Local History

In 1918, Santa Barbarans were clamoring for barnacle chowder.

100 years ago, the Lockheed/Loughead brothers flight to Washington D.C. crashed in Arizona due to engine failure.

Betsy shares some interesting police reports from Santa Barbara in 1918.

100 years ago in 1918, the area where the Santa Barbara Airport is airport is now, was full of sharks! 

Can edhat readers help identify the vehicle and people in this local historic photo?

We take it for granted that November 11 is Veterans Day, but it was a new concept back in 1918. 

European explorers nicknamed an area of Goleta "Dos Pueblos" because there were two Chumash villages right next to each other.

Santa Barbara sunsets were still pretty popular in of 1918, so much so that a local poet dedicated some word art to them.

The influenza scare was alarming the parents of trick-or-treaters in  1918,  and put a damper on the demons on the streets of Santa Barbara.

In October 1918, there were more than 50 articles in the local papers about the Spanish Flu invading Santa Barbara.

Does anyone recognize this historic house believed to be in Santa Barbara and know where it is?

In October 1918, a famous wrestler arrived in Santa Barbara for a match with his pet pig.

From October 5 through January 2, the John and Peggy Maximus Gallery at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History will exhibit antique maps and books from the 17th to 19th centuries. 

As the summer temperatures were rising, the swimsuit controversy was heating up in Santa Barbara 100 years ago.

On September 21, 1918, the local paper reported, “Summerland was the scene of patriotic enthusiasm..."

100 years ago, the "Flying A" studio created a special effects storm for a film in Santa Barbara. 

Betsy reports the Santa Barbara Dons football team was disbanded in 1918 as too many players went off to war.

An edhat reader shares a travel video of Santa Barbara from 1975.

In September 1918, Santa Barbara already had the Lockheed/Loughead brothers with their seaplane giving rides to tourists on the beach, so it was only natural to dream of the next step.

[Update]: Can edhat readers provide some local history on the Channel City Horse Show?

The Gillespie Estate in Montecito served as the setting for a silent movie called “Our Better Selves.” 

100 years ago Santa Barbara received news of the area's first death during World War I.

Although Santa Barbara’s shoreline is very photogenic, during World War I, photo buffs were told to refrain from using their cameras to capture images of the coastline.

In 1914, a massive storm hit Santa Barbara causing a destructive flood.

The local Flying A Studio released its first scary movie, "The Ghost of Rosy Taylor," 100 years ago.

We never heard too much about Stephen Rutherford, but the more we looked, the more we found.

Betsy shares a historic photo from 1887 in Santa Barbara when the first train arrived in town.

A couple of well-known dancers were appearing at a street fair here in July 1918 that was held to benefit St. Vincent’s orphanage.

On the evening of June 30 and the early morning of July 1, 1918, the residents of Santa Barbara were kept awake by Mother Nature’s light show.

100 years ago, a column in the newspaper suggested that instead of fireworks on July 4th, the noise would be furnished by motorcycles.