Way Back When: Old Mail Coach Rolls Down State Street

By Betsy J. Green

A century ago, we had the first July 4th since World War I had ended and the City of Santa Barbara celebrated with four days of parades and festivals that included auto stunts, a Spanish parade, equestrian sports, aerial exhibitions, diving girls, and more. 

One of the stars of the parade that is still with us today was the old Red Mail Stagecoach. “Many residents of Santa Barbara remember and can recall [the arrival of the stagecoach] … the four or sometimes six horses on a full run, with a bugle sounding the warning to clear the road for the mail, the great stagecoach rolled down State Street, swung in between the wide gateposts and into the broad graveled drive of the old Arlington Hotel.” 

You can visit the mail coach at the Santa Barbara Carriage and Western Art Museum. (Image: Betsy J. Green)

Betsy’s Way Back When book — 1918 — is now available in local bookstores and at Amazon.com. This is the fifth book in her series of the history of Santa Barbara, one year at a time. Learn more at betsyjgreen.com​