Santa Paula (CA) (Images of America)

Santa Paula was built on the foundations of citrus cultivation

and oil production. Ventura County’s first irrigated 100-acre

orange and lemon orchard was planted at Santa Paula in 1874, and the original 1888 harvest was so plentiful and delicious that the Limoneira Ranch Company was incorporated in 1893 and continues to thrive. Oil seeps brought wildcatters, and California’s first gusher came in at Santa Paula in 1888. The town’s twin notorieties through the 20th century were its designation as the “citrus capital of the world” and as the birthplace of the Union Oil Company of California (UNOCAL). Lemons and avocados remain the primary tree crops, the oil fields still produce, and the small-town character of bygone days has been preserved—Santa Paula has the largest concentration of vintage structures in the county.