San Buenaventura’s Freedom’s Defenders

A brave shopkeeper named Walter Chaffee guarded the American flag outside his store, even when others tried to steal it away. During the Civil War, it was hard to be a Union supporter in California, but Walter and his friends secretly met to stand up for freedom and fairness for everyone.

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Ventura’s Brush with the Tail of the Comet

By Andy Ludlum — Even after 76 years, John Doughty’s memories as an 8-year-old in 1910 were as clear as if it were yesterday. The Simi Valley man said his mother, Annie, began crying and yelling when she first spotted Halley’s Comet. She fell to her knees and waved her arms up and down in prayer. She was certain the comet was a sign from God, “a cyclone that would burn a hole through the Earth.”

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The Picture

By Andy Ludlum — April 8, 1917, two days after the United States had declared war on Germany, a group of 31 men, posed in front of the Ventura Mill & Lumber Company.

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“The Woman Lawyer”

By Andy Ludlum — Mary Belle Spencer of Chicago became the first woman to represent a criminal defendant in Ventura County history.

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The Bad Bob

by Library Volunteer Andy Ludlum Marjery Misner was described in 1924 by The Los Angeles Times as a “pretty, young teacher.”  Near the…

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Easy Health in a Bottle

by Library Volunteer Andy Ludlum When a baby was teething and wouldn’t stop crying, there’s a good chance that Ventura County parents in…

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The Story of Pierre Agoure

By Library Volunteer Andy Ludlum This is the story of an early Ventura County sheep rancher. His remarkable tale has been overlooked and…

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The Water Witch of Simi

By Library Volunteer Andy Ludlum The frail old man, known to everyone in Simi as “Grandpa Stones,” practically had to be carried over…

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