A small booklet appeared toward the end of 1872, Guide to Santa Barbara Town and County by E. N. Wood, printed by E. N. Wood and A. W. Sefton, Job Printers. Not only was it the first book published here, but it was one of the earliest promotional books for any town in Southern California.
The 1870s were an important transitional period in our city’s history. The economy became more diversified and more tied into the national economy with the completion of Stearns Wharf in 1872. The importance of tourism grew; the city’s first luxury hotel, the Arlington, opened in 1875. Wood’s booklet reflected these trends, aimed at visitors, both those passing through and possible settlers.
Wood was a transplanted Vermonter who had served for a time as a surgeon in the Navy. He then slowly began working his way west, finally settling in Santa Barbara in 1870. He had come here, as so many did, for his health, just the sort of person for whom he would write his book.