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The Ventura Pier, formerly known as the Ventura Wharf and the San Buenaventura Wharf, is a wooden pier located on the Pacific Ocean in Ventura, California. The pier has been designated as Ventura Historic Landmark No. 20. It is the oldest pier in California.
The pier was first built in 1872 and served for many years as a transportation hub and commercial wharf used to bring merchandise and lumber to the area and to export the area's agricultural products and crude oil. It has been partially destroyed by storms and waves on several occasions and by collision with the steamer ''Coos Bay'' in 1914. The pier's most recent reconstruction and renovation project was completed in 2000. From 1938 to 1995, it was the largest wooden pier on the California coast at a length of .
In its current configuration, the pier is long. It is no longer used as a commercial wharf and is instead used for fishing and as a pedestrian walkway with views of Ventura and the Channel Islands.
On May 20, 1871, two meetings of San Buenaventura citizens were held at Spear's Hall, one in the morning and a follow up in the evening, to discuss the construction of a wharf in Ventura. Articles of incorporation and bylaws were adopted for the formation of a company to undertake the project. Joseph Wolfson and his father-in-law Juan Camarillo were principal forces behind the wharf.
On May 18, 1872, the first piling was driven into the ground for the wharf. A ceremony was held at which Arcadia Camarillo, the wife of Joseph Wolfson who led the effort to build the wharf, broke a bottle of wine over the first piling.Brochure titled "The Ventura Pier ... a bridge to the past," funded by the Channel Coast Natural History Association. Copy available in the Research Library of the Museum of Ventura County. The wharf was completed nearly five months later on October 5, 1872. The ''Ventura Signal'' wrote: "At last a steamer can lay alongside of the wharf, and discharge and take on cargo and passengers. It is a grand improvement upon the old way, and duly appreciated by shippers and travelers." Robert Sudden was hired as the manager of the wharf, a position he held for more than two decades.
The wharf was built to promote the city's growth. Prior to construction of the wharf and continuing until the arrival of the railroad in 1887, ground transportation to Ventura was difficult, particularly in the rainy season when the flow of the Ventura and Santa Clara Rivers isolated the city. Accordingly, ships docking at the wharf also served as a principal means of transportation to and from Ventura.
In its early decades of operation, the pier was known as the Ventura Wharf and was used as a commercial wharf. The products shipped from the Ventura Wharf included agricultural products and eventually crude oil from the local oil fields. In its annual statement for the year ending April 30, 1898, the Ventura Wharf Company reported exports that included of bulk oil, 80,384 bags of beans (all varieties), 28,819 bags of corn, 14,721 bags of barley, 11,855 boxes of oranges, and 6,285 boxes of lemons.
During its years of operation as a wharf, the pier underwent damage on multiple occasions due to storms, shipwrecks, and fire.
In 1877 or 1878, the wharf was damaged by storms and repaired within weeks.
On June 25, 1889, the ''W. L. Hardison'', a steamer operated by oil interests which would soon become the Union Oil Company of California in Santa Paula, California, became engulfed in fire at the wharf after taking on a load of 2,000 barrels crude oil. The ship and cargo were a total loss, but the six crewmen on the ship were able to escape.
Fifteen years later, on December 19, 1914, the steamer ''Coos Bay'' was wrecked at the wharf. The ship was attempting to moor "when a strong rip tide swung her hard against the piling." The ship swung under the wharf, and "heavy swell . . . made the steamer a trip-hammer pounding against the structure from the under-side and lifting large sections of the wharf almost at every blow." The ship sunk in of water, and for two days, the ship continued to "roll with the incoming waves . . . tearing the wharf to pieces when she strikes."
On February 13, 1926, the wharf was destroyed by heavy surf during a winter storm. George Proctor, an accountant for the Ventura Wharf & Warehouse Co., was killed when he walked to the end of the wharf as the structure collapsed below him. A middle selection collapsed first, leaving Proctor stranded. The outer portion then collapsed, dropping Proctor to the water below.
Again in December 1934, heavy waves cause a partial collapse of the pier.
The pier reached its greatest length of when it was rebuilt after being damaged in a winter storm in 1937. At its maximum length, it was the longest wooden pier in California.
Like the wharf that preceded it, the pier experienced repeated damage from storms and heavy surf. Notable instances include the following:
* On November 27, 1947, the ''Coos Bay'', buried near the pier since 1914, was loosened from the sand and washed ashore, again causing damage to the pier. Hundreds of sight-seers "swarmed over the hull."
* On April 22, 1950, the pier reopened after a closure of several months following storm damage. Members of the Ventura County Boat Club dressed in costumes of Indian medicine men and performed a ritual intended to assure good fishing.
* In 1977 and 1978, the pier was again damaged in winter storms. It was closed for several months in late 1979 and early 1980 to undertake more than $163,000 in repairs, including the replacement of 35 pilings.
* In January 1983, the pier was damaged in winter storms, and the last were closed and barricaded. Thirty-one pilings and guardrails were replaced at a cost of $100,000. The pier was closed for repairs from September to December 1984.
* In 1986, the pier was again damaged in winter storms and was closed for two years. In July 1988, the pier was re-opened, though the last section of approximately remained closed.
In October 1993, the pier re-opened following a $3.5 million rehabilitation, including a new deck and the installation of a "swell-actuated sculpture" titled "Wavespout" that sprayed seawater as waves rolled by. With a deck length of , it was California's longest wooden pier. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was presided over by Mayor Greg Carson. The far end of the pier had been closed since 1986.
After heavy surf knocked out more than 20 pilings in December 1994 and January 1995, the pier was again closed. Then, on December 13, 1995, high surf from a storm sheared off approximately of the pier. With the loss of this section, the pier ceased being the longest wooden pier on the California coast. The "Wavespout" sculpture at the end of the pier was also lost in the storm.
Following the 1995 storm damage, the city opted not to rebuild the pier to it prior length. On April 1, 2000, the pier re-opened after a $2.2-million renovation that included steel-reinforced pilings and a new octagonal section at the pier's end. The current length is .
In 1976, the pier was designated as Ventura Historic Landmark No. 20.
File:View from Ventura Pier, c. 1955.jpg, View from pier, c. 1955
File:Ventura aerial.jpg, January 2010
File:Ventura Pier photography by Dmitry Rogozhin.jpg, November 2010
File:Ventura, CA, Santa Rosa Island, 2011 - panoramio.jpg, October 2011
File:Ventura Pier Ventura California 8174086858 o.jpg, November 2012
File:Ventura Pier Pigeons (17181898202).jpg, November 2012
File:Ventura Pier.jpg, March 2014
File:San Buenaventura State Beach Ventura Pier 2015-01-04.jpg, January 2015
File:20160212 183330 Ventura Pier, Ventura (Large) (Medium).jpg, February 2016
File:View of Ventura from end of Ventura Pier.jpg, April 2018
File:Ventura_Pier_Sunset_View.jpg, April 2022
Ownership and facilities
The Ventura Pier is owned and operated by the City of Ventura. The city acquired the pier in 1993 from the State of California. TheCalifornia Department of Parks and Recreation
The California Department of Parks and Recreation, more commonly known as California State Parks, manages the California state parks system. The system administers 279 separate park units on 1.4 million acres (570,000 hectares), with over 280 ...
owned the pier from 1949 to 1993. The city had previously owned the pier from 1940 to 1949. Prior to 1940, the pier was privately owned.
As of 2018, the pier is open to the public daily from 6:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. The pier features the following activities:
* Fishing from the pier deck. Species caught from the pier include jacksmelt, mackerel
Mackerel is a common name applied to a number of different species of pelagic fish, mostly from the family Scombridae. They are found in both temperate and tropical seas, mostly living along the coast or offshore in the oceanic environment.
...
, sand shark
Sand sharks, also known as sand tiger sharks, gray nurse sharks or ragged tooth sharks, are mackerel sharks of the family Odontaspididae. They are found worldwide in temperate and tropical waters. The three species are in two genera.
Descripti ...
s, perch, croaker, stingray
Stingrays are a group of sea rays, which are cartilaginous fish related to sharks. They are classified in the suborder Myliobatoidei of the order Myliobatiformes and consist of eight families: Hexatrygonidae (sixgill stingray), Plesiobatidae ( ...
s, Tom cod, halibut, and crabs. Cleaning stations are provided at locations along the pier. No fishing license is required to fish from the pier, but signs are posted on and around the cleaning stations identifying limitations on fishing activities, including size and species restrictions.
* The pier is popular for walking, jogging, and bicycling, and has views of the City of Ventura, the Channel Islands National Park (especially Anacapa and Santa Cruz Islands), Surfers Point, the Santa Barbara Channel, and the Topatopa Mountains. Evening views include sunsets over the Pacific Ocean and stargazing
Amateur astronomy is a hobby where participants enjoy observing or imaging celestial objects in the sky using the unaided eye, binoculars, or telescopes. Even though scientific research may not be their primary goal, some amateur astronomers m ...
. Interpretive panels are displayed along the pier with information on the pier's history, local marine life and birds, the Channel Islands, and the Chumash Indians. The pier is also equipped with benches and rest rooms.
* The pier has a seafood restaurant (Beach House Fish, The Deck at Eric Ericsson's Fish Co.) and a taco shack (Beach House Tacos).
* The pier is located along San Buenaventura State Beach
San Buenaventura State Beach is a beach located in Ventura, California. The primary entrance is located at 901 Pedro Street, off the 101 Freeway.
This beach consists of a pier that has a snack bar, restaurant, and bait shop. People often come ...
and the Omer Rains Coastal Bikeway. At the base of the pier on the west side, there is the Ventura Promenade Beach Playground. At the base of the pier on the east side, there is a kiosk for rental of bicycles, surrey
Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...
s, and beach equipment.
Pier Into The Future is a non-profit organization formed in 1993 to assist in preserving and maintaining the pier. The organization has established an endowment to support the pier and raises funds by selling naming opportunities and with two annual fundraising events: Pier Under the Stars and a sunset dinner in the spring.
History
Construction and purpose of the wharf
On May 20, 1871, two meetings of San Buenaventura citizens were held at Spear's Hall, one in the morning and a follow up in the evening, to discuss the construction of a wharf in Ventura. Articles of incorporation and bylaws were adopted for the formation of a company to undertake the project. Joseph Wolfson and his father-in-law Juan Camarillo were principal forces behind the wharf.
On May 18, 1872, the first piling was driven into the ground for the wharf. A ceremony was held at which Arcadia Camarillo, the wife of Joseph Wolfson who led the effort to build the wharf, broke a bottle of wine over the first piling.Brochure titled "The Ventura Pier ... a bridge to the past," funded by the Channel Coast Natural History Association. Copy available in the Research Library of the Museum of Ventura County. The wharf was completed nearly five months later on October 5, 1872. The ''Ventura Signal'' wrote: "At last a steamer can lay alongside of the wharf, and discharge and take on cargo and passengers. It is a grand improvement upon the old way, and duly appreciated by shippers and travelers." Robert Sudden was hired as the manager of the wharf, a position he held for more than two decades.
The wharf was built to promote the city's growth. Prior to construction of the wharf and continuing until the arrival of the railroad in 1887, ground transportation to Ventura was difficult, particularly in the rainy season when the flow of the Ventura and Santa Clara Rivers isolated the city. Accordingly, ships docking at the wharf also served as a principal means of transportation to and from Ventura.
In its early decades of operation, the pier was known as the Ventura Wharf and was used as a commercial wharf. The products shipped from the Ventura Wharf included agricultural products and eventually crude oil from the local oil fields. In its annual statement for the year ending April 30, 1898, the Ventura Wharf Company reported exports that included of bulk oil, 80,384 bags of beans (all varieties), 28,819 bags of corn, 14,721 bags of barley, 11,855 boxes of oranges, and 6,285 boxes of lemons.
Shipwrecks, storms, and fires
During its years of operation as a wharf, the pier underwent damage on multiple occasions due to storms, shipwrecks, and fire.
In 1877 or 1878, the wharf was damaged by storms and repaired within weeks.
On June 25, 1889, the ''W. L. Hardison'', a steamer operated by oil interests which would soon become the Union Oil Company of California in Santa Paula, California, became engulfed in fire at the wharf after taking on a load of 2,000 barrels crude oil. The ship and cargo were a total loss, but the six crewmen on the ship were able to escape.
Fifteen years later, on December 19, 1914, the steamer ''Coos Bay'' was wrecked at the wharf. The ship was attempting to moor "when a strong rip tide swung her hard against the piling." The ship swung under the wharf, and "heavy swell . . . made the steamer a trip-hammer pounding against the structure from the under-side and lifting large sections of the wharf almost at every blow." The ship sunk in of water, and for two days, the ship continued to "roll with the incoming waves . . . tearing the wharf to pieces when she strikes."
On February 13, 1926, the wharf was destroyed by heavy surf during a winter storm. George Proctor, an accountant for the Ventura Wharf & Warehouse Co., was killed when he walked to the end of the wharf as the structure collapsed below him. A middle selection collapsed first, leaving Proctor stranded. The outer portion then collapsed, dropping Proctor to the water below.
Again in December 1934, heavy waves cause a partial collapse of the pier.
The fishing pier
The pier reached its greatest length of when it was rebuilt after being damaged in a winter storm in 1937. At its maximum length, it was the longest wooden pier in California.
Like the wharf that preceded it, the pier experienced repeated damage from storms and heavy surf. Notable instances include the following:
* On November 27, 1947, the ''Coos Bay'', buried near the pier since 1914, was loosened from the sand and washed ashore, again causing damage to the pier. Hundreds of sight-seers "swarmed over the hull."
* On April 22, 1950, the pier reopened after a closure of several months following storm damage. Members of the Ventura County Boat Club dressed in costumes of Indian medicine men and performed a ritual intended to assure good fishing.
* In 1977 and 1978, the pier was again damaged in winter storms. It was closed for several months in late 1979 and early 1980 to undertake more than $163,000 in repairs, including the replacement of 35 pilings.
* In January 1983, the pier was damaged in winter storms, and the last were closed and barricaded. Thirty-one pilings and guardrails were replaced at a cost of $100,000. The pier was closed for repairs from September to December 1984.
* In 1986, the pier was again damaged in winter storms and was closed for two years. In July 1988, the pier was re-opened, though the last section of approximately remained closed.
In October 1993, the pier re-opened following a $3.5 million rehabilitation, including a new deck and the installation of a "swell-actuated sculpture" titled "Wavespout" that sprayed seawater as waves rolled by. With a deck length of , it was California's longest wooden pier. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was presided over by Mayor Greg Carson. The far end of the pier had been closed since 1986.
After heavy surf knocked out more than 20 pilings in December 1994 and January 1995, the pier was again closed. Then, on December 13, 1995, high surf from a storm sheared off approximately of the pier. With the loss of this section, the pier ceased being the longest wooden pier on the California coast. The "Wavespout" sculpture at the end of the pier was also lost in the storm.
Following the 1995 storm damage, the city opted not to rebuild the pier to it prior length. On April 1, 2000, the pier re-opened after a $2.2-million renovation that included steel-reinforced pilings and a new octagonal section at the pier's end. The current length is .
In 1976, the pier was designated as Ventura Historic Landmark No. 20.
In popular culture
The Ventura Pier is a popular filming spot and has appeared in such programs as "Melrose Place". Other references to the pier in popular culture include: * In the movie ''Little Miss Sunshine
''Little Miss Sunshine'' is a 2006 American tragicomedy road film and the feature film directorial debut of the husband–wife team of Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris. The screenplay was written by first-time writer Michael Arndt. The film sta ...
'', characters Frank (Steve Carell) and Dwayne (Paul Dano) have a heart to heart on the Ventura Pier.
* The Ventura Pier was featured in the 2014 novel, "Pier Rats" by Bruce Greif
Gallery
See also
* City of Ventura Historic Landmarks and DistrictsReferences
{{Use mdy dates, date=May 2018 Landmarks in Ventura, California Piers in California Transport infrastructure completed in 1872 1872 establishments in California