Charles' family came with five kids and five dollars,
and made a fortune

TOWN BUILDERS

Who They Were

Economy

The cause of the drought wiped out many ranchers and the economy changed. When the LeRoy family gained the rights to the Guadalupe Rancho in 1870, that brought the first farmers.

They came from Europe and the eastern United States, in 1872 John Dumbar, a storekeeper arrived. In 1874 Fred W. Abernety, who was a tin smith. Later buisness like Wells Fargo office, two hotels, a black smith shop and five saloons were showing.
 
 

How They Got Here

Traveling West

The newcomers came to Santa Maria by many different routes and means for transportation, like sailing to New York, and from New York to Europe, and from Europe to Isthmus of Panama. They crossed the Isthmus on foot and continued up the coast by steamer to San Fransisco. From San Fransisco they traveled to Santa Maria by wagon train. Some people took the Oregon trail.
 

From there to the southern fork trail to Sacramento. After that they traveled down coast by wagon train to Santa Maria. The Charles Bradly family took the steamer Colorado from England in 1868 then they met with their Uncle in Monterey. They outfitted with wagons horses and other items, even an iron cookstove. They came to America with 5 kids and 5 dollars, and made a fortune.
 
 
 

How They Met Their Needs

Celebrations and Beliefs

The visits to the beach were very exciting to the family. There was home dances to with a violin and a guitar  for rythom. The people of the Valey liked   many sporting events. All the players, except one of them did not wear a mustache. Bycicle races were at the top at that time too. Rodeos and roping events have been held in the Valley from the early days of the vaqueros.
 

Schools

As the population, grew several families pooled together to educate their children. The first school built on our Santa Maria Valley is the "Pleasant Valley School". It was build and cost by $ 510. It was situated on Nance Road, that is now Bradly Road, about half mile South of Main Street between the Cook and Batttles ranches. In 1887 the Central School was built. The School was a beautiful brick structure, which brought alot of pride to the comunity. Our first High School was done in 1894, bringing new educational choices to the children. Their was in the southern  edge and it had it's own water windmill. The first graduating class were four students, two young men and two young women.
 

Medicine

One of our first pioneer was Dr. W. T. Lucas. He saw many people from Cuyama to Los Alamos. It was told that he was seen for crashing into the curb.

The first Hospital in our Valley was a converted rooming house in South Broadway. The life as a doctor in the early days was a 24 hours a day job.
 

Food And Clothing

There town was far from the fashion centers of the world, women of Santa Maria dressed in the changing styles of the day. Most clothing was charged and then paid twice a year. These were the main sources of the valley.
 

The Fire Department

The first Santa Maria Fire Department was started in 1904. Arthur S. MacLaughlin was the fire chief. One of the first biggest fires was made in 1880. The fire cheif was paid twenty dollars a month and volunteers were paid two dollars an a hour for the attendence or response to many of the fires. The first fire truck was a Columbia touring car purchased from Union Sugar Company. It was a big improvement hand-drawn car, but it did not have a pumper. A new pumper was made in 1917.
 

The Post Office

In 1856 the stage started to bring mail, and in 1862 there was daily stagecoach service. The horses ran around curbs and sharp things, wich caused the stage to tilt from side to side. Stage travel was frightening but only the form of passengers service by land until the narrow gaige arrived in 1882. The first post office was part of a stage stop at the Wickenden Rancho. Stages were drawn by six-horse teams wich were tamed to go between stations at a dead gallop. The horses had to keep on going, so the stage driver let them run around and around in a big circle in front of the ranch house. Later, post offices were built in stores at the new towns. John Dumbar started one in 1872.

By Am. C.
 

Resources

Third Grade Santa Maria Curriculum Binder