SANTA BARBARA, a city of south-western California, U.S.A., on the Pacific ocean, 90 m. above Los Angeles; the county seat of Santa Barbara county. It has airport facilities, and is served by the Southern Pacific railway and motor-coach lines. Pop. (1920) 19,441 (77% native white) ; 193o Federal census 33,613. The city lies around a crescent beach, on the southern slope of the Santa Ynez mountains. The beauty of the situation, the ideal climate throughout the year, the luxuriant semi-tropical vegetation, the historic interest, and the picturesque modern archi tecture, combine to make it one of the most delightful resorts of the State. A modified Spanish type of architecture generally prevails. The Mission of Santa Barbara, established by Father Junipero Serra in 1786, is the largest and best preserved of the California missions, and is now the Franciscan headquarters for the Pacific coast. The Santa Barbara State Teachers' college (established 1909) has a magnificent location on Mission ridge. A
fiesta is held in August every year commemorating the old Spanish days. In the Painted Cave, 13 m. distant, are fine rock-paintings generally attributed to prehistoric Indians. This region produces a great variety of fruits, nuts and vegetables, including about half the entire commercial crop of lima beans grown in the United States. There are oilfields north-west of the city. A Spanish presidio was established here in 1782, four years before the Mis sion. Santa Barbara took part in the revolution of 1829, and in the following sectional struggles inclined to the side of Monterey and the North. It was occupied by the Americans in Aug. 1846; then by the Californians in Oct. ; again by the American forces on Nov. 27, 1846. In 185o it was incorporated as a city. The railroad reached it in 1887. On June 29, 1925, a disastrous earth quake visited it, but the city made a speedy recovery.