ERBETTI, Carlo

Calvary Cemetery, Santa Barbara, CA

ERBETTI, CARLO (1862-1946), Italian-born immigrant who traveled from Genoa, Gibralter & Naples aboard the Werra in steerage, arriving in New York on December 21, 1893. He was 30 years old and a shoemaker.

Erbetti became superintendent on Santa Cruz Island for almost four years, beginning in May 1898 and continuing through February 1902. His salary was raised from $60 a month to $70 a month. According to the Santa Barbara City Directory for 1939, Erbetti was in the real estate business in Santa Barbara.

Erbetti died July 31, l946 at age 83, and is buried in Santa Barbara at Calvary Cemetery. Carlo’s sister Teresa, was married to Alberto Scudelari, Santa Cruz Island employee. His sister, Pasqualina (1872-1927), was married to Francisco Miratti (1859-1934).

In the News~

May 9, 1901 [LAT/SB]: “The gasoline schooner Santa Cruz left this morning for the island with a band of sheep shearers aboard, after a number of difficulties between the men and their employers had been patched up. Some weeks ago the shearers, in the employ of Carlo Erbetti, foreman of the J. Caire estate, formed the ‘Santa Cruz Shearers Union,’ to protest against their treatment. They claimed that they were hired by Erbetti at 50 cents per day in excess of regular shearing wages, and $1 per day for working as vaqueros, and doing general work on the ranch. When they were taken to the island, however, they were compelled to sweep the corrals, and perform other menial duties which they deemed out of the contract, and were paid but 50 cents per day. Captain Maggiolo of the schooner Santa Cruz waited several days this week for the two factions to get things adjusted, and was able to get off this morning with a full cargo of men and supplies.”

May 9, 1901 [SBMP]: “The schooner Santa Cruz, Capt. Maggiolo, sailed yesterday with a number of sheep shearers for the J. Caire estate. The shearers' union finally made its peace with the foreman, Carlo Erbetti, and returned to work.”

February 21, 1912 [SCICo Letter Books]: From AJC, SF to Revel, SCI, February 21, 1912, [English]. Sheet 1. “The pieces for the aermotor windmill which we sent you down seem to be of a later model than that which you now have at Scorpion Ranch. . . . If we remember rightly, the windmill was set up while Mr. Erbetti was superintendent [May 1898-February 1902], by Rosiga and Bianco, while the writer was at the Island.” The windmill appears in the photograph at page 65 of Chiles, Justinian Caire and Santa Cruz Island (hereinafter “Chiles”), and is referred to in the text at page 72. The mill was used to bring well water to the surface and into a reservoir.

August 1, 1946 [SBNP]: “Long illness fatal to Carlo Erbetti, resident 50 years. Carlo Erbetti, resident of Santa Barbara for the past 50 years recently in the real estate and insurance business here, died suddenly at his home, 227-1/2 West Haley Street, yesterday after a lingering illness. Mr. Erbetti would have been 84 years of age November 2. A native of Italy, he was a member of the Sons of Italy here… Surviving relatives are four sisters: Miss Antonia Erbetti of Italy; Mrs. María Risi of Downey, California; Mrs. Teresa Scudelari of Goleta; and Mrs. Carlotta Munro of this city; also several nieces and nephews.”