Betteravia, California facts for kids
Betteravia was a small community in northern Santa Barbara County, California. It was located on Betteravia Road, about six miles west of Santa Maria. This place is special because it's a rare ghost town found on the Central Coast of California. The name "Betteravia" comes from a French word, betterave, which means "sugar beet roots." This name makes sense because the town was all about sugar beets!
Contents
History of Betteravia
A Town Built for Sugar
Betteravia began around the year 1900. It was a "company town." This means a company built and owned most of the town. The Union Sugar Refining Company created Betteravia. They started a sugar beet farm here in 1897.
At one time, about 350 people lived in Betteravia. Most of them worked for the Union Sugar Company. The community had 65 small houses, a hotel, a church, and a school. There was also a post office, a fun hall, a general store, a gas station, and a fire department.
The homes varied in size. There were small cottages, bigger 2-3 bedroom houses, and even larger homes for managers. The biggest house, for the plant manager, even had fish ponds and a bird house! People got their homes based on how long they had worked for the company. As employees gained more experience, they could move into better houses.
Getting Around Town
In 1906, the Pacific Coast Railway built an electric train line. This line connected Santa Maria to Betteravia. It made it easier for people and goods to travel between the two places.
Changes and Closure
By the early 1960s, the Union Sugar Company decided it no longer wanted to keep up the town. The buildings were getting old. The company told everyone living there that they needed to move out. Many homes were sold for about $50 each. Most people who rented their homes bought them and moved them to new locations. Some other people also bought homes.
However, some residents stayed until 1966. That's when the company officially closed the town. They asked the remaining residents to leave.
On March 8, 1988, there was an accident at the sugar plant. It was owned by Imperial Holly at the time. A dust explosion and fire happened. This led to some people getting hurt. After this, in 1993, Imperial Holly closed the Betteravia sugar plant. With the plant gone, Betteravia truly became a ghost town. Many buildings were left empty or torn down.
What's There Now?
On September 8, 2008, the Santa Maria Valley Railroad moved its main office and train yard to the old Union Sugar site. They have turned the area into the Betteravia Industrial Park. This park helps businesses move goods by train.
Some of the old buildings are being fixed up. Others, and the old town site, are being protected. The Santa Maria Valley Railroad has since moved its main office again, to a different location.
You can still see some history from Betteravia. A former Union Sugar steam locomotive, named '1', is on display at the SMAT center. This train engine is a type called a 0-4-0 Tender Saddle-Tank. Its tender (the part that carries fuel and water) is believed to have been used for the war effort during World War II.
The display is behind the old Hancock engine shops. It is managed by the Santa Maria Valley Railway Historical Museum. Other cool things on display include a Canadian National speeder (a small vehicle for inspecting tracks), an old wooden Caboose, a Sacramento Northern Boxcar, and a signal. All of these are on static display, meaning they don't move.
