Community Oral Histories Collection

Dublin Core

Title

Community Oral Histories Collection

Subject

Local history, community history

Description

The Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation has been collecting oral histories from the community for over 20 years. Here we present audio clips from a selection of these interviews. To hear the entire interview or review a transcription, please contact the Presidio Research Center.

Creator

Presidio Research Center

Collection Items

Evelyn Foxen Oral History
Evelyn Rose Foxen was a descendent of Benjamin Foxen of Rancho Tinaquaic. She grew on the property of the Maria Romero Lopez adobe, one of Santa Barbara's oldest homes built in 1855. Her grandfather, Salvador Foxen, raised her while her parents,…

Gary Chafe Oral History
Born on September 1st, 1937 in Los Angeles, California, Gary Ray Chafe was the eldest son of Raymond Chafe and Edmee Silva. In the summer of 1947, Chafe’s father relocated the entire family to Santa Barbara following a job assignment with the Socal…

Jimmy's Oriental Gardens owner Tommy Chung and his mother Nuey Chung, are interviewed by local photographer Walter C. Douglas during a busy day at the restaurant.

Clip 1: Tommy Chung explains why the Chung family switched their last name from Yee…

Tomiye Muneno was known to most as Tomichi, a nickname given to her by her Kindergarten teacher, Ms. Gladys Curtis. Tomichi was born April 1, 1914 near the corner of Anacapa and Canon Perdido Streets and grew up in the Presidio neighborhood. In 1933,…

Amy Kakimoto Oral History
Born on January 26th, 1911 in Kobe, Japan, Amy Kakimoto immigrated to United States at age twelve or thirteen. In 1928, she married her husband Ikuo (Ikey) Kakimoto, a Santa Barbara native who owned and operated a produce store at the corner of…

California Conservation Corps Oral History: Ralph Ross and Steve Sharrard
The CCC is a state agency established in 1976 that employs youth to aid in preservation, reconstruction, and the conservation of California's natural resources. Although stationed at a center in Camarillo, many came to Santa Barbara during the 1977…

Campbell Grant Oral History
Born on November 7th, 1909 in Berkeley, CA, Campbell Grant was one of the select scholarship winners at the renowned Santa Barbara School of the Arts in 1930. He recalls the people and programs at the school that made it a successful establishment…

Jackson Cianfrone Oral History
Jackson Cianfrone came to Santa Barbara with his Italian parents in 1923 when he was one year old. He attended local schools including Franklin kindergarten and Santa Barbara Middle and High School. He was drafted into the military where he worked…

Bruno Mautino Oral History
Born in 1923 at St. Francis Hospital to Italian parents, Bruno Mautino is a Santa Barbara native and served in the Air Force during World War II. Owner of the S.B. Tire and Retreading Company, Bruno also played in the American Legion Band and played…

Cecily Johns Oral History Interview
Cecily Johns moved to Santa Barbara in 1985 after accepting a position as Associate Librarian at UCSB. After several years of getting to know the city, she decided to pursue her interests in historic preservation and began to volunteer with SBTHP.…

Kathy Chalfant Oral History
Kathy Chalfant came to Santa Barbara in 1960 with her husband. After earning her degrees in Geography and Education from UCLA, she became an elementary school teacher and taught for over 30 years for the Hope School District. As a 3rd-5th grade…

Michael Hardwick Oral History
Michael Hardwick came to Santa Barbara in the 1960s to attend UCSB. While he began as a pre-med student, he developed an interest in local Santa Barbara history and decided to pursue his degree in archaeology. He became involved with SBTHP in 1970…
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