DOCENT FACTS
WILLIAM GOODWIN DANA - Born May 5, 1797 in Boston
Died February 12, 1858
MARIA JOSEPHA CARRILLO - Born 1812
Died 1883
William was a sea captain who came to Santa Barbara in 1825
William baptized a Catholic at San Diego - July 29, 1827
Filed petition for naturalization - February 1828
Received provisional papers - August 1828
Final naturalization received - February 18, 1835
MARRIED - Santa Barbara, August 20, 1828
William aged 32 - Maria Josefa 16
CHILDREN - 21 born
10 born in Santa Barbara, 5 dying at birth or in infancy 11 born at Casa de Dana, 3 dying at birth or in infancy 13 lived to adulthood (2 girls, 11 boys)
LAND GRANT - Applied for April 14, 1835; granted April 6, 1837
The 37,887 acres extended from the shores of the Pacific Ocean to the base of the Santa Lucia mountains, and from the Santa Maria River to Los Berros
NAMED - NIPOMO (ne-po-mah) An Indian word meaning at the foot of the hill or mountain. For sometime was called nipoma.
ADOBES
First was a small adobe lean-to shelter, southeast of the present casa, erected for the vaqueros who tended the cattle when the family lived in Santa Barbara. Later there may have been an adobe built close to the creek that flooded and melted. Second was an adobe built on a rocky knoll east and below where the Casa was later built.
SECOND adobe was built on a rocky knoll east and below where the Casa was later built. The roof was flat and along with the floor was covered with "asphaltum" mixed with sand to make it hard and smooth. This later became the shoe shop according to son Juan Dana.
THIRD, Casa de Dana begun in 1837. Captain era: 1830's to 1850's. Lumber was hauled in carretas by oxen down from Cambria or from the San Rafael mountains beyond Santa Ines Mission for rafters and other heavy woodwork. Not a single nail was used, only rawhide thongs and mortising. The wood flooring was brought round the horn and sealed with fish oil! Wood may also have been used off the U.S.S. Edith, after she went aground and was salvaged by Captain Dana.
Adobe for BRICKS came from a quarter of a mile away. There was plenty of limestone in the nearby hills. Juan speaks of an adobe pit for making adobes below the house. Bricks are over 2' (feet) long and appear to be square (most unusual size). major portion of the foundation is stone.
ROOF was flat and made of brea or tar coming from the Suey Rancho with laths of willow sticks from Los Berros, tied together with rawhide thongs. A thin coat of clay was applied, then hot brea. (Construction on Pg 18 of Blond Ranchero.)
ARCHITECTURAL DETAIL was made of redwood, with Greek Revival design throughout the house.
-All the wood in the second story is circular sawn redwood. -The walls were lime plastered.
-Ceilings were tongue & groove redwood and white washed.
BUILDING SEQUENCE
-The 3-4 rooms originally built were added onto as needed until there were 13-14 rooms. -The first room built was likely the 40'-50' sala, later becoming 3 rooms, with the stair hall dividing it. -When the house became too long, the wings were added to make a U shape.
-South Wing was the kitchen and dining room with a pine floor.
-North wing was a store room and milk room, with dirt floors.
Probably in the 1870's, the milk room became quarters for the Chinese cook and his wife.
-A half-story with a cupola was added in the 1850's - probably 1851 for the eldest daughter, Maria Josepha, when she married Henry Tefft in July 1850. The cupola was over 8' sq. The north end of the second story was divided into 2 rooms, with another south of the stairs; the remainder used as a dormitory for the boys and single men in individual spool beds, 9 in all. The partitions were removed when Maria and 2nd husband, Sam Pollard, moved into their own home.
-Tefft operated a STORE out of the southeast bedroom extension until his death in 1852.
-Maria Josepha's 2nd husband, Sam Pollard, continued the store until they built their own home.
-The small northeast bedroom extension off the parents bedroom was occupied by the first Adelina Eliza Dana, born 1842 and died in 1847. It was also said this room was used as a nursery, but was more often called "The girls' room." This room and the storeroom (bathroom) were very early additions when it was mud plastered and white washed.
-The northernmost or master bedroom Was occupied by William and Maria Josepha (Mrs. Dana).
Francisco and Ramon and their wives had the two bedrooms south of the stair hall.
A veranda extended along the west wall of the main building, and along the south wing so the cook and family would not get wet going to the kitchen. It was constructed in the 1840's. There was no door into the dining room at this time.
-Outbuildings: There were 7 or 8 wood outbuildings-a saddle/shoe/harness shop, blacksmith shop, loom & spinning shop, candle and soap making shop (vats were east of the building and one built into the hillside-see pg 8 of Condition Assessment), and a carpentry/furniture shop to the south of the main building.
The carpenter made cheese vats and tubs for butter, as well .as furniture made of sandalwood, mahogany and other precious woods that Captain Dana obtained through his shipping, trading, and merchant days.
-There was also a brandy distillery, a grain mill, an adobe barn and corral.
The Captain died in 1858 and the widow moved to Casa Grande on Mallagh St., Nipomo, in 1880. The rancho was divided between 12 heirs (Maria Josepha Pollard already having received a share) in 1882. The widow died in 1883.
The Fred Dana era was 1883 to 1900, and many changes were made. Doorways were added and widened, the double fireplace with brick chimney between the two southern bedrooms was built, the dry well in the patio was abandoned and a windmill was erected below and east of the adobe and water was pumped up hill to his new bathroom. Fred Dana died accidentally July 29, 1899 and his widow was forced to sell to the Frys.
The Fry Family era was 1900 to 1902. Extensive remodeling was done before moving in. They removed the stairway, closing off the upstairs; removed the cupola, and re-shingled the roof,- widened doorways between the central hall and the rooms north and south; probably papered the walls and plaster was redone with lime instead of mud; two large window openings were made in the sala, utilizing complex casings to permit their sliding vertically using sash weights. The uppermost of the two panes had small square lights (possibly colored glass) around the central pane.
There were several other owners who stayed for short periods, and it is felt did little remodeling. Apparently, all of the rooms now extant existed in 1851.
The outside walls changed drastically over time. Apparently, originally mud plaster was white washed. Sometime later, portions of the building were covered with clapboard or wood siding. Somewhat later, the siding was removed and the entire exterior was plastered with lime stucco, which was lined to imitate stone. The plaster was then later painted over, but wore off over time.
NUMBERING OF THE ROOMS
1 STORE ROOM-grains, etc.
2 MILK ROOM-butter made here.
Later became the room of the Chinese Cook and his wife.
3 MASTER BEDROOM-Captain & Maria Josepha's room.
4 GIRLS BEDROOM-Adelina's room.
5 SALA-Originally included rooms 6 & 7.
6 HALL WAY WITH STAIRS
7 BEDROOM-in Fry's era may have been a sitting room.
8 BEDROOM
9 DINING ROOM
10 KITCHEN
11 STORE-Later Fred Dana made into the BATHROOM.
DAILY LIFE
PRODUCTS OF-THE RANCHO:
-The Rancho was famous for it's fine woven serapes and cloth; the serapes could hold water and never wore out. -A coarser woolen cloth called yerga was made for the Indians.
-The blacksmith shop was worked by the Indians who made spurs, bridle bits, and points for wooden ploughs. -The boiler in the soap factory held 5,000 gallons (See pg 21 of Blond Ranchero for how soap was made). -Sugar came from white beets from Oso Flaco; starch was made from potatoes; dyes from roots of plants and the color never faded.
-Salt blocks for the cattle came from the head of the Salinas River, and some was refined for table use. -The Rancho was prominent in the hide and tallow trade. The hides being shipped out from the coast at Caves Landing. The slaughter or matanza was held on the flat below and east of the adobe, in the shade of a ramada, and the hides were staked out to dry there.
Sold in the Store were clothes, harnesses, saddles, ropes, furniture, soap, candles, food stuff, shoes, and black smith implements. Many items were made at the Rancho, while others were traded or bought from ships.
DIET: Few cows were milked as they roamed wild and had to be caught and tied up to be milked. Later, after the cattle and sheep days were over, dairying did become an industry.
Meat was made into tasajos or jerk . Before it was dried, some was dipped in hot- fat with a chili mixture. It was called carne seca. The man who did the cutting up was called the tasajero. Stew was made from the jerky.
Indians made pinole from coarse ground corn (See pg 66 of Blond Ranchero,). Corn was ground into different grades. The finest being atole, made into a thin gruel.
-Pears came from Purisima Mission, and along with being eaten raw, were made into a brandy. (This section can easily be added on to.)
CLOTHING WORN: (See pgs 52, 128, 129 in the Blond Ranchero.)
MAIL DELIVERY: Casa de Dana became a postal division point on the state's first regular mail route in 1847. The couriers would stop to change mail pouches and horses, then continue north or south along the Camino Real. The mail rider from Monterey to Dana's was an old trapper by the name of Jim Beckwourth.
TRANSPORTATION: In the beginning, there was horseback, a cart called a carretas, and/or ships along the coast.
-About 1857 the first Concord stage arrived. The stagecoaches stopped at the old barn below the Casa, where the Concord stage drivers changed the 6-horse teams. Don Juan, as a little boy never got tired of watching the changing of the teams. Stagecoach days were over by the end of the 19th century. (See pg 31 of Blond Ranchero.)
-In 1882 the Pacific Coast narrow gauge railroad was built through a 14 mile strip of the Rancho, and Maria Josepha was given a lifetime pass, which it is said she only used once when her body was sent to SLO to be buried. (Don Juan says she rode it many times)
VISITORS TO THE RANCHO: Being the only stop-over between Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo, and being widely known for its hospitality, the Casa had many visitors. Probably most famous and memorable was Col. Fremont in 1846. There were 100 men and some Walla Walla Indians marching south to claim the Mexican Territory of CA for the U.S. Fremont and 6 of his officers were invited to have lunch at the Casa. Fremont had taken a liking to the blonde, blue eyed Don Juan and asked to have him sit next to him at the table. This was a highlight of Don Juan's life. 40 head of beef were rounded up to feed the men. The Captain gave Fremont fresh beef and 30 horses for the continued march. Fremont offered to pay and gave the Captain an order on the U.S. government, which the Captain said he would never present, and he never did.
Sonorans passed over the land during the gold rush days, often camping on the edge of the creek below the casa. Their singing could be heard at the casa in the evenings.
In 1850, the U.S.S. Edith was deliberately run onto a sandbar and abandoned by her crew, thinking they were close to the gold fields. The crew and passengers eventually made their way to the casa. Some stayed ed several days. The Captain bought the ship for salvage, and the Smokestack later ended up on Don Juan's blacksmith shop.
Unknowingly, bandits who were able to keep their identity a secret, also stayed at the casa. One, Pio Linares, was a vaquero on the Nipomo. He was an excellent rider and horse trainer. Later, it was found he was a "bad Hombre," and along with Jack Powers, was being watched by the Vigilantes. Powers tried to rob a son, Guillermo, as he rode home with a large amount of money from a cattle sale. Missing the chance, Powers made a social call at the casa and found the son safely at home. Powers came back later with his gang and several shots were fired into the house. No one was hurt and Powers finally rode off. (The full story is on page 61 of the Blond Ranchero.)
RELIGION: The Catholic faith was dominant at this time. One of the customs of the time was to open all the windows and sing the morning hymn to the Virgin upon arising. -Padres came from distant missions to visit, and the parlor would be converted into a temporary chapel- a custom if a rancho did not have its own chapel.
-One of the reasons the Captain built the Casa Grande in San Luis Obispo was so Maria Josepha could more easily attend mass at the Mission during Easter and Christmas. She was a devout Catholic.
-And, the Captains most beloved daughter, the first Adelina Eliza (named after the Captain's sister), is buried within the SLO Mission walls. She died at 5, and her tombstone is on the left-hand side, to the rear of the building. This was a great honor, given only to those who were held in great esteem.
SCHOOLING: Don Juan relates going to a primary school for boys at Santa Ines Mission. It was one of the very first schools in CA. It cost $150 per child, per year to attend. About 3 miles away there was another school for older boys-the- ecclesiastical college, El Colegio de Nuestra Senora del Refugio, founded by the first Catholic Bishop of CA, Fray Garcia Diego Moreno in 1844. The girls were ."educated" at home.
ENTERTAINMENT: There were many fiestas. There was no fountain in the patio so the dancing was done there. Verses were sung while the dancing went on. (See pg 47 of Blonde Rancho.) Violin, guitar, and sometimes a flute or seraphina were played.
The most popular dance was La Jota; another El Jarabe (dancing on the brim of a sombrero). There were quadrilles, fandangos, many folk dances, and waltzes like the Spanish Waltz. One of the most stately was the beautiful Contradanza.
Don Juan speaks of filling empty egg shells with tinsel or cologne and sneaking up on each other and cracking the eggs over each others heads. The penalty for getting caught was a kiss. Don Juan said "we took happiness in little happenings," visiting relative and friends when there was time.
There were bull and bear fights, which were fierce and furious. Special bull rings were made. This "sport" lasted into the 1860's. (See pg 83 in Blonde Ranchero for more on bears.)
Then there were the weddings, which would last for days. Don Juan describes his wedding, where the dancing went on for two days, all night and into the day. (See pg 128 in Blonde Ranchero.) It is said his wedding was the last to be celebrated in the "old style."
OUTSIDE PATIO
We are going to just focus on the history of the adobe. If anyone asks about the history of the Captain and family, and you don't know the answer, direct them to the library, the Blond Ranchero, etc.
There will be maps of the outbuildings, barn, etc., on the exit table as they leave the adobe after the tour, but you might mention that.
A little history of the house:
LAND GRANTED: APRIL 6, 1837
SIZE: 37,887 ACRES - FROM THE OCEAN TO THE BASE OF THE SANTA LUCIA MTS., and FROM THE SANTA MARIA RIVER TO THE LOS BERROS.
ADOBES: THERE WERE TWO SMALL ADOBES BUILT - First for the Vaqueros who tended the cattle before the family arrived. The second to be lived in while this casa was being built.
BEGUN: 1837 - IT WAS ONE STORY, ONE ROOM, FLAT ROOFED
POINT OUT: - FIG TREE (the first planted), the SYCAMORE (brought from Los Berros and planted by the Captain.
-When more room was needed the wings were built. NORTH WING - ROOM 1 (STOREROOM for grains, etc.)
ROOM 2 (MILK ROOM, later CHINESE COOK & HIS WIFE'S ROOM) -VERANDA - There used to be a veranda that covered the back wall of the building and extended to the first door on the south wing. It kept the family and the cook from getting wet in the rain when they went to the kitchen and dining room. It will probably be replaced. SOUTH WING - Holds Dining Room and Kitchen.
HALF-STORY: Built for the eldest daughter, Maria Josepha, when she married Henry Tefft, probably in 1851.
CUPOLA: Built at the same time as the half-story, and will be restored.
CHIMNEY: There was another chimney on the roof at that time, which will not be replaced
Point out any other structural feature of importance (having to remove the stucco, replace the veranda, stabilize the walls, earthquake retrofit, etc.). Stress the amount of work that needs to be done.
THE PATIO: Explain how the patio was used for fiestas with dancing and music. Meals may have been served here. Weddings were held here. This was a place where great fun and joy was experienced.
ROOM STORIES
ENTRY HALL: In the beginning there were no walls or staircase, and no
ROOM 6 2nd story. The first room built was the 40' to 50' sala. Later these two partitions were added creating the bedroom to the south, this stairway hallway, and the sala as it is today.
-The stairway is one taken from the Casa Grande
(The Big House) on Mallagh St. before it was torn down. The Big House was built for Maria Josepha by her sons after the Captain died. She lived in it for only a few years (3) before she too died.
-It is thought the original stairway was even steeper than this one and had a closet underneath where candies and holders were kept. This was also the access to the cupola. Notice the bits of wood flooring. This is probably the original flooring.
-One of the grandsons, George Pollard, recorded the childhood memory of Tia Adelina (the 2nd Adelina) standing at the foot of the stairs passing out candlesticks and lighted candles to each boy as he went up stairs to his dormitory bed. The candies stored in the stair closet awaiting the youngsters' bedtime fascinated him as a boy.
-The 2nd story was built in about 1 85 1, when the eldest daughter, Maria Josepha, married Henry Tefft. It was partitioned off into 2 rooms on the south end; and one room, with the remainder being a dormitory for the boys and gentlemen visitors, on the north end. The Teffts occupied the two rooms on the south end. In 1 900, the Frys removed the stairs and the cupola, closed off the opening, and made the doors between the rooms wider.
-There is extensive restoration needed in the 2nd story. The floor is too weak to hold more than a few people.
THE SALA:
ROOM 5 This is the sala-part of the original room of the casa.
- Don Juan (the last son, who lived to be 98) remembered afternoon tea called "cha" being served by the Chinese cook Oin and his wife Aquo, who helped in the house. It is most probable the tea was served in the sala, especially when company was visiting.
-The Danas were famous far and wide for their hospitality. Important visitors, such as John C. Fremont, the surveyor William Rich Hutton, the Captain of the grounded ship S.S. Edith, padres, going from mission to mission, and other dignitaries of the time, as well as visiting family, would have been entertained in this room.
-Notice the windows and how the sills are bowed. That is probably due to the great weight and settling of the adobes on either side due to dampness deterioration. In the beginning, the windows were smaller six over six sliding sash windows, which is true for most of the windows in the casa. They were made larger by the Fry Family, utilizing new glass making technology that allowed for very large (and heavy) single panes of glass to be made. They were able to slide vertically, and the upper pane of glass had small square lights around the central pane, which may have been colored like the panes in the sidelights of the front and back doors.
-The windows will be returned to the smaller sashed windows, to take the weight off, and strengthen and stabilize the walls.
-The fireplace has been remodeled and the early mantle removed. It will be restored. The mantle was redwood and of Greek Revival style, and can be seen in the next room.
-The floor was originally wood, which was replaced with the tile during a remodeling. The remodeling was probably done by the Fry Family when they bought the adobe in 1900, from Fred Dana's wife after he died. Luckily, the original wood was saved.
-Part of the restoration process in this room will be to take up the tile floor and, hopefully, replace it with the original wood. You can see the restoration has already been started in the next room, but you will be able to see it better from the outside as the tour continues.
ADELINA'S ROOM (4) MASTER BEDROOM (3)
This room (4) was added on after the main room was built. It has been called the Girls' room, the nursery, and Adelina's room. It could have been used for any one of those purposes; however, the story of Adelina is the saddest.
Adelina Eliza was named after the Captain's sister, and was his favorite child. He wanted her close to him so built this room. She only lived to be five, but had the great honor to be buried in the mission. Her tombstone is in the back, on the left wall. This honor being bestowed on the Captain's daughter shows in what high esteem the Captain was held by the padres of the mission at that time-only the most important people were allowed to be buried in the mission, and there are very few. The Captain was heartbroken at her loss. The next daughter was named Adelina also. She lived to old age, but never had children of her own.
MASTER BEDROOM: This was the bedroom (Room 3) of the Captain and Josepha. It is most unusual because of the two closets on either side of the fireplace. Closets were not a normal part of the architecture for this period. They are shallow, so probably used for linens.
The fireplace was important to the Captain because he suffered terribly from rheumatism from his years at sea. When the north wing was built the chimney was removed from the roof, so the fireplace is not useable now. It is not understood why the chimney was removed or exactly when. The mantle is the only mantle that was saved from vandals, and is being restored and put back. All the wood for detail was redwood and all in a Greek Revival design.
As you can tell, this is the first room where restoration has begun. All the recent cement-based stucco has to come off all the walls, inside and out. In order to maintain the strength and stability of the adobe bricks, a new breathable mud and limestone stucco will be put back on to allow any dampness to escape. It helps also to see where the bricks have deteriorated so they can be replaced. (There should be a picture of the vision of the room in its restored state that should be pointed out.) Move on to room 7.
THE FRONT VERANDA
This is the scene the Captain viewed from the cupola. Although, at that time, the trees were either not there or were not very tall, so he had an extended view of the valley.
With the telescope he brought with him from his ship the Waverly; or as others say, salvaged from the wrecked U.S.S. Edith, he had a panoramic view of his domain. He looked out for horse thieves-Tulare Indians from the valley often made raids-and bandits who also stole the stock. Constant vigilance was required to protect the stock.
He could see the coming of the mail couriers and the stage, off in a distance.
If he wanted a particular horse, he would scan the valley, spot the horse and send out a vaquero to bring him in.
The original Camino Real came along the edge of the mesa from Los Berros, approximately where the present freeway is now. Just before it arrived at the adobe, it turned and passed between the adobe and barn, then went across the creek and headed toward the Santa Maria River.
This was the trail all visitors used on horseback, the mail couriers used, and the stage used when they stopped to change horses. Fresh horses were always provided. Don Juan never got tired, as a boy, of watching the Concord stagecoach six-horse team changed, and he watched it hundreds of times.
There was a garden with beans, corn, and other vegetables planted at the foot of the bluff on both sides of the creek just below the adobe.
The old Indian, Surritta, did the family wash at the creek below the house also.
This was where the Sonorans camped at night on their way to the gold fields up north. They could be heard in the evening singing songs of their homeland.
The matanzas (beef butchering) were done below the casa and to the northeast of the arroyo. A ramada was built to shade the workers while they cured skins and made jerky. There is still a hole in the ground where the tallow was rendered into lard in huge vats.
When the tour is over, you can go through the fence in the corner, and a path has been mowed so you can go down and see this area.
According to an article from a Santa Ynez Valley Newspaper, written by Grace L. Davison, there were recollections of sitting on the front veranda (right here) on a quiet evening and listening to the Mission bells in San Luis Obispo, 25 miles away - a quiet never to be forgotten!
The railroad arriving in the 1880's brought thrilling memories. It passed just on the other side of the creek, and one day the Engineer, named Masterson, stopped the train in front of the ranch house, whistled, and waited for little Virginia Pollard, her Aunt Adelina and Uncle Samuel to board for a trip to Central City (Santa Maria), with the little girl perched on her uncle's knee during the trip.
The mother, Maria Josepha, was given a lifetime pass as a courtesy for selling a 14 mile strip of the Nipomo to the railroad. Don Juan says she used the pass many times until her death. However, elsewhere it is said she rode the train only once, at the time of her death when her body was taken to San Luis to be buried.
ROOMS 7, 8 & 11
BEDROOM - ROOM 7:
This room was originally part of the 40' sala, but when partitioned off, became a bedroom. When the Frys lived here it was probably used as a second parlor. It would be called a family room today.
FIREPLACE: The fireplace was built by Fred Dana and went through to the next room. These concrete bricks will be replace with adobe and it will be opened up once more.
FLOORING: There was an old 60's shag rug just taken up, and we are hoping when this plywood is taken up, there will be the original tongue and groove pine flooring underneath.
BEDROOM - ROOM 8:
This room's most interesting feature is the door into the next room. Fred Dana and his family were the next family to occupy the house in 1883. Fred was an accomplished carpenter, and until this time, there was no door here. The family had to go outside through the veranda to get to the dining room. Please, watch your head when you go through.
Another interesting feature is this south wall and how it is leaning every which way. This is the most damaged wall in the house and the whole wall will probably have to be taken down and replaced. (Point out the window frame coming off the glass.)
MUSEUM: This room will be used as a museum room until other arrangements can be made - possibly another building in the future. The pictures show the amount of damage the house went through from the elements and worse from vandals. They also show the amount of restoration that has already been done. But there is much more to be done before we can call the restoration complete. The items in the case have all been found around the grounds. After a rain, or when gophers get busy, items can be found unearthed all around the grounds. Look and see what you can find.