In the 1820s, hunters and trappers arrived in Santa Barbara by ship and horseback eager to club sea otters and seals to sell their pelts and blubber to the highest bidder back home in the USA. Fishing was also permitted along the coastline under an agreement with Mexico, who had just acquired California from the Spanish. To these early visitors, the coastal settlement of Santa Barbara was an El Dorado, birthed from rich, fertile soil, and spanning vast undulating hills. The land and temperate climate were perfect for ranching. They marvelled at the exotic Spanish architecture and the Santa Barbara Mission building.