The Journal of San Diego History
SAN DIEGO HISTORICAL SOCIETY QUARTERLY
Fall 1988, Volume 34, Number 4
Thomas L. Scharf, Editor

Book Notes

Raymond Starr, Book Review Editor

The Early Days of Santa Barbara, California.

By Walter A. Hawley. Third Edition. Santa Barbara: Santa Barbara Heritage, 1987. Illustrations. Appendices. Index. 144 Pages. $19.95 Limited Edition. $14.95 Hardcover. $9.95 Softcover.

Walter Hawley’s account of early Santa Barbara was originally published in 1910 and is one of the classics of California history. In commemoration of the bicentennial of the Santa Barbara mission, the Santa Barbara Heritage has published a new edition. In addition to putting the book back on the market, the editors have added a number of features. There is a foreword which tells us who Hawley was and why his book was important. It also tells us about the importance of the artwork which was included in the original and has been augmented in the revised edition. The text is as Hawley originally published it, and covers the native population, early explorers and settlers, the mission (in some detail), the town and the ranchos. Appendices list the founding soldiers and give the derivations of street and locality names. Although somewhat representative of the romanticization of the past which would be expected in 1910, The Early Days of Santa Barbara is still a good account of the beginnings of Santa Barbara.