104-645: The Ventura Unified School District (VUSD) is a school district headquartered in Ventura, California , United States. The district serves K–12 students in Ventura and surrounding unincorporated communities of Ventura County including Saticoy , Casitas Springs , Oak View , and La Conchita . As of the 2019–20 school year, VUSD enrollment numbered 16,353 students. In November 2020, the Ventura Unified School District Board of Trustees voted to change
208-455: A "sinner" and a "most unworthy priest." In one of his sermons in Mexico City, while exhorting his listeners to repent their sins, Serra took out his chain, bared his shoulders and started whipping himself. Many parishioners, roused by the spectacle, began sobbing. Finally, a man climbed to the pulpit, took the chain from Serra's hand and began whipping him self, declaring: "I am the sinner who
312-459: A Christian Indian interpreter, Serra told the Indians that de la Campa would stay at the mission to serve them. According to Stephen Hyslop, "[Serra's] goal and that of his fellow friars was not to confirm Indians in their seeming innocence, like 'Adam in the garden, before sin', but to make them aware of their sins and move them to repent." The motive behind gifts of food, tobacco, and the like was, "in
416-553: A Spanish military victory over the Pames in 1743, Spanish authorities had sent not only Franciscan missionaries, but also Spanish/Mexican soldiers and their families into the Sierra Gorda. The soldiers had the job of pursuing runaway mission Indians and securing the region for the Spanish crown. But the soldiers' land claims clashed with mission lands that Christian Pames were working. Some of
520-805: A brutal colonial subjugation, Pope Francis canonized Serra on 23 September 2015 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. , during his first visit to the United States . Serra's missionary efforts earned him the title of "Apostle of California". Both before and after his canonization, Serra's reputation and missionary work during the Spanish occupation have been condemned by critics, who cite alleged mandatory conversions to Catholicism, followed by abuse of
624-494: A bus fleet of the following: Ventura, California Ventura , officially named San Buenaventura (Spanish for " Saint Bonaventure "), is a city in and the county seat of Ventura County, California , United States. It is a coastal city located northwest of Los Angeles . The population was 110,763 at the 2020 census . Ventura is a popular tourist destination, owing to its historic landmarks, beaches, and resorts. Ventura has been inhabited by different peoples, including
728-598: A certain Melchora de los Reyes Acosta, a married mulattress, an inhabitant of the said mission..... In these last days a certain Cayetana, a very clever Mexican woman of said mission, married to one Pérez, a mulatto, has confessed—she, being observed and accused of similar crimes, having been held under arrest by us for some days past—that in the mission there is a large congregation of [Christian non-Indians], although some Indians also join them, and that these persons, ... flying through
832-711: A doctorate in theology from the Lullian College (founded in the 14th century by Ramon Lull for the training of Franciscan missionaries) in Palma de Majorca, where he also occupied the Duns Scotus chair of philosophy until he joined the missionary College of San Fernando de Mexico in 1749. During Serra's last five years on the island of Majorca, drought and plague afflicted his home village of Petra. Serra sometimes went home from Palma for brief visits to his parents—now separated—and gave them some financial support. On one occasion he
936-540: A feeble mule. On April 28, 1769, Serra arrived at mission San Borja , where he received a warm welcome from friar Fermín Lasuén . Founded just seven years before by the Jesuit Wenceslaus Linck , mission San Borja sat in an unusually arid region of Baja California. Continuing north, Serra stopped on May 5 to celebrate a Mass for the feast of the Ascension in the deserted church at Calamajué , scarcely more than
1040-471: A female householder with no husband present, and 34.5% were non-families. 26.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.12. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.0% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age
1144-459: A good voice, he eagerly took to vocal music. The friars sometimes let him join the community choir and sing at special church feasts. Miquel and his father Antonio often visited the friary for friendly chats with the Franciscans. At age 16, Miquel's parents enrolled him in a Franciscan school in the capital city, Palma de Majorca , where he studied philosophy. A year later, he became a novice in
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#17328761964711248-448: A journey than a loaf of bread and a piece of cheese. For I was there [at mission Loreto] a whole year, in economic matters, as a mere guest to receive the crumbs of the royal soldier commissioner, whose liberality at my departure did not extend beyond the aforementioned articles." Two servants—one named José María Vergerano, a 20-year-old from Magdalena , the other a soldier guard—accompanied Serra on his journey from Loreto, as he rode on
1352-413: A male householder with no wife present. There were 2,621 (6.5%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships , and 371 (0.9%) same-sex married couples or partnerships . 10,959 households (27.1%) were made up of individuals, and 4,271 (10.6%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57. There were 25,996 families (64.3% of all households); the average family size
1456-423: A population of 106,433. The population density was 3,316.2 inhabitants per square mile (1,280.4/km ). The racial makeup of Ventura was 76.6% White , 1.6% African American , 1.2% Native American , 3.4% Asian (0.9% Filipino, 0.6% Chinese, 0.4% Indian, 0.4% Korean, 0.4% Japanese, 0.3% Vietnamese, 0.5% Other), 0.2% Pacific Islander , 5.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 31.8% of
1560-526: A request from the college of San Fernando to the local headquarters of the Spanish Inquisition . He asked that an inquisitor be appointed to preside over the Sierra Gorda. The next day, Inquisition officials appointed Serra himself as inquisitor for the whole region—adding that he could exercise his powers anywhere he did missionary work in New Spain, as long as there was no regular Inquisition official in
1664-599: A ruined hut. The next morning he arrived at Santa María , where he met up with Portolá , friar Miguel de la Campa and several members of their party. In this arid region, whose alkaline land resisted cultivation, lived the "poorest of all" the Indians Serra had encountered in Mexico. On Sunday May 7, Serra celebrated high Mass and preached a sermon at the mission church on the frontier of Spanish Catholicism. After leaving Mission Santa María , Serra urged Portolá to move ahead of
1768-493: A short time Baja California will come to an end." Epidemics, especially syphilis introduced by Spanish troops, were wasting the Indians. But Palóu attributed the ravages of syphilis to God's retribution for the Indians' murder of the two Jesuit priests over 30 years earlier. In 1768 José de Gálvez , inspector general of New Spain, decided to send explorers and locate missions in Alta (upper) California. Gálvez aimed both to Christianize
1872-526: A thousand, were attending neither confession nor Mass . The two missionaries set about learning the Pame language from a Mexican who had lived among the Pames. But the statement by Palóu that Serra translated the catechism into the Pame language is questionable, as Serra himself later admitted he had great difficulties learning indigenous languages. Serra involved Pames parishioners in the ritual reenactment of Jesus' forced death march. Erecting 14 stations, Serra led
1976-462: A year or more. Now this inflammation has reached halfway up my leg." Portolá again tried to persuade Serra to withdraw from the expedition, offering to "have you carried back to the first mission where you can recuperate, and we will continue our journey." Serra countered that "God ... has given me the strength to come so far. ... Even though I should die on the way, I shall not turn back. They can bury me wherever they wish and I shall gladly be left among
2080-465: Is His yoke," Serra wrote, "and that He will change for them the sorrow they may now experience into great happiness. Now is not the time to muse or fret over the happenings of life but rather to be conformed entirely to the will of God, striving to prepare themselves for that happy death which of all the things of life is our principal concern." Serra asked his colleague to read this letter to his parents, who had never attended school. In 1749, Serra and
2184-428: Is operated as a museum and performing arts venue. Living history reenactments, demonstrations of Rancho life and ghost stories are presented. A summer music series of performances held in the courtyard features an eclectic assortment of artists from blues to jazz to country . "Two Trees" is two lone trees on a hilltop, visible from much of Ventura. Access to the hill is private property. In early October 2017, one of
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#17328761964712288-535: Is the historic Ortega Adobe , once home to the Ortega family known for chili products. Downtown Ventura is home to Ventura's ornate city hall . Downtown includes restaurants, wine bars, breweries, and the Rubicon Theatre Company. In Plaza Park (Chestnut and Santa Clara streets, downtown) stands a large Moreton Bay fig tree . Across the street, the main post office has murals on interior walls commissioned by
2392-590: Is the home of the annual Ventura County Fair , and over the years has hosted such acts as Jimi Hendrix , The Grateful Dead , Phish , Smokey Robinson , All American Rejects , Smash Mouth , and Sugar Ray , as well as the Vans Warped Tour . The train station for Amtrak 's Pacific Surfliner route is adjacent to the fairgrounds. Downtown Ventura is home to the Mission San Buenaventura , museums, galleries, dining, and shopping. Located in downtown
2496-580: Is ungrateful to God who ought to do penance for my many sins, and not the padre [Serra], who is a saint." The man kept whipping himself until he collapsed. After receiving the last sacraments, he later died from the ordeal. During other sermons on the theme of repentance, Serra would hoist a large stone in one hand and, while clutching a crucifix in the other, smash the stone against his chest. Many of his listeners feared that he would strike himself dead. Later, Serra suffered chest pains and shortness of breath; Palóu suggests that Serra's self-inflicted bruises were
2600-567: Is water. Ventura has a Mediterranean climate , typical of most coastal California cities, with the sea breeze off the Pacific Ocean moderating temperatures. It is not uncommon for the city to be affected by Santa Ana winds off the Transverse Ranges on occasion, which increase temperatures dramatically. The community is registered in the census as San Buenaventura (Ventura) . The 2010 United States Census reported that Ventura had
2704-511: Is within a seismically active region like much of California and is crossed by several potentially active fault systems . The Ventura Fault is capable of an 8.0 earthquake and a local tsunami up to 23 feet in height. According to the United States Census Bureau , Ventura has a total area of 32.1 square miles (83 km ), of which 21.7 square miles (56 km ) is land and 10.4 square miles (27 km ), comprising 32.53%,
2808-482: The Chumash people have deep roots in central and southern coastal regions of California, and has revealed artifacts from their culture. Shisholop Village, designated Historic Point of Interest #18 by the city at the foot of nearby Figueroa Street, was the site of a Chumash village. They had keen oceanic navigational skills made use of the abundant local resources from sea and land. The Ventura Chumash were in contact with
2912-491: The Pame people and a scattering of Spanish colonists. The Pames—who centuries earlier had built a civilization with temples, idols and priests—lived mainly by gathering and hunting, but also pursued agriculture. Many groups among them, adopting mobile guerrilla tactics, had eluded conquest by the Spanish military. Serra and Palóu, arriving at the village of Jalpan , found the mission in disarray: The parishioners, numbering fewer than
3016-565: The Passion of Christ . He wore a sackcloth spiked with bristles, or a coat interwoven with broken pieces of wire, under his gray friar's outer garment. In his austere cell, Serra kept a chain of sharp pointed iron links hanging on the wall beside his bed, to whip himself at night when sinful thoughts ran through his mind. His nightly self-flagellations at the college of San Fernando caught the ears of some of his fellow friars. In his letters to his Franciscan companions, Serra often referred to himself as
3120-571: The Section of Painting and Sculpture of the U.S. Treasury Department as New Deal art . Ventura Harbor has fishing boats, seafood restaurants and a retail center, the Ventura Harbor Village. The Channel Islands National Park Headquarters is also located at the harbor, and boats to the Channel Islands depart daily. The Olivas Adobe , one of the early "California Rancho"-styled homes,
3224-507: The U.S. Congress . Ventura has four college campuses: Ventura College of Law , Southern California Institute of Law , Santa Barbara Business College and Ventura College . Ventura College of Law is a non-profit law school founded in 1969. Ventura College is a community college , part of the Ventura County Community College District. The Brooks Institute of Photography shut down in 2016 after many years in
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3328-524: The poverty line , including 12.2% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over. Ventura is a popular tourist destination in Southern California, owing to its historic landmarks, beaches, and the local leisure economy. Businesses related to tourism and hospitality account for a significant portion of Ventura's economic activity. The outdoor clothing manufacturer Patagonia is based in Ventura. Diaper bag manufacturer Petunia Pickle Bottom
3432-589: The 20 Franciscan friars to ride up the Camino Real. All accepted the offer, except for Serra and one companion, a friar from Andalusia . Strictly following the rule of his patron saint Francis of Assisi that friars "must not ride on horseback unless compelled by manifest necessity or infirmity," Serra insisted on walking to Mexico City. He and his fellow friar set out on the Camino Real with no money or guide, carrying only their breviaries . They trusted in Providence and
3536-486: The American Conquest of California , San Buenaventura was eventually incorporated as a city in 1866. The 1920s brought a major oil boom which significantly developed and expanded Ventura, a growth that continued with the post–World War II economic expansion . Archaeological discoveries in the area suggest that humans have populated the region for at least 10,000–12,000 years. Archaeological research demonstrates that
3640-648: The California Voting Rights Act. Council members have four-year terms and their elections are staggered so three or four are up for re-election every two years. The council elects from among its own members a mayor and deputy mayor who serve two-year terms. Joe Schroeder was selected as Mayor of San Buenaventura in December 2022. Ventura is located within California's 26th congressional district , with Julia Brownley currently serving as its representative in
3744-608: The Channel Islands Chumash; both mainland and island Chumash utilized large plank-sewn seagoing canoes, called Tomol , with the island people bringing shell bead money, island chert, and sea otter pelts to trade for mainland products like acorns and deer meat. In 1769, the Spanish Portolà expedition , first recorded European visitors to inland areas of California, came down the Santa Clara River Valley from
3848-590: The Chumash Native Americans, for at least 10,000 years. With the arrival of Spanish missionaries in 1782, Mission San Buenaventura was established by Junípero Serra , giving the city its name. Following the Mexican secularization of the Californian missions , San Buenaventura was granted by Governor Pío Pico to Don José de Arnaz as Rancho Ex-Mission San Buenaventura and a small community arose. Following
3952-568: The Franciscan missionary team landed in Veracruz , on the Gulf coast of New Spain (now Mexico). To get from Veracruz to Mexico City, Serra and his Franciscan companions took the Camino Real (English: royal path ), a rough road stretching from sea level through tropical forests, dry plains, high plateaus and volcanic sierra mountains to an altitude of 7,400 feet (2,300 meters). Royal officials provided horses for
4056-636: The Franciscan order. On September 14, 1730, some two months before his 17th birthday, Serra entered the Franciscan Order at Palma, specifically, the Alcantarine branch of the Friars Minor, a reform movement in the order. The slight and frail Serra now embarked on his novitiate period, a rigorous year of preparation to become a full member of the Franciscan Order. He was given the religious name of Junípero in honor of Brother Juniper , who had been among
4160-737: The Inquisition following his 1752 appointment: his preaching in Oaxaca in 1764, and his partial handling of the case of a Sierra Gorda mulatto accused of sorcery in 1766. In 1758, Serra returned to the College of San Fernando. Over the next nine years he worked in the college's administrative offices, and as a missionary and inquisitor in the dioceses of Mexico, Puebla, Oaxaca, Valladolid, and Guadalajara. Emulating an earlier Franciscan missionary and saint, Francisco Solano , Serra practiced various habits of penance, to purify his spirit and cultivate communion with
4264-508: The Inquisition is the only letter of his that has survived from eight years of mission work in the Sierra Gorda. Serra's first biographer, Francisco Palóu , wrote that Serra, in his role of inquisitor, had to work in many parts of Mexico and travel long distances. Yet the Archivo General de la Nación in Mexico City, with over a thousand volumes of indexed documents on the Inquisition, apparently contains only two references to Serra's work for
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4368-623: The Jesuits, Portolá treated them kindly even as he removed them under the king's orders. Into the vacuum created by the Jesuits' expulsion from Mexico , stepped Franciscan missionaries. In July 1767, the guardian of the college of San Fernando appointed Serra president of the missions of Baja California , heading a group of 15 Franciscan friars; Francisco Palóu served as his second in command. Jesuit priests had developed 13 missions on that long and arid peninsula over seven decades. Two Jesuits had died at
4472-627: The Native American converts. Serra was born Miquel Josep Serra i Ferrer (this name is Catalan , in Castilian it is Miguel José Serra y Ferrer) in the village of Petra on the island of Mallorca (Majorca) in the Balearic Islands off the Mediterranean coast of Spain. His father Antonio Nadal Serra and mother Margarita Rosa Ferrer were married in 1707. By age seven, Miquel was working
4576-474: The Pames' traditional belief system. On his 1752 visit from the Sierra Gorda mission to the college of San Fernando in Mexico City, Serra joyfully carried a goddess statue presented to him by Christian Pames. The statue, showing the face of Cachum, mother of the sun, had been erected on a hilltop shrine where some Pame chiefs lay buried. Back in the Sierra Gorda, Serra faced a conflict between Spanish soldiers, settlers, and mission natives or "Indians". Following
4680-684: The Sierra Gorda , a UNESCO World Heritage Site . He founded a mission in Baja California and established eight of the 21 Spanish missions in California from San Diego to San Francisco , in what was then Spanish-occupied Alta California in the Province of Las Californias of New Spain . Serra was beatified by Pope John Paul II on 25 September 1988 in Vatican City . Amid denunciations from Native American tribes who accused Serra of presiding over
4784-479: The Ventura County Government Center, makes current legal resources available to judges, lawyers, government officials, and other users. Ventura is notable for the quality and frequency of the surfing conditions at spots such as Surfer's Point at Seaside Park . X Games California 2023 (Summer) event finals were scheduled for the adjacent Ventura County Fairgrounds . Ventura is the home to
4888-704: The Ventura Hotel (1926), and the Mission Theatre (1928). On March 12, 1928, the St. Francis Dam , 54 miles (87 km) inland, failed catastrophically , creating a flood that took more than 600 lives as it flowed down the Santa Clara River to the ocean. From the south, travel by auto was slow and hazardous, until the completion of a four-lane freeway ( US Highway 101 ) over the Conejo Grade in 1959. This route, which
4992-476: The air at night, are in the habit of meeting in a cave on a hill near a ranch called El Saucillo, in the center of said missions, where they worship and make sacrifice to the demons who appear visibly there in the guise of young goats and various other things of that nature. ... If such evil is not attacked, the horrible corruption will spread among these poor [Indian] neophytes who are in our charge." According to modern Franciscan historians, this report by Serra to
5096-589: The area, buying land from the Mexicans, or simply as squatters . Vast holdings were later acquired by Easterners, including railroad magnate Thomas A. Scott . He sent Thomas R. Bard to handle Scott's property. Ventura had a flourishing Chinese settlement in the early 1880s. The largest concentration of activity, known as China Alley, was just across Main Street from the Mission San Buenaventura. Ventura Pier
5200-583: The banks of the Santa Clara River was the most magnificent hacienda south of Monterey . Fernando Tico also received a Mexican land grant for Ojai and a parcel near the river in downtown Ventura. Following the American Conquest of California in the Mexican–American War , California became a U.S. territory in 1848 and a U.S. state in 1850. After the American Civil War , settlers came to
5304-450: The cause. While preaching of hell and damnation, Serra would sear his flesh with a four-pronged candle flame—emulating a famed Franciscan preacher, John of Capistrano . Palóu described this as "quite violent, painful, and dangerous towards wounding his chest." Serra did not stand alone among Catholic missionaries in displaying self-punishment at the pulpit. The more zealous Franciscan and Jesuit missionaries did likewise. But few took it to
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#17328761964715408-586: The city after a lengthy application and ranking process. Three retail and one distribution business without a retail component were selected. Two more permits for the city's coastal zone, which includes downtown were considered and rejected after further information requested from the California Coastal Commission was reviewed. Once the appeals process is completed, applicants worked with the city on safety, security, odor control and other issues before being able to open for business. In late June 2023,
5512-402: The city was 78.8% White , 1.4% African American , 1.2% Native American , 3.0% Asian , 0.2% Pacific Islander , 11.1% from other races , and 4.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 30.4% of the population. There were 38,524 households, out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.2% were married couples living together, 11.7% had
5616-662: The college of San Fernando, he had cattle, goats, sheep, and farming tools brought to the Sierra Gorda mission. Palóu supervised the farm labor of men of the mission; the women learned spinning, sewing and knitting. Their products were collected and rationed to the mission residents, according to personal needs. Christian Pames sold their surplus products in nearby trading centers, under the friars' supervision to protect them from cheaters. Pames who adapted successfully to mission life received their own parcels of land to raise corn, beans and pumpkins, and sometimes received oxen and seeds as well. Within two years, Serra had made inroads against
5720-643: The colonial bureaucracy in Madrid, Serra requested that both he and Palóu embark on a foreign mission. After weathering some administrative obstacles, they received permission and set sail for Cádiz , the port of departure for Spain's colonies in the Americas. While waiting to set sail, Serra wrote a long letter to a colleague back in Majorca, urging him to console Serra's parents—now in their 70s—over their only son's pending departure. "They [my parents] will learn to see how sweet
5824-533: The community. Jun%C3%ADpero Serra Saint Junípero Serra Ferrer O.F.M. ( / h uː ˈ n iː p ər oʊ ˈ s ɛr ə / ; Spanish: [xuˈnipeɾo ˈsera] ; November 24, 1713 – August 28, 1784), popularly known simply as Junipero Serra , was a Spanish Catholic priest and missionary of the Franciscan Order . He is credited with establishing the Franciscan Missions in
5928-455: The construction of a splendid church in Jalpan . Gathering masons, carpenters, and other skilled craftsmen from Mexico City, Serra employed Christian Pames in seasonal construction work over the course of seven years to complete the church. Serra pitched in himself, carrying wooden beams and applying mortar between the stones forming the church walls. During his 1752 visit to Mexico City, Serra sent
6032-410: The course ended in 1743, Serra told his students: "I desire nothing more from you than this, that when the news of my death shall have reached your ears, I ask you to say for the benefit of my soul: 'May he rest in peace.' Nor shall I omit to do the same for you so that all of us will attain the goal for which we have been created." Serra was considered intellectually brilliant by his peers. He received
6136-574: The downtown was closed to vehicle traffic in June 2020 in an effort to boost business and keep people safe during the COVID-19 pandemic . Ventura is located northwest of Los Angeles on the California coast . The western portion of the city stretches north along the Ventura River which is characterized by a narrow valley with steeply sloped areas along both sides. The steep slopes of the Ventura foothills abut
6240-626: The expedition, and wrote to Gálvez about Serra's condition. Serra's fellow friar and former student Francisco Palóu also became concerned, gently suggesting to Serra that he stay in Baja California and let the younger and stronger Palóu make the journey to San Diego in his place. Serra rebuffed both Portolá's and Palóu's doubts. He chided Palóu for his suggestion: "Let us not speak of that. I have placed all my confidence in God, of whose goodness I hope that He will grant me to reach not only San Diego to raise
6344-584: The extensive Indian populations and serve Spain's strategic interest by preventing Russian explorations and possible claims to North America's Pacific coast. Gálvez chose Serra to head the missionary team in the California expedition. Serra, now 55, eagerly seized the chance to harvest thousands of pagan souls in lands previously untouched by the church. But as the expedition gathered in Loreto , Serra's foot and leg infection had become almost crippling. The commander, Gaspar de Portolá , tried to dissuade him from joining
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#17328761964716448-453: The extremes that Serra did. The regulations of the college of San Fernando said that self-punishment should never be carried to the point of permanently incapacitating oneself. On June 24, 1767, the Viceroy of New Spain, Carlos Francisco de Croix , read a Spanish royal decree to Mexico's archbishop and assembled church officials: "Repair with an armed force to the houses of the Jesuits. Seize
6552-470: The fall. ... We treated with them for a long time; and although they saw all of us clothed, they nevertheless showed not the least trace of shame in their manner of nudity." Serra placed both hands upon their heads as a token of paternal affection. He then handed them figs, which they ate immediately. One of the Indian men gave Serra roasted agave stalks and four fishes. In return, Portolá and his soldiers offered tobacco leaves and various food items. Through
6656-417: The fields with his parents, helping cultivate wheat and beans, and tending the cattle. But he showed a special interest in visiting the local Franciscan friary at the church of San Bernardino within a block of the Serra family house. Attending the friars ' primary school at the church, Miquel learned reading, writing, mathematics, Latin, religion and liturgical song , especially Gregorian chant. Gifted with
6760-685: The first Franciscans and a companion of Francis of Assisi . The young Junípero, along with his fellow novices, vowed to scorn property and comfort, and to remain celibate . He still had seven years to go to become an ordained Catholic priest . He immersed himself in rigorous studies of logic, metaphysics, cosmology, and theology. The daily routine at the friary followed a rigid schedule: prayers, meditation, choir singing, physical chores, spiritual readings, and instruction. The friars would wake up every midnight for another round of chants. Serra's superiors discouraged letters and visitors. In his free time, he avidly read stories about Franciscan friars roaming
6864-437: The hands of Indians in the revolt of 1734–36. In March 1768, Serra and his missionary team boarded a Spanish sloop at San Blas , on Mexico's Pacific coast. Sailing over 200 miles up the Gulf of California , they landed at Loreto two weeks later. Gaspar de Portolá , governor of Las Californias, welcomed them at the Loreto mission , founded by Jesuits in 1697. While he gave control of the church to Serra, Portolá controlled
6968-417: The hospitality of local people along the way. During the trek Serra's left foot swelled up, and a burning itch tormented him. Arriving at a farm at day's end, he could hardly stand. He attributed the swelling to a mosquito bite. His discomfort caused him to stay over at the farm another night, during which he scratched his foot and leg to excess, desperately trying to relieve the itch. The next morning his leg
7072-663: The incubator. The Trade Desk, an industry leader in advertising on streaming services , is the second biggest publicly-traded company in Ventura County by market capitalization . According to the city's 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are: Following the legalization of cannabis in California, local governments can prohibit companies from growing, testing, and selling cannabis within their jurisdiction by licensing none or only some of these activities but may not prohibit adults from growing, using or transporting marijuana for personal use. The state allows deliveries without local agency licensing at
7176-471: The intrusive colony. But the townspeople protested and stayed put. The government set up commissions and looked into alternative sites for the colony. It ordered the settlers to keep their cattle out of the Pames' fields, and to pay the Pames fairly for their labor (with the friars supervising payment). After a protracted legal struggle, the settlers moved out, and in 1755 the Pames and friars reclaimed their land. Crowning his Sierra Gorda mission, Serra oversaw
7280-407: The living quarters and rationed out food to the friars, charging their costs to the mission. Serra and Palóu found—to their unpleasant surprise—that they ruled only on spiritual matters: everyday management of the mission remained in the hands of the military, who had occupied the Baja missions since evicting the Jesuits. In August 1768, New Spain's inspector general José de Gálvez , displeased with
7384-500: The name of Blanche Reynolds Elementary School to Lemon Grove School effective with the 2020–21 school year. Members of the community demanded the school's name be dropped because Reynolds, a school superintendent in early 20th-century Ventura County, supported racial segregation in education . Accompanying this change will be the addition of middle school grades to the campus, becoming a TK —8 school. The district previously operated Mar Vista Continuation High School. Ventura Unified has
7488-458: The northern portion of the community. Much of the eastern portion is on a relatively flat alluvial coastal plain lying along the western edge of the Oxnard Plain . Several Barrancas extend from the foothills to the Santa Clara River which forms the city's southerly boundary. The city extends up to the beginning of the Santa Clara River Valley at the historic community of Saticoy . Ventura
7592-496: The oil fields in the 1920s, along with the building of better roads to Los Angeles and the affordability of automobiles, enabled a major real estate boom. Symphony concerts and Little League teams were sponsored by the oil companies. Contemporary downtown Ventura is defined by extant buildings from this period. Landmarks built during the oil boom include Ventura Theatre (1928), the First Baptist Church of Ventura (1926),
7696-490: The other five finalists. The Majestic Ventura Theater is an early 20th-century landmark in the downtown. It has been a venue for concerts such as The Doors , Pearl Jam , Van Halen , X , Ray Charles , Red Hot Chili Peppers , Social Distortion , Bad Religion , Fugazi , Incubus , Tom Petty , They Might Be Giants , and Johnny Cash , as well as homegrown artists like KYLE , Cirith Ungol , Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and Army of Freshmen . The Ventura County Fairgrounds
7800-493: The penalty of death." Spain's king Carlos III had plotted the expulsion of Jesuits throughout his empire five months earlier. On the Baja California peninsula , newly appointed governor Gaspar de Portolá had to notify and remove the Jesuits from the chain of missions they had developed in forbidding territory over 70 years. By February 1768, Portolá gathered the 16 Baja Jesuit missionaries in Loreto , from where they sailed to mainland Mexico for deportation. Sympathetic to
7904-417: The persons of all of them and, within 24 hours, transport them as prisoners to the port of Veracruz. Cause to be sealed the records of said houses and records of such persons without allowing them to remove anything but their breviaries and such garments as are absolutely necessary for their journey. If after the embarkation there should be found one Jesuit in that district, even if ill or dying, you shall suffer
8008-507: The point of delivery. In November 2020, a ballot measure for taxation of cannabis was approved by city voters. The City Council adopted a resolution allowing a maximum number of cannabis businesses in the city in February 2021. The ordinances allow up to three retail permits and up to 10 distribution permits. In October 2022, the City Manager selected four businesses to be allowed to operate in
8112-461: The population. The Census reported that 103,940 people (97.7% of the population) lived in households, 755 (0.7%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 1,738 (1.6%) were institutionalized. There were 40,438 households, out of which 13,014 (32.2%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 18,907 (46.8%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 4,936 (12.2%) had a female householder with no husband present, 2,153 (5.3%) had
8216-452: The previous night's encampment near today's Saticoy and camped near the outlet of the Ventura River on August 14 . Fray Juan Crespi , a Franciscan missionary traveling with the expedition, noted that "we saw a regular town, the most populous and best laid-out of all that we had seen on the journey up to the present time." Archaeological records found that the Chumash village they encountered
8320-430: The procession himself, carrying an extremely heavy cross. At each station, the procession paused for a prayer, and at the end Serra sermonized on the sufferings and death of Jesus. On Holy Thursday , 12 Pames elders reenacted the roles of the apostles . Serra, in the role of Jesus, washed their feet and then, after the service, dined with them. Serra also tackled the practical side of mission administration. Working with
8424-480: The provinces of Spain and around the world to win new souls for the church, often suffering martyrdom in the process. In 1737, Serra became a priest, and three years later earned an ecclesiastical license to teach philosophy at the Convento de San Francisco. His philosophy course, including over 60 students, lasted three years. Among his students were fellow future missionaries Francisco Palóu and Juan Crespí . When
8528-431: The region. In September 1752, Serra filed a report to the Spanish Inquisition in Mexico City from Jalpan , on "evidences of witchcraft in the Sierra Gorda missions." He denounced several Christian non-Indians who lived in and around the mission for "the most detestable and horrible crimes of sorcery, witchcraft and devil worship. ... If it is necessary to specify one of the persons guilty of such crimes, I accuse by name
8632-802: The sacraments for the Fernando Rivera expedition, the overland party that had preceded the Portolá party. The founding celebration took place "with all the neatness of holy poverty," in Serra's words. Smoke from the soldiers' guns, fired in repeated volleys, served as incense. The new mission lacked Indians to convert. A few days later, friar Miguel de la Campa notified Serra that a few natives had arrived. Serra joyously rushed out to welcome twelve Indian, men and boys. "Then I saw what I could hardly begin to believe when I read about it," wrote Serra. "... namely, that they go about entirely naked like Adam in paradise before
8736-534: The sloppy military administration of the Baja missions, ordered them turned over fully to the Franciscan friars. The Franciscans found that the Indian population in the Baja California mission territories had dwindled to about 7,150. By the time the Franciscans had moved north and turned the missions over to Dominican friars in 1772, the Indian population had decreased to about 5,000. "If it goes on at this rate," wrote Palóu, "in
8840-465: The slow pack train, so they could reach Velicatá in time for Pentecost the next day. Portolá agreed, so the small group traveled all day May 13 to reach Velicatá by late evening. The advanced guard of the party greeted them there. On Pentecost day, May 14, 1769, Serra founded his first mission, Misión San Fernando Rey de España de Velicatá , in a mud hut that had served as a makeshift church when friar Fermín Lasuén had traveled up on Easter to conduct
8944-486: The soccer clubs Ventura County Football Club and Ventura County Fusion , of USL League Two . Ventura is also home to the Ventura Raceway, a 1/5mile dirt track which hosts an array of auto racing events throughout the year, including the prestigious Turkey Night Grand Prix. Ventura had an at-large system of electing council members but changed to seven council districts in 2018 due to threatened legal action based on
9048-673: The soldiers' families tried to establish a town, and the officer in charge of their deployment approved their plan. The Pames objected, threatening to defend their lands by force if necessary. Soldiers and settlers let their cattle graze on Christian Pames' farmlands and bullied Pames into working for them. Serra and the College of San Fernando sided with the Pames—citing the Laws of the Indies , which banned colonial settlements in mission territories. The viceroy , Spain's highest official in Mexico, suspended
9152-580: The standard of the Holy Cross in that port, but also Monterey." Serra suggested that the Portolá party set off without him; he would follow and meet up with them on the way to Alta California. He then assigned friar Miguel de la Campa as chaplain to the Portolá expedition , which set out from Loreto on March 9, 1769. Spending holy week at mission Loreto , Serra set out on March 28. "From my mission of Loreto," wrote Serra, "I took along no more provisions for so long
9256-624: The students, faculty and staff of the college as well as the general public of Ventura County. The Research Library of the Museum of Ventura County holds books and archival materials related to the history of the county and surrounding regions. Its holdings are catalogued in the Ventura County Library system and the Central Coast Museum Consortium, and the library is open to the public. Ventura County Law Library, located in
9360-525: The three retail businesses that were selected filed a lawsuit against the city for a court order that would end the appeals and force the city to issue them permits. The other five finalists had appealed, resulting in a lengthy delay while the appeal was sent to the California Office of Administrative Hearings. The city decided in late July to issue permits to the three businesses already selected immediately after August 31 and also issue permits to three of
9464-552: The trees was destroyed by high winds. There are three branches of the Ventura County Library in the City of Ventura: E.P. Foster Library on Main Street, Avenue Library on Ventura Avenue, and Hill Road Library on the east side of the city. Saticoy Library is in the unincorporated area of Saticoy outside the east end of the city of Ventura. The Evelyn and Howard Boroughs Library of Ventura College , dedicated in 2005, serves
9568-434: The words of Serra's colleague and biographer, Father Francisco Palóu, spiritual conquest meant enticing Indians with food and clothing, by which means they could be indoctrinated as Christians and 'gradually acquire a knowledge of what is spiritually good and evil' ". Back on the road, Serra found it very difficult to stay on his feet because "my left foot had become very inflamed, a painful condition which I have suffered for
9672-494: Was 1.3%; the rental vacancy rate was 5.5%. 59,330 people (55.7% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 44,610 people (41.9%) lived in rental housing units. As of the census of 2000, there were 100,916 people, 38,524 households, and 25,233 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,790.6 inhabitants per square mile (1,849.7/km ). There were 39,803 housing units at an average density of 1,889.5 per square mile (729.5/km ). The racial makeup of
9776-614: Was 3.14. The population was spread out, with 23,918 people (22.5%) under the age of 18, 9,581 people (9.0%) aged 18 to 24, 28,814 people (27.1%) aged 25 to 44, 29,957 people (28.1%) aged 45 to 64, and 14,163 people (13.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.6 males. There were 42,827 housing units at an average density of 1,334.4 per square mile (515.2/km ), of which 22,600 (55.9%) were owner-occupied, and 17,838 (44.1%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate
9880-407: Was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.8 males. The median income for a household in the city was $ 52,297, and the other income for a family was $ 60,466. Males had a median income of $ 43,828 versus $ 31,793 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 25,065. About 6.4% of families and 9.0% of the population were below
9984-592: Was built in 1872 at a cost of $ 45,000 and was the longest wooden pier in California. By 1917, it had been rebuilt to a length of 1,700 feet (520 m). Much of the pier was destroyed by a storm in 1995, but it was subsequently rebuilt. In 1913, the Rincon Sea Level Road and the Ventura River Bridge opened. The large Ventura Oil Field was first drilled in 1919 and at its peak produced 90,000 barrels per day (14,000 m /d). The development of
10088-405: Was called home to anoint his seriously ill father with the last rites . In one of his final visits to Petra, Serra found his younger sister Juana María near death. In 1748, Serra and Palóu confided to each other their desire to become missionaries. Serra, now 35, was assured a prestigious career as priest and scholar if he stayed in Majorca; but he set his sights firmly on pagan lands. Applying to
10192-433: Was declined, Serra insisted on living as a novice at San Fernando: "This learned university professor ... would often eat more sparingly in order to replace the student whose turn it was to read to the community. Or he would humbly carry trays and wait on tables with the lay brothers." The Sierra Gorda Indian missions , some 90 miles north of Santiago de Querétaro , were nestled in a vast region of jagged mountains, home of
10296-413: Was founded in Ventura. Research and resource company The Barna Group is located near downtown Ventura. In 2009 the City of Ventura created Ventura Ventures Technology Center, a business incubator with a high-tech focus. Ventura Ventures Technology Center was created as an economic engine to develop jobs and companies locally, as well as attract entrepreneurs to the area. The Trade Desk was started in
10400-499: Was passed twelve years after Mexico won independence from Spain in 1821. Mission land was sold or given away in large grants called ranchos . Rancho Ex-Mission San Buenaventura was a 48,823-acre (197.58 km ) grant that included downtown Ventura. The Battle of San Buenaventura was fought in 1838 between competing armies from northern and southern California. Governor Juan Bautista Alvarado granted Rancho San Miguel to Felipe Lorenzana and Raymundo Olivas, whose Olivas Adobe on
10504-483: Was raw and bleeding. This wound plagued Serra for the rest of his life. Hobbling into Mexico City, Serra joined up with his fellow friars at the College of San Fernando de Mexico , a specialized training center and regional headquarters for Franciscan missionaries. Serra requested that he do his novitiate year again—despite his academic prestige, and the fact that the college's novices were far younger men. Though his request
10608-448: Was settled sometime around AD 1000. Junípero Serra , first leader of the Franciscans in California, founded Mission San Buenaventura in 1782 as his ninth and last mission established near the Chumash village as part of Spain's colonization of Alta California . The mission was named for St. Bonaventure , a 13th-century Franciscan saint and a Doctor of the Church . San Miguel Chapel
10712-398: Was the first outpost and center of operations while the first Mission San Buenaventura was being constructed. The first mission burned in 1801 and a replacement building of brick and stone was completed in 1809. The bell tower and facade of the new mission was destroyed by an 1812 earthquake. The Mission was rebuilt and functions as a parish church. The Mexican secularization act of 1833
10816-688: Was widened and improved by 1969, is known as the Ventura Freeway , which directly links Ventura with the rest of the Greater Los Angeles . In 2017, the Thomas Fire started north of Ventura in Santa Paula . Propelled by the Santa Ana Winds , the fire spread into hillside neighborhoods of Ventura and the area above downtown. The fire burned down 504 residences burned in the city. Main Street in
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