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In 1888, Underhill imitated his famous ancestor (who helped finance the original
Mayflower
), and bought the
Mayflower
, a racing vessel that had defeated its British
challengers in the America’s Cup Race of 1886 (courtesy of Library of Congress, LC-
USZC2-3439)
became quite confused and half convinced that he was really guilty.”
In 1900, Underhill, tired of living a split life, divorced his wife of 17
years and moved to California permanently.
Montecito
Underhill leased a home on Channel Drive, and his newfound freedom
saw him planning a business with longtime friend Joel Remington Fithian,
who was a businessman, rancher, and owner of the Santa Barbara Country
Club. Since they both loved to drive, the two decided to establish a
sightseeing stage line from Santa Barbara to San Marcos Pass, a venture
that was generally unprofitable.
Underhill also purchased the racetrack property off East Cabrillo
Boulevard and set about making improvements to the grounds, which had
been neglected. He intended to place a string of horses in charge of Sidney
Stillwell for training.
Whether he was motivated by changing interests or financial reverses,
Underhill shut down his El Roblar operation in 1902 and drove all his
horses, stallions, brood mares, draft animals and unbroken colts to the race
track in Santa Barbara where they were auctioned off.
In 1902-03, he designed and built a small cottage on 6 parcels of land
he’d purchased on Channel Drive near the Country Club. He left town,
however, to join the Pacific Mail Steamship Company in San Francisco
and later served as secretary to Union Pacific Railroad president E.H.
Harriman, whom he accompanied to Europe. He returned to his Channel
Drive property in 1904 and designed a large single-story redwood
bungalow, which he named
La Chiquita
. His creation was listed as one of
the twelve best country houses in America by Henry H. Saylor who wrote
for
Country Life in America
in 1915.
In an interview with Saylor, Underhill said that the more he studied
houses and gardens, the more convinced he became that the architecture
of a house and its landscape should be entirely dependent upon the
Underhill’s Ontare
Ranch, seen
here in 1886,
was nestled into
foothills bare of
housing tracts
and landscaping
(photo courtesy
of Santa Barbara
Historical
Museum)