Betteravia, California
Encyclopedia
Betteravia, named for the French
word for sugar beet roots, was a community in northern Santa Barbara County, California
on Betteravia Road, six miles west of Santa Maria
. It is notable as a rare ghost town on the Central Coast of California
.
founded on the former Rancho Punta de Laguna
around the turn of the 20th century and existed for nearly ninety years. At one time this community supported a population of 350 residents, many of whom were employed by the Union Sugar Company, now a part of Sara Lee Corporation. The community consisted of 65 cottages, a hotel, a church, a schoolhouse
, a post office, an amusement hall, a general store, a gasoline station, and a fire department.
The Pacific Coast Railway
built an electrified line from Santa Maria
to Betteravia in 1906.
In 1950, the Union Sugar Company decided it no longer wanted to remain in the renting business and gave notice to all residents to evacuate. The homes were sold for an average of $50 each. Most of the homes were bought by their renters and moved, and some were bought by other individuals.
On March 8, 1988, the sugar refinery
plant, then owned by Imperial Holly (now known as Imperial Sugar
), suffered a dust explosion and fire which resulted in the injury of eight employees, seven critically. Following the closure of Imperial Holly's Betteravia sugar plant here in 1993, Betteravia became a ghost town
with many vacant and demolished buildings.
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
word for sugar beet roots, was a community in northern Santa Barbara County, California
Santa Barbara County, California
Santa Barbara County is a county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of California, on the Pacific coast. As of 2010 the county had a population of 423,895. The county seat is Santa Barbara and the largest city is Santa Maria.-History:...
on Betteravia Road, six miles west of Santa Maria
Santa Maria, California
Santa Maria is a city in Santa Barbara County, on the Central Coast of California. The 2010 census population was 100,062, putting it ahead of Santa Barbara for the first time and making it the largest city in the county...
. It is notable as a rare ghost town on the Central Coast of California
Central Coast of California
The Central Coast is an area of California, United States, roughly spanning the area between the Monterey Bay and Point Conception. It extends through Santa Cruz County, San Benito County, Monterey County, San Luis Obispo County, and Santa Barbara County...
.
History
Betteravia was a company townCompany town
A company town is a town or city in which much or all real estate, buildings , utilities, hospitals, small businesses such as grocery stores and gas stations, and other necessities or luxuries of life within its borders are owned by a single company...
founded on the former Rancho Punta de Laguna
Rancho Punta de Laguna
Rancho Punta de Laguna was a Mexican land grant in present day northern Santa Barbara County, California and southern San Luis Obispo County given in 1844 by Governor Manuel Micheltorena to Luis Arellanes and Emigdio Miguel Ortega. The name of this rancho means "point of the lagoon" and refers...
around the turn of the 20th century and existed for nearly ninety years. At one time this community supported a population of 350 residents, many of whom were employed by the Union Sugar Company, now a part of Sara Lee Corporation. The community consisted of 65 cottages, a hotel, a church, a schoolhouse
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
, a post office, an amusement hall, a general store, a gasoline station, and a fire department.
The Pacific Coast Railway
Pacific Coast Railway
The Pacific Coast Railway is a defunct narrow gauge railway in the Central Coast of California. Not to be confused with the Pacific Coast Railroad Company, a tourist operation in nearby Santa Margarita, California, near Atascadero which has operated since 2000.Originally a 10 mile link from San...
built an electrified line from Santa Maria
Santa Maria, California
Santa Maria is a city in Santa Barbara County, on the Central Coast of California. The 2010 census population was 100,062, putting it ahead of Santa Barbara for the first time and making it the largest city in the county...
to Betteravia in 1906.
In 1950, the Union Sugar Company decided it no longer wanted to remain in the renting business and gave notice to all residents to evacuate. The homes were sold for an average of $50 each. Most of the homes were bought by their renters and moved, and some were bought by other individuals.
On March 8, 1988, the sugar refinery
Sugar refinery
A sugar refinery is a factory which refines raw sugar.Many cane sugar mills produce raw sugar, i.e. sugar with more colour and therefore more impurities than the white sugar which is normally consumed in households and used as an ingredient in soft drinks, cookies and so forth...
plant, then owned by Imperial Holly (now known as Imperial Sugar
Imperial Sugar
Imperial Sugar is a major U.S. sugar producer and marketer based in Sugar Land, Texas, with sugar refinery operations in California, Georgia, and Louisiana....
), suffered a dust explosion and fire which resulted in the injury of eight employees, seven critically. Following the closure of Imperial Holly's Betteravia sugar plant here in 1993, Betteravia became a ghost town
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
with many vacant and demolished buildings.
External links
- Guide to the records for the Betteravia Plant, 1898-1928, at The Bancroft Library