FLOURNOY, Frank F.
FLOURNOY, Frank F. (1868-1960), Missouri-born Santa Barbara County engineer and surveyor for more than 70 years. In 1895 Flournoy replaced J. K. Harrington as Santa Barbara County Surveyor. Flournoy remained in that position until 1915. (He was replaced by Owen H. O'Neil who served until 1946.) In 1920 Flournoy was appointed, by court order of Judge Crow, to survey Santa Cruz Island in order to settle the dispute among the Caire family. H. J. Doulton and George W. McComber assisted Flournoy in this Herculean task which was finished at the end of 1924 and resulted in a partition of Santa Cruz Island into seven parcels. The City Directory of Santa Barbara 1895-96 lists the Flournoy's residence at 627 De La Vina Street. Flournoy died on January 3, 1960 at age 91 and is buried in the Santa Barbara Cemetery. His epitaph on a bronze sundial in the Santa Barbara cemetery states: “Count only the sunny hours.”
The Santa Barbara Historical Society has a Flournoy panoramic photograph of Cuyler's Harbor, San Miguel Island furnished by Elizabeth Lester [220.0].
- May 13, 2021 Curiosity Correspondent. SURVEYOR FRANK FLOURNOY—“COUNT ONLY THE SUNNY HOURS”
- Flournoy Santa Cruz Island Survey Expedition 1923
"Petie arriving on Sea Wolf', 1923" 
"Petie's Voyage 1923" 
"George pushes, Harry wiggles and Petie moves." 
McComber & Flournoy, 1923 
Flournoy Survey Party, Santa Cruz Island, 1923 
Flournoy Survey Party, Santa Cruz Island, 1923 
"Old George [McComber]on Diablo Pk. Hike, 1923" 
Flournoy and Doulton at Diablo Peak, 1923 
Forney's Cove & West Point SCRI, 1923 
Forney's Cove, Santa Cruz Island, 1923 
Blue Banks, Santa Cruz Island, 1923 
East Divide, Santa Cruz Island, 1923 
McComber & Flournoy,Santa Cruz Island, 1923 
Mt Diablo, Santa Cruz Island, 1923 
Survey Party coming home from Santa Cruz Island, 1923 
Clarence Laurabee, East Point, Santa Cruz Island, 1923 
Flournoy Survey Party, Santa Cruz Island, 1923 
Survey Party, Santa Cruz Island, 1923 
Returned home from survey party trip, 1923
In the News~
September 12, 1904 [SBMP]: “Percy Bagley yesterday took out Dr. and Mrs. Stinson, Mr. and Mrs. Flournoy and Mrs. Greenwell in his power launch Nautilus. They returned early in the afternoon with a large catch of albacore and bonita.”
November 1, 1922 [SBMP]: “Santa Cruz Island will be partitioned and developed... Instructions to proceed immediately with the partition was received yesterday by Frank F. Flournoy, one of the referees, from the attorneys of the two heirs. The other referees are George W. McComber and Frank M. Whitney. The Survey of the island is to be made under the direction of Mr. Flournoy, who said yesterday that the work would begin in the immediate future...”
November 12, 1922 [SBMP]: “Radio phone to connect island. Surveyor will keep posted when field work starts on Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz Island will be connected with Santa Barbara by radio phone in the near future. This has been announced by Frank F. Flournoy, one of the referees appointed by the court to partition the island... Mr. Flournoy, a civil engineer and former county surveyor, is an ardent radio fan, having recently installed a phone set at his residence. Mr. Flournoy is at present time gathering data to proceed with a new survey of the island which is over 52,700 acres in area.”
November 11, 1922 [LAT]: “Santa Barbara. November 21. Court action holding up the partitioning of Santa Cruz Island has recalled the referees, F. F. Flournoy, G. W. McComber and F. M. Whitney, who were ready to start a year’s task of dividing the island into fourteen [seven] parts for the heirs of Justinian Caire under a Supreme Court order. Arthur J. Caire today filed a petition with the Superior Court asking that the referees be directed to first examine the island and report whether or not the property is so situated that partition can be made without great prejudice to the owners. If the report shows that the partition can be made without prejudice the petitioner, representing the Santa Cruz Island Company, asks that the referees be instructed in making such partition to set apart to the Santa Cruz Island Company eighty-six one-hundredths of the island. The contestants also have filed notice warning the referees to incur no expense in making surveys, charts, maps and classifications of the island, or surveys of water supply. This petition, which came just as the referees were sailing away to the island, will be argued next Monday in the Superior Court here.”
January 9, 1923 [SBMP]: “Santa Cruz Island case up again for new court ruling. The Santa Cruz Island subdivision case bobbed up again in the superior court yesterday when an amended motion for order of instructions to referees was made by the defendants in the case of Aglae S. Capuccio against Arthur J. Caire and others. The original motion asking that the court instruct the referees, F. F. Flournoy, F. M. Whitney, and George W. McComber, not to go to great expense and to take orders from none except the court itself in subdividing the island in accordance with a decree upheld by the Supreme Court, was to have been ruled on January 15. The amended motion filed yesterday was taken under advisement by the court.”
January 14, 1923 [SBMP]: “Santa Cruz Island case up for order to three referees. The postponed motion of Aglae S. Capuccio against Arthur J. Caire and others asking court instruction to the referees appointed to subdivide Santa Cruz Island will be heard in the superior court of Judge S. C. Crow tomorrow morning, according to the calendar. The Supreme Court recently upheld the order of Judge Crow authorizing a subdivision in favor of Mrs. Capuccio against the Caire interests who control five-sevenths of the stock of the defunct corporation. The motion for instruction to the referees, Frank F. Flournoy, F. M. Whitney and George W. McComber was made by the Caire trustees, and asks that expense of subdivision be curtailed. The motion was filed some time ago, the day before actual work was to start.”
February 18, 1923 [SBMP]: “Referees will start island partition March 1. Legal obstacles put aside and party is ready to enforce court order. Resort plan hinted. Santa Cruz Island used as Mexican penal colony before U.S. took it over. Partitioning of Santa Cruz Island will begin about March 1, Frank F. Flournoy, one of the referees appointed by Judge S. E. Crow, announced yesterday. The court having denied a motion to hold up the work, nothing prevents immediate action, he said. At that time, Mr. Flournoy, accompanied by George W. McComber and E. J. Doulton, the other referees, will make an extended tour of the island and lay preliminary plan...”
March 13, 1923 [SBMP]: “New attempt to halt island partition. Caire estate appeals lost motion seeking to curb referees. Another step, aimed at to hold up the partition of Santa Cruz Island, was taken yesterday when the Caire interests, chief owners, filed a bill of exception, appealing to the higher court from the ruling of Judge S. E. Crow, which denied a motion to instruct the referees in the matter of expenses and making maps. In the motion made by F. P. Deering of San Francisco, it was claimed that existing maps and plats of the island are sufficient for the purpose of participation. The motion also asked that the court instruct the referees, Frank F. Flournoy, George W. McComber and H. J. Doulton, to take orders from none but the court in making the survey...”
March 13, 1923 [SBMP]: “Government may own portion of Santa Cruz Island under Mexican grant and patents. Research shows maps and plats in conflict, but over 3,000 acres uncovered by land patents; excess areas cause speculation. The United States government has claim to a portion of Santa Cruz Island. This became known last week when preliminary work was done preparatory to the sailing of the referees yesterday morning to start a partition of the island under decree of the Santa Barbara superior court, upheld by the Supreme Court, in the case of Aglae S. Capuccio vs. Arthur J. Caire, and others. Under the terms of the settlement, the Capuccio interests will be assigned two-sevenths of the estate and the Caire estate the remainder. One of the first questions to be considered by the referees, Frank F. Flournoy, George W. McComber and H. J Doulton, is how much of the island is contained in the original land grant... Triangulation methods will be used by the referees in making the survey, Mr. Flournoy says...”
March 17, 1923 [SBMP]: “Engineers will survey island water line. Equipped with life lines, first accurate map will be made. Frank F. Flournoy, one of the referees appointed to partition Santa Cruz Island, will leave with a party of six surveyors Monday morning to make a detailed survey of the island. Mr. Flournoy, accompanied by George W. McComber and H. J. Doulton, the other referees, returned Thursday night from their initial trip. Making a complete cruise around the island in the Sea Wolf, under Captain Ira Eaton, they located nine camps for the survey to begin Monday...”
September 3, 1924 [SBMP]: “Isle partition truce reached. Resumption of Surveys for division of Santa Cruz property planned. Decision to complete the partition of Santa Cruz Island in accordance with an order given by Superior Judge S. E. Crow and sustained by the Supreme Court was reached by the referees yesterday, according to Frank F. Flournoy. Mr. Flournoy, George W. McComber and H. J. Doulton were appointed to survey and divide the island between contesting owners and had completed about half the work when the suit was reopened in the federal courts. Mr. Flournoy and a party of engineers will leave for the island today and remain a week, he announced yesterday... Mr. Flournoy said yesterday that the partitioners are acting entirely on their own initiative in rushing the work of completion without awaiting the outcome of the suit in the federal courts.”
October 2, 1924 [SBMP]: “The survey of Santa Cruz Island which was ordered four years ago by the Superior Court will be completed in about 30 days, as soon as field notes are transcribed and maps completed, Frank F. Flournoy announced yesterday upon his return from the island. Mr. Flournoy is one of the three referees appointed by Judge Crow to settle the dispute over subdivision of the island. H. J. Doulton and George McComber will assist Mr. Flournoy in allotting two-sevenths of the island to the heirs represented by Mrs. A. Capuccio, while remaining portions will go to the faction headed by Arthur J. Caire. Mrs. Capuccio has announced her intention of improving the portion of the island allotted to her and possibly selling it. The division will be made so as to allow her two-sevenths of the appraised value of the island, including harbors and agricultural land.”
December 21, 1924 [SBMP]: “Partition of Santa Cruz to stir contest. Renewal of controversy over island is anticipated. Survey is finished. Case scheduled to be brought up in court tomorrow. Another contest over partitioning Santa Cruz Island is due to break in the superior court tomorrow when the final report of the referees appointed to survey and divide the island between contesting owners is submitted. According to Frank F. Flournoy, who heads the board of referees, the report is completed and either will be submitted tomorrow afternoon or on December 29 if all three referees cannot be present tomorrow...”
December 28, 1924 [SBMP]: “Island report will be read. Santa Cruz referees are scheduled to appear in court tomorrow. The final report of the referees on partitioning of Santa Cruz Island will be made to Superior Judge S. E. Crow tomorrow afternoon and set for hearing, according to the court calendar. The filing of the report will be the signal for another court battle in the seven years’ litigation to determine whether or not Mrs. Aglae S. Capuccio has a right to dispose of her one-seventh share of the island as she sees fit. Mrs. Capuccio has been upheld in her suit against the Caire estate by Judge Crow and the Supreme Court has confirmed his judgment. Frank F. Flournoy, H. J. Doulton and George W. McComber were appointed by the court to partition the 60,000-acre island as a basis for setting aside Mrs. Capuccio’s separate estate. It is this report which is due to be submitted to the court tomorrow.”
December 30, 1924 [SBMP]: “Island partition report postponed. The report of the referees on the partition of Santa Cruz Island was indefinitely postponed by Superior Judge S. E. Crow yesterday when he ordered the matter dropped from the calendar to be restored on five-days’ notice. The referees, Frank F. Flournoy, H. J. Doulton and George W. McComber, have completed their final report.”
February 10, 1925 [SBMP]: “Island report to be heard tomorrow. The hearing on the referees report on partitioning Santa Cruz Island will open in the superior court at 10 o’clock tomorrow morning when the contesting parties will be represented by San Francisco attorneys. The referees, Frank F. Flournoy, George W. McComber and H. J. Doulton, have retained attorney William J. Griffith to represent them in court in an effort to obtain their fee and expense allowance of approximately $28,000. The extreme east end of the island has been set aside by the referees to Mrs. Aglae S. Capuccio and Edmund Rossi, who, according to their attorneys, expect to develop it as soon as the referees’ report is accepted.”
February 27, 1925 [SBMP]: “Island suit peace seen. Two owners pay share of cost of dividing 62,000 acre tract. An early settlement of the suit over partitioning Santa Cruz Island was indicated yesterday when Mrs. Aglae S. Capuccio and Edmund A. Rossi paid their share of the cost of dividing the 62,000-acre estate between seven contesting parties. The significant part of the settlement made yesterday is the fact that court had allowed the parties 30 days after final acceptance of the referees’ report in which to pay the costs, and the final hearing has been set for argument on March 18. A receipt for $2372.58 was filed with the county clerk yesterday by Frank F. Flournoy, H. J. Doulton and George W. McComber. This amount covers costs only and does not include the shares of $37,500 commission already agreed to by the owners of the island. Mrs., Capuccio and Mr. Rossi have been allotted approximately 13,000 acres at the extreme east end of the island, but they have petitioned the court for an additional frontage between Prisoners’ Harbor and Punta Diablo, and for a public road between the east end of the island and Prisoners’ Harbor. The largest portion of the island, consisting of 51 percent of the total acreage, has been allotted to the estate of Mrs. Justinian Caire, who died in San Francisco several months ago. This property will be distributed to the heirs of her estate who are the other four contesting owners of the island.”
March 19, 1925 [SBMP]: “Court continues island hearing. Case will be reset by Crow next Monday; report also deferred. The hearing on the partitioning of Santa Cruz Island which was to have been held in the superior court yesterday morning was continued until next Monday, to be reset by Judge S. E. Crow on motion of attorney W. G. Griffith, representing the referees. Both the report of referees Frank F. Flournoy, George W. McComber and H. J. Doulton and the objection by Mrs. Aglae S. Capuccio and Edmund A. Rossi were continued yesterday.”
August 7, 1939 [letter]: “Mr. E.L. Stanton. Dear Mr. Stanton. Within please find bill for my work on retracing the boundary line between you and Mr. Gherini. You will see on this bill I had to take a taxi to take my men home on account of being late at night and to carry their bedding with them. I had to stop at the hotel on account of the fact that my wife had a lady in my bed at home taking my place on account of my being away. I had to compile a map of triangulation to save measuring on the ground the middle line where we got into the cactus. This, of course, saved a couple of days on the island. Hoping this is satisfactory, I remain yours truly, Frank F. Flournoy”
September 27, 1939 [letter]: “Mr. Herbert S. Lester, Deputy Sheriff, Rancho Rambouillet, San Miguel Island. Dear Lester, ... I will do as you said—I will ring up George Hammond and David Gray and find which one is going over [to San Miguel Island] so they can take this letter with them... I feel kind of bad not having an opportunity to come over and see you before now, and here you are offering me a job to make me come over... Every time I go over to Santa Cruz I feel like eating mutton. I do love mutton...”
