The city of Santa Maria may drop the logo of Christopher Columbus ship, which was named, the Santa Maria. The school district looking at the same move to be politically correct. One Orcutt man opposes the logo. Many others support it.
The logo shows a tall ship, built like the old 15th century Spanish ship used by the explorer. This offends Scott Fina of Orcutt. He says, “Columbus and his ship have no connection to the city’s founding, naming or heritage. More than that, Columbus is no longer seen in a positive light.”
He said students now learn in school about the atrocities committed by Columbus and other Spanish explorers. Sadly, the indigenous people were treated far worse by Spanish explorers than by the British and Dutch who explored and settled north America.
Santa Maria has used the ship in its logo for 50 years on their logo. It’s on city hall, city vehicles and the badges of police officers. It’s also on decorative tiles on freeway over crossings.
Until 1882, the city was actually called Grangerville, and then Central City. In 1882, an early settler to Santa Maria suggested the name that Juan Pacifico Ontiveros had called his property years before, Santa Maria. Ontiveros and his wife, Maria purchased Rancho Tepsquet in 1856. They called it Santa Maria because they arrived on the feast day of Mary. The city adopted the logo in 1971.
Incidentally, descendants of Juan Pacifico Ontiveros now live in Paso Robles.
