History of Ventura County 1883

With

Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers.

Oakland, Cal.

Thompson & West, 1883.

(A Transcription of the Section on Ventura County.)

__________________________________

Chapter XXXVI-Condition and County Organization

(Pages 349-360)

Old Families – Don Ygnacio del Valle – American Residents – Fourth of July, 1860 –

Wet Winter of 1861-62 – Dry Season of 1864 – Town Surveys, etc. – Inhabitants of

San Buenaventura – High Water in 1867 – Division of Ranches – Fourth of July

Celebration – Building the Wharf – Desire for a County – Newspaper Established –

Statistics in 1871 – Passage of the Act – The Law Creating the County – Boundaries –

Building of a School House – Number of School Children – Water Companies –

Santa Clara Irrigating Company – Farmers’ Canal and Water Ditch – Political Affairs –

Organization of the County Government – Townships Formed – Supervisor Districts –

Election Precincts – The First Election – Republican Ticket – Democratic Ticket –

Voting Places – County Officers, 1873 – Dr. Cephas L. Bard – City Council – Road

Districts – County Bonds Issued – Settlement with Santa Barbara – Court House

Chapter XXXII – Industrial Developments

(Pages 360-367)

Bradley Retires from the Signal – Retrospection – Murder and Lynching –

Land-holders – Regular Election of 1873 – Year of Prosperity – Bank of Ventura –

Trotting Park – Low Fares – Shipments of Produce – The Fourth of 1874 – Hon.

Walter Murray – Local Option – Nativity of the Settlers – Chief Tax Payers in 1874 –

Excessive Rain-fall – Fire Company – Ventura Gas Company – Ventura Planing Mill –

Newspaper History – Free Press – Newspaper War – Political Affairs in 1875 –

People’s Party – Election Returns for 1875 – L. F. Eastin.

Chapter XXXVIII – Politics and Progress

(Pages 367-380)

Loss of the Kalorama – The Centennial at Various Places – County Officers of 1876 –

Presidential Election – Heavy Tax-Payers – W. S. Chaffee – Drought of 1877 – Loss of

the Wharf – Petition for a Breakwater – Bard and Murphy – Election of 1877 – Election

Returns – Town Officers – Judiciary Elections – Progress – Casitas Pass Road – Hook

& Ladder Company – W. E. Shepherd as Editor – Political Matters in 1879 –

Democratic Convention – Candidates – Election Returns in 1879 – Agricultural

Statistics – Mysterious Affair – A Wild Ride – Commercial Affairs in 1880 – Matters

in 1881 – Garfield Obsequies – I.T. Saxby – W.J. Walton – Election Returns of 1882 –

Present Condition of Affairs – Furniture Factory – Machine Shop – Societies –

Newspapers – “Signal” – F.W. Baker – “Free Press” – Thomas Clark, of the Ventura

Mill Company – Edwin Mill’s Hotels – Halls and Places of Resort – Ventura Bank –

Churches – Congregational Church – The Presbyterian Church – Methodist Church.

Chapter XXXIX – Eastern Portion of the County

(Pages 380-393)

Rancho La Colonia – First Cultivation – John Scarlett – P.B. Hawkins – John G. Hill –

Edward R. Benchley – Hueneme War – Artesian Wells – Growth of the Town – Good

Templars – Hueneme in 1880 – Shipments of Grain – The Light-House – James Fenton –

Guadalasca Rancho – W.R. Broome’s Estate – Las Posas Rancho – Peter Rice – Simi

Rancho – Tapo Rancho – Springville – J. B. Palin – Independent Baptist Church –

Wm. A. Hughes – The Calleguas – Juan Camarillo – The Conejo Rancho.

Chapter XL – Central Portion

(Pages 393-408)

Santa Clara Valley – John Mears, Joseph H. McCutchan – Fruit-raising – Abner

Haines – San Miguel Rancho – Raymundo Olivas – George G. Sewell – Santa Paula y

Saticoy Rancho – Rev. S. T. Wells – Briggs’ Orchard – Settlers in 1867 – Michael

Fagan – Other Settlers – N. W. Blanchard – Orange Orchard – James A. Day – G. W.

Faulkner – Pork-raising – John F. Cummings – Towns – The Farmers’ Canal – Chrisman

and Willoughby – Good Farmers – M.D.L. Todd – John McKenna – Santa Paula –

S. P. Guiberson – Saticoy – Geo. F. Rotsler – Santa Clara del Norte – New Jerusalem –

Sespe Rancho – Scenega – B. F. Warring – The Camulos – San Francisco Rancho.

Chapter XLI – The Western Part of the County

(Pages 408- 420)

San Buenaventura Valley – Ex-Mission – San Miguelito – Green B. Taylor – Rock

Soap – Canada Largo o Verde Rancho – Ojai Rancho – Robert Ayers – W. S. McKee –

Other Settlers – Theodore Todd – Disagreeable Visitor – Statistics of the Ojai –

Schools – Quality of the Soil – As a Sanitarium – Joseph Hobart – Roads to the Ojai –

Nordhoff – Frank P. Barrows – Private Houses – H. J. Dennison – Views Near the

Upper Ojai – Poetry – John Montgomery – Cloud-bursts – Glacial Theory – Liability

to Cloud-bursts – Is There Any Help? – Santa Ana Rancho – Colonization Project –

Matilija Sulphur Springs – Other Parts of the County – M.S. Dimmick.

Chapter XLII. – Miscellaneous Matters

(Pages 420-431)

Oranges – Grapes and Wine – Raisins – Olives – Mineral Soap – Agriculture – Gold

Mining – Silver – Sulphur – Petroleum – Local Character – Geo. S. Gilbert –

Wonderful Springs – The Standard Oil Company.

Chapter XLIII. – The Murder of T. Wallace More

(Pages 431-442)

Libel Suit – Ill-Feeling – The Crime – Traces of the Murderers – Development of

Facts – New Evidence – Trial of F. A. Sprague – Sentences – Jones’ Defection –

Great Excitement – Jones’ Second Affadavit – Case Reviewed by the Governor.