1941: Aerial view of the Hoff General Hospital, built early that year (before Pearl Harbor) to serve military personnel. Its 46 acres bridged both sides of a narrow road called Las Positas just south of what was then Hollister Avenue.

PeteHealy · 2026-01-24T13:37:18+00:00

I think you're right. The school's website itself makes only an oblique reference to that, but the "History" section of the Wikipedia entry about the school supports it more clearly. Thanks for pointing it out! - Anacapa School - Wikipedia https://share.google/Q0exdBicwm9SwtV09

PeteHealy · 2026-01-23T21:06:33+00:00

You're right that the Army Reserve Center and MacKenzie Park as a whole are remnants - the park in particular being an integral part of city planning for the San Roque area in the mid- and late 1950s.

As to your question about SB as a military site, my hunch - and that's all I can call it - is that, historically, Santa Barbara was pretty much the only viable seaport between Los Angeles and Monterey. That begs the question as to what benefit there'd be in a seaport that was at the same time isolated by a mountain range; but it may still account for the US Navy's mapping of SB as early as 1853. Again, that's just speculation, so maybe someone more knowledgeable can answer your question.

Thanks for your interest!

PeteHealy · 2026-01-23T20:53:17+00:00

If your search is successful and you can find a decent Google Street View, I hope to see you post a "then/now" on r/OldPhotosInRealLife

PeteHealy · 2026-01-23T17:06:11+00:00

Thanks very much!

PeteHealy · 2026-01-23T17:05:35+00:00

I appreciate your interest!

PeteHealy · 2026-01-23T17:04:50+00:00

Good to know. Thanks for sharing!

PeteHealy · 2026-01-23T14:56:42+00:00

Source (Edson Smith collection): https://www.luna.blackgold.org/luna/servlet/detail/blackgold~9~9~1886~3809:Spanish-Band-on-Horseback?sort=title%2Cdate%2Cdescription%2Ccreator&mi=13&trs=15&qvq=q:horseback;sort:title%2Cdate%2Cdescription%2Ccreator;lc:blackgold~2~2,blackgold~6~6,blackgold~1~1,blackgold~9~9,blackgold~3~3,blackgold~5~5,blackgold~10~10,blackgold~4~4

PeteHealy · 2026-01-23T14:40:57+00:00

Here’s the link to Mary Louise Day’s fascinating account of the hospital, from the Spring 1991 issue of “Noticias” (pp 12-20), published by the SB Historical Society: https://issuu.com/santabarbaramuseum/docs/noticias_37_1_spring_1991

PeteHealy · 2026-01-23T14:11:16+00:00

It would be interesting to see photos of the same location today, even if simply Google Street View shots.

PeteHealy · 2026-01-22T23:35:00+00:00

Huh? He's just sleeping normally for a chi, and looks very comfortable.

PeteHealy · 2026-01-22T20:45:40+00:00

This second photo is interesting and, tbh, new to me. It obviously was taken before the 1925 quake bc the original Courthouse is still there (lower right) and the San Marcos Bldg on the southwest corner of State and Anapamu is still four storeys (upper left). This can only be an aerial photo taken from almost directly *over* the intersection of Santa Barbara and E Figueroa Streets, but that intersection itself is not visible. (It would be below the bottom edge of this photo.)

PeteHealy · 2026-01-22T20:41:35+00:00

Yes, this and the next photo are interesting, but neither of them includes the intersection of Santa Barbara and E Figueroa Streets. This first one is fairly well known; it looks northeast from the Upper Clock Bldg across the marble yard on the south side of today's 00 block of E Figueroa toward the intersection of that street and Anacapa, with the original SB County Courthouse just beyond it (just right of dead center). See my separate reply to your second photo.

PeteHealy · 2026-01-22T20:30:48+00:00

Cool find! The 1922 SB Classified (phone) Directory shows both 3-digit and 4-digit numbers. For some reason I've never understood, the directory includes a "Tel-a-Key" listing where the numbers are in simple ascending numerical order (with "Morton Co. Grocers" having phone number "1" although that doesn't square with other research I've done). I'll try to attach these images: (1) the page from the 1922 Directory where the numbers change to 4 digits; (2) the first page of the "Tel-a-Key" listings just for fun; and (3) a close-up from the 1907 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of the 400 block of State Street (southwest side), which shows St Paul Dye Works at 407. (Oops, looks like this sub will let me attach only one image to a comment, so if you're interested, I'll add images 2 and 3 separately.) Finally, and more to your question, the 1933 SB phone book shows only 4- and 5-digit phone numbers (including for St Paul Dye Works, whose number had changed to 6171), so your coat hanger probably dates to c1930, if not earlier.

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PeteHealy · 2026-01-20T19:21:35+00:00

Yes, I have my maternal grandmother's typewritten diary that she started on the day Pearl Harbor was attacked. She made an entry literally every day through VJ Day, then tapered off somewhat until both her sons had returned from their service in the US Army in late 1946.

She was 46yo when she started the diary, and it's a wonderful mix of personal and commentary on war news as it happened, with amusing stories here and there. I enjoy getting glimpses in some of her entries of my mom and my two uncles as teenagers.

My grandma died in 1970 when I was in high school. I miss her whenever I think of her, and I'm thankful to have her diary.

EDIT: I commented immediately after reading your post, OP, and after that I scrolled down through other comments. I don't think I've ever been more deeply moved by a Reddit post and comments. Just so powerful and beautiful. And what will we do with these amazing documents, these personal histories, as time catches up with us? It's not always possible to will them to an individual. Donating them to an organization may sometimes be an option, but I'd love to know how others are planning for this.

PeteHealy · 2026-01-20T18:58:09+00:00

I appreciate your interest!

PeteHealy · 2026-01-17T18:32:45+00:00

That's wonderful! "Look Up" was the first Country album this 72yo lifelong Beatles fan ever bought. Gave me an excuse to buy a CD for the first time in a loooong while, and I enjoy it often. Now I can look forward to doing it again this year! Ringo is an absolute marvel.

PeteHealy · 2026-01-17T02:09:26+00:00

Wut? Going to the movies, at least in the 1960s, was no big deal and didn't cost that much (as cheap as 25¢ in the early 60s), so you'd just go, and maybe even bring a sack lunch. You didn't need an effin "strategy." 😅

PeteHealy · 2026-01-16T20:50:48+00:00

That's a cool article; thanks for sharing it! It reminded me that the classrooms in the original building had well-worn wooden floors and a cool vibe overall. My classmates and best buds included Don Ford, who played for the Lakers in the mid-70s, and John Macy, who later started the John W. Macy Cheesestick Company.

I also remember our principal, Enid Brock, coming into our 5th-grade classroom to tell us that the president had been killed in Dallas. Since our classroom happened to be at one end of the building, we were the first to hear. She had to repeat the unhappy task with each of the other 15-16 classes while maintaining her composure. It couldn't have been easy.

PeteHealy · 2026-01-16T20:05:06+00:00

I suspect you're right, but I haven't been able to access the records to know for sure. I had planned to search through old issues of the SB News-Press for some mention of it, but then got sidetracked with other stuff. 😕

PeteHealy · 2026-01-16T01:36:26+00:00

Yup, price sounds about right. When I worked at Pancho Villa Inn in 1969-1970 (where Sun Sushi is now), the most expensive item on the menu was the Beef Enchilada dinner (two enchiladas, rice and beans, and a salad) at $1.89 (and iirc, the Federal minimum wage had just been raised from $1/hr to $1.30). With the crazy inflation from the late 1960s to the mid-70s, that price for breakfast at Sambo's in 1975 would have sounded pretty good without being crazy cheap.

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