AnonymousBy Santa Barbara County Courthouse Docent Council
As a military wife, Peggy Hayes lived in various countries, always familiarizing herself with historic sites and giving tours of many of them. On October 27th she will celebrate her 100th birthday!
Moving to Santa Barbara in 1978, she began her “career” at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse as a volunteer in the Information Booth that year, at first on weekends and – seeing the need – soon also on weekdays. It was her own initiative, with no guidance from the County.
She recruited friends to help and they took on their first big project – restoration of the Spirit of the Ocean fountain, which had seriously deteriorated. Soon, she was giving tours and is a life member of the Docent Council. She was president of the group in the mid-1990’s . Fearing loss of the history of the building, she began the collection of its archives – in a file cabinet in the broom closet of the booth – and was behind the effort to digitize them. Santa Barbara and all lovers of history are deeply indebted to Peggy Hayes!
I remember her when she was old and I was not. I am not old and she is amazing.