Local historian to make Hope Ranch documentary as it turns 100 years old
SANTA BARBARA, Calif.—Local historian Brett Hodges is making a documentary about the history of Hope Ranch— a community he’s been living in since 1989.
The community’s roots go back to 1924.
“After World War One and the great Spanish flu, Santa Barbara was undergoing a renaissance. People were moving here from the Midwest and from the East Coast. And Santa Barbara needed to grow. And the 2000 acre Hope Ranch was the perfect place to grow,” said Hodges.
Hope Ranch has withstood the Great Depression and the 2008 housing market crash.
Hodges says when it was developed it was an immediate boost to the Santa Barbara economy.
“It was 2,000 acres of residential property that was all of a sudden added to Santa Barbara that hadn't been available before. And as one of the first Homeowners Associations in the state, it helps to influence the tens of thousands that came after. Where they have general rules for architecture and noise and shared community benefits like beaches and parks and bridle trails.”
One of the major draws of the Hope Ranch Community is that it’s one of the last horse communities in California.
Natalie Hodges, Lives in Hope Ranch
“There's 30 miles of trails and there's like more than a hundred horses in this homeowner's association. We counted one year, we went by and looked at and made a map of where they are. And it's an active horse community and people move here for the trails.”
Hodges will be speaking about the rich history of Hope Ranch on Sunday at the Lobero Theater.
In studying the past, the younger generation including Hodge’s daughter Lily is excited to shape the community’s future.
“History so affects our present, and it is if we can bring it to life in a tangible way, it's easier to to navigate that and and change how we want it to continue,” said Lily Hodges.
