LARCO BROTHERS
LARCO BROTHERS
In the News~
May 7, 1893 [LAT/SB]: “The first barracuda of the season were caught by the Larco boys today.”
December 22, 1896 [LAT/SB]: “The Larcos caught another large jewfish in the channel this morning, weighing 250 pounds.”
July 16, 1897 [SBDI]: “As the summer’s sun grows warmer, sailing on the channel is becoming more popular. Sebastian Larco, with La Paloma, took George Edwards and party out for a sail Wednesday evening; a party from Miramar, yesterday afternoon and G. E. Vorhees and party are booked tonight.”
August 7, 1897 [SN]: “Examiner H. L. Collier of the surveying branch of the Department of the Interior is in Santa Barbara accompanied by several deputies, and en route to San Miguel Island where he will verify the old Benson survey of the isle made in 1878. The Lizzie Belle W will carry the party to San Miguel. The visit may have some bearing on the disputed ownership of the property, as he states that the government claims the island, believing that Captain Waters has no title that will be upheld in the courts.”
April 17, 1900 [SBMP]: “The Big Loafer and the Genoa, belonging to Captain Larco, sailed yesterday under the command of fishermen skippers for a cruise of several days in the neighborhood of the islands. According to Captain Larco, fish are quite scarce and are not running close to shore.”
November 27, 1900 [SBDI]: “The Larcos recently put into the water a fine new 20-foot-long boat built by Orrin Neal of Montecito. It is intended for all-around work, and will be used as a row boat ordinarily, although sail is provided. The authorities on such matters pronounce it as trim a little craft as ever touched the waters of the channel.”
August 23, 1901 [LAT/SB]: “A remarkable marine animal was caught by one of Larco’s fishing boats yesterday, and no one here has yet been able to classify it. In appearance it resembles a huge turtle, but is quite different from any animal of that kind ever seen here. Its shell is about six feet long and about the same width at the widest part, being rather of a pear shape. The flippers extend outside of the shell between three and four feet, and the head almost as far, never being drawn under the shell, as is the case with the ordinary turtle. Its weight is probably between 500 and 600 pounds, and it had to be lassoed and towed about a mile and a half to shore, as the fishermen could not get it in the boat.”
September 20, 1902 [SBMP]: “The Larco brothers caught a 300 pound jewfish yesterday.”
December 23, 1902 [SBMP]: “Yesterday a huge jewfish was caught in Larco's net and successfully landed. It weighed 436 pounds and measured over seven feet in length.”
December 25, 1902 [LAT/SMa]: “A jewfish weighing over 400 pounds was caught by a Portuguese fisherman named John [?] Larco in the channel this week. This is one of the largest fish ever caught in these waters and it was with great difficulty that Larco landed it.”
October 14, 1903 [SBI]: “Monster crawfish being prepared for the St. Louis exposition. That Santa Barbara county’s exhibit at the St. Louis exposition next year will include products other than those of a horticultural, agricultural and mineral nature, was made clear today when the Larco brothers delivered to Charles W. Merritt, secretary of the county commission, a huge crawfish which, in size, suggests a baby whale rather than the average shell-covered denizen of the rocky shores of the sea. The Larco boys caught the big fellow in one of their traps, which had been set in the channel a short distance off shore from this city. In length it measures exactly thirty-seven and one half inches, from end of the tail to the end of the feelers, about twenty inches of the tape is taken up in passing around the head, and an eighteen pound weight is required to balance the big fellow on the scales…”
April 7, 1904 [SBMP]: “The Larcos sold the power schooner Isabelle yesterday to I. Bardellini of San Francisco, and Frank Nidever will leave this morning with her for the north where she will be used in the fishing business.”
March 19, 1907 [SBMP]: “Fishermen find rich grounds off Santa Barbara… This morning over a score of the fleet tied up to Stearn’s pier to unload. Each had over two tons aboard, and the greater part of the morning was consumed in loading the fish onto the wagons of the Larco fish market…”
September 24, 1908 [SBI]: “The launch Baltic came over from the south side of Santa Cruz Island with 20 sacks of crawfish for the Larco fish market. The fishermen report improvement of fishing around the islands. Captain Dan Pico was in charge of the boat.”
March 30, 1911 [SBMP]: “...Captain Waters, accompanied by his brother, John A. Waters, made the trip over on the launch Charm with Captain Henry Short. On the return trip at about 8:00 last night, a pelican flew over the deck and was caught by Mr. Waters. It was a beautiful grey bird handsomely marked. The bird was taken to the Larcos by Captain Waters and will be kept there as a pet.”
December 27, 1911 [SBMP]: “The story of the probable drowning of Charles Linn, a Genoese sailor, published by the Press of December 19, furnished the authorities yesterday the means of identification on the bloated and disfigured body that was recovered by fishermen as they came through the kelp beds in the early morning hours… Linn was about 45 years of age and had been in these parts for 25 years or more. He was formerly with Captain Thompson on the Star of Freedom, and was also employed formerly by the Larcos. Recently he returned from San Francisco, after having been engaged for several years as second mate on lumber schooners. He was an able seaman. He had no family as far as known…”
February 11, 1912 [SBMP]: “Twenty crawfish camps on the Channel Islands will be deserted and 40 or 50 men will be turning their energies to other pursuits as a result of the progress of the time. The crawfish season closes February 14th, which is next Wednesday. Yesterday the launch Miramar brought over a number of men from Larco camps, and the launch Comet, Captain Crist, arrived with the fishermen from two other camps. The season has been, generally speaking, unsatisfactory. The catch has not been large, and prices have been so variable and sometimes so low that the returns were not profitable.”
April 20, 1914 [SBDNI]: “The lumber steamer Avalon completed discharging a big cargo of lumber, singles and a consignment of fish boxes for Larco brothers, last night, and sailed for the north.”
June 2, 1914 [SBDNI]: “Captain Nidever arrived this morning with a big cargo of abalone shells gathered on San Miguel Island. The shells will be shipped to San Francisco by the Larco brothers.”
December 19, 1914 [SBDNI]: “Much damage has been done to crawfish traps on the shores of Santa Cruz and other islands in this vicinity, by the recent southeaster and high tides. The powerboat Miramar, of the Larco Fish Company, reports that most of the traps on the island shores were wrecked by the heavy seas. Many crawfish caught in the five days preceding the storm, also escaped when the underwater pens were smashed by the ocean. The Miramar brought over only 25 per cent of its usual crawfish cargo. There are fourteen crawfishing camps on Santa Cruz Island, and several on Anacapa.”
December 29, 1914 [LAT/SB]: “Are pirates making their hide-out on Santa Cruz Island? The question is being asked by local fishermen. The Italian fishermen employed by the Larco Fish Company are certain the isolated harbors of the island are frequented by robbers of the sea…”
December 28, 1914 [SBDNI]: “Following the theft of two five-gallon demi-johns of wine and a box of cartridges from the fishing boat Eagle, of the Larco Fish Company, late Saturday night, and several other recent attempts at theft, also the killing by unknown parties of several sheep for food on Santa Cruz Island, rumors are in circulation here today that a mysterious band of pirates, using a powerboat, have established headquarters at Friars’ Harbor, Santa Cruz Island, and are using the island as a rendezvous from which to carry on their nefarious trade. The rumors come from various reliable sources, and people in touch with the movement of vessels in and out from ports in this vicinity. The pirates are said to be youths, and to have started their practical career in the last week, using a powerboat either rented or stolen from ship owners in San Pedro or Long Beach. The theft of the wine and cartridges from the fishing boat Eagle Saturday night has served to concentrate attention on the depredations of the alleged pirates, and the fact that a government official has been investigating the rumors for the last several days lends strength to the belief that important developments will soon be made. Friars’ Harbor is an inaccessible spot except by boat. It is several miles from the Santa Cruz Island Company’s wharf and offices, so that the sheep which roam the island could be killed for food without the company finding it out for some time.”
January 4, 1915 [SBDNI]: “Crawfish around Anacapa and Santa Cruz islands should now beware, as a fresh supply of traps has arrived to take the place of those destroyed recently by the storms and high tides along the island shore. Scotty Cunningham is at his camp on the island today, having just taken a cargo of new traps over. The Larco Fish Company’s boat, Miramar, took over a number of traps to Santa Cruz Island as well, to replace those destroyed in the recent storms.”
January 21, 1915 [SBDNI]: “Crawfish are reported very scarce by Captain Charles Hanson, who has come in from the islands to lay in a fresh stock of supplies for his crawfishing camp. Mr. Hanson and Scotty Cunningham are working together, and have changed their base of operations from the shore of Anacapa Island to Valdez Harbor, in the hope that crawfish may prove better there. The captain said that the men engaged in catching this elusive delicacy are not meeting with any noticeable success.”
January 24, 1915 [SBDNI]: “Sweeping changes in game laws are planned… Crawfish— October 14 to March 1, not less than nine inches nor more than thirteen and one-half inches in length…”
February 4, 1915 [SBMP]: “Larco's sturdy powerboat, the Miramar, arrived from the islands about noon yesterday. She had a strenuous time getting across the channel, having started the day before and come to mid-channel and put back after having nearly been swamped. The trip over yesterday was also very rough, but the water was not in quite so raging a fury as on the preceding day. The Miramar's cargo was a total of about 100 pounds each of crawfish and rock cod, and this yield represented three days' fishing at ten camps on the Santa Cruz Island shores. This boat is sailed by Captain Sebastian Castagnol[a]. who is recognized as one of the best skippers in these waters, and it is said that it called for about all of his skill in seamanship to bring his boat to port safely on the last trip from the islands.”
February 2, 1916 [SBMP]: “Two fishermen die in slide on island. Peter Cruz and Chris Gunderson meet disaster in crawfish camp. Frank Maglio, joint owner with the Larcos of the powerboat Eagle, came over from Santa Cruz Island yesterday afternoon after finding at Blue Bank on the south shore of the island, the bodies of two fishermen named Peter Cruz and Chris Gunderson, buried in the sand in a landslide that had occurred during the past few days… He told his fears to Coroner Ruiz and the Larcos…”
September 2, 1917 [SBMP]: “Larco and Company's three boats, the Eagle, Seal and Santa Ana, were yesterday chartered to a San Pedro cannery to carry fuel oil to supply this company's boats engaged in hauling the fish to the cannery during this run of albacore, the continuance of which is entirely uncertain. It might last for several weeks yet, and it might end within a few days.”
October 23, 1917 [SBDN]: “The biggest catch of barracuda landed here in a long time was brought in by the fishing launch Vienna this morning, the fish weighing down the little vessel until she sat low in the water. The night’s catch had yielded between four and a half to five tons of fish. It required several big loads before the Larco Company had hauled the catch to the fish plant. Yesterday a crew brought in two and a half tons of albacore. Fishermen report more fish running now than in months. Many of the fishermen have turned their attention to crawfish, but those who go after barracuda, sea bass and other fish are getting big catches.”
December 23, 1917 [SBMP]: “The Seal, one of the Larco power fishing boats, came in from the islands last night with a catch of three tons of crawfish taken at the island camps. Probably a third of this lot will be used by the local holiday trade, and the remainder will be shipped far and wide throughout he state.”
September 21, 1922 [SBMP]: “Fishermen will aid big cruise. Five boats coming from Port San Luis for trip to Santa Cruz [Island] and barbecue September 30. Five boats of Larco Brothers fishing fleet, now operating off port San Luis, will steam to Santa Barbara on Saturday, September 30, to aid in conveying the 250 men invited to participate in the cruise October 1 to Santa Cruz Island and the barbecue at Pelican Bay, in the interests of a protected harbor for Santa Barbara. The boats, as announced yesterday by the special committee of the yacht club in charge of arrangements for the outing are: the Seal, Captain Jules Valdez; Ladinan E, Captain Muchattee; Larco Brothers, Captain Sebastian Castenola; Eagle, Captain Frank Nidever; and North America, Captain J. Nocti...”
February 14, 1923 [SBMP]: “Larco loses all hope for Nidever. Beloved captain of fishing boat was lost during storm in channel. ‘We have almost given up hope of finding Captain Nidever,’ said U. Larco, employer of Captain Frank Nidever, last night. Since the fishing boat Supreme returned to San Pedro after having been given up for lost, hope persisted that Captain Nidever was still alive, probably drifting in the Pacific Ocean. Visko Karmelich, captain of the Supreme, reported that the seas and wind were so heavy in the channel on the day Captain Nidever sailed, it was a wonder his ship was not swamped, and he believes that a ship but with one man on it (his had eight) could hardly survive the storm... Members of Larco’s fleet, which sailed a few hours after Captain Nidever, said the Eagle was headed for China Bay on Santa Cruz Island, the first cove below Prisoners Harbor. It may be a week or more before any wreckage is washed ashore.”
February 15, 1923 [SBMP]: “Planking from Eagle is taken as evidence of seaman’s death. Fishermen friends of Captain Frank E. Nidever have found what they have persistently looked for ever since the veteran fisherman and mariner disappeared during a storm on February 1, and dreaded to find — wreckage from Captain Nidever’s fishing boat, Eagle. The wreckage consisted of a section of the deck of the Eagle and bits of the pilot house. It was found by fishermen on the south side of Anacapa Island. The find was made four days ago, but word reached here only yesterday. It was brought up by I. Steen and Charles Hanson, San Pedro fishermen, to the Larco Brothers, employers of Captain Nidever.”
February 18, 1923 [SBMP]: “Fear felt for fishing vessel. Another Larco boat with two Santa Barbara men missing for week. Failure of the fishing boat, O.K., commanded by Captain Jerry Shiveley, to return to port after an absence of a week is causing some apprehension along the waterfront, it became known yesterday. At the offices of Larco Brothers, owners of the O.K., it was said yesterday that ‘Big Jerry,’ as Captain Shiveley is known among fishermen, put out from here a week ago yesterday with the rest of the Larco fleet to search for the ill-fated Eagle in which Captain Frank E. Nidever is believed to have gone to his death. At Pelican Bay, Santa Cruz Island, he picked up Isaac Newton, employed at Captain Ira Eaton’s camp, and sailed away. That was the last seen of either Shiveley, Newton, or the O.K. Frank Larco said the failure of Captain Shiveley to report was incomprehensible as there had been no storm in the channel since his disappearance. He said no search had begun for the O.K. and it was possible that it was lying safely at anchor, though possibly disabled, in some bay or inlet on the windward side of the islands. A later report from the Larco offices indicated Frank Larco might begin a tour of the islands in search of the missing fishing smack today.”
February 20, 1923 [SBMP]: “Launch hunting Captain Nidever not located. O.K. not heard from since beginning search one week ago, Larco says. Fishing launches working about the Channel Islands have failed to sight the missing launch, O.K., of the Larco fleet in which Big Jerry Shively and Isaac Newton set out a week ago Saturday to aid in the search for the ill-fated Eagle in which Captain Frank E. Nidever is believed to have gone to his death, it was stated yesterday by U. E. Larco. Mr. Larco said he knew nothing of the report that the O.K. was in San Pedro for a new coat of paint. The fishermen have been asked to keep a lookout for the O.K. and inquiries have been made at various ports along the coast. No organized search for the launch has begun.”
February 25, 1923 [SBMP]: “The mystery of the disappearance of Captain Frank Nidever, in the boat Eagle, and of Big Jerry Shively in his O.K., remains unsolved, while one of the Larco brothers returned yesterday with a heavy catch — but no tidings of the missing ones, and with no discoveries of the wreckage of either of the boats. The return of the fleet, however, caused an indefinite postponement of a voyage by representatives of the district attorney’s office with the Larco brothers to seek further information in the strange disappearance of the two men, and in the death of Isaac Newton, picked up dead floating in the water off Santa Cruz Island. When the officers will take the trip is not now announced, but that a search for the bodies of the missing men will be continued is certain.”
November 7, 1928 [ODC]: “The heavy swell in Santa Barbara channel Saturday is believed to have claimed the life of Hidjmar Lacander, 39, lobsterman employed by the Larco Fish Company at Anacapa Island. Word of the accident was brought to Santa Barbara yesterday. The victim, an assistant to Arthur Gronthal at one of the Larco camps on the island, went out early Saturday to take in the daily catch. When he failed to return, a search was made, and fragments of the man’s skiff were found on the rocky shore. The body has been swept away. Officials of the company said the man was believed to have come here from San Pedro. He was a native of Finland.”
January 11, 1931 [SBMP]: “Maria L fishing boat of the Larco Brothers was on the dry-dock yesterday being repaired.”
January 11, 1931 [SBMP]: “Fishing boat ready. Another to be fixed. R. P. Prewett, boat builder, said yesterday afternoon that he would launch the Maria L, a Larco Fish Co. boat, during the night. It had been repaired and repainted. He said that the same fish company would have another boat on the dry-dock Monday, this being the Ulpiano.”
June 14, 1933 [SBMP]: “The body of William Schultz, hermit-fisherman known to his friends as the jovial Dutch, was brought to the mainland which he had seldom visited in his 20 years as a craw fisherman on Santa Cruz Island, last evening aboard the Larco Brothers boat, the California. It is believed that Schultz met death by accidental drowning when his skiff capsized near the south end of the island. Missing since May 23, the finding of Schultz’ body last night by fishermen on the south end of Santa Cruz Island near his small cabin on Blue Banks ended a relentless search of nearly three weeks… There are fifteen men living on Santa Cruz Island and earning their livelihood by fishing…”
