Community Development and Conservation Collection
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http://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8g15zs0 No online items Community Development and Conservation Collection Arrangement and description by several Special Collections staff over a number of years; latest revision by D. Tambo, Sept. 13, 2011; A. Demeter, Feb. 22, 2013 Department of Special Collections Davidson Library University of California, Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 93106 Phone: (805) 893-3062 Fax: (805) 893-5749 Email: [email protected] URL: http://www.library.ucsb.edu/special-collections/ © 2012-2013 The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved. Community Development and SBHC Mss 1 1 Conservation Collection Preliminary Guide to the Community Development and Conservation Collection (CDCC), ca. 1892-1995 Collection number: SBHC Mss 1 Department of Special Collections Davidson Library University of California, Santa Barbara Processed by: Special Collections staff Date Completed: Sept. 13, 2011 Latest revision: Feb. 22, 2013 Encoded by: A. Demeter © 2012-2013 The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved. Descriptive Summary Title: Community Development and Conservation Collection Dates: ca. 1892-1995 Collection number: SBHC Mss 1 Creator: Chase, Pearl, 1888-1979 Collection Size: ca. 735 linear feet (ca. 1500 boxes, records containers, oversize boxes, map and file cabinet drawers, films, sound recordings, artifacts). Repository: University of California, Santa Barbara. Library. Dept. of Special Collections Santa Barbara, CA 93106 Abstract: Also known as the Pearl Chase Collection, focusing on Santa Barbara history in the 20th century. Included are papers relating to several hundred local organizations (especially pertaining to architecture, gardens, housing, land use, and planning), as well events such as Fiesta, Chase family papers, and numerous photographs of local scenes. Physical location: Series I-VI (Del Sur); Series VII (Del Sur, Map and File Cabinets); Series VIII (Vault and Performing Arts), Series IX (Reading Room and Annex). Languages: English Access Restrictions None. Service copies of audiovisual items may need to be made before viewing or listening. Please consult Special Collections staff for further information. Publication Rights Copyright has not been assigned to the Department of Special Collections, UCSB. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Department of Special Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which also must be obtained. Preferred Citation [Item description]. Community Development and Conservation Collection. SBHC Mss 1. Department of Special Collections, Davidson Library, University of California, Santa Barbara. Acquisition Information Bulk of collection donated by Pearl Chase, ca. 1969-1975; some later additions from multiple sources. History and Biography Note The Community Development and Conservation Collection (CDCC) is also known as the Pearl Chase Collection since she donated the nearly all of the materials in the collection. Pearl Chase (1888-1979) was a longtime activist in local community affairs, as well as the state and national level. As secretary and later chair of the Plans and Planting Committee, she Community Development and SBHC Mss 1 2 Conservation Collection encouraged the city's rebuilding in the graceful Spanish style after the 1925 Santa Barbara earthquake. She was the city's unofficial ombudsman in matters of natural beauty and public welfare, suggesting health and building codes and encouraging sign ordinances, saving trees and creating and enhancing parks. At the state level she established the California Conservation Council, served as a board member of Save the Redwoods League, and was advisor to successive directors of the California Department of Parks and Recreation. Locally and statewide she lobbied for attractive, clean gas stations and was an early advocate of freeway landscaping without billboards, a principle later adopted nationally. At the national level she worked for American Indian rights and was active in conservation and historic preservation, initiating the restoration of Wakefield, the birthplace of George Washington. In 1973 she journeyed to Washington, D.C. to accept a citation from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Pearl Chase started her civic service in the public health field and was elected the first woman president of the California State Conference of Social Agencies, helping write the state's first pure milk laws. She was especially proud of her successful campaign to secure low income housing for Santa Barbara. For thirteen years Santa Barbara won the highest merit awards in the Better Homes in America contest. As secretary or co-chairperson she helped establish many local organizations, including the Council of Christmas Cheer, Community Chest (United Way), Red Cross, Recreation Center, and Santa Barbara Beautiful. She actively assisted the Adult Education Program and Old Spanish Days Fiesta. She was instrumental in the development, with other local women, of Mission Historical Park, across the street from Mission Santa Barbara. Working with the National Park Service, she led in the reconstruction of La Purisima Mission at Lompoc. For forty-five years she guided citizen support of the mission after it became a State Historic Park. In 1963 she organized the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation which, among others, has preserved the second oldest building in the state, El Cuartel at 122 E. Canon Perdido St., built in 1788, and Casa de la Guerra, near City Hall, dating from 1819-1826. The Trust administers El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park, which is reconstructing Santa Barbara's Royal Presidio, the fourth and last Spanish fortress in California. Pearl Chase graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, magna cum laude in 1909. Among her many honors were honorary doctorates from UCSB and Mills College. She was selected Woman of the Year, for 1952, by the Los Angeles Times, and she was chosen Santa Barbara's first Woman of the Year in 1956. Scope and Content of Collection The collection is divided into the following series: Series I. Organizations. Subseries A. Major Holdings. Organizations represented by at least one box, and sometimes many boxes, of material such as annual reports, minutes, newsletters, correspondence, financial records, flyers, and scrapbooks. Includes Association on American Indian Affairs, Better Homes in America Campaign, California Conservation Council, Citizens Planning Association, Community Arts Association (mainly Plans and Planting), Fiesta/Old Spanish Days, Garden Club of America, La Purisima Mission, Santa Barbara City and County, Santa Barbara County Roadside Council, Santa Barbara Indian Defense Association, and Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation. Arranged alphabetically by organization. Currently this section is individually numbered within each organization's section as processing is being completed. B. Smaller Holdings. Mainly organizations represented by one or two folders of material. Arranged alphabetically by organization. Series II. Clippings. Arranged alphabetically by subject, including Building and Buildings, Festivals and Fairs, Fiesta, Highways and Freeways, History (Santa Barbara), Hospitals and Health, Parks and Recreation, Planning, Plants and Planning Committee, Santa Barbara (City and County), UC Santa Barbara, Water, Weather, and Zoning. Series III. Subject Files. Includes Agriculture, Architecture and Architects, Conservation, Education, Fires, Forestry/Forests, Gardens, Goleta, Housing, Indian Affairs, Isla Vista, Parks and Recreation, Planning, Santa Barbara (City and County), and Water. Arranged alphabetically. Series IV. Local History Essay Files. Generally student papers, with bibliographies. Arranged alphabetically by author. Series V. Personal and Family Records. Primarily materials relating to Pearl Chase, such as awards and degrees, biographical files, correspondence, datebooks, education (high school, college, teaching), financial records, legal documents, oral history, talks, and writings (by and about Pearl). Also includes H. G. Chase, Harold S. Chase, and other family members. Community Development and SBHC Mss 1 3 Conservation Collection VI. Photographs. Mainly black and white prints. Arranged alphabetically by subject, which include: adobes, Better Homes in America Campaign, California, Chase family, city streets (Santa Barbara), County (Santa Barbara), disasters, display materials, events (incl. festivals & exhibits), Hope Ranch, hotels and motels, missions (except Santa Barbara), Mission Santa Barbara, organizations and activities, people, public buildings, recreation and waterfront, residences (mainly Hope Ranch, Montecito, and Santa Barbara), scenic views, states and foreign countries, negatives, slides, and glass slides. Also some oversize framed and loose photos, and photo albums. VII. Oversize Materials. Includes artwork, ledgers, maps, posters, and scrapbooks. VIII. Audiovisual Materials. Includes audiotapes, films, slides, and sound recordings. IX. Artifacts. A small number of items, primarily awards and recognitions from various organizations. There are some earlier lists to the collection, before it was organized into the present series. For the most part these had a subject approach. The most effective way to use the older