Central and Main Streets circa 1970s.

Central and Main Streets today.

Church of Religious Science circa 1972, which was founded by Reverend Mildred Hinckley, and was located on River Street in Fillmore.

Article from the Fillmore Herald March 16th 1972 reading “The Junior Girl Scouts point to their interesting window display in the Patterson Hardware store window to celebrate Girl Scout Week. From left are Shanna KcKeown, Troop 115; Lori Elkins, Troop 523; Shanna KcKeown, Troop 115 and Donna Viscioni. Donna’s father was the artist and sign maker for this project. (Herald Photo).

This article was compiled by Rachel Fernandez who attends California State University Channel Islands and is interning at the Fillmore Historical Museum.

Although times have changed, some things never change and history does tend to repeat itself. We see below what was happening in the city of Fillmore 50 and 100 years ago in March of 1922 and March of 1972 and can then make our own comparisons to the world and city of Fillmore today in March of 2022.

50 Years Ago - March 1972:
On March 9, 1972, it was reported that tropical weather and lack of rain was hurting farmers. The temperature was a record-breaking 90 degrees. Fruit was also growing smaller than usual due to the lack of rain. This particular month of March was known as the seventh driest March in a span of 67 years.

March 12, 1972 marked the beginning of Girl Scout Week. This week paid homage to the first troops which started in Savannah, Georgia in 1912. The Girl Scouts had very fun activities planned during the week which included Girl Scout Sunday, Homemaking Day, Citizenship Day, Health and Safety Day, International Friendship Day, Day for Arts, as well as Out of Doors Day. Some of the girls listed were Kenny McKeown, Lori Elkins, Shanna McKeown, and Donna Viscioni.

It was published in the paper on March 16th, 1972 that Jeanine Richie Boon and Vernal Williams were the first couple to get married in the Church of Religious Science. The church was newly built at the time, founded by Reverend Mildred Hinckley and designed by Elmer Devore. The church was located on River Street. The congregation no longer exists today since its closure in the early 2000’s, but the building is now a preschool and child care center.

100 Years Ago - March 1922:
On March 3, 1922 there was a search for the unknown killer of Adolfo Escota. However, a suspect was named which was Luiz Cabral, who was never charged. Escota was said to have owed Cabral a sum of money. On March 10, 1922 there was another killing reported in which the victim was named Charles Atencio. The killer at the time had escaped but on April 7, 1922, he was identified and sentenced. His name was Augustine Cabral, whom we could find no relation to Luiz Cabral. However, he only pleaded guilty to one of the murders, that of Atencio. His attorney was named James Holingsworth.

100 years ago, there was an ongoing pandemic: the “Spanish” Influenza. By March of 1922 the influenza was nearing its end. Originally beginning in 1918, the cases reported in 1922 were mostly mild cases and far less than in 1918. At the time there were only a thousand cases reported in all of California. The influenza finally came to an end later in the year of 1922. One of the more known names in Fillmore who succumbed to the influenza was Vinnie Hinckley, daughter of Dr. J.P. Hinckley. She was only fifteen.

The prohibition era hit Ventura County before the 1920’s. As early as 1903, anti-saloon ordinances were being passed. On March 17, 1922 it was published that Colonel Dan Morgan Smith made an address in Fillmore. Col. Morgan Smith was known for being the commander of the Battalion of Death in WWI. Colonel Morgan Smith led his battalion in France and went into battle with 1120 men and came out with only 327 men. Although he was known for leading the Battalion of Death, he gave an address in Fillmore about prohibition under the auspices of the Anti-Saloon League and advocated for the approval of the Wright Bill which was a bill that would determine the fate of prohibition in California.

Almost 50,000 years ago, a meteor struck what is now known today as Winslow, Arizona. In the year 1903, miners began to try and locate the main body of that meteor. Local Fillmore men were a part of the crew trying to locate the body of it. These men included Ross Buckman, Isaac Wammock and his son, as well as Leslie Carter. Fragments of the main body were found at a depth of 1000 feet. This crater is still to this day one of the most well-preserved meteor craters in the world.