Fillmore Historical Museum’s Did You Know That?
Pictured is a test board used in the Fillmore telephone office from 1920s to 1963. It was crucial in reinstating telephone service after the St. Francis Dam flood in 1928 and is now on display at the Fillmore Historical Museum. Pictured are the telephone operators, circa 1955. Photos courtesy Fillmore Historical Museum.
Pictured is a test board used in the Fillmore telephone office from 1920s to 1963. It was crucial in reinstating telephone service after the St. Francis Dam flood in 1928 and is now on display at the Fillmore Historical Museum. Pictured are the telephone operators, circa 1955. Photos courtesy Fillmore Historical Museum.
By Gazette Staff Writers — Wednesday, October 12th, 2022
The original San Cayetano School near 7th Street.
The original San Cayetano School near 7th Street.
Wire Chief Test Board.
Wire Chief Test Board.
Sam Stocker receiving award at Ventura County Fair. Mural is now in the City Council Chambers.
Sam Stocker receiving award at Ventura County Fair. Mural is now in the City Council Chambers.
Fillmores first high school circa 1914.
Fillmores first high school circa 1914.
Fillmores Main Street circa 1895.
Fillmores Main Street circa 1895.
Cactus Flat School. The boards were on loan and returned to the ranchers uncut.
Cactus Flat School. The boards were on loan and returned to the ranchers uncut.

Courtesy Fillmore Historical
Museum

Did you know that?...

Leo Carrillo (silent film star and 1950s TV actor) was a descendant of the family who originally owned the Rancho Sespe land grant.

Fillmore is named after Jerome Fillmore, Southern Pacific Superintendent, who may only have passed through the town on a special train in May of 1887.

C. C. Elkins owned 50 acres of orange groves in Florida before coming to Fillmore.

The boards of the temporary Cactus Flat school were uncut because the ranchers only loaned them for the building of the school and wrote their names on them to make sure they got them back.

The original San Cayetano School was west of Sespe Creek off 7th Street.

By 1900 Fillmore’s population was 150 people according to Rand McNally. It had grown to 13,643 a century later and to 16,419 by 2020.

Main Street was the town’s main street until it burned in 1903, then Central Avenue developed into the “main” street.

Pole Creek originally emptied into the Sespe until it was rerouted to flow into the Santa Clara.

The Fillmore Rotary club was founded in 1905.

The original (1911) Fillmore Union High School was considered to be one of the most beautiful schools in the state.

In 1911, the Ventura County Superintendent of Schools thought the new Fillmore High School was too big and there would never be enough students to fill it. Fillmore had to build a bigger school in 1924.

The first high school graduating class was in 1911 and the Alumni Association was founded in 1915 when there were 15 alumni.

City Manager Clarence Arrasmith sponsored City “Happy Hours” during the depression. These were variety shows – no alcohol.

The mural in the City Council Chamber was painted as a backdrop for the Ventura County Fair.

Fillmore was then next to last town in California to go from operator assisted calls to direct dial in the early 1960s. Avalon on Catalina Island was the last town.

The canon in front of the Memorial Building used to be fired during the May Festival.

Two large alligators washed out of animal sanctuary on the mountain on the east end of the valley near Piru in the 1969 flood.

One family has given us 3 mayors. William H. Price, 1926; his son, Lester Price, 1936; and W. H. Price’s great-grandson, Bill Dewey, 1979.

Frank Munoz was the first Hispanic mayor in 1972.

Delores Day was the first women mayor in 1977.