LARCO'S FISH MARKET
Larco's Fish Market, Santa Barbara, was built in 1911 by Scottish stonemason, Peter Poole, for Sebastian Larco. The address was 114 State Street. After several subsequent owners, the building was physically moved to Cabrillo Blvd. Where it now serves as the Santa Barbara Visitor Center run by the Chamber of Commerce.
In the News~
January 3, 1906 [SBMP]: “An immense jewfish weighing 175 pounds was caught yesterday morning in Larco's fish net. It was landed by the men with some difficulty and taken to Larco's fish market, where it was dressed and placed in the local market for sale. The largest jewfish ever caught in this locality was landed by E. G. Larco over a year ago while fishing with a line at Santa Cruz Island.”
September 18, 1906 [SBMP]: “Crawfish season opens with poor outlook for the market... The retail price was 15 cents a pound at Larco's Fish Market last Saturday, and it is now 12 and one-half cents...”
September 19, 1906 [LAT]: “The crawfish season has opened again and the first catches of the year were brought in from the islands yesterday. Prospects are not very bright for the fishermen who make a specialty of this line of trade, for the prices are low and the fish are scarce. The wholesale and retail prices are usually quite high at the opening of the season, where there is as a rule a big demand for the fish, but this year the opposite is the case. The wholesale price was several points lower yesterday than it was last year, and has dropped since the first quotations were received from the north. The retail price was 15 cents a pound at Larco’s fish market last Saturday, and it is now 12-1/2 cents. Fishermen believe that the bed rock has been reached now and that prices will go up as soon as it is generally known that crawfish are scarce this year. A lack of supply and demand will probably create a greater demand, and prices will go up.”
August 19, 1916 [SBMP]: “At Larco’s fish market yesterday morning was on exhibition one of the largest swordfish ever seen here. It was caught by Martin Suich, a Santa Barbara fisherman who was out in his motor boat fishing in the waters of the lower channel, in his nets that had been lowered at a point midway between Ventura and the islands. The swordfish was twelve feet long, and weighed 440 pounds. It was shipped last evening to Los Angeles where it will be the prize of the Japanese epicures, who esteem certain pasts of this marine monster a great delicacy.”
August 19, 1916 [SBDN]: “Following a fierce battle during which his small motor boat was endangered as well as his life, Martin Suich, a fisherman of this place, landed a monster swordfish in the lower channel yesterday and brought it into port. The swordfish measured approximately 20 feet from tip to tip, and it tipped the beam at 440 pounds — by far the largest of its kind taken from waters in the memory of the oldest fishermen along the wharves. The monster was on exhibition at Larco’s fish market yesterday, and later was sold to Los Angeles parties and shipped to that place last night, where it will become the prize of Japanese epicures. The swordfish was caught by Captain Suich in his nets.”
