Object Record
Images
Metadata
Artist |
Pebbles, Frank M. |
Title |
Portrait of Col. William Welles Hollister |
Object Name |
Painting |
Catalog Number |
xx.3.58.14.3 |
Description |
William Welles Hollister (1818-1886) was a key figure in the growth and development of Santa Barbara in the late nineteenth century. Born in Ohio, Hollister (right) joined a wagon train in 1852 heading for California. He returned home and in 1853, began a sheep drive out to the West Coast. In 1862, Hollister wed Hannah Annie James (left) and in 1869 purchased Tecolote Canyon just west of the city. Christened Glen Annie in honor of his wife, the ranch soon became a showplace of exotic crops including coffee, bananas and tea. The grand parties Annie hosted there became legendary and the Hollisters became the town's most distinguished citizens. Hollister and his partner, Thomas Dibblee, acquired huge tracts of land in the county, including the Lompoc Valley. Hollister also financed Stearns Wharf and Lobero's Opera House and was one of the founders of Santa Barbara College. His construction of the Arlington Hotel introduced tourism on a grand scale. Upon his death, newspapers eulogized him as one of California's greatest pioneers. In 1890, four years after Hollister's death, Annie was forced to vacate Glen Annie after losing a lawsuit. Fifteen minutes after leaving the house, it suspiciously burst into flame. Arson was never proved. Annie lived in Santa Barbara until her death in 1909. Hollister Avenue and Glen Annie Road commemorate this important family. |
Date |
1876 |
Medium |
Oil on canvas |
Image size |
30" x 25" |
Frame size |
36 1/2" x 31 1/2" |
Credit line |
Gift of J. James Hollister, Sr. |