Santa Barbara County CA Archives History - Books .....Railroads 1891 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ca/cafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com February 8, 2007, 1:19 am Book Title: A Memorial And Biographical History Of The Counties Of Santa Barbara, Ventura, And San Luis Obispo RAILROADS. From time to time movements have been made in Santa Barbara to secure the running of railways, of various lines, through this section. Meetings had been held, resolutions adopted, and memorials drawn up, but all to very little, in fact to no, purpose. Only when it was clear that self-interest was thoroughly warranted, when further delay would positively divert an important and desirable revenue into other channels, when the rich products of this section guaranteed freight shipments to warrant extortions, the railroad at last condescended. On the afternoon of Friday, August 19, 1887, the first regular psssenger train pulled into Santa Barbara, with a large number of visitors from Los Angeles, Ventura, and other neighboring cities. At the same time arrived a special excursion train from San Francisco, with a load of railway officials and other parties interested in Santa Barbara. Altogether, it is estimated that about 5,000 people visited the city during this railway jubilee celebration. The hotel accommodations proving inadequate, the houses of the citizens were thrown open in generous hospitality to the visiting strangers, who were met at the station, with bands and conveyances, and driven about the city. In the evening was given at the Arlington a grand banquet, at which sat down fifty of the guests, with fifty of the leading citizens. Also there were read many letters and telegrams of regrets from prominent State officials and railway magnates. Speeches and toasts were offered, and congratulations on this event for Santa Barbara. The next day, Saturday, August 20, there was a grand parade at 10 A. M., in which participated the public organizations of Santa Barbara and other points in the county, as well as many features of individual representation. The procession was headed by the Presidio Band, of San Francisco, and the local bands followed at intervals. One of the most interesting features was the illustration of the successive stages of progress in land transportation- the pack-mule, the stage coach of 1860, and the Pullman car of 1887. Many of the designs displayed upon floats in the procession were developed in the flowers for which this section is justly famous. At noon, the procession moved to Burton Mound, where the Santa Barbara ladies served a complimentary luncheon to the citizens and the visitors, after which this large and enthusiastic throng listened, before adjourning, to other speeches. At different periods efforts have been made to secure from Congress appropriations for a breakwater at Santa Barbara, but all such movements have been tentative or initiatory only, and leading to no practical result. Additional Comments: Extracted from: A MEMORIAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF THE COUNTIES OF Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura, California Illustrated Containing a History of this Important Section of the Pacific Coast from the Earliest Period of its Occupancy to the Present Time, together with Glimpses of its Prospective Future; with Profuse illustrations of its Beautiful Scenery, Full-Page Steel Portraits of its most Eminent Men, and Biographical Mention of many of its Pioneers and also of Prominent Citizens of to-day, BY MRS. YDA ADDIS STORKE. "A people that take no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors -will never achieve anything worthy to he remembered with pride by remote descendants."—Macaulay. THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY. 1891. Barlow-Sinclair Printing Co., Chicago. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/santabarbara/history/1891/amemoria/railroad243gms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/cafiles/ File size: 4.2 Kb