Ventura (California)

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Ventura
Nickname : San Buenaventura
Bird's eye view of Ventura
Bird's eye view of Ventura
Location in California
Location of Ventura in Ventura County (right) and California (left)
Basic data
Foundation : March 31, 1782
State : United States
State : California
County : Ventura County
Coordinates : 34 ° 17 ′  N , 119 ° 14 ′  W Coordinates: 34 ° 17 ′  N , 119 ° 14 ′  W
Time zone : Pacific ( UTC − 8 / −7 )
Residents : 106,433 (as of 2010)
Population density : 1,949.3 inhabitants per km 2
Area : 84.6 km 2  (approx. 33 mi 2 ) of
which 54.6 km 2  (approx. 21 mi 2 ) is land
Postcodes : 93001-93007, 93009
Area code : +1 805
FIPS : 06-65042
GNIS ID : 2411779
Website : www.cityofventura.net
Mayor : Bill Fulton
Ventura pier sign.jpg
Early in the morning in Ventura

Ventura (originally San Buenaventura ) is a city in the US state of California and the administrative seat of Ventura County . In 2010 it had around 106,433 inhabitants on an area of ​​84.6 km².

location

Ventura is located between Malibu and Santa Barbara on the Pacific Ocean . From the city you can see the Channel Islands Anacapa and Santa Cruz , which are about 30 km off the California coast .

Ventura can be reached via US Route 101 and State Routes 33 and 126.

Chumash stone painting

history

It is believed that around 1000 Shishalop Village the Indians - master of the Chumash functioned as the capital of the region. The place was right on the coast, at the end of what is now Figueroa Street . The local Chumash, also known as "Shell bead people" (German: Shell money people ), were a peaceful people who earned their livelihood by hunting, fishing and harvesting. With canoes rowed in their territories from the mainland to the Channel Islands and to the north and south along the coast. Worth mentioning here are the islands of Santa Rosa Island , San Miguel Island and Santa Cruz Island .

In 1542 the explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo and his crew anchored on the coast at today's Point Mugu . He called this area "The Land of Eternal Summers". In 1543 while exploring the island of San Miguel, Cabrillo broke his arm after falling. As a result, he died of gangrene . It is claimed that he was buried on the island. However, his grave has not yet been found.

The story of Ventura in modern times began on Easter Sunday , March 31, 1782, when the Spanish Franciscan missionary from Mallorca , Junípero Serra , who was instrumental in founding the Spanish mission stations in Alta California , settled here. Here he founded his ninth mission, the Mission San Buenaventura , named after Saint Bonaventure , a philosopher and theologian of scholasticism , general minister of the Franciscans and cardinal of Albano . He set up a small wooden cross and celebrated his first mass.

Channel Islands map

In 1793, a fire destroyed the first church in Ventura.

In 1812 a major earthquake forced the clergy and the Indian people who worked for them to retreat inland. The Spanish missionary and Father José Francisco de Paula Señan said, "[...] the sea had been so disturbed by the earthquakes that there was a risk that our mission could be destroyed by the water [...]". Makeshift huts were built along the Ventura River , upstream towards Ojai , now Casitas Springs , to keep the mission going.

In 1841 the Rancho San Miguel , notarized, was awarded to Raimundo Olivas . At that time he built the most magnificent hacienda south of Monterey , on the banks of the Santa Clara River, on this property, which covered 19 km² .

From 1865, more and more Chinese immigrants settled in Ventura. You were significantly involved as workers in the construction of the California rail network. In Ventura, China Alley was gradually built on Figueroa Street . At the time, temples, teahouses and the notorious Chinese gambling halls were located here. The Chinese minority even had their own fire brigade. By 1870 anti-Chinese resentments became loud and drove the local Chinese society more and more away from Figueroa Street. Around 1920 the last houses of the Chinese settlers were burned down by the angry mob .

In 1866, San Buenaventura was officially incorporated as part of Santa Barbara County . The first city council meetings were held in Spanish, which was the predominant language of the time and area. The meetings took place in what was then Spear's Saloon (in what is now the Italian restaurant Capriccio ).

City Hall ( City Hall ) of Ventura

In 1872 the first and also important berth for ships was built. Before this pier was built , the inhabitants had to paddle to the ships in small boats in order to receive goods.

Ventura became a county seat in 1873 after the two counties Santa Barbara and Ventura split into separate counties. In the same year the first courthouse was built. The first public library and the first bank were also built.

In 1887 the first train was greeted with a grand celebration at the Ventura Depot on Front Street . Rumored to San Buenaventura to Ventura have been renamed because San Buenaventura was too long to be printed on the tickets. Today the former station property is an abandoned area with a view of the Pacific.

The energy company Unocal (abbreviation for: Un ion O il Company of Cal ifornia) was founded in Ventura in 1890 , with Thomas Robert Bard as President. Bard was a representative from 1900 to 1905, who represented the US state of California in the US Senate .

Two Trees , Ventura

Sometime in 1898 the legend of the "Two Trees" was born. One of these two trees is from the group of trees originally planted by Joseph Sexton and his neighbor Owen Marron. In 1940 there were only five trees left after vandals destroyed three trees. Five trees were replanted until 1956, when vandals again felled three trees. Of the two today, only one of the trees is from 1898, the second is a leftover from the new planted in 1940.

From 1900 to 1920 Ventura was the number one bean growing nationwide; mainly the lima bean should be mentioned here. The county has over 200 square kilometers of arable land. The main field crop grown in Ventura today is the strawberry .

As a gift to the city, Senator Thomas Bard and doctor Cephas Bard inaugurated the city's first hospital in 1902. The Elizabeth Bard Memorial Hospital is now a historic building and was listed on November 11, 1977 by the National Register of Historic Places under number 77000361.

The Elisabeth Bard Memorial Building in Ventura

In 1909 the influential EP Foster donated a piece of land to the city in order to create a local recreation area for the residents.

In 1913, the Ventura County Courthouse , a courthouse on Poli Street, opened and served its function well into the 1960s. Today it is known as Ventura City Hall.

Due to the discovery of crude oil in 1914, Ventura grew rapidly from the money it received from the oil wells. At that time, the peak production was up to 10,404,000 liters per day. In the following years after the Second World War , the city expanded further, due to the reclamation of cultivated soil that was used for agricultural purposes.

When the city was connected to US Highway 101 in 1960 , it lost many passers-by who previously used Main Street. Considerable losses in the commercial tourism industry were the result. Even so, Ventura remained widely known for bargains when buying antiques.

After years of growth, the scenic coastal city has narrowed in size in recent decades.

In 2005, the city council unanimously decided to draw up a map, which the local newspaper Ventura County Star praised with the statement that "Ventura is a model for other cities and towns".

Sights & Tourism

Ventura is well known for its surfing beaches . Surfer's Point Ventura is particularly well equipped . Due to coastal erosion , this spot was under major repair work from September 7, 2010 to May 27, 2011, at the same time the surfing beach was extended by about 30 meters.

Ventura overlooks Surfer's Point Ventura and the 520 meter long pier

In the center of Ventura is the Mission San Buenaventura chapel , the last mission founded by Junípero Serra . The original plan for the establishment was intended for 1770, but was postponed because there were not enough military escorts available at the time, which were then legal. After a fire in 1793, the first chapel was largely destroyed. Today only a small part of the original remains. The reconstruction took a full 16 years. It is the one that still stands today.

Exterior view of the "Mission San Buenaventura" chapel

In Ventura you will find enough leisure activities, such as restaurants, clubs, shopping galleries and much more. The main attractions are California Street and Main Street .

Another attraction are the so-called "Two Trees" , two eucalyptuses high on a mountain, can be seen from almost all of Ventura. These two trees are unofficially a landmark for the city.

In Plaza Park Ventura is one of the largest and oldest large-leafed fig trees of the United States, which is crowned with a historical plaque.

Also historic is the present museum and former hacienda of Raimundo Olivas , Olivas Adobe on Olivas Park Drive . It was inscribed on the National Register of Historic Places with number 79000570 on July 24, 1979 .

The Olivas Adobe hacienda

The Ventura County Museum of History & Art offers another museum detour . Works of art by historical as well as regional and contemporary artists are exhibited here. These include works by illustrator Henry Chapman Ford , object artist Beatrice Wood , ceramic artists Otto and Vivika Heino and photographer Horace Bristol .

The port of Ventura is characterized by the fishing industry. Fish shops, fish restaurants and hotels can be found side by side in the more than 13 hectare area of Ventura Harbor Village . A daily fish market also takes place. The headquarters of the Channel Islands National Park are also located on the premises of Ventura Harbor Village . From here there are daily boat trips to the Channel Islands .

With the San Buenaventura State Beach, Ventura has a varied offer for beach lovers. With a pier of 520 meters in length, there is a snack bar, a restaurant and a fishing shop.

The Ventura County Fairgrounds host the annual Ventura County Fairgrounds . Well-known musicians also give their concerts in the fairgrounds. The fairgrounds are also home to the Derby Club , a horse racing event arena.

Others

In the past, Ventura was partly the setting for film and television recordings. The following films, among others, were shot here:

sons and daughters of the town

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d Fun in Ventura.com
  2. ↑ a b Ventura History .
  3. ↑ a b Two Trees at Venturawiki.org
  4. ↑ a b NRIS
  5. ^ City of Ventura HP
  6. ↑ Surfer's Point.org
  7. ^ Ventura County Museum of History & Art
  8. ^ Ventura Harbor Village
  9. ↑ NPS
  10. ^ Ventura County Fair. on: venturacountyfair.org
  11. ^ Ventura County Fair. on: venturacountyfair.org (Derby)
  12. ↑ Cory Kruseman , racing-reference.info

Web links

Commons : Ventura (California)  - Collection of images, videos, and audio files