Editing Santa Barbara, California (section)

===Spanish era===
[[File:Santa Barbara mission CA1.jpg|thumb|left|[[Mission Santa Barbara]], known as "the Queen of the Missions", was founded by the Spanish in 1786.]]
The explorer [[Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo]], sailing for the [[Kingdom of Spain]], sailed through what is now called the [[Santa Barbara Channel]] in 1542, anchoring briefly in the area. In 1602, Spanish maritime explorer [[Sebastián Vizcaíno]] gave the name "Santa Barbara" to the channel and also to one of the [[Channel Islands of California|Channel Islands]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Gudde |first=Erwin G. |pages=[https://archive.org/details/californiaplacen0000gudd/page/294 294] |year=1969 |title=California Place Names |url=https://archive.org/details/californiaplacen0000gudd|url-access=registration |location=Berkeley |publisher=University of California Press |access-date=April 11, 2014}}</ref>

A land [[Portola expedition|expedition]] led by [[Gaspar de Portolà]] visited around 1769, and Franciscan missionary [[Juan Crespi]], who accompanied the expedition, named a large native town "Laguna de la Concepción". Cabrillo's earlier name, however, is the one that has survived.
[[File:SB Presidio.jpg|thumb|right|[[Presidio of Santa Barbara]]]] 
The first permanent European residents were Spanish missionaries and soldiers under [[Felipe de Neve]], who arrived in 1782 and constructed the [[Presidio of Santa Barbara|Presidio]]. They were sent to both secure the Spanish claim to the region and to convert the [[Indigenous peoples of California|indigenous peoples]] to [[Catholic Church|Catholicism]]. Many of the Spaniards brought their families with them, and those formed the nucleus of the small town&nbsp;– at first just a cluster of adobes&nbsp;– that surrounded the [[Presidio of Santa Barbara]]. The Santa Barbara Mission was established on the Feast of [[Saint Barbara]], December 4, 1786. It was the tenth of the California Missions to be founded by the Spanish Franciscans.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mission & History|url=https://www.santabarbaramission.org/mission-history|access-date=February 27, 2021|website=Old Mission Santa Barbara|language=en-US|archive-date=December 21, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201221140920/https://www.santabarbaramission.org/mission-history|url-status=live}}</ref> It was dedicated by Padre [[Fermín Lasuén]], who succeeded Padre [[Junipero Serra]] as the second president and founder of the California Franciscan Mission Chain. The Chumash laborers built a connection between the canyon creek and the Santa Barbara Mission water system through the use of a dam and an aqueduct.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.independent.com/news/2015/jan/20/history-rattlesnake-canyon/|title=The History of Rattlesnake Canyon|last=Redmon|first=Michael|date=January 20, 2015|work=Santa Barbara Independent|access-date=August 7, 2017|archive-date=August 8, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808075141/http://www.independent.com/news/2015/jan/20/history-rattlesnake-canyon/|url-status=live}}</ref> During the following decades, many of the natives died of diseases such as [[smallpox]], against which they had no [[Innate immune system|natural immunity]].<ref>Baker, Gayle, ''Santa Barbara'' HarborTown Histories Publishers, Santa Barbara, CA, 2003, {{ISBN|978-0-9710984-1-1}} (print) 978-0-9879038-1-5 (e-book) p. 12–13</ref>
[[File:José_de_la_Guerra_y_Noriega_(cropped).jpg|thumb|left|Don [[José de la Guerra y Noriega]] served as Commandant of the [[Presidio of Santa Barbara]] and founded the [[Guerra family of California]], a prominent [[Californio]] family which produced numerous Mayors of Santa Barbara, California Senators, and more.]]
The most dramatic event of the Spanish period was the powerful [[1812 San Juan Capistrano earthquake|1812 earthquake]], and [[tsunami]], with an estimated magnitude of 7.1, which destroyed the Mission as well as the rest of the town; water reached as high as present-day Anapamu Street, and carried a ship half a mile up Refugio Canyon.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.usc.edu/dept/tsunamis/2005/news/articles/pdfs/2005_01_09_tsunami_LAT.pdf |title=Los Angeles Times article on 1812 tsunami |access-date=May 20, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120917105445/http://www.usc.edu/dept/tsunamis/2005/news/articles/pdfs/2005_01_09_tsunami_LAT.pdf |archive-date=September 17, 2012 }}</ref><ref>Tompkins, 1975, p. 13–14</ref> The Mission was rebuilt by 1820 after the earthquake.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.athanasius.com/camission/barbara.htm|title=Mission Santa Barbara|website=Athanasius.com|access-date=August 8, 2017|archive-date=May 3, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170503190117/http://www.athanasius.com/camission/barbara.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> Following the earthquake, the Mission fathers chose to rebuild in a grander manner, and it is this construction that survives to the present day, the best-preserved of the California Missions, and still functioning as an active church by the Franciscans. After the Mexican government secularized the missions in the 1830s, the baptismal, marriage, and burial records of other missions were transferred to Santa Barbara, and are now found in the [[Santa Barbara Mission-Archive Library|Santa Barbara Mission Archive-Library]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.c-span.org/video/?404339-1/mission-santa-barbara-library-archives |title=Old Mission Santa Barbara Library and Archives |work=C-SPAN |date=January 14, 2016 |access-date=May 25, 2018}}</ref>

The Spanish period ended in 1822 with the conclusion of the [[Mexican War of Independence]], which terminated 300 years of Spanish colonial rule and transferred control to the newly independent Mexican government.

Santa Barbara street names reflect the influence of the Spanish period. The names ''de le Guerra'' and ''Carrillo'' come from the [[Guerra family of California]] and [[Carrillo family of California]], respectively. They were instrumental in building up the town, so they were honored by having streets named after them.<ref>Redmon, Michael (November 21, 2014) [http://www.independent.com/news/2014/nov/21/history-behind-street-names/ "The History Behind Street Names"] ''[[Santa Barbara Independent]]''</ref>