Honda, California | |
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Coordinates: 34°36′56″N 120°38′01″W / 34.61556°N 120.63361°W | |
Country | United States |
State | California |
County | Santa Barbara |
Elevation | 92 ft (28 m) |
Time zone | UTC-8 ( Pacific (PST)) |
• Summer ( DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
Area code(s) | 805 & 820 |
GNIS feature ID | 1660767 [1] |
Honda was a remote and sparsely populated rural district in the vicinity of Cañada Honda Creek in Santa Barbara County, California, United States. [2] The area produced sweet peas [3] and beans, [4] and supported dairy farms. [5] A newspaper account of 1947 stated, "The Jesus Maria rancho, Packard rancho, Bear Creek ranch, Honda section, and a large area in the lower [ Lompoc] valley once yielded great crops of cattle and produce and furnished a livelihood for many families." [6] The area is now part of Vandenberg Space Force Base. [7]
The main feature of the area, other than the creek, was a Southern Pacific rail stop that opened in 1898. [2] [8] The station, located between Arlight and Surf, [8] was built on land that was part of the "old Steele place now owned by H. Dutard." [9] Honda station was the site of a 1907 train wreck that killed 32 people. [10] The victims were primarily Shriners coming from a conference. [11]
Due to a sharp turn in the coastline, and sharp rocks and reef formations underwater, the spot was risky for ships when the coastal landmarks and/or lighthouses of Point Arguello, Point Sal, and Point Sur were obscured by darkness and foggy, low-visibility conditions. [12] Honda was the site of several shipwrecks including 1923 Honda Point disaster that destroyed seven U.S. Navy ships off the coast, just north of Point Arguello. [13] Locals pulled up railroad ties from Honda station and lit them on fire with kerosene to provide illumination for the nighttime rescue of the shipwrecked sailors. [14] The steamer Santa Rosa ran aground at the mouth of Honda Creek in 1911; four crewmembers were killed. [12] The steamer Harvard ran aground "directly opposite Honda station" in 1931. [15]
A seawall was also built along the Honda coastline in 1906 but there was little evidence of it left 30 years later. [16] In 1926 Honda was the site of a rock-crushing operation that was providing road-construction materials to the county. [17] A new schoolhouse was built for the Honda district in 1933. [18] There are no buildings or people left at Honda today, only a "long passing track" north of the arroyo. [8]