San Simeon Chamber of Commerce
Please call our office at (805) 927-3500 for more information.
After San Miguel Mission was secularized in 1836, the Spanish
governor of California took control of the coastal grazing land
that had belonged to the mission. The mission was divided into
three ranchos: Piedras Blancas, 49,000 acres; Santa Rosa, 13,183
acres; and San Simeon, 4,468 acres. San Simeon was granted to
Jose Ramon Estrada.
By 1852, a whaling station was established at the natural harbor
found at San Simeon Point. The whaling industry developed around
the migration of the Grey whale as they traveled south to their
breeding ground in Scammons Bay in Baja California or on their
return trip to the Arctic and Alaskan waters. Whale watchers
would stand on the bluffs and look for the telltale white plume
of spray as the whale surfaced to breathe. Instead of using
large ships, the whalers practiced shore whaling. When the whales
were spotted, small boats were used to capture and harvest the
whales. The whales were brought to the whaling station, and
the oil was processed in huge trypots for shipment to San Francisco.
One of the trypots can be seen at the Visitor's Center at the
Hearst San Simeon State Historical Monument. Some of the actual
harpoons used by the whalers can be seen at Sebastian's Store
in San Simeon.
At one time there were forty-five buildings on Point San Simeon.
They included the general store, a blacksmith shop, a barbershop,
and a saloon. During its whaling period, about twenty-two families
lived on the point. Most of them were employed by the whaling
industry. The general store served the whalers, their families,
and the people who lived and worked on the ranchos.
There were no roads to this area. Most visitors and freight
arrived by sailing ship at a crude wharf. In rough weather,
passengers would land with the aid of a rope chair.
Russian fur traders and Aleut hunters traveled south to San
Simeon in search of the sea otter. Due to hunting, the sea otter
almost became extinct. Now, the San Simeon coastline is a sea
otter preserve, and they can be seen from the shore frolicking
in the shallow water. After the drought of the 1860's, grazing
land was considered too poor for livestock. The rancheros began
to sell their land, and settlers began to move into the area.
The Swiss brought their dairies, and New Englanders brought
their orchards. In 1865 Senator George Hearst bought 45,000
acres including all of the San Simeon Rancho. The port of San
Simeon began shipping products of mining, ranching and whaling.
By 1878, the whaling industry had declined. Without sufficient
employment, the village began to disappear. The general store
was moved on horse-drawn skids to its present site, which
became the new location of the village of San Simeon. At the
same time, Senator Hearst had a new wharf constructed. The
new wharf extended 1000 feet into the water that was deep
enough to handle the largest ships of the time. Rails were
laid on the pier to allow flat cars to move cargo to and from
the new warehouse on shore. The pier handled shipments for
the quicksilver (mercury) mines in the area. From 1919, all
of the building materials for the Hearst Castle and other
buildings on the Hearst estate were landed at the pier. William
Randolph Hearst, son of Senator George Hearst, to house material
and goods, which were to be taken later to the castle, built
other warehouses near the pier.
In 1878 a first-class hotel, the Bay View, was built in San
Simeon and a stage line had been established to Cambria. A
telegraph line was constructed and provided a direct line
to San Luis Obispo. In 1914, Manual Sebastian purchased the
general store, and today it is still owned by the Sebastian
family. Few buildings can boast of having been visited by
persons inso many walks of life. Patrons have included: whalers,
miners, ranchers, cowboys, politicians, movie stars, tourists,
and well-known personalities such as Thomas A. Edison, Calvin
Coolidge, and Winston Churchill. The general store housed
the first post office in San Simeon until 1905, when it was
moved onto the pier. In 1945, it was again located in Sebastian's
store where it remains today.
The economy of San Simeon was enhanced by the patronage of
William Randolph Hearst and his ranch hands. Spanish-style
homes were built along the shore for Hearst employees. In
1874 the federal government built a lighthouse at Piedras
Blancas. The general store and the government's lighthouse
are the only exemptions to Hearst ownership for miles around.
The Hearst ownership of the coastline has served to protect
and preserve the coastline in its primitive state.
When California Scenic Highway 1 was completed, it served
to open the majesty of San Simeon to travelers from around
the world.
Following the death of William Randolph Hearst in 1951,
the Hearst family donated a plot of land on the beach to be
used as a day facility and to be called William Randolph Hearst
Memorial Park. It became very popular and gradually grew into
an overnight park. In 1957, the County of San Luis Obispo
with the aid of the community of San Simeon constructed a
pleasure pier. In 1969, the County and the State Department
of Fish and Game Wildlife Conservation Board extended the
pier about 300 feet. The State Department of Parks and Beaches
took over the operation of Hearst Memorial Park in 1971, and
it was again used as a day facility. In 1932, Sam Simeon State
Beach, seven miles south of the Hearst Castle, was opened
as a day use facility. In 1964, it was converted into a seaside
overnight park.
In 1958, the Hearst Corporation gave the castle to the State
of California, as a State Historical Monument. Today the "Hearst
Castle" is visited by over a million visitors each year.
The art treasures housed in the castle are priceless and worthy
of the finest museum. In the late 1950's, a half-mile section
of coastline six miles south of Hearst Castle was developed
as a visitor-serving community for the guest of Hearst Castle.
The village of San Simeon, with its interesting past, its
historic store, and its picturesque tile-roofed homes remains
dignified and reserved.
MONARCH BUTTERFLY
One of nature's greatest mysteries is the annual migration
of the Monarch Butterfly. The yearly trek brings monarchs
from all over the western United States to various wintering
destinations along the California coast. San Simeon is one
of those breeding areas. The monarch travels distances up
to 1,000 miles during it's migration. While in their wintering
areas, the butterflies breed and bask in the warm sun. They
are primarily found resting on eucalyptus trees. Their only
diet is nectar, especially from milkweed, and water. These
butterflies have never been to the wintering areas before
and yet they return to the same areas one at a time every
year.
WHALE WATCHING
Every year San Simeon hosts one of nature's grandest creations,
the migrating Grey Whale. From the icy water of Alaska the
Grey Whale migrates south from late December to early February
to its breeding ground in the warm waters of Baja California
in Mexico. After three months of breeding, the cows with their
calves can be seen from the beach as they return north during
March and April.
San Simeon Chamber of Commerce
Plaza del Cavalier, San Simeon, Ca 93452 (805) 927-3500
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