The herald., 1897-01-03
UNSURPASSED SOIL IND CLIMATE
Rich in Agricultural and Mineral
Resources
VERY PROMISING OIL FIELD
The Greatest Bean Producing County In
California
Excellent Prospects Of Sugar Beet and Beet
Sugar Industries
The Ojai Valley Railroad-Increased
Acreage Of Grain and Fruit-The
Lima Bean Association and
It's Beneficial Effects.

It's Beneficial Effects.
Ventura county was organized in 1873
by special act of the legislature, ana
was formed from the eastern half Of
Santa Barbara county. 1t has an area
Of 1882 square miles, and about one and
a quarter million acres of land. The
county contains a great variety of soil,
scenery and climate The northern
part is mountainous and thinly popu-
lated, the central and southern portion
Is divided into hills and fertile valleys
extending from the ocean back among
the hills and mountains. 1t is probably
the best watered county in Southern
California, which, with its generally
fertile soil, makes 1t an ideal county for
the farmer, stock-raiser. dairyman and
fruit grower. Many of the hills are till
able to their summit and even upon
some Of the higher mountains cattle and
sheep find excellent pasturage The
Southern Pacific railroad crosses the
southern part of the county, reaching
the coast at Ventura. The products of
the county comprise all the cereals,
vegetables and fruits grown in other
counties Of Southern California, but il
is the banner county of the state for
beans, which are marketed in every
state and territory in this country and
Mexico, and even shipped to the ports of
Central America and South America
The crop for 1895 was valued at $1100,-
000 requiring 2600 cars of ten tons each
to transport.
The Lima Bean association recently
organized to keep up the price to cents
per pound. at least. is good movement
and is likely to be successful.
Extensive areas are being planted to
sugar beets, preparatory to the estab-
lishment of a branch factory near Ven-
tura by the Chino Beet Sugar company
The fruit crop of 1895 was valued at
$26s.400 comprising the following:
Apricots, IS cars, valued at $97,500,
prunes, 25 cars. valued at s12,50o;
peaches, cars. valued at $4,000; wa
nuts, 80 cars. valued a $42 200; almonds
car, valued at $1400; oranges, 200 cars
valued at $4,000; lemons. 20 cars, VAL
ued at $4,000; apples. 25 cars, valued at
$4,000; cherries, / car. valued at $500.
pears, 1 car. valued at $400.
The petroleum interest is very extern
sive, the output for 1895 being 293, COO
barrels, valued at $371.8S2. The honey
dairy. cattle and grazing. fruit drying
and stone Quarrying interests are also
important, the celebrated Sespe brown
stone ranking second to none in Califor-
mia for building purposes. The climate
and scenery Of Ventura county, and its
many mineral springs in Matilda can
yon. DIAL valley and other places have
made 1t veritable Mecca to the tourist
and health seeker. The county is set
tied by a remarkable Intelligent and
industrious class of people, hence 1t is
needless to add that it's schools and
churches are of an exceptionally high
character. The facilities for shipping
its products by rail and ocean are ex-
cellent.
The population of the county is about
$4,000. Total assessed value of property
in 1896. $7.S0s. 800; funded debt, $4,000
Assessed acreage, 522.379; number cf
school districts, So; teachers, SO. Total
amount expended in school buildings in
two years, $4,000.
Eighty thousand deciduous fruit trees
were planted in Ventura county in 1896
being widely distributed through the
county, except in the bean districts
Twenty thousand citrus fruit trees were
also planted. mostly lemons over one
half the number being in the Santa
Paula district. Seventy five thousand
olive trees were also planted in 1896 in
all parts OF the county, except in the
bean districts.
Received from August 5th to Decem-
Der 25. 1896. 2,95552S pounds of merchan-
disc and 910,103 feet of lumber.
Shipped from August 5th to December
25 1896, so boxes butter 100 boxes eggs,
2700 boxes lemons, 1890 boxes oranges
014 boxes honey, 8418 sacks beans, 29i3
sacks beans, 9692 sacks corn, 2O71 sacks
dried fruits, 1894 packages of merchan
disc Q16,950 pounds), $40 sacks peppers
(16,750 pounds), 1870 sacks walnuts Q37,-
635 pounds, 155,940 barrels of bulk OIL
CITY OF VENTURA.
San Buenaventura was founded by
Father Junipero Sierra as a nilsson in
1882. When the county was formed in
1873 1t was selected as the county seat
In 1887. ON the completion of the Santa
Barbara division of the Southern Pacific
railroad, 1t became one of the most i'm
pOrtant towns and shipping points on
that line. In 1888 the postoffice author-
ties at Washington changed the Off.
cial name to Ventura
The volume Of business transacted
here exceeds that done in any city of
its size In Southern California 1t is
modern city, compactly built, has
cement sidewalks ON it's principal streets,
electric lights throughout the city in
business houses, residences and on the
streets. 1t has good street railway
system, complete water system and
many other modern improvements II
is regular port of entry for the freight
and passenger steamers of the Pacific
Coast Steamship corApany.
The Orton mills capacity is 10000 bar
rels of wheat flour per year.
The Ventura Land and Power COM
pany own the electric light and ice man.
ufacturing plants. The shipments OF
ice for 1895 aggregated 1900 tons, 200 of
which were shipped to Los Angeles and
600 tons to Santa Barbara.
The population of Ventura is $500.
SCHOOLS.
The Plaza school. eleven rooms, cost,
grounds $4,000. building 1880, and has
ten teachers; the Pole school, four
rooms cost from $1,000 to $4,000, and has
ONE room and one teacher. The high
school occupies room in the Plaza
school building. but Will soon occupy