There was a post office at Las Cruces as early as 1876.[3] The spot has long been a crossroads for travellers along the Central Coast.[4] In the 19th century, Las Cruces "was an overnight stop-over for farmers delivering grain and other crops from the Santa Ynez Valley to the Gaviota Wharf."[5]
Gaviota Hot Springs were originally known as Las Cruces Hot Springs because of its proximity to the village.[6] Locals used the springs for bathing.[7]
According to the 1941 American Guide to Santa Barbara, the settlement, "shaded by immense old sycamores, [was] a cluster of homes about an inn, a wayside store, and a garage. The spot was once a gathering place for early-California cattlemen who took their cattle through the pass and down to the old Gaviota Landing for shipment. In still earlier times, the region was a battleground during the tenacious wars between the coastal tribes and the Tulare Indians from the San Joaquín Valley."[8] The population of Las Cruces in 1941 was 64 people.[9][8] Las Cruces was fairly busy during World War II, when it attracted visitors from Camp Cooke, now Vandenberg Space Force Base.[10] It was said to have been a "small community" as of the 1950s.[9] The village is said to have been "obliterated" by highway construction.[7] The Las Cruces village store was demolished in December 1967 to make way for the interchange.[10]
^U.S. Post Office Department, "California: San Mateo – Santa Clara Counties (Roll 65)", M1126: Post Office Department Reports of Site Locations, 1837–1950, Washington, D.C.: U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, film images 353–356 of 789, NAID 68237020 – via archives.gov
^ abCappon, Sally (April 15, 2008). "'Warm Springs' Once a Hot Spot". Best of Roadside Attractions. Santa Maria Times. pp. A3. Retrieved January 21, 2024.
Chestnut, Merlyn (1993). The Gaviota Land: A Glimpse into California History from a Bend on El Camino Real. Santa Barbara: Fithian Press. ISBN9781564740519.
