HAZARD, Barclay
HAZARD, Barclay (1852-1938), Rhode-Island born part-time Santa Barbara resident as early as 1879, who for a time owned a two-masted schooner, Ocean King, and hired Charles F. Libbey as captain. In 1881 Barclay Hazard married his second wife, Alida Blake, daughter of Professor Eli Whitney Blake Jr., and they honeymooned in Santa Barbara. Hazard was particularly interested in trees. He visited Santa Cruz Island in the summer of 1885 where he collected specimens of the Santa Cruz Island ironwood, a tree unknown to him. Hazard sent a collection to University of California botanist, Edward L. Greene who officially described this island endemic, Lyonothamnus aspleniifolius. In turn, Greene named the shrubby genus Hazardia in Barclay Hazard’s honor. In 1918, Margaret Eaton reported that a Mr. Hazard gave her one white and eleven black fig trees which she planted near her vegetable garden at Pelican Bay. [Eaton 1980: 215]. Today some of the trees continue to grow at Pelican Bay without care or cultivation. Hazard died in Peace Dale, Rhode Island at age 86.
In the News~
April 15, 1884 [SBDI]: “It is reported that that popular schooner, the Ocean King, has been sold by Captain Larco to Mr. Hazard of this city, who will use it for a passenger vessel.”
September 6, 1886 [SBDP]: “The Ocean King arrived in port Friday with Mr. B. Hazard, the owner of the vessel, and a party of pleasure seekers.”
September 27, 1886 [SBDP]: “Mrs. Bingham exhibited several specimens of plants recently obtained by Rev. E. L. Greene on Santa Cruz and San Miguel islands. Among them, the leaves and blossoms of a tree found on Santa Cruz, first introduced to science by Mr. Hazard of this city in 1884 and described by Mr. Greene. He named it Lyonothamnus aspleniifolius. It has a much divided, shining, evergreen leaves and a white blossom, grows to the height of forty feet, and must be ornamental...”
April 9, 1887 [SBDI]: “Natural History Society Report… An interesting fact was mentioned, that Prof. Greene of California University, had named a new genus of plants, belonging to the Channel Islands, in honor of Mr. Barclay Hazard of this city, in consideration of the assistance rendered during the botanical excursions on Mare Island during last year. It was the same gentleman who introduced the tree Lyonothamnus asplenifolia to science, a tree known only from Santa Cruz Island.”
June 19, 1894 [SBMP]: “José Espinosa was brought over from Santa Cruz Island this morning badly wounded by a gun shot. He has been engaged in seal hunting for Mr. Hazard...”
September 29, 1901 [SBMP]: “The old Ocean King, formerly Mr. Hazard's yacht here, came in yesterday from San Pedro. She is now in command of Captain James Wright, and is on her way to the crawfish camps of the islands. The Ocean King is well known here.”
April 30, 1903 [AC]: “It was announced that Mrs. Barclay Hazard of New York had given $5000 for the establishment of an Indian museum at the Institution, in memory of her brother, the late Eli Whitney Blake, of Province, Rhode Island, who at one time was a teacher at the school and who took much interest in the Indian students [at Hampton Institute, VA]…”
June 10, 1908 [SBMP]: “Dr. Hall of Berkeley, Dr. Franceschi and Dr. Ed Rowe tell of wondrous plant life to be found on the Channel Islands... Hazardia cana is plentiful; found also on other channel islands and on Guadalupe Island [Mexico]. This is a striking looking shrub with a white cottony leaf. It is named after the late Rowland Hazard.” [It is named after Barclay Hazard, his nephew.]
