Abstract

This Montecito Association History Committee Oral History Collection documents the lives of notable residents of Santa Barbara and Montecito during the last quarter of the 20th century, including acclaimed women architects Lutah Maria Riggs and Mildred Moody.

Abstract Mountain Drive, a residential enclave of free spirits located in the hills above Montecito, coalesced in the years following World War II. The driving force behind its formation was Robert McKee Hyde, known to all as Bobby. The spirit of the community was bohemian, a “live-and-let-live” feel that fostered a close-knit camaraderie. Community interaction often centered on a growing number of celebrations and festivals. Probably the best-known was the Wine Stomp, begun in 1952, in which the...