Santa Paula, California
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Santa Paula ( Spanish for " St. Paula") is a city in
Ventura County, California Ventura County () is a County (United States), county located in Southern California, the southern part of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 843,843. The largest city is Oxnard, Ca ...
, United States. Situated amid the orchards of the
Santa Clara River Valley The Santa Clara River Valley is a rural, mainly agricultural valley in Ventura County, California Ventura County () is a County (United States), county located in Southern California, the southern part of the U.S. state of California. As of t ...
, the city advertises itself to tourists as the "
Citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the family Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, mandarins, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. ''Citrus'' is nativ ...
Capital of the World". Santa Paula was one of the early centers of California's petroleum industry. The Union Oil Company Building, the founding headquarters of the Union Oil Company of California in 1890, now houses the California Oil Museum. The population was 30,657 at the 2020 census, up from 29,321 at the 2010 census.


History

The area of what today is Santa Paula was inhabited by the Chumash, a Native American people, before the Spanish arrived. In 1769, the Spanish
Portola expedition Portola may refer to: * Portola (album), ''Portola'' (album), a 1998 album by Rose Melberg * Portola, California * Portola, San Francisco, California * Portola Music Festival People with the surname * Gaspar de Portolá (ca. 1717-aft.1784), Spanish ...
, first Europeans to see inland areas of California, came down the
Santa Clara River Valley The Santa Clara River Valley is a rural, mainly agricultural valley in Ventura County, California Ventura County () is a County (United States), county located in Southern California, the southern part of the U.S. state of California. As of t ...
from the previous night's encampment near Fillmore and camped in the vicinity of Santa Paula on August 12, near one of the creeks coming into the valley from the north (most likely Santa Paula Creek). Fray
Juan Crespi ''Juan'' is a given name, the Spanish and Manx versions of ''John''. The name is of Hebrew origin and has the meaning "God has been gracious." It is very common in Spain and in other Spanish-speaking countries around the world and in the Philipp ...
, a
Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...
missionary traveling with the expedition, had previously named the valley ''Cañada de Santa Clara''. He noted that the party traveled about that day and camped near a large native village, which he named ''San Pedro Amoliano''. The site of the expedition's arrival has been designated California Historical Landmark No. 727.Registered on February 5, 1960, at Harding Park, Santa Paula Boys and Girls Club Recreation Center, 1400 block of East Harvard Blvd Coordinates of plaque Franciscan missionaries, led by Father Junipero Serra, became active in the area after the founding of the San Buenaventura Mission and established an Asistencia; the town takes its name from the Catholic Saint Paula. Santa Paula is located on the 1843 Rancho Santa Paula y Saticoy Mexican land grant. In 1872 Nathan Weston Blanchard purchased and laid out the townsite. Considered the founder of the community, he planted seedling orange trees in 1874. Several small oil companies owned by Wallace Hardison, Lyman Stewart and Thomas R. Bard were combined and became the Union Oil Company in 1890. Santa Paula was incorporated in April 1902. The first mayor was Lewis Arthur Hardison. In April 1911,
Gaston Méliès Gaston Méliès (; February 12, 1852 – April 9, 1915) was a French film director who worked primarily in the United States. He was the brother of the film director Georges Méliès. Biography Gaston and the third and elder Méliès brother, ...
moved his Star Film Company from
San Antonio, Texas San Antonio ( ; Spanish for "Anthony of Padua, Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the List of Texas metropolitan areas, third-largest metropolitan area in Texa ...
to a site just north of Santa Paula. The large South Mountain Oil Field southeast of town, just across the Santa Clara River, was discovered by the Oak Ridge Oil Company in 1916, and developed methodically through the 1920s, bringing further economic diversification and growth to the area. While the field peaked in production in the 1950s,
Occidental Petroleum Occidental Petroleum Corporation (often abbreviated Oxy in reference to its ticker symbol and logo) is an American company engaged in hydrocarbon exploration in the United States and the Middle East as well as petrochemical manufacturing in the ...
continues to extract oil through its Vintage Production subsidiary and remains a significant local employer. A major expansion began in 2016 when construction started on a
master-planned community A planned community, planned city, planned town, or planned settlement is any community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed on previously undeveloped land. This contrasts with settlements that evolve ...
of 1,500 homes.


Disasters

The town has been devastated by floods, fires, and was once affected by a nearby truck explosion that resulted in an industrial disaster.


Floods


The Great Flood of 1862

The Great Flood of 1862 began on December 24, 1861, when it rained for almost four weeks, reaching a total of at
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
.


St. Francis Dam Disaster

The failure and near complete collapse of the St. Francis Dam took place in the middle of the night on March 12, 1928. The dam was holding a full reservoir of 12.4 billion gallons (47 billion liters) of water that surged down San Francisquito Canyon and emptied into the Santa Clara River. The town was first hit by the waters at approximately 3:00 a.m. Though hundreds of homes and structures were destroyed, the loss of life would have been greater if it were not for two motorcycle police officers that noisily warned as many people as possible. A sculpture called "The Watchers" in downtown Santa Paula depicts this act of heroism.


Wildfires


Thomas Fire

In December 2017, the Thomas Fire broke out nearby. While it was the largest wildfire in modern California history at the time, the Santa Ana winds drove the fire toward Ventura and Santa Barbara. Over a thousand structures were destroyed which included a few out buildings just outside the city. It was finally confirmed to be fully contained in January 2018, and a reported 281,893 acres (440 sq mi; 114,078 ha) had burned. One firefighter and one civilian were the only fatalities directly caused by the fire. The cost of the fire rose to be an estimated $297 million.


Maria Fire

On October 31, 2019, the Maria Fire was reported burning at the top of South Mountain between Santa Paula and Somis and expanded throughout that evening. Heavily influenced by winds within the canyons, the fire became a full scale conflagration, growing from inside an hour, to over after several hours. The fire worked its way north towards Santa Paula where the topography of the
Santa Clara River Valley The Santa Clara River Valley is a rural, mainly agricultural valley in Ventura County, California Ventura County () is a County (United States), county located in Southern California, the southern part of the U.S. state of California. As of t ...
which can serve as a funnel for Santa Ana winds. Mandatory evacuations were ordered for a wide swath of over 1,800 homes surrounding the fire area, affecting over 7,500 residences.


Santa Clara Waste Water plant industrial disaster

A vacuum truck exploded at the Santa Clara Waste Water plant in the early morning hours of November 18, 2014. Two workers were injured in the initial explosion, three responding fire-fighters were injured by the fumes from the spill of a highly volatile chemical mixture, and 50 others were exposed to fumes and required treatment at local hospitals. The driver was transporting waste from a temporary storage drum to a processing center when he stopped to take a meal break. The rear of the truck exploded, spreading a white liquid over a that spontaneously combusted as it dried and was sensitive to shock, pressure and the application of water or oxygen. The tires of the first fire truck on the scene and the boots of three firefighters sparked small explosions when they drove and walked over the substance as they went to help the injured workers. The incident evolved into a disaster when later in the morning additional materials began to burn and explode, which resulted in a and the closing of Highway 126. Chemical smoke drifted over the area and nearby residents and businesses were required to evacuate.


Cause

About of a chemical mixture consisted of some sort of
organic peroxide In organic chemistry, organic peroxides are organic compounds containing the peroxide functional group (). If the R′ is hydrogen, the compounds are called hydroperoxides, which are discussed in that article. The O−O bond of peroxides easily b ...
. Three weeks after the incident, the substance was still highly susceptible to friction and seemed to react to something as slight as wind.Wilson, Kathleen (December 5, 2014
"Cleanup of spill slow as county shuts plant indefinitely"
''
Ventura County Star The ''Ventura County Star'' (Marked online as VC Star) is a daily newspaper published in Camarillo, California and serves all of Ventura County. It is owned by Gannett, the largest publisher of newspapers in the United States. It is a successor t ...
''
Sodium chlorite was identified in an internal investigation by the firm in the months following the disaster. They claimed that the chemical was being using as a water treatment agent for the first time and was stored in the same type of storage container as wastewater. The worker combined the chemical with wastewater in the vacuum truck where the chemical interacting with
organic material Organic matter, organic material or natural organic matter is the large source of carbon-based compounds found within natural and engineered, terrestrial, and aquatic environments. It is matter composed of organic compounds that have come fro ...
caused an explosion that blew off the back of the truck. A former county district attorney, retained by a company attorney, issued a report in March 2015 that provided an explanation of events indicating that the worker may have accidentally combined the chemicals.Wilson, Kathleen (February 9, 2015
"Chemical that triggered Santa Paula blast identified"
''
Ventura County Star The ''Ventura County Star'' (Marked online as VC Star) is a daily newspaper published in Camarillo, California and serves all of Ventura County. It is owned by Gannett, the largest publisher of newspapers in the United States. It is a successor t ...
''
Later, investigators found that an inspection by a
Defense Logistics Agency The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) is a combat support agency in the United States Department of Defense, United States Department of Defense (DoD). The agency is staffed by more than 26,000 civilian and military personnel throughout the world. ...
contractor was scheduled for that morning and officials of the firm had directed the transfer of these hazardous materials to another location.


Aftermath

Although the explosion and resulting fumes caused injuries including the lungs of three fire-fighters who remained off-duty indefinitely, the material scattered around the site was found to be non-hazardous for clean-up purposes.Wilson, Kathleen (December 16, 2014
"Crops cleared but farm losses from blast estimated at $1 million"
''
Ventura County Star The ''Ventura County Star'' (Marked online as VC Star) is a daily newspaper published in Camarillo, California and serves all of Ventura County. It is owned by Gannett, the largest publisher of newspapers in the United States. It is a successor t ...
''
The two fire engines that arrived first were scrapped. A local emergency was declared that lasted for three months.Wilson, Kathleen (February 10, 2015
"County calls off emergency declaration triggered by plant explosion"
''
Ventura County Star The ''Ventura County Star'' (Marked online as VC Star) is a daily newspaper published in Camarillo, California and serves all of Ventura County. It is owned by Gannett, the largest publisher of newspapers in the United States. It is a successor t ...
''
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency oversaw the decontamination of the site. The material was neutralized and solidified on site and taken to a landfill. On August 7, 2015, a Ventura County grand jury indicted the Santa Clara Waste Water Co., the affiliated Green Compass and nine company executives and managers. Following the indictment, the
district attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, county prosecutor, state attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or solicitor is the chief prosecutor or chief law enforcement officer represen ...
had the nine defendants arrested on suspicion of several felonies and misdemeanors, including filing a false or forged instrument, dissuading a witness from reporting a crime, known failure to warn of serious concealed danger, withholding information regarding a substantial danger to public safety, conspiracy to commit a crime, causing impairment of an employee's body, and disposal of hazardous waste. The individuals pleaded guilty. The two corporate entities reached an agreement in June 2019 after they had already paid about $800,000 in restitution.


Geography

The city of Santa Paula, according to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, has a total area of , of it land and of it (2.41%) water. Santa Paula is located in the
Santa Clara River Valley The Santa Clara River Valley is a rural, mainly agricultural valley in Ventura County, California Ventura County () is a County (United States), county located in Southern California, the southern part of the U.S. state of California. As of t ...
on the north bank of the Santa Clara River and is surrounded by fruit orchards. The downtown area is centered around Main Street, which is home to the oldest homes in the city. Homes are often bungalows, cottages, Victorian-style houses and craftsman homes.McCormack, Don (1999). ''McCormack's Guides Santa Barbara and Ventura 2000''. Mccormacks Guides. Page 116. .


Climate

Santa Paula has a
warm-summer mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...
( Csb) typical of the coastal
Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...
with warm summers and cool winters.


Ecology

Bears Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family Ursidae (). They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout most o ...
can come down out of the hills and roam in neighboring agricultural areas and occasionally come into residential neighborhoods. Mountain lions have periodically been spotted in residents' backyards.


Demographics


2020

The 2020 United States census reported that Santa Paula had a population of 30,657. The population density was . The racial makeup of Santa Paula was 32.1%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 0.4%
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 2.7% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.1%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 42.4% from other races, and 21.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 81.7% of the population. The census reported that 99.6% of the population lived in households, 0.1% lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0.3% were institutionalized. There were 8,917 households, out of which 44.3% included children under the age of 18, 53.8% were married-couple households, 6.5% were cohabiting couple households, 25.1% had a female householder with no partner present, and 14.6% had a male householder with no partner present. 16.0% of households were one person, and 9.7% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 3.43. There were 7,046
families Family (from ) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictability, structure, and safety as ...
(79.0% of all households). The age distribution was 26.4% under the age of 18, 9.9% aged 18 to 24, 26.6% aged 25 to 44, 23.1% aged 45 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65years of age or older. The median age was 35.0years. For every 100 females, there were 99.4 males. There were 9,187 housing units at an average density of , of which 8,917 (97.1%) were occupied. Of these, 53.9% were owner-occupied, and 46.1% were occupied by renters. In 2023, the US Census Bureau estimated that the median household income was $77,130, and the
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
was $30,453. About 12.2% of families and 15.3% of the population were below the poverty line.


2010

The 2010 United States Census reported that Santa Paula had a population of 29,321. The population density was . The racial makeup of Santa Paula was 18,458 (63.0%)
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 152 (0.5%)
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 460 (1.6%) Native American, 216 (0.7%) Asian, 24 (0.1%)
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 8,924 (30.4%) from other races, and 1,087 (3.7%) from two or more races.
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 23,299 persons (79.5%). The Census reported that 29,188 people (99.5% of the population) lived in households, 44 (0.2%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 89 (0.3%) were institutionalized. There were 8,347 households, out of which 4,087 (49.0%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 4,767 (57.1%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 1,267 (15.2%) had a female householder with no husband present, 650 (7.8%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 540 (6.5%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 45 (0.5%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 1,331 households (15.9%) were made up of individuals, and 678 (8.1%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.50. There were 6,684
families Family (from ) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictability, structure, and safety as ...
(80.1% of all households); the average family size was 3.85. The population was spread out, with 8,722 people (29.7%) under the age of 18, 3,295 people (11.2%) aged 18 to 24, 8,012 people (27.3%) aged 25 to 44, 6,193 people (21.1%) aged 45 to 64, and 3,099 people (10.6%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.5 males. There were 8,749 housing units at an average density of , of which 4,694 (56.2%) were owner-occupied, and 3,653 (43.8%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.0%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.1%. 15,528 people (53.0% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 13,660 people (46.6%) lived in rental housing units.


Economy

While agriculture is the most important industry in Santa Paula today, the city experienced an economic boom after oil was discovered in 1880. The economy is primarily agriculturally based, originally focusing on the growing of oranges and lemons. Santa Paula's mediterranean climate combined with an estimated of topsoil have made it a prime location for growing citrus.
Avocado The avocado, alligator pear or avocado pear (''Persea americana'') is an evergreen tree in the laurel family (Lauraceae). It is native to Americas, the Americas and was first domesticated in Mesoamerica more than 5,000 years ago. It was priz ...
has also become a major crop and an avocado was added to the city's official seal. Calavo Growers, Inc. is headquartered here. Santa Paula has very few large retail stores but residents often travel to neighboring cities to purchase hard goods. The Main Street area consists mostly of clothing shops, specialty shops, novelty shops, dollar stores, restaurants, service-oriented businesses and office space. The city also has neighborhood stores and small grocery markets. Many of these small shops and markets have a distinct Latin-American flavor, often selling a myriad of imported items. In addition some markets also have a meat department which sells a variety of beef, poultry, and seafood. A on the eastern edge of Santa Paula was approved in 2015. This residential and commercial development by Limoneira was known as "East Area One" for the purpose of approval. Officials and residents were hoping this major expansion of the city would create new jobs and increase tax revenue for the cash-strapped city. (subscription may be required for this article) When the project was first proposed in 1997, concerns were raised that Limoneira was beginning to develop their extensive holdings of prime farmland. Company officials claimed that 83% of the Teague-McKevett parcel was either unsuitable for agriculture or had a low value because of poor soil and drainage. Goonhilly Earth Station operates an
Earth station A ground station, Earth station, or Earth terminal is a terrestrial radio station designed for extraplanetary telecommunication with spacecraft (constituting part of the ground segment of the spacecraft system), or reception of radio waves fro ...
in Santa Paula. Prior to 2023, the Earth Station was operated by COMSAT.


Tourism

The Santa Clara Valley represents one of the best preserved examples of a mature Southern California landscape of citrus groves. Tourists find a town with a main street reminiscent of Middle America in an agricultural setting preserved through Ventura County's greenbelt agreements. The California Oil Museum, within the historic Union Oil building, is located downtown, as are the Santa Paula Art Museum and Museum of Ventura County Agriculture Museum. The Santa Paula Mural Project has completed numerous murals depicting the city's history. The monogram "SP" on South Mountain above the city is visible from around town and along Highway 126. Students from Santa Paula High School first etched the letters into the hills in December 1922.


Government

The city changed from an at-large city council election to a district system on 2023 under the threat of a lawsuit under the California Voting Rights Act. The mayor's seat, which rotates among them, did not change.


Education

Historically, education was provided by the Santa Paula Elementary School District and the Santa Paula Union High School District. In 2013, the two bodies were merged to form the Santa Paula Unified School District. Many schools in Santa Paula, largely serving students from low-income families, are scoring low in state-administered tests, below the 30th percentile in statewide comparisons.


Santa Paula Unified School District

Elementary schools *Barbara Webster Elementary * Thelma Bedell Elementary * Blanchard Elementary * Glen City Elementary * McKevett Elementary * Grace Thille Elementary Middle school * Isbell Middle School High schools * Renaissance High School * Santa Paula High School


College

Thomas Aquinas College, outside city limits


Briggs School District

* Olivelands School (elementary) * Briggs School (middle)


Mupu School District

* Mupu School (elementary)


Private schools

* St. Sebastian School (K-8) * Westside Baptist Preschool


Infrastructure

The Santa Paula Water Recycling Facility was built in 2010 for $63 million to treat the city
sewage Sewage (or domestic sewage, domestic wastewater, municipal wastewater) is a type of wastewater that is produced by a community of people. It is typically transported through a sewerage, sewer system. Sewage consists of wastewater discharged fro ...
. Santa Paula Water, a partnership of two corporations, financed, built and operated the facility under the agreement with the city. The city purchased the facility for $70.8 million in 2015 to take control and end a dispute over the failure of the plant to sufficiently remove chlorides. Although the new plant used modern treatment methods, the treated wastewater contained contaminants called
chloride The term chloride refers to a compound or molecule that contains either a chlorine anion (), which is a negatively charged chlorine atom, or a non-charged chlorine atom covalently bonded to the rest of the molecule by a single bond (). The pr ...
s that must be removed under state law before being discharged into the Santa Clara River.


Fire department

The Santa Paula Fire Department provided
fire protection Fire protection is the study and practice of mitigating the unwanted effects of potentially Conflagration, destructive fires. It involves the study of the behaviour, Compartmentalization (fire protection), compartmentalisation, suppression and inve ...
and
emergency medical services Emergency medical services (EMS), also known as ambulance services, pre-hospital care or paramedic services, are emergency services that provide urgent pre-hospital treatment and stabilisation for serious illness and injuries and transport to d ...
at the
basic life support Basic life support (BLS) is a level of medical care which is used for patients with life-threatening condition of cardiac arrest until they can be given full medical care by advanced life support providers (paramedics, nurses, physicians or any ...
level (BLS) from two fire stations. American Medical Response (AMR) is the paramedic ambulance provider for the city. On July 8, 2018, The Santa Paula Fire Department was disbanded after serving Santa Paula for 115 years. The Ventura County Fire Department now provides fire protection services for the City of Santa Paula. Both fire stations used by Santa Paula Fire were transferred to Ventura County Fire.


Law enforcement

The Santa Paula Police Department provides
law enforcement Law enforcement is the activity of some members of the government or other social institutions who act in an organized manner to enforce the law by investigating, deterring, rehabilitating, or punishing people who violate the rules and norms gove ...
services for the city. The overall crime rate is low.


Notable people

*
Gaston Méliès Gaston Méliès (; February 12, 1852 – April 9, 1915) was a French film director who worked primarily in the United States. He was the brother of the film director Georges Méliès. Biography Gaston and the third and elder Méliès brother, ...
(b. 1852): Brother to
Georges Méliès Marie-Georges-Jean Méliès ( , ; 8 December 1861 – 21 January 1938) was a French magic (illusion), magician, toymaker, actor, and filmmaker. He led many technical and narrative developments in the early days of film, cinema, primarily in th ...
; he set up the American branch of their Star Film Company in Santa Paula, filming many movies in the area. * Jim Colborn (b. 1946): former
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...
and pitching coach; he was a 20-game winner in 1973. * Laura Diaz: (b. 1958): newscaster, most notably with
KABC-TV KABC-TV (channel 7) is a television station in Los Angeles, California, United States, serving as the West Coast flagship station of the ABC network. Owned and operated by the network's ABC Owned Television Stations division, the station mai ...
from 1983 to 2002,
KCBS-TV KCBS-TV (channel 2), branded CBS Los Angeles, is a television station in Los Angeles, California, United States, serving as the West Coast of the United States, West Coast flagship station of the CBS network. It is owned and operated by the n ...
from 2002 to 2011, and KTTV-TV from 2012–Present. *
Dana Elcar Ibsen Dana Elcar (October 10, 1927 – June 6, 2005) was an American television and film character actor. He appeared in about 40 films as well as in the 1960s television series ''Dark Shadows'' as Sheriff George Patterson and the 1980s and 1 ...
: actor, played Pete Thornton in the ''
MacGyver Angus "Mac" MacGyver is the title character and the protagonist in the TV series ''MacGyver''. He is played by Richard Dean Anderson in the MacGyver (1985 TV series), 1985 original series. Lucas Till portrays a younger version of MacGyver in Mac ...
'' television series from 1985 to 1992 and was featured in many films including ''
The Sting ''The Sting'' is a 1973 American caper film. Set in 1936, it involves a complicated plot by two professional grifters (Paul Newman and Robert Redford) to con a mob boss ( Robert Shaw). The film was directed by George Roy Hill, who had dir ...
''; spent later years at his home on Laurel Road in Santa Paula. * Nola Fairbanks: born Nola Jo Modine, had a notable singing career on Broadway. * Eric Fleming: actor, star of '' Rawhide''; born as Edward Heddy, Jr., July 4, 1925. * Danny Flores: musician, a.k.a. Chuck Rio, wrote and played sax on the 1958 song “Tequila”, winner of best R&B song at the 1st Annual Grammy Awards; he became known as the "Godfather of Latino Rock ‘n’ Roll" * Grupo Bryndis: internationally known Mexican musical group. Formed by their leader and songwriter Mauro Posadas in 1983, they won a
Latin Grammy Award The Latin Grammy Awards (stylized as Latin GRAMMYs) are awards presented by the Latin Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the Latin music industry. The Latin Grammy honors works recorded in Spanish or Portuguese from any ...
for best album in 2007. * Joi Lansing: Actress and pin up model is buried there. * William Lucking: actor, played Piney on
Sons of Anarchy ''Sons of Anarchy'' is an American Action film, action crime drama television series created by Kurt Sutter for FX (TV channel), FX. Originally aired from September 3, 2008, to December 9, 2014, ''Sons of Anarchy'' follows the lives of a close-k ...
; spent much of his early career as a resident, raising two daughters and serving on the school board. *
Steve McQueen Terrence Stephen McQueen (March 24, 1930November 7, 1980) was an American actor. His antihero persona, emphasized during the height of counterculture of the 1960s, 1960s counterculture, made him a top box office draw for his films of the late ...
(1930–1980): actor, spent the last two years of his life (1979–1980) in Santa Paula, often flying his biplane from the Santa Paula Airport; he and his soon-to-be wife Barbara lived in his hangar at the airport until they moved into a home on South Mountain Road just outside town. * Randy Mendoza (b. 1996): soccer player * Charles M. Teague (1909–1974): U.S. Representative from California, born in Santa Paula and buried in the local cemetery. He served as director of McKevett Corp. and Teague-McKevett Co.


In popular culture

The city has been featured in Hollywood media on numerous occasions. Some examples include:


Commercials

Various commercials, including a Super Bowl Budweiser commercial, (The Human Bridge) have been filmed in downtown Santa Paula.


Movies

Santa Paula was the early film capital of California.
Gaston Méliès Gaston Méliès (; February 12, 1852 – April 9, 1915) was a French film director who worked primarily in the United States. He was the brother of the film director Georges Méliès. Biography Gaston and the third and elder Méliès brother, ...
brought his Star Film Company to the city in 1911, filming movies such as ''The Ghost of Sulphur Mountain''. Parts of the movie '' Disorganized Crime'' (1989), starring
Fred Gwynne Frederick Hubbard Gwynne (July 10, 1926 – July 2, 1993) was an American actor, artist and author, who is widely known for his roles in the 1960s television sitcoms '' Car 54, Where Are You?'' (as Francis Muldoon) and '' The Munsters'' (as Herm ...
, was filmed downtown on Main Street. Main Street and other locations featured prominently in the 1990 Winona Ryder film ''
Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael ''Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael'' is a 1990 American comedy drama film that was directed by Jim Abrahams and written by Karen Leigh Hopkins. It stars Winona Ryder and Jeff Daniels. Plot Dinky Bossetti is a 15-year-old girl who was adopted as a ...
''. And other films such as “
Pee-wee's Big Holiday ''Pee-wee's Big Holiday'' is a 2016 American adventure comedy film directed by John Lee and written by Paul Reubens and Paul Rust. The film stars Reubens as Pee-wee Herman and Joe Manganiello as himself. It is the second standalone sequel to ' ...
”. ''
Chaplin Chaplin may refer to: People * Charlie Chaplin (1889–1977), English comedy film actor and director * Chaplin (name), other people named Chaplin Films * ''Unknown Chaplin'' (1983) * Chaplin (film), ''Chaplin'' (film) (1992) * Chaplin (2011 fi ...
'' (1992) filmed throughout the surrounding area and held a casting call in town for background actors. Santa Paula also served as one of the locations for the motion picture '' Mr. Woodcock'' (2007), starring
Billy Bob Thornton Billy Bob Thornton (born August 4, 1955) is an American actor, filmmaker, singer and songwriter. He received international attention after writing, directing and starring in the independent film, independent Drama (film and television), drama f ...
. A good portion of ''
Joe Dirt ''Joe Dirt'' is a 2001 American adventure comedy film, directed by Dennie Gordon (in her feature film directorial debut), starring David Spade, Dennis Miller, Christopher Walken, Adam Beach, Brian Thompson, Brittany Daniel, Jaime Pressly ...
'' (2001) starring David Spade was filmed downtown as well as at the popular restaurant Mary B's. The
Lindsay Lohan Lindsay Dee Lohan ( ; born July 2, 1986) is an American actress, singer, producer, and businesswoman. Born in New York City and raised on Long Island, Lohan was signed to Ford Models at age three. She appeared as a regular on the soap opera ' ...
movie '' Georgia Rule'' (2007) was filmed in Santa Paula. The majority of the 1997 film ''
Leave It to Beaver ''Leave It to Beaver'' is an American television sitcom that follows the misadventures of a suburban boy, his family and his friends. It starred Barbara Billingsley, Hugh Beaumont, Tony Dow and Jerry Mathers. CBS first broadcast the show ...
'' was filmed in Santa Paula, with many Santa Paula residents being cast in minor character roles and as extras. The famous scene of Beaver trapped in the giant coffee cup had Main Street blocked off for almost a week while filming continued. Parts of the
Brian De Palma Brian Russell De Palma (; born September 11, 1940) is an Americans, American film director and screenwriter. With a career spanning over 50 years, he is best known for work in the suspense, Crime film, crime, and psychological thriller genres. ...
movie '' Carrie'' (1976), starring
Sissy Spacek Mary Elizabeth "Sissy" Spacek (; born December 25, 1949) is an American actress and singer. She has received List of awards and nominations received by Sissy Spacek, numerous accolades throughout her career spanning over five decades, including ...
, were filmed in Santa Paula. Other movies that were filmed partially in Santa Paula include '' The Philadelphia Experiment'' (1984), the ''
Chinatown Chinatown ( zh, t=唐人街) is the catch-all name for an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, Asia, Africa, O ...
'' sequel '' The Two Jakes'' (1990), the
Martin Short Martin Hayter Short (born March 26, 1950) is a Canadian and American comedian, actor, and writer. Short is known as an energetic comedian who gained prominence for his roles in sketch comedy. He has also acted in numerous films and television ...
/
Danny Glover Danny Glover ( ; born July 22, 1946) is an American actor, producer, and political activist. Over his career he has received List of awards and nominations received by Danny Glover, numerous accolades including the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian A ...
buddy comedy '' Pure Luck'' (1991), '' For Love of the Game'' (1999), '' Bubble Boy'' (2001), starring Jake Gyllenhaal, and '' Bedtime Stories'' (2008) starring
Adam Sandler Adam Richard Sandler (born September 9, 1966) is an American actor, comedian, producer and screenwriter. Primarily a comedic leading actor in films, List of awards and nominations received by Adam Sandler, his accolades include an Independent Sp ...
. The James M. Sharp House is an historical Italian villa-style house built in 1890. It is located on West Telegraph Road, just outside Santa Paula, and has been the setting for several movies, including '' Amityville 4'' (1989), ''The Black Gate'' (1995), and ''
How to Make an American Quilt ''How to Make an American Quilt'' is a 1995 American drama film based on the 1991 novel of the same name by Whitney Otto. Directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse, the film features Winona Ryder, Anne Bancroft, Ellen Burstyn, Kate Nelligan and Alfr ...
'' (1995).


Music videos

The music video for “To Die For” by Sam Smith was shot entirely in the town.
Dennis DeYoung Dennis DeYoung (born February 18, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter and keyboardist. He was a founding member of the rock band Styx and served as its primary lead vocalist and keyboardist from 1972 until 1999. DeYoung was the band's most ...
, former lead singer of the popular 1970s and 1980s rock group
Styx In Greek mythology, Styx (; ; lit. "Shuddering"), also called the River Styx, is a goddess and one of the rivers of the Greek Underworld. Her parents were the Titans Oceanus and Tethys, and she was the wife of the Titan Pallas and the moth ...
, filmed the music video for Desert Moon, also the title of his first solo album, at the train depot in 1984. The music video for the 2001 song “Video” by American R&B artist
India Arie India Arie Simpson (born October 3, 1975) is an American singer and songwriter. She rose to prominence with her debut album, '' Acoustic Soul (2001),'' which was a commercial and critical success. She has since released the albums '' Voyage to ...
was filmed in and around Santa Paula and its surrounding citrus groves. This was India Arie's debut song and video from her
Acoustic Soul ''Acoustic Soul'' is the debut studio album by American singer India Arie. It was released on March 27, 2001, by Motown. The album received seven nominations at the 44th Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year and Best R&B Album. ''Acoustic ...
album.


Television

Parts of the 1976 season 3 episode of ''
The Rockford Files ''The Rockford Files'' is an American detective drama television series starring James Garner, aired on NBC from September 13, 1974, to January 10, 1980. Garner portrays Los Angeles private investigator Jim Rockford, with Noah Beery Jr. in th ...
'' "Coulter City Wildcat", were filmed in Santa Paula. On the television drama ''
The West Wing ''The West Wing'' is an American political drama television series created by Aaron Sorkin that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1999, to May 14, 2006. The series is set primarily in the West Wing of the White House, where t ...
'', Santa Paula is the hometown of fictional presidential candidate
Arnold Vinick Arnold Vinick is a fictional character from the television series ''The West Wing (television), The West Wing'' played by Alan Alda. The role earned Alda a Primetime Emmy Award for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama ...
(
Alan Alda Alan Alda (; born Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo; January 28, 1936) is an American actor. A six-time Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner and a three-time Tony Award nominee, he is best known for playing Captain Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pier ...
). In early 2005, Santa Paula Mayor Mary Ann Krause began a lobbying campaign to have Santa Paula declared Vinick's hometown. In a publicity move for the town, city officials officially "claim dSenator Arnold Vinick as a resident of Santa Paula," in April 2005, and opened an official campaign headquarters for the fictional Republican
Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...
in the town's train depot.
Santa Paula for Vinick
On October 14, 2005,
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
released Vinick's official
biography A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or curri ...
and revealed Santa Paula as the town in which he was raised. Santa Paula served as the backdrop for the fictional Charterville in the 1996–98 TV series '' Big Bad Beetleborgs''. An episode of the television series '' Matlock'' was filmed on Santa Paula St. After a 1994 fire destroyed their sets in nearby Fillmore, the TV series ''
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles ''The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles'' (sometimes referred to as ''Young Indy'') is an American television series that aired on ABC from March 4, 1992, to July 24, 1993. Filming took place in various locations around the world, with "Old Indy" ...
'' filmed in various locations, including Santa Paula's Ebell Mansion. The Santa Paula Train Depot has been a location for various productions, including for the miniseries '' The Thorn Birds'' (1983), starring Richard Chamberlain and in the season 3 finale of ''
Glee Glee may refer to: * Glee (music), a type of English choral music * ''Glee'' (TV series), an American musical comedy-drama TV series, and related media created by Ryan Murphy * ''Glee'' (Bran Van 3000 album) * ''Glee'' (Logan Lynn album) * Gle ...
'' (2012). Scenes for the third season of
Mayans M.C. ''Mayans M.C.'' (also known simply as ''Mayans'') is an American crime drama television series created by Kurt Sutter and Elgin James, that premiered on September 4, 2018, on FX. The show takes place in the same fictional universe as ''Sons o ...
were shot on Main Street in October 2020 and February 2021.Wenner, Gretchen (February 5, 2021
"Santa Paula dresses up again for 'Mayans M.C.' shoot"
''
Ventura County Star The ''Ventura County Star'' (Marked online as VC Star) is a daily newspaper published in Camarillo, California and serves all of Ventura County. It is owned by Gannett, the largest publisher of newspapers in the United States. It is a successor t ...
''


See also

* Glen Tavern Inn * Santa Paula Airport * Santa Paula Freeway * Santa Paula Hospital * Historical Sycamore Tree * Thomas Fire


Notes


References


Further reading

*''Santa Paula'' ( Images of America), by Mary Alice Orcutt Henderson. 2006, Arcadia.


External links


Official website


{{authority control Cities in Ventura County, California Incorporated cities and towns in California Santa Clara River (California) 2014 industrial disasters 1872 establishments in California Populated places established in 1872