Santa Barbara Travel Forum

Hello.

A friend of mine that knows that I´ll be travelling to California in July asked me the favour of finding out why Santa Barbara has that name.

She is a teacher in a small village in the north of the island called Santa Barbara ( Icod ).Her mother told her that ,when she was a child, the priest said that Santa Barbara in California was founded by a man, a priest, who was born here, in Santa Barbara, Tenerife. She wants her students to do a search of that but first she need to know if that is truth. I´m wondering if you are good enough to tell me if that information is right or you know who can help me to get this information.
Why Santa Barbara is called like that?

Thank you for your help

Santa Barbara is named after the patron saint of sailors. The city was founded by a Jesuit Priest by the name of Padre Junipero Serra, where a mission was built by the Spanish, but not named after him as he founded many a town and missions along the California coast. Hope that helps.

Here is the history according to the city:

http://www.santabarbaraca.gov/Resident/Community/Heritage/Chronology.htm

However, here is the how the city got it's name (per wikipedia):

The Santa Barbara Channel received its name from Spanish explorer Sebastian Vizcaino when he sailed over the channel waters in 1602; he entered the channel on December 4, the day of the feast of Santa Barbara. He was not, however, the first European to enter the channel: that honor went to the Portuguese explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo who arrived in 1542.

Mission Santa Barbara was founded on December 4, 1786 in what is now Santa Barbara. The county derives its name from the mission.

It turns out the Padre Junipero Serra was expelled before naming the Mission in 1786, but was built in 1782 along with the Presidio, which was the actual first building in Santa Barbara. The chronology of events goes like this. The channel was named first "Santa Barbara Channel" then the Presidio and Mission were named "El Presidio Real de Santa Barbara" and "Mission Santa Barbara", respectively, after the name of the channel, and then years later a city was named "Santa Barbara". The Presidio in Santa Barbara is the 2nd oldest standing building (after San Juan Capistrano by 2 months) in California. My experience with the history of this area is that it's not known solidly. There are a lot of little nuances. Junipero Serra was born on Majorca and not in the Canaries, though.

Thanks a lot for your kindness. I think I misunderstood my friend. When I got your answers I let her know and she has told me that the man was not born in Tenerife but he was a priest in Santa Barbara for many years. She is going to try to find out more about this. She still thinks that that priest has a conection with Santa Barbara. If she knows something ellse I let you know. Once more THANK YOU VERY MUCH.