Oil exploration began in 1888, leading to large-scale discoveries at the turn of the 20th century. Streets named after the four settlers now form a 6 block square centered at Broadway and Main Street, the center of town. Santa Maria was chosen from the name Juan Pacifico Ontiveros had given to his property 25 years earlier. It became Santa Maria on February 18, 1885, since mail was often being sent by mistake to Central City, Colorado. The new town was named Grangerville, then changed to Central City. The townsite was recorded in Santa Barbara in 1875. High School is named), and Isaac Miller (for whom Miller Elementary School is named), built their homes near each other at the present corners on Broadway and Main Street. īetween 18, four of the valley's settlers, Rudolph Cook, John Thornburg, Isaac Fesler (for whom Fesler Jr. Agriculture is still a key component of the economy for the city and the entire region. By the end of the century, the Santa Maria River Valley had become one of the most productive agricultural areas in the state. In the late 19th century, after California gained statehood in 1850, the area's rich soil attracted farmers and other settlers. At the end of the Mexican War in 1848, California was ceded to the United States. In 1821, after the Mexican War of Independence, the mission lands in Santa Maria Valley were made available for private ownership under a Mexican land grant called Rancho Punta de Laguna.
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Rather than rich soil, white settlers were attracted here by the possibility of free land. Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa was established just north of the valley in 1772, and Mission La Purísima Concepción was established near present-day Lompoc in 1787. In 1769, the Portolá Expedition passed through the Santa Maria Valley during the first Spanish land exploration up the coast of Las Californias Province. They had unique plank-built boats, called Tomol, which they used for ocean fishing.
The Native Americans made their homes on the slopes of the surrounding hills among the oaks, on the banks of the Santa Maria River among the sycamores, and along the coast. Santa Maria is well connected to the other Azorean islands by ferry, with numerous routes provided from its port on the southwest coast to almost every island.The Santa Maria Valley, stretching from the Santa Lucia Mountains toward the Pacific Ocean, was the homeland of the Chumash people for several thousand years. The most popular beach is Praia Formosa on the south coast which also offers excellent surfing, water skiing and sailing conditions. Santa Maria also claims the best swimming spots in the archipelago, with a wide choice of stunning beaches and refreshing tidal pools. Also, each traditional home in Santa Maria’s villages has a distinctively coloured chimney in order to contrast with the whitewashed masonry. The island has a rich cultural heritage, too, which is evident in the town of Anjos, the first landfall of Christopher Columbus on his return voyage from the Americas. Known locally as ‘the island of the sun’ and ‘the yellow island’, Santa Maria boasts the sunniest climate of the Azores and a landscape characterised by dry vegetation and sandy shorelines. Santa Maria is the oldest and southernmost island of the Portuguese Azores archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean.
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