at first called Central City. In the following year Santa Maria 

 was adopted as the name of the townsite as well as the valley. 

 Probably it was Father Crespi who originated the name. Con- 

 stanso mentions that the place was christened in honor of an 

 Indian chief, but it seems highly improbable that the devout 

 would invest an aborigine with any such saintly sobriquet. 



In the early days cattle raising was the principal industry of the 

 valley, which came to be known as a "Cow Heaven." Dry 

 farmers found that wheat, barley, oats, corn, and beans did well. 

 Home gardens produced vegetables of remarkable quality. A sugar 

 beet industry sprang up, but probably was overdone. For fifty 

 years after the first straggling settlers began their battle of toil the 

 valley basked in an equable climate, and made commendable but 

 unexciting progress. Suddenly in 1925 it came to life. 



Captain Hancock went to the valley with vision and a purpose, 

 rolled up his sleeves and went to work. Here were agricultural 

 and industrial possibilities which challenged his pioneering spirit. 

 From an English syndicate he took over twenty-six miles of rusty 

 and bedraggled railroad line and equipment, along with a group of 

 oil wells and storage tanks at the upper end of the valley. The 

 Santa Maria Valley Railroad was more of a liability than an 

 asset, but it figured in his long range plan for development of the 

 valley, scientifically and commercially. He acquired farm lands 

 and grazing lands and began building for the future. His energies 

 were devoted to stimulating production and orderly marketing in 

 the valley. 



Engaging agricultural advisors, trained poultrymen, and quali- 

 fied herdsmen for Rosemary Farm, he inaugurated a system of crop 

 rotation to restore the fertility of overworked soil and soon demon- 

 strated the value of scientific farming. He established an ice plant 

 of ample capacity and organized a packing company which afforded 

 growers a satisfactory market for their products. 



Irrigation made possible the growing of crops previously un- 

 tried in the valley and ranchers supplemented grain and bean crops 

 with vegetables. Carrots, lettuce, cauliflower, endive, broccoli, 

 tomatoes, cabbage and a host of other garden products flowed out 

 of the valley to the great markets of the nation where they have 

 gained the reputation of possessing exceptional quality. 66 



