Abraham Felix Osuna (1874-1935) and Yldefonso Castro “Poncho” Osuna (1904-1979)
Early Mexican Grocers in Santa Barbara and Carpinteria
by Melinda Yamane Crawford
Abraham Felix Osuna, born March 16, 1874, in Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico, became a lifelong grocer in Santa Barbara, California. Driven by a friend’s encouragement, Abraham settled in Santa Barbara, bringing his family and inspiring another family from his hometown in Sonora, Mexico to follow. He soon established the first grocery store specifically catering to the Mexican population in Santa Barbara, a vital resource for the community. Abraham Felix Osuna passed away on October 5, 1935, in Santa Barbara at the age of 61.
Family Life and Early Establishments
On November 16, 1905, Abraham married Josefa “Josie” Castro in Santa Barbara. The 1930 U.S. Census shows Abraham immigrated in 1888 and Josefa in 1893; and her 83-year-old father, Francisco Castro, who arrived in the U.S. in 1921, was living with their family. Together, Abraham and Josie had seven children who survived to adulthood: one son, Yldefonso, and six daughters: Henrietta, Aurora, Otilia, Teresa, Pauline, and Emigueta. Sadly, two other children, Abraham (1911-1916) and Clotilde (1907-1918), died in San Diego, California where Abraham is also listed as a grocer in the San Diego City directories circa 1914-1918.
A Legacy of Entrepreneurship
Osuna’s grocery ventures evolved over the years. The 1904 Santa Barbara City Directory listed him as a grocer at 34 E. Carrillo Street. From 1905 to 1919, his business was located at 606 State Street (present day: Cost Plus World Market). He was listed as a grocer at 38 E. Carrillo Street in 1920, before settling at 626 State Street by 1921 (present day: Urban Outfitters).
Expanding his entrepreneurial reach, Abraham also opened an Osuna Market in 1930 at 802 Coast Highway in Old Town Carpinteria. The store remained open until its closure around 1970.
Osuna Grocery, 626 State Street, Santa Barbara, California (Courtesy of Community Development and Conservation Collection, Alexandria Digital Research Library, UC Santa Barbara)
Mi Fiesta Market & Authentic Mexican Grill, August 24, 2025 (Courtesy of Melinda Crawford)
Continuation of the Family Business
Yldefonso Castro Osuna (1904-1979) continued his father’s legacy. He married Flora Perez on June 25, 1929, in Los Angeles, California, and they had four children. In his father’s will, dated October 9, 1925, Abraham bequeathed his 626 State Street grocery business to Yldelfonso. By 1940, Yldefonso built a new Carpinteria store at 710 Coast Highway, rebranding it as Mi Fiesta Market. Coast Highway became Carpinteria Avenue in the 1950s, when the opening of the new Highway 101 bypassed the older route. While its street address may have changed to 4502 Carpinteria Avenue, Mi Fiesta Market remains in business at the intersection of Carpinteria Avenue and Cramer Road.
The Mexican markets in Carpinteria started as comfortable places to shop for the Mexican community in the 20s, 30s and 40s. Good places to shop and eat, however, bring people together. (Campos, Jim.“Carpinteria’s Mexican Markets.” CoastalView.com, Nov. 12, 2020.)
Sources
Year: 1910; Census Place: Santa Barbara Ward 3, Santa Barbara, California; Roll: T624_104; Page: 6b; Enumeration District: 0170; FHL microfilm: 1374117. Ancestry.com
Year: 1930; Census Place: Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California; Page: 13A; Enumeration District: 0014; FHL microfilm: 2339949. Ancestry.com
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/87166929/abraham-feliz-osuna. Ancestry.com
Web: Western States Marriage Index, 1809-2016. /search/collections/70016/records/1019809?tid=205414103&pid=192695079570&ssrc=pt. Ancestry.com
U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995. Ancestry.com
Registration State: California; Registration County: San Diego. U.S., World War I. Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. Ancestry.com
Wills, Probate Records and Related Cases, 1877-1954; Author: Santa Barbara County (California). County Clerk.Notes: Vol 29-34, 1932-1936. Ancestry.com
The Morning Press; Publication Date: 6 Oct 1935; Publication Place: Santa Barbara, California. https://www.newspapers.com/image/995835487/?article=bf7e291d-7e6c-42d6-9151-00324281eabd&focus=0.26656052,0.3264969,0.3881178,0.4767522&xid=3355. Ancestry.com
California, U.S., County Birth, Marriage, and Death Records, 1849-1980. Ancestry.com
Camarillo, Albert Michael (1975). “The Making of a Chicano Community: A History of the Chicanos in Santa Barbara, California, 1850-1930 (76-8289).” Doctoral Dissertation, University of California, Los Angeles, p. 234. Campos, Jim.“Carpinteria’s Mexican Markets.” CoastalView.com, https://www.coastalview.com/news/carpinteria-s-mexican-markets/article_27b63f42-247b-11eb-ab4c-cf50d697121c.html. Nov. 12, 2020