How Gaviota Pass Shaped Santa Barbara History

The Gaviota Pass had an outsized impact on the history of Goleta and Santa Barbara. A geographical passage through the Santa Ynez Mountains on the California coast, this critical point of transit was not developed or improved by Spain or Mexico. The physical constraints of the Santa Ynez Mountains left Santa Barbara undeveloped, and lagging far behind the growth of San Francisco and Los Angeles. When the people of Santa Barbara awakened on January 1, 1870, their infrastructure was equivalent to Virginia in the 1770s. Southern Pacific Railroad ignored its commitment to complete railroad access from Santa Barbara to San Luis Obispo and did not complete access from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara until 1887. A train from Los Angeles to San Francisco via Santa Barbara was not completed until the 20th century. Why? Mark R. Preston will weave together the myriad threads of this mystery and you’ll leave with all the answers!