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Russell Clay Ruiz remembers
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.…
Jeremy Hass remembers
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.…
Woman in Fiesta costume standing in front of archway
Woman in Fiesta costume standing in front of archway
Woman in embroidered shawl.
Woman in embroidered shawl.
Man riding a donkey
Man wearing sombrero and serape riding a donkey
Performers at Casa de la Guerra
At Casa de la Guerra, two costumed dancers are surrounded by musicians
The Fiesta Mercado
Today, tents and booths line De La Guerra Street and De La Guerra Plaza; in the 1920s and 1930s, an open air market welcomed visitors and residents alike to De La Guerra Plaza and El Paseo.
Elvira Tafoya Oral History
Raised in El Paso, Texas, Elvira moved to Santa Barbara in 1975, where she started teaching a Spanish language course for native Spanish speakers at Santa Barbara City College (SBCC). In teaching the course, she discovered that the amount of readily…
Jayne Kelsey Wickman Oral History
Born May 7, 1919 at Cottage Hospital, Jayne Kelsey Wickman grew up in the Presidio neighborhood and has become a true humanitarian of Santa Barbara. She met Swede Wickman, who she would eventually marry, while vacationing in Los Prietos (Santa Ynez)…
Donnie Yee Oral History
Donnie Yee, a cousin of Tommy Chung, was born November 10, 1930 in China, but moved to Santa Barbara as a child. He quickly got involved in local sports leagues, participating in baseball, track, and football. Donnie fought in the Korean War as a US…
Tommy Chung Oral History
Born in the Santa Barbara area in 1942, Tommy Chung and his family moved to the Presidio neighborhood after the construction of his father’s restaurant – Jimmy’s Oriental Gardens – was completed in 1946 and an attached…
Jim Mills Oral History
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on May 8, 1926, Jim Mills and his family moved to Santa Barbara in March 1930. He credits his father’s courage in the decision – it was during the Depression and he had no job, just a friend to stay with…