Book Reviews
Last
weekend the Santa Ynez Valley Historical Society hosted the annual gathering of
California historical societies. Headquartered in Buellton, the groups
attended meetings and social events all around the valley, including Old
Mission Santa Inés and the Historical Museum in Santa Ynez.
Also, last weekend Lompoc enjoyed its annual flower festival with a parade,
exhibits, food booths and family get-togethers. Molly, spouse of Book Loft
staffer Tom Gerald, and her Lompoc Library co-workers and volunteers won the
parade’s first prize for marching groups. With some degree of precision, they
maneuvered library carts all along the parade route. Unfortunately,
because of his duties at the store, Tom was not
able to witness that event, but did get back in time to consume a quantity of
festival taquitos.
The Book Loft welcomed the California history buffs with a small window display
that included “Acres of Loveliness,” Bess Gedney Christensen’s colorful,
photo-filled account of the flower-seed industry in the Lompoc Valley ($14.95).
Also in the window was a copy of an important new book of local history,
“California’s Knight on a Golden Horse: Dwight Murphy, Santa Barbara’s
Renaissance Man” ($25).
What Santa Barbara is today -- or at least the city’s cherished image -- is due
in large measure to the efforts of Murphy (1884-1968). Murphy knew Teddy
Roosevelt and Herbert Hoover and was inspired by Hoover’s efficiency and
humanitarianism and Roosevelt’s progressivism and concern for preservation.
Born into a hardworking family in the Midwest, Murphy spent much of his youth
on the family farm, run by his mother, while his father worked in the railroad
business, eventually developing an effective rail-car roof that made the family
rich.
When the Murphys came to Santa Barbara, young Dwight worked two years as a
forest ranger here and eventually tended the family business in Illinois.
When he returned to Santa Barbara, he unleashed his vision, managerial skills
and generosity, working tirelessly on civic causes.
An avid equestrian, he built back the Palomino breed, served on the state horse
racing commission, was heavily involved with Fiesta and the Rancheros
Visitadores.
Murphy was well known in the Santa Ynez Valley. He owned considerable
ranchland here, including Rancho San Fernando Rey and San Marcos Ranch.
He was a prime mover in the Cachuma Reclamation Project.
When he was named Santa Barbara’s 1953 “Man of the Year,” the common sentiment
was that the title should be “Man of the Century.” Yet Murphy was
excessively modest, shunned publicity and destroyed most of his own records
before he died.
Author Edward A. Hartfeld uncovered information about Dwight Murphy when he
went through the files of his father, who was superintendent of the Parks
Department under Murphy. The book is the result of his further research. I
heartily recommend it.
Hartfeld heads the Dwight Murphy Memorial Project whose goal is to rescue
Murphy’s story from oblivion and to have a memorial to him built in Santa
Barbara.
As the Fourth of July approaches, barbecue season shifts into high gear.
Whoops, I’m told that the more up-to-date term is grill. There is no shortage
of cookbooks on the subject, ranging from the nitty gritty “Mario Tailgates
Nascar Style” ($19.95), to the sophisticated William-Sonoma volume on “Outdoor
Entertaining” ($24.95).
But the best, according to a recent tip from John Martino, famed Valley food
and lodging guru and mentor, is Bobby Flay’s “Grilling for Life” ($22.95). “You
should always keep it in stock,” John told us. At the moment, however, it
is missing, but not for long.
Whether you are barbecuing or grilling, have a glorious Fourth.