Barley
Barley (Hordeum sp.) species including meadow barley, vernal barley and cultivated barley grow on several of the California Channel Islands, including Santa Cruz and San Clemente islands. The 19th century place name, Cañada Cebada, Santa Cruz Island, translates as barley canyon.
In the News~
November 4, 1878 [SBDP]: “The Star of Freedom is loading with barley for the island.”
November 7, 1878 [SBDP]: “The schooner Star of Freedom sailed this morning for Santa Cruz Island with 200 sacks of barley.”
August 12, 1903 [LAT]: “Santa Cruz Island off Santa Barbara… Under the present owners a lobster and fish canning plant is operated there, 50,000 head of sheep roam the hills and valleys, and a large acreage is planted to vineyards, alfalfa and barley. In the wine vaults of the island there are at present 40,000 gallons of wine made last year…”
November, 1907 [C. B. Linton]: “Santa Cruz Island is very mountainous, with wide valleys intervening. There are perhaps 40,000 sheep on the island, a few cattle, immense barley fields and grape vineyards, several ranches, a large winery, and some 100 men employed during the harvesting season...”
May 7, 1915 [SBMP]: “Aggi’s cargo may be saved. Captain Ira K. Eaton is working hard at doomed vessel. Forward hold believed to contain 3000 sacks of grain… The Captain brought back from the wreck nine tons of barley, fourteen bolts of canvas, a few sails, the ship’s compass, a lot of tools, and a few miscellaneous articles, all of which had been taken from the stranded vessel and transferred to the Sea Wolf with great difficulty, as the wind was blowing a gale, although at the time it was very calm on the mainland. Captain Eaton reported that he found the Aggi a complete wreck. Since he saw her on the preceding day, the main mast had been swept away, but the hull was resting solidly on the reef, her back broken in two.”
May 8, 1915 [SBMP]: “Captain Ira K. Eaton returned from Talcott’s Reef in the Sea Wolf yesterday afternoon with another load of barley taken from the wreck of the Aggi. He left at 6 o’clock last evening for another load of the grain, accompanied by Allan Watt and Captain Charles Davis, of the Universal Film Company of Los Angeles, who went for the purpose of getting some photographs of the wreck.”
May 9, 1915 [SBMP]: “More salvage in. Yesterday the power schooner Panama of Long Beach, engaged by Captain Eaton to help save the barley cargo of the wrecked Aggi, came over with its first load, and went back for another. Captain Eaton also came in with the Sea Wolf loaded down to the guards with the grain, and about as soon as it was landed, he too returned to the wreck to repeat the operation.”
May 11, 1915 [SBMP]: Barley salvage. The Sea Wolf and Panama brought eight and twenty-five tons of barley, respectively, from the wreck of the ship Aggi last Sunday, and about the same amount yesterday. This nearly used up all the dry barley on the wrecked vessel, and work will begin today in handling the grain that has been damaged by the water.”
May 12, 1915 [SBMP]: “The Sea Wolf and Panama came in from the wreck of the Aggi yesterday with another load each of the barley from the ruined hulk. This makes 1200 sacks, or about 60 tons, that the two boats have rescued from the wreck, and it about completes the salvage of the dry barley in the Aggi’s cargo. Work will now commence on the removal of the damaged grain, which can be sold only for chicken food, for which it will do very well after being dried out. The wreck of the Aggi is said to be fast breaking up. During the past few days the masts have all been swept away, and soon the fragments of the ship will be scattered far and wide over the watery wastes.”
May 13, 1915 [SBMP]: “After wet barley. Continuing in her work of helping in the salvage of the grain on the wrecked ship Aggi, fast on Talcott’s Shoal, the power schooner Panama left again for the wreck yesterday afternoon to get another load. Captain Eaton will arrive today with another load in the Sea Wolf. All the barley now left on the Aggi is wet, but it is said to make good chicken feed after being dried out, and although it must be sold at a low price, it is said to be well worth saving under the present plans employed.”
May 14, 1915 [SBMP]: “Barley from wreck. Captain Ira K. Eaton came over from the wreck of the ship Aggi yesterday noon in the Sea Wolf with another load of damaged barley. The power schooner Panama is at the wreck in the effort to get one more load of the grain, and if she gets it aboard that will be the last attempted, as the water there is so rough as to make it almost impossible to transfer the grain. The total amount of the barley recovered from the Aggi by Captain Eaton is about eighty tons.”
May 18, 1915 [SBMP]: “The power schooner Panama came in from the Aggi wreck yesterday morning, bringing 200 sacks of wet barley, an anchor saved from the wreck and a lot of brass work and other junk. This load was called the last to be taken from the wreck, which is reported fast breaking up. All the barley now left in the hulk is said to be under water, and there is nothing else aboard worth saving that can be got at.”
May 23, 1915 [SBMP]: “Wreck of the Aggi reported sold. Newmarks of Los Angeles is said to have relieved Universal. It was reported yesterday that the Newmark Grain Company of Los Angeles had purchased from Universal Motion Picture Company the wreck of the ship Aggi that lies on Talcott’s Shoal off Santa Rosa Island, and that the buyer will go ahead at once in the salvaging of the wreck, the picture concern retaining the picture rights of the property. Rumor has it that the price paid was the same that the Universal Company paid the underwriters for the remains of the Aggi — $1000. This deal is said to have been consummated by H. E. and H. S. Woolner, father and son, interested to the Newmark Company, and general manager Magie of the Universal Company, all of whom were on the island during the past week. The opinion prevails among people who have seen the wreck that the Universal Company did a good stroke of business in unloading this very questionable piece of property at the full price paid for it, unless the cargo of the vessel should prove to include something more valuable than the soaked barley that it is supposed to hold as its only feature of value, but probably the buyers know what they are about.”
September 8, 1915 [SCICo]: “Mr. Pallies, 15 Clay St., San Francisco, Cal. Dear Sir: Please enter our order for shipment to Santa Barbara, for 250 sacks of barley, and 50 sacks of oats to be recleaned. When they are ready let us know so that we may make arrangements for the shipment. Yours truly, The Santa Cruz Island Co., AJC.”
October 26, 1916 [SCICo]: “Four horses are being kept busy hauling barley to Christy with 3 teams plowing. We are ready to begin sowing at any time on those fields already plowed. Shall we use the Broad-caster or wait for a drill?”
May 23, 1917 [SCICo]: “List of merchandise shipped from San Francisco office to Santa Cruz Island. Steamer Amelia on May 23, 1917: …writing paper, demijohns, rubber washers, nails, Five Brothers tobacco, Toscani cigars, taper corks, tin matches “Boy”, damper rod, oven top-plate, rubber stopper for Salleron still, tubing, 10 sacks barley, 2 packages for Mr. A. J. Caire…”
April 12, 1920 mammalogist Joseph S. Dixon wrote: “We left at 1:40, reaching Wilson Cove, San Clemente Island, 3 hours later. The island headquarters of the San Clemente Sheep Co. are at Wilson Cove, and Mr. E. G. Blair, the president, welcomed us in person… The Eagle Ranch marks the center of this comparatively level clay loam land, and there is one field of 1800 acres at this point that has been, until recently, planted to barley (dry farmed.) Part of the field was plowed this year to be planted to beans…”
