About Ventura California
History
San Buenaventura, generally alluded to as Ventura, is the county seat of Ventura County, California, United States, incorporated in 1866. Ventura has a population of 106,744. Ventura is accessible via U.S. Route 101, State Route 33, and State Route 126.
Father Juni'pero Serra locateded Mission San Buenaventura in 1782, forming the basis of what would soon become the city. The mission was named after St. Bonaventure, a Thirteenth Century Franciscan saint and a Doctor of the Church. On July 6, 1841, Governor Juan Bautista Alvarado granted Rancho San Miguel to Felipe Lorenzana and Raymundo Olivas,] whose Olivas Adobe on the banks of the Santa Clara River was the most magnificent hacienda south of Monterey.
Shortly after the American Civil War, settlers migrated to the place, buying land from the Mexicans, or simply as squatters. Vast holdings were later acquired by Easterners, including the railroad baron, Thomas Scott. He was impressed by one of the young employees, Thomas R. Bard, who had been in charge of train supplies to Union troops, and Bard was sent west to handle Scott's property.
Dificult to access, Ventura was not a target of immigrants, because of which, remained quiet and rural. For most of the century which followed the incorporation of Ventura in 1866, it remained aloof from the rest of the state.
Bard is usually regarded as the Father of Ventura and his descendants have been prominently identified with the growth of Ventura County. The Union Oil Company was organized with Bard as President in 1890, and has offices in Santa Paula. The huge Ventura Oil Field was first drilled in 1919 and at its peak produced 90,000 barrels per day (14,000 m3/d). The city is found between the Ventura River and the Santa Clara River, leading to soil so fertile that citrus grew better here than anywhere else in the state. The citrus farmers formed Sunkist Growers, Incorporated, the world's hugest organization of citrus production.
From the south, travel by auto was slow and hazardous, until the completion of a four-lane free of chargeway (US Highway 101) over the Conejo Grade in 1959. This route, now further widened and made better by 1969, is called the Ventura Freeway, which directly links Ventura with the L.A. metropolitan area. Another route, US Highway 101 ALT (now the Pacific Coast Highway) traveled along the coast from Santa Monica via Oxnard, but was not heavily used.
From the north, entrance was by way of a single road along the beach and stagecoach passengers either had to wait until low tide when the horses could cross on the exposed wet sand, or go up the Ventura River Valley and then cross over the mountains to Santa Barbara via Casitas Pass, a long and difficult trip.
Points of Intrest
Ventura has some of the best surfing in Southern California, especially Surfer's Point at Ventura County Fairgrounds. Downtown Ventura is the home of the Mission San Buenaventura, museums, galleries, dining, and shopping. Primary areas of activity include California Street and Main Street between Ventura Avenue and Fir Street. Located in downtown is the historic Ortega Adobe, home to the Ortega family, now well known for their chile products. Numerous thrift stores contrast with high end shops and restaurants. Downtown Ventura is also home to the Ventura's ornate city hall building with its signature statue of Junipero Serra. Downtown now features a lot of restaurants, winebars and the worldwidely acclaimed Rubicon Theatre Company.
A 4,300-square-foot (400 m2) Ventura Take a trip toors Center is found at 101 S. California Street, in downtown and features exhibits on the Heritage Valley, Channel Islands National park, local arts scene and maps and guide books on the place.
One of the most recognizable land marks in Ventura is a site called two trees. These are two lone trees that stand on a hill and can be seen from most of Ventura.
In Plaza Park (Chestnut and Santa Clara Streets, downtown) one of the nations hugest Moreton Bay Fig Trees is marked with an historic plaque. Across the street is the main post office with WPA murals on its interior walls.
The Ventura Harbor is the home of fishing industry, seafood restaurants and a shopping village at Ventura Harbor Village; it is well known for shops such as The Glass Touch and restaurants such as Milano's and World Famous Hicees BBQ. Home to two of Ventura Counties favorite blues bands, the legendary Blue Stew and the offspring of that group, Baby Sister. The Channel Islands National Park Headquarters is also found in this harbor, and boats to the Channel Islands depart from there daily.
Pierpont Bay (Pierpont) is the residential neighborhood along the one mile stretch between the Ventura Harbor and San Buenaventura State Beach. Reclaimed marshland was subdivided in 1925 with sluggish sporadic development through years of economic depression, wars, and two coastal floods (in 1937 and 1962). Previously a hodge-podge of mostly rentals, weekend cottages and vacant lots, each of California's real estate booms brought surges of development and renovation and now Pierpont is mostly owner-occupied with an equal number of huge, high-quality homes and older modest beach cottages. A lack of research has left Pierpont with an apparent identity crisis, with widely varying architectural styles, a poorly implemented commercial area along Seaward Avenue, a evident lack of city maintenance, even adjacent to multi-million dollar homes, and continuous conflicts regarding regulation of the neighborhood's public beach areas. Conflicts are likely to increase in the close to future, with plans for high density development along already-crowded streets, and with State officials beginning to exercise authority along beaches that have been mostly self-regulated for the last eighty years.