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91-579: Saticoy ( / ˈ s æ t ɪ k ɔɪ / ; Chumash : Sa'aqtik'oy ) is an unincorporated community in Ventura County, California , United States. The site of one of the largest settlements of the Chumash region, a settlement was laid out in 1887 along the railroad line that was being built from Los Angeles through the Santa Clara River Valley to the town of San Buenaventura . Although

182-441: A Franciscan missionary traveling with the expedition, noted that the party traveled about 6–7 miles that day and camped near a native village "composed of twenty houses made of grass, in a spherical form, like a half orange, with a vent at the top by which the light enters and the smoke goes out.". Saticoy lies within the vast 17,773-acre (72 km) Rancho Santa Paula y Saticoy granted to Manuel Jimeno Casarin on April 28, 1840 by

273-470: A female householder with no husband present, and 35.7% were non-families. 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.06. In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.9% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 23.9% from 25 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age

364-451: A fire started in a gasoline stove in a store in the Arcade and the stores in the western half of the Arcade burned down. Part of the Arcade suffered smoke damage but did not burn down. A new Spanish-style Foothills Hotel was built in 1919–1920 to replace the one that burned down. The Taormina neighborhood was established as the first historic district in the city in 2016. The housing development

455-554: A population of just over one thousand. Two historic buildings attest to the important role Saticoy once held in the local agricultural economy: Walnut Growers Association Warehouse, and Saticoy (Lima) Bean Warehouse. Close to the Santa Clara River is a sizable industrial area located on both sides of Los Angeles Avenue. The historic building that formerly housed the Farmers & Merchants Bank of Santa Paula, Saticoy Branch, stands at

546-577: A quiet intersection that used to be at the center of a vibrant community. The historic setting, stable residential population, railroad, and access to major highways make this agricultural community unique in Ventura County. The name comes from the Spanish rendering of the Ventureño Chumash village named Sa'aqtik'oy , meaning "it is sheltered from the wind". The earliest known human inhabitants of

637-653: A small community just west of the "School Lot" as shown on the map. Saticoy School was built on the lot in 1900. The school is now called ATLAS Elementary: Academy of Technology and Leadership at Saticoy and is part of the Ventura Unified School District . This alternative townsite, on the other side of the Brown Barranca from the railroad station, was located on the main road to San Buenaventura. That distant town, incorporated in 1866, has grown so that all of Saticoy, except for "Old Town," has been annexed into

728-531: A special tax district would be formed. This was approved by almost 90 percent of voters but it was tied up in court by the private water purveyor, Golden State Water Company . Casitas Municipal Water District took over management of the Ojai water system by purchase of the franchise from Golden State Water Company in April 2017. The Ojai Valley Sanitary District treats the sewage from the city and surrounding areas. In 2020,

819-411: A symmetrical six-vowel system. The distinctive high central vowel is written various ways, including <ɨ> "barred I," <ə> "schwa" and <ï> "I umlaut." Contemporary users of the languages favor /ɨ/ or /ə/ . Striking features of this system include The Central Chumash languages have a complex inventory of consonants. All of the consonants except / h / can be glottalized; all of

910-427: A whopping 23.46 inches (595.9 mm) in eight days from January 19 to 26. In contrast, the median annual rainfall for all years in Ojai is only around 18.1 inches (460 mm) and in the driest "rain year" from July 2020 to June 2021, just 5.46 inches (138.7 mm) fell in twelve months. The wettest "rain year" was from July 1997 to June 1998 with 48.29 inches (1,226.6 mm). The city's population dropped between

1001-399: Is Nordhoff Junior High and High School . The former public middle high school, named "Matilija", formerly served as Nordhoff Union High School and still features large tiles with the initials "NUHS" on the steps of the athletic field. The Ventura and Ojai Valley Railroad connected Ojai to the national rail network near Ventura station in 1898. The Southern Pacific Railroad acquired all

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1092-584: Is about 10 miles (16 km) long by 3 miles (5 km) wide and divided into a lower and an upper valley, each of similar size, surrounded by hills and mountains. The population was 7,637 at the 2020 census , up from 7,461 at the 2010 census . Ojai is known for its boutique hotels, recreation opportunities, hiking, and farmers' market of local organic agriculture. It has small businesses specializing in local and ecologically friendly art, design, and home improvement. Chain stores are prohibited by city ordinance to encourage local small business development and retain

1183-695: Is adjacent to the community on the north and west side. The Census Bureau definition of the area does not precisely correspond to the local understanding of the historical area of the community. The 2010 United States Census reported that Saticoy had a population of 1,029. The population density was 2,760.7 inhabitants per square mile (1,065.9/km). The racial makeup of Saticoy was 413 (40.1%) White , 9 (0.9%) African American , 29 (2.8%) Native American , 2 (0.2%) Asian , 0 (0.0%) Pacific Islander , 508 (49.4%) from other races , and 68 (6.6%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 895 persons (87.0%). The Census reported that 1,029 people (100% of

1274-651: Is approximately 745 feet (227 m) above sea level and borders the Los Padres National Forest to the north. It is approximately 15 miles (24 km) inland from the Pacific Ocean . The Ojai Valley lies within the Topatopa Mountains on the north and south and is actively shaped by a web of earthquake faults. The Sisar fault in the valley was the epicenter of a magnitude 5.1 earthquake on August 20, 2023. The Santa Ynez Mountains lie to

1365-506: Is home to several private boarding schools as well as other private and alternative school programs: The Ojai Valley News is a weekly, community-oriented newspaper that has been published since October 27, 1891. The newspaper was called The Ojai until 1958. A newspaper called The Ojai Valley News was founded in competition to The Ojai in 1949. In 1958, J. Frank Knebel bought The Ojai , The Ojai Valley News and another small paper called The Oaks Gazette . He called this combined paper

1456-499: Is one of two cities in the county that initially allowed retail sales. Voters approved a 3% tax on retail marijuana sales on 2020, which could eventually grow to a 10% tax. State law says local governments may not prohibit adults from growing, using or transporting marijuana for personal use but they can prohibit companies from growing, testing, and selling cannabis within their jurisdiction by licensing none or only some of these activities. The state requires cities to allow deliveries. By

1547-558: Is recent (within a couple thousand years). There is internal evidence that Obispeño replaced a Hokan language and that Island Chumash mixed with a language very different from Chumashan; the islands were not in contact with the mainland until the introduction of plank canoes in the first millennium AD. Although some say the Chumashan languages are now extinct or dormant, language revitalization programs are underway with four of these Chumashan languages. These languages are well-documented in

1638-700: Is today) and most of the buildings there were demolished. In 1916, he hired the architectural firm of Frank Mead and Richard Requa of San Diego to transform Nordhoff into the Spanish-style town center seen today. The project included a Mission-style arcade along the main street, a bell-tower reminiscent of the famous campanile of the Cathedral of the Virgin Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Havana, Cuba (also known as

1729-691: The Ojai Tennis Tournament is held. It is the oldest tennis tournament west of the Mississippi River (founded in 1896) and has been an early competition for many players who went on to earn one or more Grand Slam titles. The Wall of Fame in Libbey Park honors players who competed and went on to win at least one Grand Slam. William Thacher (brother of Sherman Thacher) founded the Ojai Valley Tennis Club in 1895. There were five years when

1820-668: The Ojai Valley News and Oaks Gazette. A competition newspaper called The Ojai Press was founded in 1959 and another called The Oaks Sentinel came out the following year. When both of these papers floundered a group of over 100 people called "Voice of the Valley" pitched in to take over these papers and began publishing the Press Sentinel . Members of the Voice of the Valley group felt strongly that there needed to be an alternative viewpoint in

1911-663: The Ojai Valley Visitors Guide ) and the Ojai Quarterly , magazines published every three months. In early June, often coinciding with the Music Festival, the Ojai Wine Festival is held at Lake Casitas. Over 3,000 wine lovers sample the products of more than 30 wineries. Proceeds go to charity. The town of Ojai and the surrounding area is home to many recreational activities. Los Padres National Forest borders

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2002-545: The Santa Paula Freeway (State Route 126) . Los Angeles Avenue is the name given to the highway as it heads east to connect with State Route 232 . Water is provided by the City of Ventura. As the community is outside the corporate boundaries of the city, rates are typically about 20% higher than standard charged inside the city. The amount of multi-family, commercial, and industrial development/redevelopment that can occur within

2093-498: The poverty line , including 15.9% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over. Ojai is a tourism destination known for its boutique hotels, recreation opportunities, hiking, and farmers' market of local organic agriculture. The 306-room Ojai Valley Inn , which opened in 1923, is situated on 220 acres with a golf course and tennis courts. There are just 12 hotels within city limits but short-term vacation rentals (STVR) were banned in 2016. A few accommodations are available in

2184-451: The 1770s and 1830s: Roland Dixon and Alfred L. Kroeber suggested that the Chumashan languages might be related to the neighboring Salinan in a Iskoman grouping. Edward Sapir accepted this speculation and included Iskoman in his classification of Hokan . More recently it has been noted that Salinan and Chumashan shared only one word, which the Chumashan languages probably borrowed from Salinan (the word for 'white clam shell', which

2275-473: The California coast, Christianize the native population, found military presidios and relocate Chumash people from their villages into Spanish missions . Due to violence and imported disease, Chumash people died at devastating rates under Spanish rule. According to George Tinker, a Native Scholar, “The Native American population of coastal population was reduced by some 90 percent during seventy years under

2366-488: The City of Ojai Recreation Center. The center was formerly the Boyd Clubhouse which was built in 1903 and located on the south side of Ojai Avenue east of Libbey Park. The Boyd Club was a men's athletic and activity club. The Boyd clubhouse was moved to Sarzotti Park in 1957. The city's recreational program offers soccer, softball, football, basketball, tennis, volleyball, exercise programs, and many other classes. In April,

2457-466: The City of Ventura. There have been many bridges across the Santa Clara River at Saticoy. They were often washed out due to abundant rainfall and flooding. The most notable washout, however, was due to the flood wave of water caused by the collapse of the St. Francis Dam , in northwest Los Angeles County , which occurred two and a half minutes before midnight on March 12, 1928. The bridge was washed out again in

2548-537: The Havana Cathedral), and a pergola with two arches opposite the arcade. In March 1917, just after completion of the renovation project, the name of the town was changed to Ojai. The valley had always been known as "The Ojai". Leading up to and during World War I, American sentiment became increasingly anti-German . Across the United States, German and German-sounding place names were changed. Some Ojai writers in

2639-574: The Libbey Glass Company of Toledo, Ohio. He fell in love with the valley, bought property in the Foothills tract in 1909, and built a Craftsman-style house designed by Myron Hunt and Elmer Grey. Steeped in City Beautiful ideals, Libbey began thinking about what could be done to beautify the existing rustic town. He bought up all the properties on the south side of Ojai Avenue (where Libbey Park

2730-519: The Mexican government. In November 1861, Jefferson L. Crane settled at the site of the Chumash village, and other Americans followed soon after. Saticoy, which was then 8 miles (13 km) from Ventura, had a school as early as 1868. W.D.F. Richards, considered the founder of Saticoy, arrived in 1868, and bought 650 acres (2.6 km) of land. He contributed to the building up of the community and followed many experiments in farming. The Saticoy Post Office

2821-518: The Ojai Valley when his book came out in 1873, but made several visits to his namesake town in the early 1880s, and he mentioned the Ojai Valley in the revised 1882 version of his popular book. The discovery of hot springs in Matilija Canyon and subsequent development of hot springs resorts in the late 1800s contributed to the valley's healing mystique. The public junior high and high school in Ojai

Saticoy, California - Misplaced Pages Continue

2912-688: The Santa Clara River at Santa Paula. The high mountains above the Ojai Valley and further east are drained by Sespe Creek, which empties into the Santa Clara River at Fillmore. In 1991, 31.5 miles of the 55-mile-long Sespe Creek was given federal Wild & Scenic River status. The climate of Ojai is Mediterranean , characterized by hot, dry summers, at times exceeding 100 °F (37.8 °C), and mild, rainy winters, with lows at night falling below freezing at times. During dry spells with continental air, morning temperatures, due to Ojai's valley location, can drop well below most of Southern California, with

3003-535: The Saticoy Lemon Assn. It was perhaps the first time that U.S. farmworkers had purchased the camp they lived in." The first cooperative housing association in Ventura County was formed and the 154 apartments and houses in the village are owned by the cooperative. In 1989 Cabrillo Village was selected as a finalist for the Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence . Eventually new housing tracts were built next to

3094-543: The Soule Park Golf Course, and the Ojai Valley Inn Golf Course. The town completed a new park, Cluff Vista Park , in 2002, which contains several small themed regions of California native plants , two water features, and three public art works. The park is located on a small hill which has a view of the mountains surrounding the town. Sarzotti Park is a 10-acre (4.0 ha) city park that is home to

3185-405: The United States records the name Ojai as being derived from an Indigenous word meaning "nest", though the specific Indigenous language is not identified. In 1837, Fernando Tico, a Santa Barbara businessman, received the 17,716-acre Rancho Ojai Mexican land grant, which included both the lower and upper Ojai valleys. Tico operated a cattle ranch on the land and moved his large family to an adobe in

3276-727: The Ventura River just north of Casitas Springs. The Ventura River flows through the Ventura River Valley and empties into the Pacific Ocean at the city of Ventura. The Ventura River was once known for its steelhead fishing before Matilija Dam and Lake Casitas were constructed, eliminating habitat for this trout species. The eastern part of the Upper Ojai Valley is drained by the Sisar and Santa Paula creeks. These creeks flow into

3367-414: The appropriate and probable future jurisdictional boundary and service area of the subject city. Old Town Saticoy is within the city of Ventura's SOI and under state law, annexation would be mandatory before any other development areas are annexed. LAFCo determined that annexation at this time is not appropriate as the City would have to subsidize Saticoy to provide services that are incrementally better than

3458-521: The area. On July 8, 1999, former Apollo astronaut Pete Conrad , one of the twelve men who walked on the Moon, died of injuries suffered from a motorcycle accident in Ojai. The Ojai Music Festival (founded in 1947) is an annual festival of performances by some of the world's top musicians and composers, and occurs on the first weekend after Memorial Day . Notable appearances include Igor Stravinsky , Aaron Copland , Esa-Pekka Salonen and Pierre Boulez , who

3549-591: The capital stock in the Ventura and Ojai Valley Railroad in April 1898. A nine-day Pineapple Express with rainfall intensity reaching 6.2 inches (16 cm) per day caused floods destroying the rail line in January 1969. The former rail line was converted to the Ojai Valley Trail in 1989. Nordhoff became a popular wintering spot for wealthy Easterners and Midwesterners. The elite Foothills Hotel, which catered to them,

3640-401: The city was 88.01% White , 0.60% African American , 0.50% Native American , 1.58% Asian , 0.17% Pacific Islander , 6.26% from other races , and 2.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.84% of the population. There were 3,088 households, out of which 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.0% were married couples living together, 11.6% had

3731-423: The city were built between 1940 and 1980 with about a dozen mobile-home parks included in the housing stock. With rapid growth in the 1970s, a slow-growth ordinance was passed. From 2008 to 2018, there were no new multifamily developments with a single six residential unit apartment being built in 2019. Ojai is situated in a small east–west eponymous valley, north of Ventura and east of Santa Barbara . The city

Saticoy, California - Misplaced Pages Continue

3822-457: The community and it was annexed into the city of Ventura in 1994. The community is located between the river and the railroad tracks and is about equidistant from "Old Town" and West Saticoy. Saticoy is near an apex of this compound alluvial fan formed by the river and Calleguas Creek . The Santa Clara River Valley opens up into the Oxnard Plain here as South Mountain on the south shore marks

3913-415: The community is limited as city policy limits new water meters to single family homes on existing lots. The Saticoy Sanitation District, an independent special district which serves only the community of Saticoy, provides sanitary sewer service. Chumashan languages The Chumashan languages may be, along with Yukian and perhaps languages of southern Baja California such as Waikuri , one of

4004-424: The consonants except / h /, / x / and the liquids can be aspirated. Proto-Chumash reconstructions by Klar (1977): Ojai Ojai ( / ˈ oʊ h aɪ / OH -hy ; Chumash : ’Awhaỳ ) is a city in Ventura County, California . Located in the Ojai Valley, it is northwest of Los Angeles and east of Santa Barbara . The valley is part of the east–west trending Western Transverse Ranges and

4095-491: The country. The "Garrett Lemire Memorial Grand Prix" began in 2004 as a tribute to a 22-year-old cyclist from Ojai who died racing his bicycle in Arizona the previous year. The race is held on a one-mile (1.6 km) circuit that circumnavigates Libbey Bowl in the heart of downtown Ojai. The Ventura County Sheriff's Office provides law enforcement services for the city. No homicides were recorded in 2015–2018. The Ojai Valley

4186-490: The county now provides. The Saticoy library's one-room, 700-square-foot wooden building (65 m) that had been used since 1973 was torn down in 1991 to make room for a new community center. Four modular units which had been used in Newbury Park were placed on a leased parcel in the residential area of Saticoy by Ventura County Library to create a 2,400-square-foot replacement structure (220 m). The units had reached

4277-511: The end of 2018, three recreational marijuana storefronts were open in close proximity to each other. In 2020, there were two manufacturing businesses that were going through the permitting processes and the city was considering allowing on-site cannabis consumption. Ojai's culture is heavily focused on ecology , health and organic agriculture , NIMBYism , walking / hiking , spirituality , music and local art . Weekends may include exhibiting classic cars or motorcycle clubs touring

4368-518: The end of the Civil War and cheaper imports from the east, Scott and Stanford ceased oil exploration in the valley area. Thomas Bard then began selling the surface rights to parcels of Rancho Ojai in late 1867. As the president of Unocal , Bard would return in the 1890s to dig about 50 oil tunnels into Sulphur Mountain, which produced until 1998. The town was laid out in 1874 by San Buenaventura businessman R.G. Surdam and named Nordhoff in honor of

4459-576: The end of the valley. Located on the fertile north bank of the Santa Clara River the shore of the Santa Barbara Channel is some 8 miles distant. Agriculture in the area includes avocados, lemons, oranges, strawberries, and many other row crops. Along the shore of the Santa Clara River, amidst the agriculture area east and northeast of the town, is the Saticoy Oil Field , discovered in 1955 and operated by Vintage Petroleum. The city of Ventura

4550-410: The end of their useful life in 2014 so a more centrally located, 4,700-square-foot former hardware store (440 m) at 1292 Los Angeles Avenue was remodeled into high-tech resource center. Saticoy Regional 9 hole golf course - Originally built as Ventura County Country Club in 1921 by George C. Thomas. “Charmin’ Charley Hudson” owned the course from around 1964 to 1976. The county acquired the land and

4641-522: The flood of 1969, and cars were rerouted through the riverbed east of the bridge while it was under repair. Cabrillo Village was a 32-acre farm laborer (13 ha) camp built in the 1930s next to the Santa Clara River. A lengthy confrontation in the 1970s ensued when the growers wanted to raze the cramped, rundown homes for development. The confrontation ended in 1976, when 82 farmworker families, advised by affordable housing advocate Rodney Fernandez, pitched in and bought their deteriorating cottages from

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4732-546: The foothills as far as the Coast Range . The natural underground springs located in the area made Saticoy a prime location for the tribe to hold their yearly meetings. In 1769, the Spanish Portola expedition , first recorded European visitors to inland areas of California, came down the valley from the previous night's encampment near today's Santa Paula and camped in the vicinity of Saticoy on August 13. Fray Juan Crespi ,

4823-418: The form of rain between the months of October and April, with intervening dry summers. As with all of Southern California, rain falls on few days, but when it does rain it is often extremely heavy: the record being 9.05 inches (229.9 mm) on February 24, 1913, followed by 8.15 inches (207.0 mm) on January 26, 1914. During the wettest month on record of January 1969, 25.76 inches (654.3 mm) fell, with

4914-421: The golf course was rerouted to make room for the sport fields & park sometime in the late 70’s/ early 80’s. Detail: Par 34, 2700 yards, flat and open, small undulated greens, perfect for all golfers. State Route 118 curves through the southerly portion of the townsite although it formerly followed a zig-zag route through the business district. State Route 118 heads northwest as Wells Road to terminate at

5005-530: The lower valley. Tico sold the entire Rancho Ojai in 1853. The rancho changed hands several more times before it was purchased in 1864 by Thomas A. Scott , a Pennsylvania oil and railroad baron. The petroleum exploration of the Ojai Basin was the result of a report of oil seeps (oil springs) along the Sulphur Mountain area. In 1866, Scott's nephew Thomas Bard used a steam-powered cable-tool drilling rig on

5096-468: The mainland in the early 19th century. John Peabody Harrington conducted fieldwork on all the above Chumashan languages, but obtained the least data on Island Chumash, Purisimeño, and Obispeño. There is no linguistic data on Cuyama, though ethnographic data suggests that it was likely Chumash (Interior Chumash). The languages are named after the local Franciscan Spanish missions in California where Chumashan speakers were relocated and aggregated between

5187-557: The newly opened "Southern Pacific Branch Line: Saugus to Santa Barbara." An area west of Wells Road for which another map entitled "Town of Saticoy" was filed as a competing subdivision to benefit from the new railroad. Through the 1800s and early 1900s, very little development occurred in West Saticoy but the "Old Town" area flourished as a small center of the region’s citrus, bean and other produce production. Rail passenger service stopped in 1934. The community of West Saticoy did develop

5278-580: The north side of Sulphur Mountain. On May 29, 1867, Ojai No. 6 produced an oil gusher , at a depth of 550 feet, and the Ojai Field eventually produced 10-20 barrels of oil a day. Also in 1866, Leland Stanford 's brother Josiah dug oil tunnels on the south side of Sulphur Mountain, producing 20 barrels a day for the Stanford Brothers refinery in San Francisco. For economic reasons, falling oil prices at

5369-569: The north, while Sulphur Mountain and the lower Black Mountain lie to the south. Nordhoff Ridge, the western extension of the Topatopa Mountains, towers over the north side of the valley at more than 5,000 feet (1,500 m). Sulphur Mountain creates the southern ranges bounding the Ojai Valley, a little under 3,000 feet (910 m) in elevation. The Sulphur and Topatopa mountains are part of the Transverse Ranges system. The Ojai Valley and

5460-642: The older names based on the local missions. Obispeño was the most divergent Chumashan language. The Central Chumash languages include Purisimeño, Ineseño, Barbareño and Ventureño. There was a dialect continuum across this area, but the form of the language spoken in the vicinity of each mission was distinct enough to qualify as a different language. There is very little documentation of Purisimeño. Ineseño, Barbareño and Ventureño each had several dialects, although documentation usually focused on just one. Island Chumash had different dialects on Santa Cruz Island and Santa Rosa Island , but all speakers were relocated to

5551-409: The oldest language families established in California, before the arrival of speakers of Penutian , Uto-Aztecan , and perhaps even Hokan languages . Chumashan, Yukian, and southern Baja languages are spoken in areas with long-established populations of a distinct physical type. The population in the core Chumashan area has been stable for the past 10,000 years. However, the attested range of Chumashan

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5642-469: The past have speculated that anti-German sentiment contributed to the name change of Nordhoff to Ojai in 1917. There is no clear evidence that this was the case for the name change in Ojai. To thank Libbey for his gifts to the town, the citizens proposed a celebration in the new Civic Center Park (later changed to Libbey Park) that they wished to call "Libbey Day," but Libbey suggested "Ojai Day" instead. The first Ojai Day took place April 7, 1917. Ojai Day

5733-621: The population) lived in households, 0 (0%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 (0%) were institutionalized. There were 262 households, out of which 145 (55.3%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 130 (49.6%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 59 (22.5%) had a female householder with no husband present, 33 (12.6%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 22 (8.4%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships , and 3 (1.1%) same-sex married couples or partnerships . 29 households (11.1%) were made up of individuals, and 9 (3.4%) had someone living alone who

5824-639: The population) lived in households, 48 (0.6%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 132 (1.8%) were institutionalized. There were 3,111 households, out of which 876 (28.2%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 1,396 (44.9%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 366 (11.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 128 (4.1%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 151 (4.9%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships , and 25 (0.8%) same-sex married couples or partnerships . 992 households (31.9%) were made up of individuals, and 496 (15.9%) had someone living alone who

5915-412: The population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 3,038 people (40.7%) lived in rental housing units. As of the census of 2000, there were 7,862 people, 3,088 households, and 1,985 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,773.0 inhabitants per square mile (684.6/km ). There were 3,229 housing units at an average density of 728.2 per square mile (281.2/km ). The racial makeup of

6006-430: The record being 13 °F (−10.6 °C) on January 6–7, 1913. In contrast, Ojai is far enough from the sea to minimize marine cooling, and very hot days can occur during summer, with the record being 119 °F (48.3 °C) on June 16, 1917 – when it fell as low as 65 °F (18.3 °C) in the morning due to clear skies and dry air. As is typical for much of coastal Southern California, most precipitation falls in

6097-605: The sole proprietorship of Serra’s mission system.” Whether due to Spanish rule or as part of the California Genocide under the land's eventual control by the United States , by 1900, the Chumash population had declined to just 200, while current estimates of Chumash people today range from 2,000 to 5,000. The name Ojai is derived from the Ventureño Chumash word ʼawha'y meaning "moon." A 1905 book on place names in

6188-567: The surrounding mountains are heavily wooded with oak trees. The mountains to the west of the Ojai Valley are drained by the Coyote, Matilija and Santa Ana creeks. These empty into the Ventura River. The Matilija Dam, Casitas Dam and Lake Casitas Reservoir alter the historic drainage of these creeks and the river. The creeks that drain the mountains directly north of Ojai empty into San Antonio Creek, as does Lion Canyon Creek that lies between Black Mountain and Sulphur Mountain. San Antonio Creek drains into

6279-411: The surrounding unincorporated area where the county has placed similar restrictions on STVR. It has small businesses specializing in local and ecologically friendly art, design, and home improvement. Chain stores are prohibited by city ordinance to encourage local small business development and keep the town unique. Under the legalization of the sale and distribution of cannabis in California, Ojai

6370-485: The tournament was not held: 1924 because of a hoof-and-mouth epidemic and from 1943 to 1946 during and just after World War II. Ventura County parks in the area include Foster Park near Casitas Springs, Camp Comfort on Creek Road, Soule Park and Soule Park Golf Course, and Dennison Park on the Dennison Grade. Annually, in early April, the town hosts a bicycle race that draws professional and amateur teams from around

6461-528: The town on the north, and many back country areas within the forest are accessible from Highway 33 , the major north–south highway through town. Matilija Creek is a spot to enjoy splashing under waterfalls and backpacking. To the west, the Lake Casitas Recreation Area offers camping, picnicking, hiking, boating, fishing, and has a water park. The valley has several public tennis courts in downtown Libbey Park. There are also two major golf courses:

6552-475: The town was 10 miles (16 km) distant at that time, the City of Ventura grew to a point where only a small residential and commercial community is left outside the city limits. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined that community as a census-designated place (CDP). The commercial district known as Old Town Saticoy is surrounded by a residential neighborhood with

6643-497: The town's character. The name Ojai is derived from the Mexican-era Rancho Ojai , which in turn took its name from the Ventureño Chumash word ' Awha'y , meaning "Moon". The city's self-styled nickname is " Shangri-La " referencing the natural environment of this health and spirituality-focused region as well as the mystical sanctuary of the 1937 film adaptation of James Hilton 's novel Lost Horizon . Ojai sits on

6734-572: The traditional territory of the Chumash , a Native American people who inhabited the central and southern coastal regions of California, in portions of what are Morro Bay in the north to Malibu in the south and the Channel Islands . Before the arrival of European settlers, at least 10,000 Chumash people lived in over 150 independent villages, speaking variations of the same language. Starting in 1769, Spanish soldiers and missionaries arrived to colonize

6825-489: The unpublished fieldnotes of linguist John Peabody Harrington . Especially well documented are Barbareño , Ineseño , and Ventureño . The last native speaker of a Chumashan language was Barbareño speaker Mary Yee , who died in 1965. Six Chumashan languages are attested , all now extinct. However, most of them are in the process of revitalization, with language programs and classes. Contemporary Chumash people now prefer to refer to their languages by native names rather than

6916-518: The valley from the views expressed in Knebel's paper. The Press Sentinel was published for two years. When Fred Volz purchased The Ojai Valley News and Oaks Gazette in 1962, changing the name to Ojai Valley News, the Press Sentinel ceased publication. A collaborative blog covering local news, The Ojai Post , also once existed. In 2013, a plan to take over the private water system was approved by voters. Up to $ 60 million in bonds would be issued and

7007-484: The vicinity were the Oak Grove People. Some ancient mealing stones of this prehistoric tribe were found near Saticoy in 1932 and traced back to about 3000 B.C. In about the early 15th century, the Chumash tribe inhabited the area. They built canoes and milled the acorns. Sa'aqtik'oy was one of the largest settlements of the Chumash region, which extended from Point Conception to Santa Monica and back into

7098-436: The writer Charles Nordhoff who had written a book about California titled, California for Health, Pleasure and Residence: A Book for Travelers and Settlers . Most early settlers to the valley had one or more family members who were ill, particularly with respiratory illnesses, and the Ojai Valley developed a reputation for having healthy air quality. Many did get well after moving to the valley. Charles Nordhoff had not visited

7189-519: The years 2000-2010. The 2010 United States Census reported that Ojai had a population of 7,461. The population density was 1,695.3 inhabitants per square mile (654.6/km ). The racial makeup of Ojai was 6,555 (87.9%) White , 42 (0.6%) African American , 47 (0.6%) Native American , 158 (2.1%) Asian , 1 (0.0%) Pacific Islander , 440 (5.9%) from other races , and 218 (2.9%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1,339 persons (17.9%). The Census reported that 7,281 people (97.6% of

7280-725: Was 28.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 109.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.5 males. There were 278 housing units at an average density of 745.8 per square mile (288.0/km), of which 94 (35.9%) were owner-occupied, and 168 (64.1%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.1%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.1%. 365 people (35.5% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 664 people (64.5%) lived in rental housing units. The Ventura County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) determined in March 2012 that this unincorporated CDP with an estimated 2010 median household income of $ 34,145

7371-406: Was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.2 males. The median income for households in the city was $ 44,593, and the median income for a family was $ 52,917. Males had a median income of $ 40,919 versus $ 30,821 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 25,670. About 7.9% of families and 10.7% of the population were below

7462-400: Was 47.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.9 males. There were 3,382 housing units at an average density of 768.5 per square mile (296.7/km ), of which 1,717 (55.2%) were owner-occupied, and 1,394 (44.8%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.4%. 4,243 people (56.9% of

7553-430: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34. There were 1,890 families (60.8% of all households); the average family size was 2.95. The population distribution was spread out, with 1,520 people (20.4%) under the age of 18, 515 people (6.9%) aged 18 to 24, 1,446 people (19.4%) aged 25 to 44, 2,547 people (34.1%) aged 45 to 64, and 1,433 people (19.2%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age

7644-406: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.93. There were 222 families (84.7% of all households); the average family size was 4.08. The population was spread out, with 331 people (32.2%) under the age of 18, 133 people (12.9%) aged 18 to 24, 297 people (28.9%) aged 25 to 44, 177 people (17.2%) aged 45 to 64, and 91 people (8.8%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age

7735-414: Was a "disadvantaged unincorporated community" (DUC) under the state definition of an annual median household income that is less than 80 percent of the statewide annual median household income. Under state law, LAFCOs are required to make determinations regarding DUCs and an adjacent city's "Sphere of Influence" (SOI) and possible annexation restrictions of territory. SOIs demark the territory that represents

7826-547: Was built in the style of French architecture of Normandy in the 1960s and 1970s by members of the Theosophy movement adjacent to the Krotona Institute of Theosophy . Taormina's founder, theosophist Ruth Wilson, envisioned the development as a retirement community for fellow theosophists but in the early 1980s a court ruling required the community to be open to residents of all faiths and backgrounds. The majority of homes in

7917-408: Was built on a mountain overlooking the town in 1903. Visitors enjoyed dining, music concerts, horseback riding, and hunting and fishing trips into the back country. Some of these businessmen built homes in the valley and contributed to the community's development. Among these winter visitors were Edward Drummond Libbey and his wife Florence. Their first winter in Ojai was in 1907. Libbey was the owner of

8008-551: Was celebrated each year until 1928. Local schoolteacher Craig Walker revived Ojai Day in 1991 and it has been celebrated since. The Ojai Day celebration takes place in October. In 1917 two fires struck the community. The first started in Matilija Canyon on June 16 and burned 60 buildings in its path, including many homes and the Foothills Hotel. The newly Spanish-style structures in the downtown were not affected. On November 28, 1917,

8099-583: Was established in 1873 by the U.S. Post Office Department which was one of seventeen post offices operating in the county in 1890. R. G. Surdam was listed on the 1880 census for Saticoy with the occupation of real estate agent. He is known as the founder of the towns of Ojai and Bardsdale and for working with Thomas Bard to build the Hueneme wharf . The streets and lots in the unincorporated present day "Old Town" were laid out in September 1887 on both sides of

8190-530: Was festival director in 2003. The outdoor bookshop Bart's Books , subject of news programs and documentaries, has been in Ojai since 1964. Ojai is home to the annual Ojai Playwrights Conference , a two-week playwrights festival that brings professional writers and actors from across the country to Ojai. The community is served by the Ojai Valley News , a weekly newspaper, the Ojai Valley Guide (formerly

8281-407: Was used as currency). As a result, the inclusion of Chumashan into Hokan is now disfavored by most specialists, and the consensus is that Chumashan has no identified linguistic relatives. The Chumashan languages are well known for their consonant harmony (regressive sibilant harmony). Mithun presents a scholarly synopsis of Chumashan linguistic structures. The Central Chumash languages all have

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