Guadalupe

Date: 1 Sep 1769 [unknown]
Location: Santa Maria Valley, California
Surname/tag: one_place_studies

The history and people of Guadalupe, California

• September 1, 1769 The lake in Guadalupe was named Laguna Grande de San Daniel by the Portola expedition.
• March 21, 1840 Rancho Guadalupe was granted to Jose Teodoro de Arellanes and Diego Oliver by Gov. Juan Alvarado.
• March 5, 1863 Juana Estudillo, after stepping in to bail Antonio Arellanes out, acquired the Rancho Guadalupe as well as part of the Casmalia and El Cojo Ranchos.
• October 18, 1870 Theodore LeRoy assumed the debts of the Estudillo family in return for a deed of trust covering the family's property in both San Leadro and Guadalupe.
• October 27, 1871 David Laird, in purchasing 226 acres of land south of town, became the first farmer to purchase Rancho Guadalupe land.
• November 1871 Theodore LeRoy filed a subdivision map of Rancho Guadalupe, and set aside LeRoy Park for the use and enjoyment of the town's inhabitants.

Thomas Hart Residence, Guadalupe, looking south.

• December 6, 1872 Thomas Hart, a blacksmith from England, became the first resident owner in the new town of Guadalupe when he purchased eight lots from Theodore LeRoy.
• March 28, 1873 Guadalupe Post Office was established with John Dunbar as its first Postmaster.
• April 10, 1874 The Guadalupe Telegraph was first published by Haines & Porterfield.
• June 12, 1874 Guadalupe Lodge No. 237 F & AM was established in a meeting held at the Odd Fellows Lodge.
• July 12, 1874 A meeting of Masons in good standing was held at the Odd Fellow's Hall for the purpose of establishing a lodge for Free and Accepted Masons in Guadalupe.
• August 21, 1874 The Guadalupe Masonic Lodge voted to purchase land (together with the Odd Fellows) to be used as a cemetery.
• September 21, 1874 The Guadalupe Lodge No. 237 F & AM first met as a chartered lodge.
• July 13, 1877 Catherine Lind was the first to be interred in the Catholic Cemetery on Point Sal Road in Guadalupe. Antonio Bonetti who died April 19, 1908, was the last.
• May 26, 1880 Theodore LeRoy, after having bid $638,665 at the foreclosure sale in Alameda County, acquired the 43,682-acre Rancho Guadalupe as well as the Rancho San Leandro and the Rancho Casmalia.
• December 1884 The Campodonico Store, at the corner of Guadalupe and 9th streets, in Guadalupe, opened for business, offering commodities ranging from groceries to clothing, plus grain and hay.
• July 27, 1894 The Gilt Edge Creamery opened in Guadalupe.
• July 6, 1895 The first train stopped at the new Guadalupe depot, a building paid for with funds raised by the townspeople. The depot stood two stories high on the passenger side, and one story high on the freight side.
• November 3, 1903 The Guadalupe Japanese Association, originally called Kyowa Kai, was organized.
• February 1913 The steel girded truss bridge connecting Guadalupe with Oso Flaco opened.
• July, 1915 The spelling of Guadaloupe was changed to Guadalupe.
• November 28, 1921 The new two-story wooden dormitory for children of Japanese field workers was recognized as the Japanese Children's Home of Guadalupe.
• January 18, 1924 Fire broke out at the Chinese Buddhist Church in Guadalupe. The fire spread to surrounding structures, with damage estimated to be $100,000.
• April 1925 The Guadalupe Gazette began publication.
• September 9, 1931 The War Memorial building was dedicated in Guadalupe.
• January 1939 Vaqueros de Los Rancheros began at a meeting held at the Commercial Hotel in Guadalupe. Among the Charter members were Dan Sheehy, Charles Maretti, Charlie Campodonico, Bob Camp, Eddie Fields and George Petersen.
• July 27, 1946 Guadalupe became the fourth incorporated city in Santa Barbara County.
• August 3, 1946 Guadalupe incorporated, with a population of about 4,000.
• October 3, 1948 Official groundbreaking took place for the Guadalupe Community Church.
• October 23, 1953 Train wreck in Guadalupe
• October 1, 1960 The new Buddhist Church at 1071 Olivera St. in Guadalupe was dedicated.
• November 7, 1990 The explosion that caused the total destruction of a gas station and garage on Guadalupe Street in Guadalupe was caused by vapor in a lantern igniting when the welder lit his torch to repair the fixture. In addition to both the welder and his assistant being killed in the explosion, there was much damage throughout the town. The Basque House, formerly the Commercial Hotel, was closed and has yet to be reopened.
• November 17, 1999 The Dunes Center in Guadalupe was dedicated. (hooray!)

Sources

• The Santa Maria Valley Historical Society Museum provided the timeline.
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rancho_Guadalupe
• Guadalupe identified in Great Register of 1867