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Reproduced
essentially verbatim (some spelling corrections) from a copy of the
article
found in The Sentinel. The Sentinel was an Oak View newspaper
whose address was:
P.O. Box 504 - MI 9-1754 It was published weekly on Thursday by
Chuck and Faye Hill,
with advertising by Joe Colville
Thursday, December 6, 1958, THE OAK VIEW SENTINEL
The Road to
Ojai
by Percy G. Watkins
(Editors Note: Mr. Watkins, a long time
resident of Oak View, continues his early
day recollections in the Ventura River
Valley.)
"THE OAK VIEW RAILROAD STATION"
The Mahoney family house was vacant and
run-down in 1900. However, a good fence and shade trees surrounded
the house even though the yard had gone into ruin. A cistern south
of the house and a galvanized iron tank west of the barn were used
to store rain water.
In passing,
note that the Walker place to the south ( mentioned earlier ) was
later subdivided and became known as Oak View Gardens No. 1. And the
Mahoney Ranch, as it became known, was called Oak View Gardens No.
2.
Oak View was the name given to the railroad station and
siding as it passed the Mahoney Ranch. These stations were erected
about every two miles between Ventura and Nordhoff (Ojai).
Back of the Oak View station was a prune drying plant
with a typical two vat dipper. Also behind the station was a
reservoir built by Mr. Sherwood. The reservoir was never lined even
though he had intended to pump water from a well in the river
bottom.
A projected public road had been laid out ( and partly
graded ) from the Oak View Station to the Ventura to Nordhoff road
along the north line of the ranch. It was thought at the time that
this road would be used to transport local products to the railroad
station. (to be continued) |
