1878 (1877) (1879) (1870s) (1880s) Table of Contents
Les Storrs Santa Monica Portrait of a City Yesterday and Today, Santa Monica Bank: Santa Monica, CA, 1974, 67 pp., 1878, 1877 See Text
Documents
Ingersoll's Century History Santa Monica Bay Cities (Being Book Number Two of Ingersoll's Century Series of California Local History Annals), 1908, 1908a,, 1878
Chapter II. Laying the Foundations. 1870-1880.
[p. 143, Santa Monica Beach, 1878, 1908b]
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[p. 154] During 1878 Santa Monica struggled against the hard fate that had befallen her. The Southern Pacific removed the depot from the wharf to its present location and gave, as a concession, a round-trip fare of $1.00 good for three days. Many excursions from interior towns were brought to the coast during the summer and Santa Monica remained the most popular resort, although it could no longer hope for a great commercial importance. But worse was to come. The S.P. sent one of its engineering force to examine the wharf. After a careful inspection, he reported that the condition of the piles was most alarming, owing to the ravages of the toredo, and that it was unsafe for trains unless at least three-fourths of the piles were replaced. As this would entail a large expense, he advised that the use of the wharf be abandoned. On September 9th, the Senator made its last landing and the name of Santa Monica was taken off the steamer lists.
It was a crushing blow that had been dealt the town which had started out so propitiously. Naturally, business dropped off and many people moved away. Partnerships were dissolved, mortgages foreclosed, a number of business houses sold out to satisfy their creditors. The population of the town melted away and the editor of the Outlook, who had made a brave fight for the town of his adoption, announced on December 19th, 1878, that, the next week being Christmas, the paper would be omitted for a week. It was "omitted" for eight years.
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[p. 248] Chapter VI South Santa Monica and Ocean Park
. . . After the abandonment of the "old wharf," in 1878, five acres of land were donated by Mrs. Lucas and others and Juan Bernard began the construction of a wharf which it was fondly hoped might restore Santa Monica to the shipping lists of the Pacific coast. But the structure was never completed and no boat ever landed there.
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Schools
. . . February 14th, 1878, a special tax for school purposes was voted. The school continued with two teachers until 1884, when the upper room was furnished and three teachers employed.
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[p. 269] School Trustees of Santa Monica
[p. 270] Supervising Principals of Santa Monica Schools:
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[p. 281] Newspapers
. . . December 19th, 1878, he [L.T. Fisher] announces that the next issue [of the Outlook] will be omitted, as the week is a holiday. The next issue did not appear until January 5th, 1887.
". . .
[p. 288, 1878-79] Chapter VIII Churches and Societies: Methodist Church
Rev. Crum was succeeded by Rev. S.S. Russell [1878-79], who only remained a year, and then for three years the [Methodist] church was pastorless and practically disorganized.
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Grant H. Smith The History of the Comstock Lode 1850-1920, Geology and Mining Series No. 37, University of Nevada Bulletin: Reno, Nevada, vol. XXXVII. 1 July 1943, no. 3, (revised 1966), Ninth printing, 1980. 305pp., 1878
[p. 291] Appendix Table of Production of Comstock Mines from 1859 to January 1, 1882. Notes on Table. Comstock Production and Profits from 1859 to 1882. Table of Production of the Comstock Mines from 1882 to 1919, Inclusive.
[p. 293] Crown Point (1864-1878) 842,552 tons; $29,814,507 yield; $35.39 yield per ton; $11,588,000 dividends; $2,623,370 assessments; last dividend, 1875.
Les Storrs Santa Monica Portrait of a City Yesterday and Today, Santa Monica Bank: Santa Monica, CA, 1974, 67 pp., 1878, 1877
"In March [1877], a group of railway men headed by Leland Stanford, president of the Central Pacific, together with representatives of the Southern Pacific, came to look over the communty and its railroad.
"In June, Central Pacific had acquired the Los Angeles and Independence, and immediately increased both rail and steamship passenger and freight rates. By the following year [1878], the Southern Pacific had control and removed the depot from the wharf where it had been, and placed it close to the present location of the city hall.
"The Southern Pacific engineers . . . pronounced the pier unsafe . . . and ordered its removal. The steamer Senator made its last call on September 9 and early in 1878 the pier was ordered removed. Efforts to pull the pilings failed, and they were chopped off at the water line."