By David Lustig

Following on the heels of a successful freight photo train April 22, Sierra Northern Railway, Ventura Division operated a second train, this time with seven streamlined passenger cars between Fillmore and Santa Paula. The train was stopped numerous times for their company photographer to record the trip. Besides photography, the train was important for the onboard crew to continue to familiarize themselves with train handling on the many newly refurbished sections of the right-of-way. Sierra Northern Railway leases the line, which is owned by the Ventura County Transportation Commission.

The railroad is planning to bring additional rolling stock onto the property to accommodate new freight customers and eventually excursion passenger trains, as well as supplying equipment for movie, television, and commercial productions.

The Sierra Northern Railway was formed in August 2003 through the merger of two Northern California short line railroads: the Sierra Railroad Company and the Yolo Short Line Railroad. They currently operate about 100 miles of track in Northern California, and 30 miles of track in the Santa Clara River Valley in Southern California.

Movie Advertisement 1940.
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Towne Theater Interior, date unknown.
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Manual and Connie Victoria Wedding Picture, date unknown.
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Palm Theater, date unknown.
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Courtesy Fillmore Historical Museum

Going to the movies at the Towne Theatre on the east side of Central Ave. was a rare treat for young Esperanza Carrera. She could only to go the theatre in Fillmore every other week or so. She wasn’t allowed to go alone so she took her little sister as well. On one occasion she couldn’t see very well from the first place she sat, so she decided to change seats for a better view. A rope blocking the entrance to some empty seats had been pulled back. She and her sister settled in to these new seats to enjoy the show. Not long after a man with a flashlight came along and threw her out of the theatre. In those days the theatre in Fillmore was segregated and she wasn’t allowed to sit where she wanted. In her 1992 interview with Dorothy Haase, Esperanza told how scared and embarrassed she was at being treated that way.

She said, “We had our way, sitting by the wall…. and upstairs over there in the balcony. They didn't let anybody on the other side of the wall.” (In those days the balcony was divided with two low walls separating the seating areas with a space between the walls for the projection of the film. Mexicans sat on the north side with Anglos on the south side.) Others interviewed on the subject by Museum volunteers told of being required to sit up front in the first few rows, or along the sides, and at other times they were assigned to the balcony. The seating seems to have changed with the changes in management, but segregation continued.

At the time the Palm Theatre at 359 Central, the other theatre in town, showed Spanish language movies a few days a week. The Palm’s ad in the May 3, 1946, shows “Mexico Del Mis Recuerdos” and “Calaveras Del Toro” playing on Thursday and Friday.

Another time when Esperanza was on a date with her future husband, a popular movie was playing and the Towne Theatre was full. There were still a few seats on the other side of the theatre. “So, then I went over there, and I told the manager that that place was full ...” So, he said, ‘Well, you have to wait until the second part of the show.’ I said, ‘No, I can't. My mother's going to get mad....’ Well, as it is that sometimes we used to go home at 11 o'clock. And I said then that means maybe I have to get home at maybe 12 or 12:30. I said, “We can't do it mister.”

Sandy Gunderson shared the following: “This is my one of my all-time favorite stories that I've told many, many times. When my dad was in his 70s, or 80s, or young 80s, we had a birthday party and Joe Galvan came. I ended up sitting right by him on a couch and he's a storyteller. It was a post-World War II story of a young man who served his country who served in Europe, a man of Hispanic descent, Mexican descent, born here and an American citizen, and who was now coming back to Fillmore in the late 40s, or maybe 1946-47………he went to the movies, and there was a segregation policy, the Mexicans up in the balcony, couldn't sit below. But, this young man whose name, I don't remember, walked in. After having served his country, putting his life on the line, and sat on the bottom. He felt like a full citizen, didn't think he needed to sit upstairs anymore. And the people in charge weren't having it. The usher eventually told the manager, the manager said, you need to leave if you don't go sit up there. And this young man was not going to sit in the balcony. ‘No, this is my country; I could sit where I want.’ So, they managed to walk this young man out. And then the young man turned and said, ‘You know, I want my money back. If I'm not going to get to see the movie, I want my quarter.’ The manager by this time was up to here and beyond with this so…. The way Joe told it, he just opened the cashier drawer and pulled out a quarter and jammed it into this young man's hand. And this young man had the presence of mind to look at the quarter and said, ‘This isn’t the one I gave you.’ “At some point the police were called. Esperanza must have witnessed the same event and remembers that it was Earl Hume the chief of police, constable Jack Casner, and someone named Mr. Knight who came to deal with the commotion.

Manual and Connie Victoria were a well-known Fillmore couple. Manuel served in Italy during WWII, was a talented mason who built many walls around town, and ran a shoe repair shop in the Masonic Temple building. He rode bicycles, was a guide to the Sespe back country, and led hikes of the area for many locals. Connie was known for selling Avon products and being active in the community. They were a movie-star good looking couple and expert dancers. When they stepped out, they were “dressed to the nines, I mean, beautifully dressed.”

In their interview, Connie tells it this way: “Anyway, we were dressed up. I think he even had his army suit, because he was very proud of his soldier outfit. Anyway, we sat in the very front row. And right away after that, I turned around and I said Manuel ‘there's a lot of loges.’ And I already had this kind of problem in Santa Paula, when he was in the service in Italy. So, I was ready for this sort of thing. And I told him I wanted to sit in the loges. And they said ‘No, there's no room. You have to sit in front.’ And right away, my face got hot. And once my face is hot, you look out.

I asked, ‘Is it because we're Mexicans?’ And he said, ‘It's not my fault. It's just that I have orders that you cannot sit in the loges if you're Mexican.’ And Manuel said that you're going to hear about it. Because I had already done that in Santa Paula. When my husband was in Italy fighting, they would they not let us sit in the middle. We had to sit on the sides. I had backing because I belonged to two nice clubs, Latin clubs. And I told them about it. And they took me to the district attorney in Ventura. And he said, ‘You know, I wish there were more people like you. This wouldn't happen if people would say something. But no, they just let it.’ So, when the DA saw me again, back in Fillmore, he said, ‘not again. And he said I'll take care of it.’ And he most certainly did. Next day they came in and told us it was a big mistake.”

Sandy Gunderson tells that the “blowback came back on the theatre. And the theatre manager showed up at the Victoria’s front door with passes to the theatre and it was never segregated again after that.” She continues “By the time I came, I could sit wherever I wanted. Any gum sticky floor part was good enough for everybody. There was no segregation.”

The Fillmore Historical Museum invites you to send stories of your experiences at the theatre so that the history of the period can be more complete. Fillmore.museum@gmail.com

Written by Carina Monica Montoya

Who is behind the wheel of the most sought-after truck in Fillmore? His name is Jay Morrissey, more commonly known as Mister Softee. Day or night, sunny or overcast, people bolt out their doors when they hear the ice cream truck jingle, risking the high probability of becoming wedged in the doorway in a race to be the first outside to flag him down. Everyone in Fillmore has seen the truck, and most everyone has come to know Jay.

Originally from Northern New Jersey, Jay moved to Los Angeles where he lived for more than a decade. Jay’s passion is music. He’s a skilled guitarist and has been in the music business for 20 years. When his good friend Jeff Hiller from South Jersey started up Mister Softee for Southern California, he asked Jay to join him. Initially Fillmore was not on his route, only passing Fillmore via Highway 126 on his way to Ventura, but when cars began to follow him and he noticed both adults and children waving and pointing at him with big smiles, he soon realized that Fillmore should be included in his route. The rest is sweet history, as far as Fillmore goes.

The history of ice cream dates back to second century B.C. It made its appearance here in America in 1744, and its first advertisement for ice cream appeared in the New York Gazette on May 12, 1777, long before California became a state in 1850. Our ice cream jones is something we’ll never tire of or outgrow. It’s the perfect combination of elements that make our mouth water – sugar, fat, frozen water, and air. It’s that simple, but there’s more. The human brain responds to eating ice cream in much the same way it responds to any favorite thing we like, such as a favorite song or winning a big prize. Jay can attest to the happy faces that come to him, which is the main reason he loves doing what he does, being Fillmore’s Mister Softee.

Jay is fond of Fillmore. He says it’s an amazing place that epitomizes small town USA where everyone is friendly, and when it comes to ice cream, “kids are kids and adults are kids.” So next time you see Jay’s truck, give him a wave because he’ll be just as happy to see you.

WHAT: The Sierra Northern Railway, Ventura Division, headquartered in Fillmore, will be running a test passenger train over our line to Santa Paula and return. No passengers will be riding the train.

WHEN: Thursday, May 5th.

TIME: We expect to depart Fillmore between 8-8:30 a.m., arriving at Santa Paula at about 10:30 a.m. We will depart Santa Paula at about Noon and expect to arrive back at Fillmore about 2 p.m.

WHY: The purpose is for our company photographer to record the train over various parts of the route as we evaluate future excursions and movie, television, and commercial ventures.
At the throttle of the locomotive will be Matt Blackburn, Ventura Division Manager.

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About the Sierra Northern Railway - Formed in August 2003 through the merger of two Northern California short line railroads: Sierra Railroad Company and the Yolo Short line Railroad, we currently operate over 100 miles of track in Northern California. Earlier this year we began operations over an additional 30 miles of track historically known as the Santa Paula Branch Line in Southern California.

Ventura County Sheriff's Department

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office reported an attempted carjacking on Monday, May 2, where a suspect was located and captured near Fillmore following an extensive 4-hour effort that included two helicopters and two K-9s. Deputies say the incident started around 6:15am in the area of Highway 126 near the Fillmore Fish Hatchery when the 29-year-old male suspect from Fillmore attempted to steal the male victim’s truck by force. The suspect punched the victim and demanded the vehicle, but the victim refused. The suspect, who was not armed, then fled on foot into the hillsides north of the 126 and east of the city. Deputies began a search using Copter 3 and located the suspect clinging to a tree about 4-hours later. Copter 8 was called in and with the help of one of the K-9s, they took the suspect into custody around 10:15am. He was airlifted to a waiting patrol vehicle and taken to jail. The victim did not suffer any serious injuries in the battery.