Santa Barbara County, California

Santa Barbara County fronts on the Pacific ocean, and is bounded on the north by San Luis Obispo, on the east by Ventura, and on the south by Santa Barbara channel flowing between the mainland and the islands of Santa Cruz, San Miguel, and Santa Rosa, It contains 2,265 square miles, and an estimated population of 20,000, which has increased from 9,513 in 1880. Santa Barbara, the county seat, famous for the salubrity of its climate, has rapidly grown in business importance since its connection with the railroad system of the state. It is a city of 8,000 inhabitants. Other towns are Lompoc, Guadaloupe, Carpenteria, Goleta, and Central City. Sheep-raising has heretofore constituted the most important industry of the county, the Channel Islands furnishing their share of the product, but agriculture and fruit-growing are coming to be regarded as more reliable sources of profit. Olive oil is being produced on a large scale, and Santa Barbara has entered into, successful competition with her neighbors in the growth of citrus fruits. The assessed evaluation of the county in 1889 was $16,000,000.

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Source: California State Gazetteer and Business Directory 1890, Volume II, R. L. Polk & Company, 1890.