The
Spanish came to what is now southern Santa BarbaraCounty in
the mid-1500s. A fascinating, almost psychedelic four-walled
mural depicting the first meeting of the Chumash and the Spanish
can be found on the second floor of the Santa Barbara County
Courthouse.
What the Spanish found was a thriving tribe of Chumash Indians
thought to number 10,000 or more, living along the coast from
the present towns of Camarillo to Morro Bay. The Chumash were
known for their sea-going abilities. They even inhabited the
Channel Islands, where remains of human habitation are some
of the oldest in North America.
The Chumash were a peaceful people, living in grass huts along
the shoreline. They used jimson weed (datura) ceremonially
and their cave paintings, consisting mostly of mandelas, are
quite impressive. The most accessible paintings can be found
on Painted Cave Road, just off San Marcos Pass (St. Rt. 154),
only 12 miles from Isla Vista.
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