The Old "Agoura" Sign on Agoura Road

I was running (literally running) around Agoura Hills, in the vicinity of Agoura Road west of Chesebro Road, when I looked up and saw this distinctly vintage "Agoura" sign displayed at the corner of Agoura and Lewis Roads. While I've driven that stretch of Agoura Road hundreds of times over the years, for whatever reason I never really noticed this interesting sign.

I wondered how long this sign has been there. City of Agoura Historian Cim Castellon was able to help put some of the puzzle together by contacting Brian Rooney of R7 Media, who provided the image below.

This photo shows two women posing for the camera with the Agoura sign and Agoura Market and Gas Station, owned by Harold Neale, in the background.

Photo Credit: R7 Media (www.r7media.com)

On the east side of Lewis Road road is the old Agoura Post Office at 28249 Agoura Road, Agoura Hills. Brian thinks the Agoura sign was put up about the time the post office opened.

The sign is located adjacent to what used to be Center Stage Music, in a building that originally was Fitzgerald's Market in the 1920s and later Agoura Market in the 1940s.

For more local history, be sure to stop by the Reyes Adobe Historical Site, the first home built in Agoura Hills back in 1850.

The Stagecoach Inn in Newbury Park is Ventura County Historical Landmark No. 30

Ventura County Historical Landmark No. 30 is the Stagecoach Inn in Newbury Park. The Stagecoach Inn Museum was originally built as the Grand Union Hotel in 1876 at the southwest corner of what is now Ventu Park Road and the Ventura Freeway. In 1965 it was relocated to its current location at 51 South Ventu Park Road (near the Lynn Road intersection) due to construction of the freeway.

The Inn is a Monterey style redwood structure with a wraparound porch and balcony. The original structure served as a school, post office, steakhouse, church, gift shop and movie set. After it was destroyed by a fire in 1970, the Stagecoach Inn was completely rebuilt and dedicated on July 4, 1976.

Situated on four acres, The Stagecoach Inn Museum site also houses a Chumash Indian hut, an early California Spanish adobe, a three-room pioneer house, blacksmith shop and a collection of vintage items, both inside the Inn and outdoors. Inside the Inn, each room is adorned with antique furniture, dolls, toys, household items and other collections and memorabilia. Behind the Museum is a fun to explore nature trail and stream.

The Inn is also California Registered Historical Landmark No. 659 and was named to the National Register of Historic Places on December 30, 1975.

Adjacent to the Museum is the 4.9 acre Stagecoach Inn Park, with a large grassy area, full basketball court, stagecoach themed play area and three picnic tables and grills. This is a neighborhood park developed by the Conejo Recreation and Park District in 1985. There are no restrooms at this park.

Stagecoach themed play area at Stagecoach Inn Park adjacent to the Museum.

Don't forget the horsies!

In addition to year-round docent-led tours, The Stagecoach Inn Museum frequently hosts special events, including holiday gatherings, Conejo Valley Historical Society meetings and events, antique fairs and more. It is also a popular venue for weddings.

The Stagecoach Inn Museum is located at 51 South Ventu Park Road, Newbury Park.  Open for docent-led tours Wednesdays and Saturdays from 1-4PM. Admission is $7 for adults and $5 for children (as of July 2022).

Call 805.498.9441 or visit stagecoachinnmuseum.com to learn more.

Chuck E. Cheese's Was Founded in 1977 by the Guy Who Turned Down One Third of Apple

Chuck E. Cheese's was founded by Nolan Bushnell in 1977, the same year he sold his company, Atari (makers of Pong) for $28 million. The previous year, Steve Jobs, who worked briefly for Bushnell at Atari, offered Bushnell a 1/3rd interest in the newly founded Apple Computer, for $50,000. Bushnell said no...ugghh!!

Chuck E. Cheese’s is now 45 years old, with over 600 worldwide locations, including Thousand Oaks and Ventura.

www.chuckecheese.com

City of Fillmore Neon-Lighted Sign From Pre-World War II

You don't see many signs around town like the Fillmore sign at the northeast corner of Highway 126 (E. Telegraph Road) and Central Avenue.

Fillmore sign photo taken as I was waiting at the stoplight driving south on Central Avenue.

The sign was originally constructed in 1940, making it 80 years old. It is designated a historical landmark by the City of Fillmore.

The Fillmore sign is a cool green neon lit up at night

It's not exactly easy getting to Fillmore from the Conejo Valley as you either have to take the winding path of the 23/Grimes Canyon Road via Moorpark or drive out to Ventura via the 101 and take the 126 to Fillmore by way of Santa Paula. Kind of a haul but certainly fun to do every now and then.

At a total area of only 2.8 square miles, Fillmore is the smallest of Ventura County's 10 cities, and its population of roughly 16,000 places it 9th (roughly double the population of Ojai). Fillmore was not named after Millard Fillmore; it was named after Jerome Fillmore, General Superintendent of the Southern Pacific Railroad when they built the line connecting Santa Paula, Fillmore and Castaic.

Quite a quaint little place that is certainly fun to visit, with highlights such as numerous themed train rides at Fillmore & Western Railway, State Fish Hatchery and Railroad Visitor Center, along with an old town feel along Central Avenue.

Fillmore sign as of July 2022

Conejo Valley Guide Social Media Followers Highlight Something Fun They Did Over the Weekend

What did I do this weekend? Spent some time the Channel Islands Harbor, enjoyed Silverstrand Beach and the CI Harbor Farmers’ Market, spent some time in Downtown Ventura, Shopped at The Oaks and the Camarillo Premium Outlets, spent some time on local trails, had a boba, ate some sushi, did errands around the house, replaced the battery in my watch….the list goes on!

We asked Conejo Valley Guide social media followers in Facebook and Instagram to tell us something they did that was fun this past warm June weekend, as part of a drawing for tickets to the 66th Annual Conejo Valley Days coming up June 16 to 26. The response was great and we thought it would be fun to share some of the responses here.

• Attended “Summer is Here” parties

• Baby shower

• Baseball team party

• Birthday parties

• Went to a free concert in the park

• Baby’s first trip to the beach

• Baseball tournament

• Beach walk and lunch at the Ventura Harbor

• Universal Studios

• Estate sale shopping

• Graduation parties

• Pool parties

• Watched a movie (Jurassic World, Top Gun: Maverick)

• Went on a hike

• Dodger game

• Got a kitten, got a puppy

• Indulged in ice cream

• Romantic dinner

• Went to the park

• Went to a splash pad

• Day in Santa Barbara

• Swimming and pool time (probably the most mentioned activity)

• Family time

• Went camping

• Underwood Family Farms

• Hung out with friends at a local taproom

• America’s Teaching Zoo at Moorpark College

• Disneyland and Knotts Berry Farm

• Stagecoach Inn in Newbury Park

• Mountain biking

• Relaxed at home

• Went to a farmers’ market

• Lots of graduation parties

• Annual kids and adults kickball game

• Trip to San Diego

• Cornell Winery

• Went on a run in a local park or trail

• Did some gardening

• Bike ride with the kids

• Water gun fun with the kids

• Backyard movie night

• Reagan Presidential Library

• Went to a local beach

Underwood Family Farms in Moorpark

The Roadrunners R/C Club Brings R/C Racing to Freedom Park in Camarillo

The Roadrunners R/C Club manages a facility at Freedom Park near the Camarillo Airport that has several tracks sanctioned for national R/C events. There are off-road and paved tracks that are fun for R/C enthusiasts of all ages, as well as onlookers. The facility is open to the public during the week.

Freedom Park is located at 528 Freedom Park Drive, Camarillo, on 30 acres featuring soccer and softball fields, BMX track and inline-hockey rink. Learn more about the Roadrunners R/C Club at www.roadrunnersrc.com.

Stop by and check it out! It's a lot of fun to watch!