Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Chumash had little reason for concern until the permanent return of the Spanish in
the late 18th century. Catholic priests established missions up and down the coast, ostens-
ibly to convert Native Americans to Christianity. Spanish soldiers often forced the Chu-
mash to construct the missions and presidios (military forts) and provide farm labor; they
also rounded up the tribespeople on the Channel Islands and forced them to leave. Back on
the mainland, the indigenous population shrank dramatically, as many Chumash died of
European diseases and ill treatment.
Mexican ranchers arrived after winning their independence in 1821. Easterners began
migrating en masse after California's Gold Rush kicked off in 1849. By the late 1890s,
Santa Barbara was an established SoCal vacation spot for the wealthy. After a massive
earthquake in 1925, laws were passed requiring much of the city to be rebuilt in a faux-
Spanish-colonial style of white-stucco buildings with red-tiled roofs.
