Local History

100 years ago, the Santa Barbara Central Library gathered flowers for the Shakespeare Celebration to honor the Bard on the anniversary of his birth.

An edhat reader remembers what used to be near the Alice Keck Memorial Gardens, what do other readers remember?

In April 1919, several celebrations were held in Santa Barbara to welcome and honor the soldiers returning from the war in Europe. 

100 years ago, folks didn’t have radios in their homes yet, but you could make your own music with a mechanical piano.

100 years ago, advertisements in the Santa Barbara newspaper introduced a new invention, electrical outlets in the wall.

In 1919, "The Geisha" opera performed at the Potter Theatre in Santa Barbara, which was the first played by a Japanese woman instead of a white woman.

Santa Barbara’s Nature Study Club was fortunate enough to be allowed to wander around one of Montecito’s grandest estates in March 1919.

In March 1919, after the Great War was over people in Santa Barbara had time to notice the little things, and it filled the daily newspaper.

Happy International Women's Day! Let's honor some fascinating women in Santa Barbara's history.

Last week was the anniversary of the 1824 Chumash Revolt that began at the Santa Ines Mission.

In March 1919, Santa Barbara’s “Flying A” studio released their latest production called “Where the West Begins” starring the company’s hottest hunk Bill Russell. 

This week in local history, the Ellwood Oil Field was fired on by a Japanese submarine on February 23, 1942 during World War II.

The Santa Barbara City of Public Works shares a video inspecting the historic 3.7 miles of the Mission Tunnel.

Was it my imagination or did many years ago the Arlington Theater have the letters “FOX” on the steeple?

100 years ago, Santa Barbara started to outgrow the small size of our former courthouse located where the Sunken Garden is today.

El Capitan built the Santa Barbara Presidio, discovered San Francisco Bay and mapped out El Camino Real.

100 years ago in Santa Barbara, taxi drivers could be as young as 16-years-old.

Way back when, in February 1919, the big news hit the paper – “Sale of Potter Hotel Now Announced.” 

In February 1919, a group of Hollywood actors was sailing to a filming location on Santa Cruz Island when a winter storm hit.

Before Bogart's Cafe in the La Arcada Plaza, what used to be housed there?

After WWI, the campaign to Prohibition began as temperance ads began to run in local newspapers.

Veronica Springs Road gets its name from a spring in the area that was said to be healthful and medicinal

On January 9, 1857, another devastating flood struck the Santa Barbara area.

Do edhat readers remember the roller skating rink that used to be on W. Cota?

In January 1919, the local Santa Barbara paper reported the weather dipped to 28 degrees.

The local movie studio, Flying A, released a movie titled "Wives and Other Wives" in December 1918.

Betsy shares a Christmas advertisement for new slippers published in 1918 for the store E.F. Rodenbeck at 1021 State Street.

Kellogg Avenue is one of Goleta’s main roads. But who was Kellogg? Well, the Kelloggs were a successful family and they did a lot for the Goleta Valley and Santa Barbara.

In 1918 airplanes were flying over Santa Barbara but they didn't have a proper place to land and began setting down on the Riviera.

In 1918, Santa Barbarans were clamoring for barnacle chowder.