Browse Items (249 total)

Professor John Kemble's history class from Pomona College in the rear of the Canedo Adobe, 1956. The class was on its way north on a spring break trip with a Gold Rush theme, and stopped by the home of Elmer and Barbara Whittaker, good friends of Dr.…

Russell C. Ruiz (left) helped lead tours of the Presidio on Saturday mornings dressed in the uniform of the soldado de cuera, along with other members of the Presidio Volunteers, including Pete Aguilar, Lottie McFarland, and Julio Cruz, among others.…

California State Senator Gary Hart, left, and California State Assemblyman Jack O'Connell, right, on the occasion of presenting, on behalf of the State Legislature, a Joint Resolution of Commendation to the then-President of the Santa Barbara Trust…

The above is an interview between two longtime Santa Barbara residents Julia Forbes and Louise Ardohain. Born in Pasadena, Julia Forbes moved to Santa Barbara as a five year old in 1919. She graduated from Santa Barbara High School in 1931 and went…

A graduate in civil engineering from UC Berkeley, Norman Caldwell went on to earn his Master’s Degree at Cal Tech and joined the US Army Corps of Engineers following America’s entrance into World War II. Shortly after his service, he enlisted in the…

Emilio Tabacci came to Santa Barbara in 1926 after immigrating to the US with his Swiss-Italian parents. His family owned a bakery on the 100 block of East Canon Perdido Street, near the site of what is now Jimmy' Oriental Gardens. He spent much of…

"Seeing what the Presidio was in 1943 to what it is now is amazing!"

This mental map was drawn by Juan's young granddaughter, Celina Ramos, based on his description of the Presidio neighborhood circa 1943.

"The Presidio neighborhood used to be Chinatown for me!"

Helen Wong, shown here with SBTHP Education Director Karen Anderson