The Museum
The Santa Maria Valley Historical Society Museum was opened to the public and dedicated to the Pioneers of the Valley on January 20, 1974. It was built on surplus city property from funds raised by members of the Society. The Museum preserves…
SMV Historical Society
During the Golden Anniversary celebration of the Incorporation of the City of Santa Maria, the Santa Maria Valley Historical Society was organized, chartered, and incorporated on September 7, 1955, as a non-profit organization.
Artifacts
The Museum abounds with artifacts from all eras of Santa Maria’s history. Pictured above is a telephone switchboard from the mid-1900s. Other artifacts depict the history of fire fighting in the town, of film production adventures in and…
Capt. G. Allan Hancock
An entire room in the Museum is dedicated to Capt. G. Allan Hancock, entrepreneur, oil man, railroader, aviator, mariner, business man, musician, philanthroper, and more for the City of Santa Maria. He’s probably best known in Santa Maria for the college which bears his name, Allan Hancock College. Here’s a brief rundown of his exploits as published by the College.
Capt. G. Allan Hancock
An entire section in the Museum is dedicated to Capt. G. Allan Hancock, entrepreneur, oil man, railroader, aviator, mariner, businessman, musician, philanthropist, and more for the City of Santa Maria.
He’s probably best known in Santa Maria for the college which bears his name, Allan Hancock College.
Art Section & Froom Family
Artists and Artisans of the Valley featuring Darrel A. Froom is the art section of the museum.
Darrell Acel Froom was born and raised in Santa Maria and worked in the sheet metal business. He was passionate about copper metal art, hammering copper objects such as bowls, kettles, and chests as well as high-relief art items. Darrell also painted three oil pictures, one that is displayed at the museum. His work is preserved and presented here in hopes of inspiring others to pursue their own artistic ideals and as a memorial to his conception that craftsmanship is an art form.
The Froom family has been in the Santa Maria Valley since the mid-1870s. Taffy’s grandfather, Thornton Froom, emigrated from Canada and worked for the railroad as a blacksmith. His maternal grandfather, Thomas Saulsbury, emigrated from England and was a wagon driver before buying property in Guadalupe. His father, Acel H. Froom, was a tinsmith in Santa Maria conducting a plumbing and sheet metal business, Froom Tank Company. Taffy’s son, Kim Ace Froom, passed in 2017 ending the Froom presence in the Santa Maria Valley after more than 140 years.
