ranging down as late as American  
occupation. On one occasion they raided the adobe rancho house of Las Cruces, shooting 
the walls full of arrows, and carrying off the horses of sixteen Californians, besieged within 
the dwelling. They were pursued, the horses retaken, and all but one of the Indians slain. 

Within two miles of Ballard's, and five of Santa Ynes, stands the young town of Los 
Olivos, started in 1886-'87. It is supported by the surrounding farming country with its 
rich yield of wheat and barley, and the numerous young fruit and olive orchards. 
The population of this little town is about 150. There is one hotel (another was burned 
recently), two general merchandise houses, one drug store, two bars, two blacksmith 
shops, one livery stable, one lumber yard, a railroad station-house (of the Pacific Coast 
Railway, south from San Luis Obispo), post-office with daily mail, express office, one 
church, one school-house with one teacher, and accommodations for four departments. 

About five miles from Los Olivos, and adjoining Santa Ynes, is the Indian reservation 
called Zanja de Cota, where live nine Indian families, of thirty to forty souls, remnants of 
the Santa Ynes Mission Indians, who live by farm labor, fishing, etc. 

This little town was laid out in 1881, by George W. Lewis. It is in the Santa Ynes 
Valley, three miles from the old mission of Santa Ynes, and four from the Santa Ynes 
College. A fine wheat-growing region surrounds the town, having yielded an average 
of twenty centals to the acre of as good wheat as is found on the coast. A large 
irrigating canal runs through the place, and its many advantages promise a flourishing 
future.