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Title supplied by cataloger. Piru is a census-designated small town situated near the base of the Piru Mountains, where Piru Creek empties into the Santa Clara River, at the upper end of the Santa Clara Valley. The Tataviam Indians originally inhabited this area, which they named for the tule reeds growing along Piru Creek. Originally pronounced "Peeroo", the accent was changed by train conductors who would shout "Pieroo" when coming into town. David Caleb Cook, a publisher of religious books from Illinois, was attracted to this area and came to this valley with the idea of establishing a "Second Garden of Eden." Cook purchased Rancho Temescal from the Del Valle family in 1887, which was a 14,000-acre portion of Rancho Camulos, and proceeded to establish his idyllic town. He planted over 900 acres of fruits identified with the Biblical garden - apricots, dates, figs, grapes, olives and pomegranates. Prior to this, entrepreneurs in the region had begun extracting oil from the ground as early as the mid 1800s. By the 1880s, almost all of the State's oil production came from this region. Cook eventually sold his property to the Piru Oil and Land Company and returned to his publishing business in Illinois. The town of Piru grew little by little, but unfortunately never became the "Second Garden of Eden" Cook had hoped for. On March 12, 1928, the St. Francis Dam broke, sending a torrent of water through the Santa Clara River Valley, causing the deaths of 400 people, many in Piru. As of the 2020 census, population was 2,063. The original address of Piru Methodist Church was listed as 227 Center Street; the current address is listed as 3875 Center Street. It is Ventura County Historical Landmark #51. Pictured Mrs. Elizabeth Warring, playing a rare 1865 pipe organ donated by Hugh Warring and installed in Piru Methodist Church in 1935. The church, at 227 E. Center Street, is a Ventura County Historical Landmark. Photograph dated July 15, 1950.; See images #00136174 through #00136175 for all photos in this series.
Type
image
Format
1 photographic print :b&w ;26 x 21 cm. Photographic prints
Piru Methodist Church (Ventura County, Calif.) Women--California--Ventura County Organists--California--Ventura County Organ (Musical instrument)--California--Ventura County Sheet music--California--Ventura County Benches--California--Ventura County Methodist church buildings--California--Ventura County Church buildings--California--Ventura County Ventura County (Calif.) Portrait photographs Valley Times Collection photographs
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