In 1920 the Fillmore post office moved to the new Masonic Building on Sespe Avenue, which was a larger and more convenient space. Photo c. 1940.
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Richard Stephens "new" store with the post office, Now Estrella Market, "Stephens" is still shown in the entry way.
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1951, back to Central Ave. Picture (c) 1993.
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Today's view.
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Courtesy Fillmore Historical Museum

By Ellen Finley, 1988

Now the fourth home of the post office was the same as it is first – the west corner of Main and Central – where Turner’s rooming house had stood. Stephens soon purchased more property adjacent to the corner and announced plans to erect a new building on the same site. Completed in 1910 this building still stands today doing business as the Downtown Village Market [2020 - Estrella Market]. On the sidewalk in front of the corner entrance, the name “Stephens” still can be seen in large letters of green tile on white. The post office was in the same building as Stephens’ store, separated from the store but with a connecting door as well as a front door on Central Avenue. By 1911, the store was occupied by Cash Commercial Company operated by Charles Harthorne. Mr. Stephens remained postmaster assisted by his wife Stella and Nell Crippen Ward. A picture of the Cash Commercial Store in 1914 shows a decorative cornice on Central Avenue side with a flag flying over the post office. The cornice and flagpole remain today over a wooden insert which probably covers the former front door of the post office.

When Richard Stephens retired a postmaster after a little over sixteen years of service, Philippe P. Roche (Phil) was appointed to the position on February 25, 1915. Mr. Roche owned a jewelry store on the east side of Central, just north of Mack Wooldridge’s Orange Leaf Café (about where Ballard’s Furniture store is now [1988]). Exactly when the post office was moved to Mr. Roche’s place of business is not known. However, a picture in the Fillmore Museum, taken in 1915 shows Roche’s Jewelry Shop as the site of the post office at that time.

When Fillmore incorporated in 1914, the time seemed right for a larger, more convenient post office. When the modern elegant Masonic Temple was built in 1919, space was provided at 455 Sespe Avenue, the post office opened for business there on Monday morning, January 5, 1920. When Mr. Roche retired in the summer of 1921, T. H. Zimmerman was appointed acting postmaster, receiving the appointment of postmaster February 10, 1922.

The city of Fillmore continued to grow at a steady rate so that, eventually, the post office outgrew its home in the Masonic Building. Then in 1941, Duard Gobel, local business man, hired a local contractor, George Dipple to construct a building in the space o the west side of Central formerly occupied by the Fillmore Café and Wilson’s Furniture Store. Plans called for a one-story commercial building with two brick store-fronts and a tall panelized stucco parapet. The larger store-front of the two would be for the post office, built to the department’s own specifications; the smaller store front would be for Mr. Gobel’s jewelry store. On April 6, 1951, the post office department accepted the Gobel Building and, on Monday morning, June 4, the Fillmore Post Office opened for business as usual at the location it still occupies. Gobel’s smaller building is now occupied by Howard Jewelers. Joel K L Schwartz, postmaster at that the time of the move, announced that the same email boxes would be used temporarily in the new lobby; within a few months, a completely new set of boxes would be installed, giving the local branch a total of 485 boxes, 175 more than they then had. (The old boxes are currently at the Fillmore Museum; soon they will be placed in the renovated Bardsdale Post Office located at the rear of the Museum) [2020 - the boxes are on display in the Bardsdale Post Office at the current Museum site.]

Joel K L Schwartz is something of a legend in Fillmore history. Appointed acting postmaster on March 8. 1934, he became postmaster less than a year later February 9, 1935. He served in this capacity for over twenty-six years, retiring on May 31, 1961 as the oldest postmaster in point of service in Ventura county.

Post Script:
Ellen Finley wrote this in February, 1988, for Fillmore’s Centennial Celebration. In 1994, the building the Post Office was in received major damage and was modernized to look as it does today.

The launch date of the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clara Valley’s new virtual clubhouse will be Tuesday September 8, 2020. This site is a robust gathering of enrichment activities and programs. Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clara Valley has partnered with many different organizations and museums to provide us with video content for our youth. This web portal is free to all youth everywhere. No membership needed. There will be new content weekly from our established partners and we are also doing independent programming. There will be new virtual art lessons weekly from the Santa Paula Art Museum , storytime from Katherine at the Fillmore Library , various content from Growing Great, Children’s Workshop, SEEAg, KidSTream, Channel Islands National Park, California Oil Museum, Ventura County Agricultural Museum , Gene Haas Automation and much more. Our independent programs will feature STEM Science activities, STEM cooking with Anne, STEM Nutrition and on the spot videos about workforce development. Check us out on Sept. 8th at www.bgclubscv.org Look for us on various social media platforms!

National Preparedness Month (NPM) is recognized each September to promote family and community disaster planning now and throughout the year. As our nation continues to respond to COVID-19, there is no better time to be involved this September. The 2020 NPM theme is: “Disasters Don’t Wait. Make Your Plan Today.” For more info visit http://ow.ly/L8kh50BdO0V. Courtesy County of Ventura Facebook.

Salons, Barbershops and Malls can Reopen for Indoor Service beginning Monday, August 31st.

The State of California announced a new blueprint for reducing COVID-19 in the state with revised criteria for loosening and tightening restrictions and activities.

Learn more at: Blueprint for a Safer Economy

Learn more about County Monitoring

Salons, Barbershops and Malls are able to reopen for INDOOR services beginning Monday, August 31. These sectors must follow the state issued industry guidance. Malls are allowed to open at 25% capacity.

Cesar Pedro Villanueva, Fillmore, 21

Patrol Deputies assigned to the Fillmore Police Station arrested (S) Cesar Pedro Villanueva, after he stabbed two people inside the Dollar General store located at 1154 Ventura Street in the City of Fillmore.

On August 20th, 2020, at 2:47 PM, patrol deputies responded to the Dollar General Store to a call of a stabbing that had just occurred. When deputies arrived at the scene, they observed a male subject, later identified as Cesar Villanueva, running away from the Dollar General Store, holding a folding knife in his hand. Villanueva also matched the description of the suspect. Deputies attempted to stop Villanueva, but he was uncooperative and non-compliant with their verbal commands. Deputies were able to prevent Villanueva from fleeing and detained him.

Ventura County Sheriff Major Crimes and Fillmore Police Station Detectives responded to the scene to assist in the investigation. Detectives determined that Villanueva was inside the Dollar General Store when he confronted a delivery driver who was stocking product inside the store. Villanueva stabbed this victim in the arm with a knife. Villanueva then stabbed a second male victim in the chest and the back with the same knife. The second victim was merely shopping at the store when confronted by Villanueva.

Both victims had moderate injuries and were transported to the Ventura County Medical Center via ambulance. Both were treated for their injuries and later released.

Villanueva was arrested and charged for two felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon, and one count of resisting arrest. Evidence was recovered that directly linked Villanueva to the crime and he was positively identified as the suspect. Villanueva was booked into the Pre-Trial Detention Facility and his bail was set at $50,000.

Detectives are seeking any additional witnesses or potential video evidence of the suspect or the incident.

Ventura County Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 reward for information, which leads to the arrest and criminal complaint against the person(s) responsible for this crime. The caller may remain anonymous. The call is not recorded. Call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).

Nature of Incident: Stabbing Suspect Arrested
Report Number: 20-114668
Location: Dollar General Store, Fillmore
Date & Time: 08/20/2020 @ 2:47 PM
Unit(s) Responsible: Sheriff’s Major Crimes Bureau, Fillmore Police Patrol and Investigations
(S)uspects, (V)ictims, (P)arty, (D)ecedent, City of Residence, Age
(S) Cesar Pedro Villanueva, Fillmore, 21
Prepared by: Sergeant Albert Ramirez
Approved by: Captain Brian Slominski