Santa Paula Hardware Company / Union Oil Company Building on the National Register of Historic Places

The California Oil Museum at 1001 E. Main Street, Santa Paula (corner of Main and 10th) is the birthplace of Union Oil Company (now part of Chevron). The building was completed on October 17, 1890 and originally was the Santa Paula Hardware Company Building, housing the headquarters of the Union Oil Company on the 2nd floor. Union Oil moved its headquarters to Los Angeles in 1900, but continued to operate a field office out of this building.

The Union Oil Museum was established in 1950. The building was restored to its original appearance for its centennial celebration in 1990. The building is also a California Historical Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Here’s the California Oil Museum building in April 2019.

A view of the building I believe prior to 1900.

Spencer Furniture store at the historic building in I believe the 1940s.

Sections of the Juan Bautista de Anza Trail in Ventura County and Nearby Areas

In 1776, while American patriots fought for their independence from England, Spanish Lt. Colonel Juan Bautista de Anza led more than 240 men, women, and children some 1,800 miles to establish a settlement at San Francisco Bay. These families were the first colonists to come overland across the frontier of New Spain into present-day California.

The trail connects Mexico to San Francisco. The group included the settlers, military escorts, support workers and Indian guides, as well as 1,000 head of livestock. The expedition reached “el río de San Francisco “ on June 27, 1776 and established Spain’s northernmost colony in Alta California.

Local hikers will see signs like this on sections of the De Anza Trail.

The historic trail today is memorialized with a 1,210 mile route extending from Nogales on the U.S./Mexico border through sections of southern Arizona into California. You will see signs from time to time signifying you are on the De Anza Trail.

Locally here in Ventura County, you’ll encounter sections of the De Anza Trail as follows:

• The Los Robles Trail in Thousand Oaks is an official recreation hiking route.

• The Los Robles Trail connects to the Wendy Trail in Newbury Park at its west endpoint on Potrero Road.

• Other trails in the area designated part of the De Anza Trail go through Cheeseboro Canyon, the Cheeseboro Ridge Trail, Palo Comado Canyon Trail, Albertson Motorway and the Hillcrest Open Space.

There are nearly 17 miles of trail in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area designated for the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail.

The coastal parks of San Buenaventura and Emma Wood State beaches, the Faria and Hobson County Parks and the recreation trail on the Ventura beach boardwalk all provide memorable ocean views.

More details on the Ventura County portions of the De Anza Trail at www.anzahistorictrail.org/visit/counties/ventura.

Learn much more at www.anzahistorictrail.org.

Scenes Near the Corner of Thousand Oaks Boulevard and Rancho Road in 1970

Conejo Valley Days Parade 1970 with auto promoting Sizzler.

Some of you may remember the Sizzler restaurant on Moorpark Road that is now a Hooter's. Well, before that, there was a Sizzler at 1259 East Thousand Oaks Boulevard, in a space that today (thanks to a generous donation from Thousand Oaks Storage) is the home of affordable housing non-profit Many Mansions.

Thousand Oaks Sizzler on Thousand Oaks Boulevard, just east of Rancho Road, in 1970

Many Mansions moved in Spring 2015 at the long ago former home of the first Sizzler restaurant in Thousand Oaks.

Sizzler was directly east of the Enco gas station at the corner of Thousand Oaks Boulevard and Rancho Road.

Enco was a short-lived brand name from the Humble Oil Company, which is now part of ExxonMobil. Apparently it translated into "stalled car" in Japanese.

Conejo Valley Days Parade 1970 at intersection of Thousand Oaks Blvd and Rancho Road.

Notice the Shell gas station across Rancho Road in the above photo. Today of course a different kind of fuel is served there at the first Thousand Oaks Drive-Thru Starbucks. I also notice the gas price at that time was 28 9/10th cents a gallon.

Today, there is a Chevron station located at this former home of Enco. It is the exact same building shown above! But instead of "Happy Motoring!" there's a sign on the building that says "Food Mart."

This Chevron station is the former home of the Enco station pictured above.

And this last photo shows a 23 North sign west of Rancho Road. Partially hidden behind that sign is a Chicken Delight that was located at 1165 E. Thousand Oaks Boulevard. Today, the closest Chicken Delight is in Winnepeg, Canada. 

Fireworks Hill in Thousand Oaks Has Hosted the City's Fireworks Show for Decades

So called "Fireworks Hill" is located in the center of Thousand Oaks, enveloped by McCloud Avenue on the northwest, St. Charles Drive on the northeast, Wilbur Road on the east, Marin Street on the south and Hillcrest Drive on the southeast.

The hill is passed by tens of thousands of commuters each day as it can clearly be seen from the 101. 

For decades, the annual City of Thousand Oaks 4th of July Fireworks have been launched from this hill, a 27 acre parcel that was acquired by the City of Thousand Oaks in 1994. According to an April 7, 1994 Los Angeles Times article, the top of the hill was graded three decades prior.

According to minutes from the April 5, 1994 City Council meeting, city council voted by a 3 to 2 vote to acquire the property from the Robert A. Franklyn Estate for $540,000, plus $5,000 in estimated escrow closing costs.

While the general public is not given access to Fireworks Hill on the 4th of July, the fireworks launched from this site can be seen from quite a large radius in the surrounding area. Here's to a great Independence Day!

Independence Day events and activities throughout Ventura County

Fireworks Hill shown here in early January 2016, when three were snow capped peaks in the background.

Old Mission Santa Barbara is a Cultural and Historic Local Landmark

The Santa Barbara Mission was established on the Feast of Saint Barbara, December 4, 1786 and was the 10th of 21 California Missions to be founded by the Spanish Franciscans. The Mission continues to be the chief cultural and historic landmark in the city of Santa Barbara. Home to a community of Franciscan friars, the Mission also has a retreat center with guest rooms, conference rooms, a fully equipped commercial kitchen and dining room, a beautiful church with a large and active parish, a museum and gift shop, a cemetery and mausoleum and ten acres of beautifully landscaped gardens.

The Santa Barbara Mission in July 2013

Old Mission Church, Santa Barbara (1876), by Carleton Watkins, via Wikimedia Commons

Mission Santa Barbara is California Historical Landmark No. 309. According to the California State Parks Office of Historic Preservation website: Portions of five units of its extensive waterworks, built by Indian labor and preserved in this part, are a filter house, Spanish gristmill, sections of aqueducts, and two reservoirs, the larger of which, built in 1806, is used today as part of the city water system. The fountain and lavadero are nearby, in front of the mission, and a dam built in 1807 is located in the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, one and one-half miles up Mission Canyon. Only ruins remain of the mission's pottery kiln, guard house, and tanning vats.

The Mission, located at 2201 Laguna Street, is open daily from 9am to 5pm. Admission for self-guided tours as of January 2019 is $9 for adults (18-64) $7 for seniors (65+) and active military (with ID) and $4 for youth ages 5-17. Parking is free.

Docent-led tours (approximately 60 minutes) on most Mondays through Fridays at 11 am and Saturdays at 10:30 am. Cost for docent-led tours is $13 adults, $11 seniors, active military and $8 for youth ages 5-17. Visit www.santabarbaramission.org or call 805.682.4713 to learn more.

Five Very Interesting Museums in Oxnard and Camarillo

There are over 50 museums highlighted here on Conejo Valley Guide and each and every one of them has interesting features. Here are some additional highlights from a handful of these museums located in the Oxnard / Camarillo area.

The Mullin Automotive Museum is a 47,000 square foot amazingly pristine facility in Oxnard housing over 50 French art deco cars from the 1930s and 1940s. Mullin is open to the public only a few times a month. You will be awestruck by some of the most beautiful cars you've ever seen!

Unfortunately, on January 17, 2024, the Mullin Automotive Museum announced it will be closing its doors on Saturday, February 10th, in light of the passing of Peter Mullin in September 2023. More information at THIS LINK.

The Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology, known as the Camarillo Bird Museum, is a 22,000 square foot facility in a Camarillo industrial park that contains one of the largest collections of bird, bird egg and bird nest specimens in the entire world. It is open to the public only about 10 times a year.

(The Woolworth Museum items are still here, but access to the public is generally not available)

There is a vintage 1950 Woolworth building in Downtown Oxnard that has been redeveloped and now houses a restaurant and office space. But the 1st floor lobby of this 16,800 sq ft building contains a very small museum chock full of Woolworth nostalgia. This Woolworth Museum isn't large and fancy but will certainly bring back memories for you geezers out there. There is no charge to enter.

For World War II Air Force history, memorabilia and functioning aircraft, visit the Commemorative Air Force Aviation Museum located at the Camarillo Airport.  You will be treated to detailed information and history led by knowledgeable docents. You may also have an opportunity to step outside to see the aircraft directly adjacent to the runway. 

Located at the Channel Islands Harbor, the Channel Islands Maritime Museum is home to a large collection of maritime art, models and historical items. If you or your kids enjoy model ships, you will not find a better place to go than here. And the well-trained docents will be sure to impart information that is quite interesting.

Since the Woolworth Museum noted above appears to be closed, a nice addition to this list is the Pleasant Valley Historical Society Museum and Botanical Garden on Las Posas Road in Camarillo. Open only on weekends from noon to 4pm, the museum displays an assortment of vintage items and curios from the local area going back to the turn of the 20th century.

The Newbury Park Branch Library Broke Ground in March 1990 and Opened Its Doors on January 19, 1991

For those of you who moved to the Conejo Valley over the last 10, 20, 25 years, you probably weren’t aware that the Newbury Park Branch Library, part of the Thousand Oaks Library system, was previously a Ralphs supermarket.

The ground breaking ceremony took place on March 31, 1990 at 2331 Borchard Road. The 31,000 sq ft facility cost $4 million.

Ground breaking of the Newbury Park Branch Library on March 31, 1990, including City of Thousand Oaks City Council members Alex Fiore and Larry Horner. (Photo Credit: Thousand Oaks Library Conejo Through the Lens collection.)