Santa Barbara County
Cities and Towns
Source: Wikipedia
Summerland
Summerland is a census-designated place
(CDP) in Santa Barbara County, California, United States. The
population was 1,545 at the 2000 census. The town includes a
school and a Presbyterian Church. There are many small
businesses.
History
Summerland from the top of Ortega Hill, 2006
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Summerlandca.jpg
Tar from natural oil seeps in the
Summerland area was long used as a sealant, both by the native
Chumash peoples and by the Spanish builders of the Mission Santa
Barbara, who used it as waterproofing for the roof. In 1883,
Spiritualist and real estate speculator H.L. Williams founded the
town of Summerland. He named it as an advertisement for the
excellent weather, and in 1888 divided his land tract, on a
moderately sloping hill facing the ocean, into numerous parcels.
He promoted the tiny lots – 25 x 60 – to fellow
spiritualists, who bought them in quantity and moved to the area.
The houses they built included bizarre architectural features
such as doors which opened to walls, and stairways ascending to
nowhere. The spiritual center of the town was a community séance
room, demolished only when Highway 101 was put through in the
1950s.
In the 1890s, oil development began in the coastal area of
Summerland, at the Summerland Oil Field. Numerous wooden oil
derricks sprouted on the beach, and on piers stretching into the
ocean, as seen in the photograph. The world's first offshore oil
well, drilled into the sea floor, was at this location.
Production at this beach area peaked before 1910, although most
of the rigs remained into the 1920s. Peak production from the
onshore portion of the Summerland Field did not actually occur
until 1930; the last oil was pumped from the nearshore region in
1940. In 1957, Standard Oil Co. of California (now Chevron) found
the large Summerland Offshore Oil Field, several miles offshore,
which is still in production.
In January 1969, a blowout at this field produced the infamous
Santa Barbara Oil Spill, a formative event for the modern
environmental movement.
Dozens of oil wells just off the coast, c. 1915
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Oil_wells_just_offshore_at_Summerland,_California,_c.1915.jpg
Geography
Summerland is located at 34°25'17N
119°35'45W.
It is on the coast directly east of the city of Santa Barbara and
west-northwest of the city of Carpinteria, and is almost entirely
surrounded by the unincorporated community of Montecito.
Summerland has a significantly higher population density than the
surrounding area. U.S. Route 101 goes through Summerland.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total
area of 2.0 square miles (5.3 km²), of which, 2.0 square miles
of it is land and 0.49% is water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were
1,545 people, 715 households, and 368 families residing in the
CDP. The population density was 764.7 people per square mile.
There were 784 housing units at an average density of 388.0/sq
mi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 91.78% White, 0.45% African
American, 0.26% Native American, 2.39% Asian, 0.13% Pacific
Islander, 2.27% from other races, and 2.72% from two or more
races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.44% of the
population.
There were 715 households out of which 17.9% had children under
the age of 18 living with them, 42.2% were married couples living
together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present,
and 48.5% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up
of individuals and 5.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years
of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the
average family size was 2.70.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 14.6% under the age
of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 34.2% from 25 to 44, 32.9% from 45 to
64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age
was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 93.9 males. For
every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.9 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $53,964, and the
median income for a family was $75,625. Males had a median income
of $50,469 versus $41,042 for females. The per capita income for
the CDP was $41,668. About 4.5% of families and 9.5% of the
population were below the poverty line, including 7.5% of those
under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.
In Popular Culture
Mentioned in the Everclear song "Summerland," from their Sparkle and Fade album.
The main location in the TV show Summerland.
This page was last updated July 19, 2009.
