Santa Paula, California

Last updated

Santa Paula, California
City
Thomas Aquinas Chapel Facade 2.jpg
Santa Paula, CA, Train Depot Art Center, 2012 - panoramio (cropped).jpg
Santa Paula, CA, Agriculture Mural, 2012 - panoramio (1) (cropped).jpg
Top: Thomas Aquinas College; Bottom: historic train depot (left) and downtown (right)
Flag of Santa Paula, California.webp
Flag
SantaPaulaSeal.jpg
Seal
Nickname: 
Citrus Capital of the World [1]
Ventura County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Santa Paula Highlighted.svg
Location in Ventura County and the state of California
Usa edcp relief location map.png
Red pog.svg
Santa Paula, California
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 34°21′21″N119°4′6″W / 34.35583°N 119.06833°W / 34.35583; -119.06833
Country United States
State California
County Ventura
Founded1872 [2]
Incorporated April 22, 1902 [3]
Government
 • MayorLeslie Cornejo [4]
 •  State senator Monique Limón (D) [5]
 •  Assemblymember Gregg Hart (D) [5]
 •  U.S. rep. Julia Brownley (D) [6]
Area
[7]
 •  City 5.69 sq mi (14.75 km2)
 • Land5.53 sq mi (14.32 km2)
 • Water0.16 sq mi (0.42 km2)  2.41%
Elevation
[8]
279 ft (85 m)
Population
 (2020) [9]
 •  City 30,657
 • Density5,543.76/sq mi (2,081.00/km2)
 •  Metro
[10]
823,318
Time zone UTC−8 (Pacific)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−7 (PDT)
ZIP Codes
93060, 93061
Area code 805
FIPS code 06-70042
GNIS feature IDs 1652793, 2411826
Website spcity.org
St. Thomas Aquinas Chapel 03-07-2009-Thomas Aquinas Chapel Exterior.jpg
St. Thomas Aquinas Chapel
Santa Paula, California, the Santa Clara River and South Mountain from the air, 2015 Santa Paula, California (21399016118).jpg
Santa Paula, California, the Santa Clara River and South Mountain from the air, 2015
South Mountain, showing part of the South Mountain Oil Field and radio towers SouthMountain1 (cropped).jpg
South Mountain, showing part of the South Mountain Oil Field and radio towers

Santa Paula (Spanish for "St. Paula") is a city in Ventura County, California, United States. Situated amid the orchards of the Santa Clara River Valley, the city advertises itself to tourists as the "Citrus Capital of the World". [11] Santa Paula was one of the early centers of California's petroleum industry. The Union Oil Company Building, the founding headquarters of the Union Oil Company of California in 1890, now houses the California Oil Museum. [11] The population was 30,657 at the 2020 census, up from 29,321 at the 2010 census.

Contents

History

The area of what today is Santa Paula was inhabited by the Chumash, a Native American people, before the Spanish arrived. In 1769, the Spanish Portola expedition, first Europeans to see inland areas of California, came down the Santa Clara River Valley from the previous night's encampment near Fillmore and camped in the vicinity of Santa Paula on August 12, near one of the creeks coming into the valley from the north (most likely Santa Paula Creek). Fray Juan Crespi, a Franciscan missionary traveling with the expedition, had previously named the valley Cañada de Santa Clara. He noted that the party traveled about 9 to 10 miles (14 to 16 km) that day and camped near a large native village, which he named San Pedro Amoliano. [12] The site of the expedition's arrival has been designated California Historical Landmark No. 727. [13] [note 1] [note 2] [14]

Franciscan missionaries, led by Father Junipero Serra, became active in the area after the founding of the San Buenaventura Mission and established an Asistencia; the town takes its name from the Catholic Saint Paula. Santa Paula is located on the 1843 Rancho Santa Paula y Saticoy Mexican land grant.

In 1872 Nathan Weston Blanchard purchased 2,700 acres (10.9 km2) and laid out the townsite. Considered the founder of the community, he planted seedling orange trees in 1874. [15] [16] Several small oil companies owned by Wallace Hardison, Lyman Stewart and Thomas R. Bard were combined and became the Union Oil Company in 1890. [17] [18]

Santa Paula was incorporated in April 1902. [19] The first mayor was Lewis Arthur Hardison. [20]

1st Mayor of Santa Paula, CA (1902), Lewis Arthur Hardison 1853-1921 Lewis Arthur Hardison - First Mayor of Santa Paula, CA.jpg
1st Mayor of Santa Paula, CA (1902), Lewis Arthur Hardison 1853-1921

In April 1911, Gaston Méliès moved his Star Film Company from San Antonio, Texas to a site just north of Santa Paula. [21]

The large South Mountain Oil Field southeast of town, just across the Santa Clara River, was discovered by the Oak Ridge Oil Company in 1916, and developed methodically through the 1920s, bringing further economic diversification and growth to the area. While the field peaked in production in the 1950s, Occidental Petroleum continues to extract oil through its Vintage Production subsidiary and remains a significant local employer.

A major expansion began in 2016 when construction started on a 500-acre (200 ha) master-planned community of 1,500 homes. [22]

Disasters

The town has been devastated by floods, fires, and was once affected by a nearby truck explosion that resulted in an industrial disaster.

Floods

The Great Flood of 1862

The Great Flood of 1862 began on December 24, 1861, when it rained for almost four weeks, reaching a total of 35 inches (890 mm) at Los Angeles.

St. Francis Dam Disaster

The failure and near complete collapse of the St. Francis Dam took place in the middle of the night on March 12, 1928. The dam was holding a full reservoir of 12.4 billion gallons (47 billion liters) of water that surged down San Francisquito Canyon and emptied into the Santa Clara River. The town was first hit by the waters at approximately 3:00 a.m. Though hundreds of homes and structures were destroyed, the loss of life would have been greater if it were not for two motorcycle police officers that noisily warned as many people as possible. [23] A sculpture called "The Watchers" in downtown Santa Paula depicts this act of heroism. [24]

Wildfires

Thomas Fire

In December 2017, the Thomas Fire broke out nearby. While it was the largest wildfire in modern California history at the time, the Santa Ana winds drove the fire toward Ventura and Santa Barbara. Over a thousand structures were destroyed which included a few out buildings just outside the city. It was finally confirmed to be fully contained in January 2018, and a reported 281,893 acres (440 sq mi; 114,078 ha) had burned. One firefighter and one civilian were the only fatalities directly caused by the fire. The cost of the fire rose to be an estimated $297 million.

Maria Fire

On October 31, 2019, the Maria Fire was reported burning at the top of South Mountain between Santa Paula and Somis and expanded throughout that evening. [25] Heavily influenced by 20–30 mph (32–48 km/h) winds within the canyons, the fire became a full scale conflagration, growing from 50 to 750 acres (20 to 304 ha) inside an hour, to over 4,000 acres (16 km2) after several hours. [25] [26] The fire worked its way north towards Santa Paula where the topography of the Santa Clara River Valley which can serve as a funnel for Santa Ana winds. [27] Mandatory evacuations were ordered for a wide swath of over 1,800 homes surrounding the fire area, affecting over 7,500 residences. [25] [26]

Santa Clara Waste Water plant industrial disaster

A vacuum truck exploded at the Santa Clara Waste Water plant in the early morning hours of November 18, 2014. Two workers were injured in the initial explosion, three responding fire-fighters were injured by the fumes from the spill of a highly volatile chemical mixture, and 50 others were exposed to fumes and required treatment at local hospitals. [28] [29] The driver was transporting waste from a temporary storage drum to a processing center when he stopped to take a meal break. [30] The rear of the truck exploded, spreading a white liquid over a 300-by-400-foot area (91 by 122 m) that spontaneously combusted as it dried and was sensitive to shock, pressure and the application of water or oxygen. The tires of the first fire truck on the scene and the boots of three firefighters sparked small explosions when they drove and walked over the substance as they went to help the injured workers. [31] [32] The incident evolved into a disaster when later in the morning additional materials began to burn and explode, which resulted in a three-mile-long plume of toxic smoke (4.8 km) and the closing of Highway 126. [33] Chemical smoke drifted over the area and nearby residents and businesses were required to evacuate. [34]

Cause

About 1,000 US gallons (3,800 L; 830 imp gal) of a chemical mixture consisted of some sort of organic peroxide. [35] Three weeks after the incident, the substance was still highly susceptible to friction and seemed to react to something as slight as wind. [36] Sodium chlorite was identified in an internal investigation by the firm in the months following the disaster. They claimed that the chemical was being using as a water treatment agent for the first time and was stored in the same type of storage container as wastewater. [37] [ dead link ] The worker combined the chemical with wastewater in the vacuum truck where the chemical interacting with organic material caused an explosion that blew off the back of the truck. A former county district attorney, retained by a company attorney, issued a report in March 2015 that provided an explanation of events indicating that the worker may have accidentally combined the chemicals. [37] [38] Later, investigators found that an inspection by a Defense Logistics Agency contractor was scheduled for that morning and officials of the firm had directed the transfer of these hazardous materials to another location. [39]

Aftermath

Although the explosion and resulting fumes caused injuries including the lungs of three fire-fighters who remained off-duty indefinitely, the material scattered around the site was found to be non-hazardous for clean-up purposes. [40] The two fire engines that arrived first were scrapped. A local emergency was declared that lasted for three months. [41] [38] [42] [43] The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency oversaw the decontamination of the site. The material was neutralized and solidified on site and taken to a landfill. [40]

On August 7, 2015, a Ventura County grand jury indicted the Santa Clara Waste Water Co., the affiliated Green Compass and nine company executives and managers. [44] Following the indictment, the district attorney had the nine defendants arrested on suspicion of several felonies and misdemeanors, including filing a false or forged instrument, dissuading a witness from reporting a crime, known failure to warn of serious concealed danger, withholding information regarding a substantial danger to public safety, conspiracy to commit a crime, causing impairment of an employee's body, and disposal of hazardous waste. [45] The individuals pleaded guilty. The two corporate entities reached an agreement in June 2019 after they had already paid about $800,000 in restitution. [46] [44] [47] [48]

Geography

The city of Santa Paula, according to the United States Census Bureau, has a total area of 4.7 square miles (12 km2), 4.6 square miles (12 km2) of it land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) of it (2.41%) water. Santa Paula is located in the Santa Clara River Valley on the north bank of the Santa Clara River and is surrounded by fruit orchards. The downtown area is centered around Main Street, which is home to the oldest homes in the city. Homes are often bungalows, cottages, Victorian-style houses and craftsman homes. [49] [50]

Climate

Santa Paula has a warm-summer mediterranean climate (Csb) typical of the coastal Southern California with warm summers and cool winters.

Climate data for Santa Paula, California, 1981–2010 normals, extremes 1894–2008
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Record high °F (°C)97
(36)		92
(33)		98
(37)		105
(41)		106
(41)		108
(42)		105
(41)		105
(41)		110
(43)		108
(42)		99
(37)		99
(37)		110
(43)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)69.3
(20.7)		69.2
(20.7)		71
(22)		74
(23)		75.1
(23.9)		77.2
(25.1)		80.7
(27.1)		82.7
(28.2)		81.6
(27.6)		78.5
(25.8)		73.8
(23.2)		69.2
(20.7)		75.2
(24.0)
Daily mean °F (°C)55.2
(12.9)		55.9
(13.3)		57.5
(14.2)		60
(16)		62.5
(16.9)		65.1
(18.4)		68.8
(20.4)		69.4
(20.8)		68.1
(20.1)		64.4
(18.0)		59.1
(15.1)		55.2
(12.9)		61.8
(16.6)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)41.1
(5.1)		42.5
(5.8)		43.9
(6.6)		45.9
(7.7)		50
(10)		53.1
(11.7)		56.9
(13.8)		56.1
(13.4)		54.7
(12.6)		50.2
(10.1)		44.4
(6.9)		41.1
(5.1)		48.3
(9.1)
Record low °F (°C)20
(−7)		23
(−5)		25
(−4)		30
(−1)		35
(2)		35
(2)		38
(3)		36
(2)		40
(4)		32
(0)		28
(−2)		22
(−6)		20
(−7)
Average precipitation inches (mm)3.72
(94)		4.85
(123)		2.69
(68)		0.83
(21)		0.35
(8.9)		0.07
(1.8)		0.01
(0.25)		0.04
(1.0)		0.16
(4.1)		0.69
(18)		1.44
(37)		2.53
(64)		17.38
(441)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)5.95.74.71.80.80.30.20.21.01.33.04.028.9
Source 1: NOAA [51]
Source 2: National Weather Service [52]

Ecology

Bears can come down out of the hills and have been known to roam in neighboring agricultural areas surrounding the city. [53] Mountain lions have periodically been spotted in residents' backyards. [54]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1880 188—
1890 1,047456.9%
1910 2,216—
1920 3,96779.0%
1930 7,45287.8%
1940 8,98620.6%
1950 11,04923.0%
1960 13,27920.2%
1970 18,00135.6%
1980 20,65814.8%
1990 25,06221.3%
2000 28,59814.1%
2010 29,3212.5%
2020 30,6754.6%
U.S. Decennial Census [55]

2010

The 2010 United States Census [56] reported that Santa Paula had a population of 29,321. The population density was 6,230.3 inhabitants per square mile (2,405.5/km2). The racial makeup of Santa Paula was 18,458 (63.0%) White, 152 (0.5%) African American, 460 (1.6%) Native American, 216 (0.7%) Asian, 24 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 8,924 (30.4%) from other races, and 1,087 (3.7%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 23,299 persons (79.5%).

The Census reported that 29,188 people (99.5% of the population) lived in households, 44 (0.2%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 89 (0.3%) were institutionalized.

There were 8,347 households, out of which 4,087 (49.0%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 4,767 (57.1%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 1,267 (15.2%) had a female householder with no husband present, 650 (7.8%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 540 (6.5%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 45 (0.5%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 1,331 households (15.9%) were made up of individuals, and 678 (8.1%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.50. There were 6,684 families (80.1% of all households); the average family size was 3.85.

The population was spread out, with 8,722 people (29.7%) under the age of 18, 3,295 people (11.2%) aged 18 to 24, 8,012 people (27.3%) aged 25 to 44, 6,193 people (21.1%) aged 45 to 64, and 3,099 people (10.6%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.5 males.

There were 8,749 housing units at an average density of 1,859.1 per square mile (717.8/km2), of which 4,694 (56.2%) were owner-occupied, and 3,653 (43.8%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.0%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.1%. 15,528 people (53.0% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 13,660 people (46.6%) lived in rental housing units.

2000

As of the census of 2000, there were 28,598 people, 8,137 households, and 6,435 families residing in the city. The population density was 6,214.6 inhabitants per square mile (2,399.5/km2). There were 8,341 housing units at an average density of 1,812.6 per square mile (699.8/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 35.2% White, 5.41% African American, 1.02% Native American, 0.70% Asian, 0.19% Pacific Islander, .37% from other races, and 4.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 61.2% of the population. [57]

There were 8,136 households, out of which 44.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.1% were married couples living together, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.9% were non-families. 17.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.49 and the average family size was 3.86.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 31.4% under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 17.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $41,651, and the median income for a family was $45,419. Males had a median income of $32,165 versus $25,818 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,736. About 12.2% of families and 14.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.4% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Orange grove outside of Santa Paula, California. California Orange Grove2.jpg
Orange grove outside of Santa Paula, California.

While agriculture is the most important industry in Santa Paula today, the city experienced an economic boom after oil was discovered in 1880. [49]

The economy is primarily agriculturally based, originally focusing on the growing of oranges and lemons. [49] Santa Paula's mediterranean climate combined with an estimated 20 feet (6.1 m) of topsoil have made it a prime location for growing citrus. Avocado has also become a major crop and an avocado was added to the city's official seal. Calavo Growers, Inc. is headquartered here. [58]

Santa Paula has very few large retail stores but residents often travel to neighboring cities to purchase hard goods. The Main Street area consists mostly of clothing shops, specialty shops, novelty shops, dollar stores, restaurants, service-oriented businesses and office space. The city also has neighborhood stores and small grocery markets. Many of these small shops and markets have a distinct Latin-American flavor, often selling a myriad of imported items. In addition some markets also have a meat department which sells a variety of beef, poultry, and seafood.

A 501-acre expansion (203 ha) on the eastern edge of Santa Paula was approved in 2015. This residential and commercial development by Limoneira was known as "East Area One" for the purpose of approval. Officials and residents were hoping this major expansion of the city would create new jobs and increase tax revenue for the cash-strapped city. [59] When the project was first proposed in 1997, concerns were raised that Limoneira was beginning to develop their extensive holdings of prime farmland. Company officials claimed that 83% of the Teague-McKevett parcel was either unsuitable for agriculture or had a low value because of poor soil and drainage. [60]

Tourism

Union Oil's original headquarters, now the California Oil Museum. Union Oil Company Building.jpg
Union Oil's original headquarters, now the California Oil Museum.

The Santa Clara Valley represents one of the best preserved examples of a mature Southern California landscape of citrus groves. [16] [61] Tourists find a town with a main street reminiscent of Middle America in an agricultural setting preserved through Ventura County's greenbelt agreements. [16] The California Oil Museum, [62] within the historic Union Oil building, is located downtown, as are the Santa Paula Art Museum [63] and Museum of Ventura County Agriculture Museum. [64] The Santa Paula Mural Project has completed numerous murals depicting the city's history. [65] [66] The monogram "SP" on South Mountain above the city is visible from around town and along Highway 126. Students from Santa Paula High School first etched the letters into the hills in December 1922. [67]

Government

The city changed from an at-large city council election to a district system on 2023 under the threat of a lawsuit under the California Voting Rights Act. The mayor's seat, which rotates among them, did not change. [68]

Infrastructure

The Santa Paula Earth Station Sapales.jpg
The Santa Paula Earth Station

The Santa Paula Water Recycling Facility was built in 2010 for $63 million to treat the city sewage. [69] Santa Paula Water, a partnership of two corporations, financed, built and operated the facility under the agreement with the city. The city purchased the facility for $70.8 million in 2015 to take control and end a dispute over the failure of the plant to sufficiently remove chlorides. Although the new plant used modern treatment methods, the treated wastewater contained contaminants called chlorides that must be removed under state law before being discharged into the Santa Clara River. [70]

Fire department

The Santa Paula Fire Department provided fire protection and emergency medical services at the basic life support level (BLS) from two fire stations. American Medical Response (AMR) is the paramedic ambulance provider for the city. On July 8, 2018, The Santa Paula Fire Department was disbanded after serving Santa Paula for 115 years. The Ventura County Fire Department now provides fire protection services for the City of Santa Paula. Both fire stations used by Santa Paula Fire were transferred to Ventura County Fire. [71]

Law enforcement

The Santa Paula Police Department provides law enforcement services for the city. The overall crime rate is low. [49]

Notable people

Education

Historically, education was provided by the Santa Paula Elementary School District and the Santa Paula Union High School District. In 2013, the two bodies were merged to form the Santa Paula Unified School District. Many schools in Santa Paula, largely serving students from low-income families, are scoring low in state-administered tests, below the 30th percentile in statewide comparisons. [49]

Santa Paula Unified School District

Elementary schools

Middle school

High schools

College

Thomas Aquinas College, outside city limits

Briggs School District

Mupu School District

Private schools

The city has been featured in Hollywood media on numerous occasions. Some examples include:

Commercials

Various commercials, including a Super Bowl Budweiser commercial, (The Human Bridge) have been filmed in downtown Santa Paula.

Movies

Santa Paula was the early film capital of California. Gaston Méliès brought his Star Film Company to the city in 1911, filming movies such as The Ghost of Sulphur Mountain.

Parts of the movie Disorganized Crime (1989), starring Fred Gwynne, was filmed downtown on Main Street.

Main Street and other locations featured prominently in the 1990 Winona Ryder film Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael . And other films such as “Pee-wee's Big Holiday”.

Chaplin (1992) filmed throughout the surrounding area and held a casting call in town for background actors.

Santa Paula also served as one of the locations for the motion picture Mr. Woodcock (2007), starring Billy Bob Thornton.

A good portion of Joe Dirt (2001) starring David Spade was filmed downtown as well as at the popular restaurant Mary B's.

The Lindsay Lohan movie Georgia Rule (2007) was filmed in Santa Paula.

The majority of the 1997 film Leave It to Beaver was filmed in Santa Paula, with many Santa Paula residents being cast in minor character roles and as extras. The famous scene of Beaver trapped in the giant coffee cup had Main Street blocked off for almost a week while filming continued.

Parts of the Brian De Palma movie Carrie (1976), starring Sissy Spacek, were filmed in Santa Paula.

Other movies that were filmed partially in Santa Paula include The Philadelphia Experiment (1984), the Chinatown sequel The Two Jakes (1990), the Martin Short/Danny Glover buddy comedy Pure Luck (1991), For Love of the Game (1999), Bubble Boy (2001), starring Jake Gyllenhaal, and Bedtime Stories (2008) starring Adam Sandler.

The James M. Sharp House is an historical Italian villa-style house built in 1890. It is located on West Telegraph Road, just outside Santa Paula, and has been the setting for several movies, including Amityville 4 (1989), The Black Gate (1995), and How to Make an American Quilt (1995).

Music videos

The music video for “To Die For” by Sam Smith was shot entirely in the town. [77]

Dennis DeYoung, former lead singer of the popular 1970s and 1980s rock group Styx, filmed the music video for Desert Moon, also the title of his first solo album, at the train depot in 1984.

The music video for the 2001 song “Video” by American R&B artist India Arie was filmed in and around Santa Paula and its surrounding citrus groves. This was India Arie's debut song and video from her Acoustic Soul album.

Television

Parts of the 1976 season 3 episode of The Rockford Files "Coulter City Wildcat", were filmed in Santa Paula.

On the television drama The West Wing , Santa Paula is the hometown of fictional presidential candidate Arnold Vinick (Alan Alda). In early 2005, Santa Paula Mayor Mary Ann Krause began a lobbying campaign to have Santa Paula declared Vinick's hometown. In a publicity move for the town, city officials officially "claim[ed] Senator Arnold Vinick as a resident of Santa Paula," in April 2005, and opened an official campaign headquarters for the fictional Republican Senator in the town's train depot. (Santa Paula for Vinick) On October 14, 2005, NBC released Vinick's official biography and revealed Santa Paula as the town in which he was raised. [78]

Santa Paula served as the backdrop for the fictional Charterville in the 1996–98 TV series Big Bad Beetleborgs .

An episode of the television series Matlock was filmed on Santa Paula St.

After a 1994 fire destroyed their sets in nearby Fillmore, the TV series The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles filmed in various locations, including Santa Paula's Ebell Mansion.

The Santa Paula Train Depot has been a location for various productions, including for the miniseries The Thorn Birds (1983), starring Richard Chamberlain and in the season 3 finale of Glee (2012).

Scenes for the third season of Mayans M.C. were shot on Main Street in October 2020 and February 2021. [79]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Registered on February 5, 1960 at Harding Park, Santa Paula Boys and Girls Club Recreation Center, 1400 block of East Harvard Blvd
  2. ↑ 34°21′21″N119°03′03″W / 34.35585°N 119.050867°W Coordinates of plaque

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Clara River (California)</span> River in Ventura and Los Angeles counties, California

The Santa Clara River is an 83 mi (134 km) long river in Ventura and Los Angeles counties in Southern California. It drains parts of four ranges in the Transverse Ranges System north and northwest of Los Angeles, then flows west onto the Oxnard Plain and into the Santa Barbara Channel of the Pacific Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Clara River Valley</span> Valley along the Santa Clara River in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, California

The Santa Clara River Valley is a rural, mainly agricultural, valley in Ventura County, California that has been given the moniker Heritage Valley by the namesake tourism bureau. The valley includes the communities of Santa Paula, Fillmore, Piru and the national historic landmark of Rancho Camulos. Named for the Santa Clara River, which winds through the valley before emptying into the Pacific Ocean between the cities of Ventura and Oxnard, the tourist bureau describes it as ".... Southern California's last pristine agricultural valley nestled along the banks of the free-flowing Santa Clara River."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California State Route 126</span> Highway in California

State Route 126 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California that serves Ventura and Los Angeles counties. The route runs from U.S. Route 101 in Ventura to Interstate 5 at the Castaic Junction-Santa Clarita border through the Santa Clara River Valley. The highway is an important connector highway in Ventura County, and serves as an alternate route into the Santa Clarita Valley, and the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles and the High Desert of Antelope Valley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Union Oil Company Building</span> United States historic place

The Santa Paula Hardware Company Building, located in Santa Paula, California, and more commonly referred to as the Union Oil Company Building, is significant for its historical importance as the birthplace of the Union Oil Company on October 17, 1890. Originally, the Santa Paula Hardware and Post Office were downstairs, and the Union Oil Company offices were upstairs. The building continued to serve as a field division office after the main headquarters moved to Los Angeles in 1900.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McGrath State Beach</span> State beach in Ventura County, California, United States

McGrath State Beach is a protected beach park located on the south bank of the mouth of Santa Clara River in the city of Oxnard, California. McGrath State Beach is one of the best bird-watching areas in California, with the lush riverbanks of the Santa Clara River and sand dunes along the shore. A nature trail leads to the Santa Clara Estuary Natural Preserve. Camping sites are available. Two miles of beach provide surfing and fishing opportunities. Just south of the station is the undeveloped Mandalay Beach Park which is about a mile downcoast beach walk from the park or a bike ride along Harbor Blvd. Located south of Ventura on Harbor Boulevard, the beach is on the Pacific Coast Bicycle Route and the California Coastal Trail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fillmore and Western Railway</span> Heritage railroad in Ventura County, California, USA

The Fillmore and Western Railway was a heritage railway which operated on track owned by the Ventura County Transportation Commission. Visitors to Fillmore would see filming activity as well as sets and support equipment at the company's rail yard and along the tracks between Santa Paula and Piru. They stopped operating on the line in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oxnard Plain</span> Landform in Ventura County, California

The Oxnard Plain is a large coastal plain in southwest Ventura County, California, United States surrounded by the mountains of the Transverse ranges. The cities of Oxnard, Camarillo, Port Hueneme and much of Ventura as well as the unincorporated communities of Hollywood Beach, El Rio, Saticoy, Silver Strand Beach, and Somis lie within the over 200-square-mile alluvial plain (520 km2). The population within the plain comprises a majority of the western half of the Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura Metro Area and includes the largest city along the Central Coast of California. The 16.5-mile-long coastline (26.6 km) is among the longest stretches of continuous, linear beaches in the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saticoy, California</span> Place in California, United States

Saticoy is an unincorporated community in Ventura County, California, United States. The site of one of the largest settlements of the Chumash region, a settlement was laid out in 1887 along the railroad line that was being built from Los Angeles through the Santa Clara River Valley to the town of San Buenaventura. Although the town was 10 miles (16 km) distant at that time, the City of Ventura grew to a point where only a small residential and commercial community is left outside the city limits. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined that community as a census-designated place (CDP).

Bardsdale is a rural unincorporated community and populated place in Ventura County, California. It is located in the orange blossom and agricultural belt of the Santa Clara River Valley, south of the Santa Clara River and on the north slope of South Mountain. The closest town is Fillmore, which is on the north side of the Santa Clara about 3 miles (5 km) from Bardsdale. Santa Paula is about 7 miles (11 km) west, the most direct route being South Mountain Road. Moorpark is about 6 miles (10 km) south over the serpentine mountain road known as Grimes Canyon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glen Tavern Inn</span> Hotel in Santa Paula, Ventura County, California listed on the National Register of Historic Places

The Glen Tavern Inn is a hotel located in Santa Paula, Ventura County, California. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 and is an official City of Santa Paula and Ventura County Landmark. It is in the Santa Clara River Valley, approximately 12 miles (19 km) inland from the Pacific Ocean.

Buckhorn is a populated place name along State Route 126 in a rural unincorporated area of Ventura County, California, United States. Buckhorn is about 2 miles (3.2 km) outside the town of Piru but is within the eponymous census-designated place. Located in the Santa Clara River Valley, this was an early stagecoach stop and a regular eating place known for being midway between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. It was run by the Warring family who came to the county in 1869 and owned the nearby Buckhorn Ranch. Buckhorn was also a station on the initial route of the coast rail line that arrived in the valley in 1887. With the completion of the Santa Susana Tunnel in 1904, the route through Oxnard and Simi Valley became the most direct route between Los Angeles and San Francisco. The shipping of agricultural products such as citrus continued to keep this route busy for many years. The Santa Paula Branch Line no longer connects through to Santa Clarita after the rails were washed out. The junction with the main line is near the East Ventura station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ventura County Transportation Commission</span> Public sector transportation planning body

The Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC) is the public sector transportation planning body for Ventura County, California. The VCTC oversees highway, bus, aviation, rail and bicycle activity and controls the use of government funds for transportation projects. The commission was created by state legislation in 1988 and began operation in 1989, when it assumed the transportation responsibilities of the Ventura County Association of Governments.

The Ventura County Historic Landmarks & Points of Interest consist of buildings, sites, and neighborhoods designated by Ventura County Cultural Heritage Board as historic landmarks and points of interest in Ventura County, California. The county board of supervisors created the Cultural Heritage Board in 1966 and in August 1968, two sites were designated: the Faulkner House near Santa Paula; and the Edwards Adobe in Saticoy. The scope was established to include the entire county: both cities and the unincorporated areas. The cities of Fillmore, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Simi Valley, and Thousand Oaks have the county Cultural Heritage Board advise them and those designations are listed here. The cities of Moorpark, Ojai, Santa Paula, and Ventura established their own separate historic designation systems with the City of Ventura Historic Landmarks and Districts developing into an extensive list. The Port Hueneme Historical Society Museum houses historical artifacts, photographs and information on the history of the Hueneme area. The museum is in the Hueneme Bank Building.

A vacuum truck exploded at the Santa Clara Waste Water plant on November 18, 2014 near Santa Paula, California, United States. Two workers were injured in the initial explosion with three responding fire-fighters also being injured. The rear of the truck exploded, spreading a white liquid that spontaneously combusted as it dried and was sensitive to shock, pressure and the application of water or oxygen. A three-mile-long plume of toxic smoke (4.8 km) closed a local highway and caused local residents and businesses to be evacuated.

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