1874 Ingersoll

Ingersoll's Century History Santa Monica Bay Cities (Being Book Number Two of Ingersoll's Century Series of California Local History Annals), 1908, 1908a, 1874

     During the summer of 1874 Santa Monica Cañon continued to be the chief summer resort of the Angeleños. Two hotels, the Morongo House and the Seaside Hotel, kept by Wolf and Steadman, were filled with guests. Many improvements were made in the camping arrangements and the season was a gay one. A new resort, known as "Will Tell's" also flourished this summer on the Ballona lagoon, almost where the Del Rey hotel now stands. This was especially attractive to sportsmen, as the lagoon was famous for its duck and game birds, and a number of prominent Los Angeles men kept boats on the lagoon.

     At the same time a road, so narrow that the wheels touched the sides of the bank, had been worn down through the arroyo, about at the foot of the present [p. 144] Colorado street in Santa Monica, and a small landing was built on the shore. Here Major Hancock shipped large quantities of brea, which was hauled by ox teams from his Brea rancho, on small coast vessels to San Francisco. This was the first "commerce" of Santa Monica bay.

     In December, 1874, the Los Angeles papers chronicle the first visit of United States Senator John P. Jones of Nevada. Glowing tributes were paid the distinguished guest and much curiosity and enthusiasm over the possible results of his advent into Southern California were indulged in. He was known to be fabuously rich and to have railroad ambitions.

[p. 244] Chapter VI South Santa Monica and Ocean Park

     When the town site of Santa Monica was laid out it was surrounded by a very large area of unbroken and unoccupied territory. The great San Vicente ranch was mostly devoted to sheep pasturage. A few native Californians cultivated small tracts on the Boca de Santa Monica; but that tract was also largely devoted to sheep grazing. On La Ballona, Anderson Rose and one or two others had begun to farm and the Machados raised some grain, but the greater portion of the tract was uncultivated.

     In 1874 Mrs. Nancy A. Lucas [ -1881], a wealthy widow, with three sons, purchased a tract of 861 acres from the Machados. This joined the San Vicente on the north and extended as far south as the present city limits of the city of Santa Monica, the Santa Monica town line having followed the lines of the Lucas tract. The price paid was $14.00 per acre. Mrs. Lucas at once began to improve her property . . .

(Back to Sources)


 Kelyn Roberts 2017