Santa Barbara County is one of the original 27 counties. The Santa Barbara Channel received its name from Sebastian Vizcaino when he sailed over the channel waters in 1602. In 1782, Padre Junipero Serra dedicated a site near the channel for a presidio and on Dec. 4, 1786, he founded the nearby Mission Santa Barbara (Saint Barbara). The county derives its name from the mission. Territory which at one time was in Santa Barbara County is now in Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo and Ventura counties.

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