San Luis Obispo County History

Transcribed by Peggy Hooper

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Source:
A Memorial and Biographical History of the Counties of Santa Barbara,
San Luis Obispo, and Ventura, California
by Yda Addis Storke
Published in 1891 in Chicago by the Lewis Publishing Co.


TOPOGRAPHY. 

San Luis Obispo, classed as one of the southern coast counties of California, has 
as its western boundary the Pacific Ocean, and for its eastern the Monte Diablo Range, 
which separates the county from the Tulare Valley, this boundary fallowing the summit 
of the mountains in a trend northwest and southeast; the northern boundary is a direct 
east and west line; the southern follows the Santa Maria or Cuyama River. Thus the 
general shape of the county is a parallelogram, averaging sixty-five miles long by fifty 
wide, with a total area of 3,250 square miles. The county lies between the thirty-fifth and 
thirty-sixth degrees of latitude, and the longitude runs from about 119° 20' to 121° 
20' west from Greenwich. The territory is rolling, and traversed by several ranges. The 
chief physical feature is the Santa Lucia Range, running almost parallel with the 
coast, and dividing the county into unequal parts, of distinctive characteristics. West of 
the Santa Lucia lies about one-fourth of the county, the mountains toward the south 
trending eastward, continuing to a junction with the Monte Diablo Range, and dividing 
the Cuyama from the headwaters of the Salinas and San Juan rivers. From Estero Bay 
the Mount Buchon Range extends about twenty miles southeastward, 1,200 to 2,000 
feet high; it is cut through by the San Luis and Arroyo Verde creeks. Between these 
ranges is a succession of detached buttes, as the Mission and Bishop's Peaks, having an 
elevation of 1,500 and 1,800 feet. This butte range on the southeast gradually runs 
into low, scattered hills, while on the northeast it terminates in Morro Rock, in Estero 
Bay. Westward to the ocean from the Santa Lucia flow very many small streams, such as 
the Sau Corcopero, Santa Rosa, Toro, Old Creek, San Luis, Arroyo Verde, Arroyo 
Grande, and others, beside the numerous branches. These streams are marked by 
many canons, with valleys of considerable extent, which, as well as much of the hill 
lands, are very fertile. The Salinas River flows from south to north through nearly the 
whole extent of that portion of the county east of the Santa Lucia. Its tributaries are: 
from the west, the Santa Margarita, Atascadero, Paso Robles and San Marcos creeks; 
from the east, the Estrella and its branches, the Huer-Huero, San Juan, and others; the 
San Juan in its turn receiving the Carriso, La Panza, Montezuma, French, and other 
small streams. These smaller streams generally are so nearly dry as to fail to reach 
the main water courses. This region generally has very fertile soil; it is mostly hilly, 
and in the southern portion mountainous, and is well wooded in oaks and pines. The 
extremes of heat and cold here are greater than in the district west of the Santa Lucia. 
East of the San Juan Creek is a high, treeless basin, called the Carriso Plain. It is 
forty-five miles long by eight to ten wide. It ranges from 1,000 feet elevation in the 
center to 1,300 at the extremes. The drainage goes to the central depression, which 
during the dry season is a great bed of salt, one to two miles wide and five miles long. 
This becomes a lake in "wet" years. The stock-raisers for miles around have long re- 
sorted hither to salt their flocks and herds. Very densely salt water is obtained by sink- 
ing some four feet. For a few miles north of this lake the soil contains some little 
alkali, but most of the plain is of fine agricultural possibilities. 

This land was mostly bought up some years ago by capitalists of San Francisco, 
with a view to speculation, J. M. and R. H. McDonald, L. Glasier, Schultz & Von Bergen 
owning about 50,000 acres, 47,000 acres, and 21,800 acres respectively, while large tracts 
were held also by Haggin & Carr and others. The following description of the geographi- 
cal divisions of the county is from a report of the State mineralogist: " The Santa Lucia 
Mountains, which are the westerly-lying ridge of the coast range, strike northwest and 
southeast across the entire length of this county, the other branch of the coast range, 
though more broken, occupying its easterly portion. Between these mountain ranges, 
and flanking them on the east and west, occur many valleys and much low hill land, con- 
stituting the principal agricultural districts of the county. "Wild oats and the native 
grasses grow abundantly all over this county, making it one of the best grazing regions in 
the State. As a consequence, large numbers of cattle and sheep, the most of them im- 
proved breeds, are pastured here. 

" The cereal crops and fruits of most kinds are also largely produced, both the soil and 
the climate being highly favorable to their growth. 

"The county is watered by the upper tributaries of the Salinas River, flowing north; 
San Simi Creek, running southwest and emptying into San Luis Bay; and by the 
Cuyama River, flowing across its southern border, and forming in part the dividing line 
between this and Santa Barbara County. The timber here consists chiefly of oak, 
madrono and manzanita, with a little scrubby pine on the mountains. 

“The trend of this range is north 46° west The general altitude is 2,500 to 3,000 feet, 
but in the south there are peaks rising as high as 7,000 feet. The strip of land be- 
tween the western base of the foot-hills and the sea is five to fifteen miles wide. 

"The aspect of this range, as seen from the west, is of precipitous and forbidding moun- 
tains; in reality, the mountain-wall is broken by many inlets, which follow little streams, 
such as the Arroyo Grande, Lopez Creek, Corral de Piedra, San Luis Chorro, Morro, 
Van Ness, Santa' Rosa, Old Creek and others, opening into delightfully fertile valleys. 
Those valleys on the northeastern side of the range are much higher than that of San Luis 
Obispo, which is 190 feet above sea level, while Santa Margarita Valley is nearly 800 
feet higher, and the Cuesta is 1,350 feet above the sea. 

" These mountains viewed from the east appear more accessible, being made up of 
many detached buttes and lateral spurs, interspersed with deep, romantic canons, 
broad valleys and verdant pastures. This region is well covered with noble white oaks 
of wide spread, together with a smaller variety scattered among nut pines on the 
ridges; laurel, balm of Gilead, Cottonwood and sycamore in the canons, and live oak and 
chemisal on the mountain sides. 

" On this slope the Salinas River and its branches take their rise, the principal tribu- 
taries being the Santa Margarita, Atascadero, Paso Robles and Nacimiento."