Saticoy (; Chumash: Sa'aqtik'oy)Chumash Place Names is an unincorporated community in Ventura County, California, United States. The site of one of the largest settlements of the Chumash region, a settlement was laid out in 1887 along the railroad line that was being built from Los Angeles through the Santa Clara River Valley to the town of San Buenaventura. Although the town was distant at that time, the City of Ventura grew to a point where only a small residential and commercial community is left outside the city limits."TOWN OF SATICOY" 3 MR 20. Ventura County Recorder Surveyed Sep. 1887, Recorded May 1, 1889. Retrieved October 28, 2013 from CountyView GIS: layer "Record Maps" For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined that community as a census-designated place (CDP). As of the 2020 census, Saticoy had a population of 1,133.
The commercial district known as Old Town Saticoy is surrounded by a residential neighborhood. Two historic buildings attest to the important role Saticoy once held in the local agricultural economy: Walnut Growers Association Warehouse, and Saticoy (Lima) Bean Warehouse.City of Ventura "Saticoy and Wells Community Plan and Code Final Environmental Impact Report" EIR-2473 SCH# 2006081139. VOLUME 1, August 2009
Close to the Santa Clara River is a sizable industrial area located on both sides of Los Angeles Avenue.Martinez, Arlene (March 6, 2014) "Saticoy's future takes a step forward — on paper anyway" Ventura County Star The historic building that formerly housed the Farmers & Merchants Bank of Santa Paula, Saticoy Branch, stands at a quiet intersection that used to be at the center of a vibrant community. The historic setting, stable residential population, railroad, and access to major highways make this agricultural community unique in Ventura County.Staff Report (March 6, 2014) "Planning Commission Workshop on the Saticoy Area Plan" County of Ventura, Resource Management Agency, Planning Division Name The name comes from the Spanish rendering of the Ventureño Chumash village named Sa'aqtik'oy, meaning "it is sheltered from the wind".
History The earliest known human inhabitants of the vicinity were the Oak Grove People. Some ancient mealing stones of this prehistoric tribe were found near Saticoy in 1932 and traced back to about 3000 B.C. In about the early 15th century, the Chumash tribe inhabited the area. They built canoes and milled the acorns."Relics Labeled Ancient Races --- Mealing Stones at Saticoy Traced by Expert --- Curator Places Age at More Than 5000 Years --- Oak Grove People Declared Owners of Metates." Los Angeles Times. May 20, 1932, from Ventura May 19. p. 6.
Sa'aqtik'oy was one of the largest settlements of the Chumash region, which extended from Point Conception to Santa Monica and back into the foothills as far as the Coast Range."Indian Mealing Stones Found At West Saticoy." Los Angeles Times. May 3, 1932. p. A 16. The natural underground springs located in the area made Saticoy a prime location for the tribe to hold their yearly meetings.
In 1769, the Spanish Portola expedition, first recorded European visitors to inland areas of California, came down the valley from the previous night's encampment near today's Santa Paula and camped in the vicinity of Saticoy on August 13. Fray Juan Crespi, a Franciscan missionary traveling with the expedition, noted that the party traveled about 6–7 miles that day and camped near a native village "composed of twenty houses made of grass, in a spherical form, like a half orange, with a vent at the top by which the light enters and the smoke goes out.".
Saticoy lies within the vast Rancho Santa Paula y Saticoy granted to Manuel Jimeno Casarin on April 28, 1840 by the Mexican government.
In November 1861, Jefferson L. Crane settled at the site of the Chumash village, and other Americans followed soon after. Saticoy, which was then from Ventura, had a school as early as 1868. W.D.F. Richards, considered the founder of Saticoy, arrived in 1868, and bought of land. He contributed to the building up of the community and followed many experiments in farming.
The Saticoy Post Office was established in 1873 by the U.S. Post Office Department"Saticoy [Ventura]". Durham's Place-Names of Greater Los Angeles: Includes Los Angeles, Orange and Ventura Counties. 2001. p. 161. which was one of seventeen post offices operating in the county in 1890.Post Offices in Ventura, Hueneme, Santa Paula, Saticoy, and Nordoff provided money order service (Ventura also handled International exchange). Ventura County settlements with a Post Office in 1890 also included Bardsdale, Camulos, Fillmore, Matilija, Montalvo, Newbury Park, New Jerusalem, Piru City, Punta Gorda, Simi, Springville, and Timberville. R. G. Surdam was listed on the 1880 census for Saticoy with the occupation of real estate agent.1880 Ventura Co., CA, U.S. Federal Census, Saticoy Township, June 8 & 9, Sheet 3, Page 239 A, enumerated in household of Lines 28 & 29, Edward & Elizabeth Williams, Line 34, Royce Surdam, White, Male, 45, Boarder, Single, Real Estate Agt., NY, NY [sic], NY [sic]. He is known as the founder of the towns of Ojai and Bardsdale and for working with Thomas Bard to build the Hueneme wharf.
The streets and lots in the unincorporated present day "Old Town" were laid out in September 1887 on both sides of the newly opened "Southern Pacific Branch Line: Saugus to Santa Barbara."
An area west of Wells Road for which another map entitled "Town of Saticoy" was filed as a competing subdivision to benefit from the new railroad."TOWN OF SATICOY" 3 MR 15. Ventura County Recorder Surveyed March 1888, Recorded Oct. 1, 1888. Retrieved January 3, 2014 from CountyView GIS: layer "Record Maps" Through the 1800s and early 1900s, very little development occurred in West Saticoy but the "Old Town" area flourished as a small center of the region’s citrus, bean and other produce production.Martinez, Arlene (March 4, 2014) "Planners debating the future of Saticoy; public welcome" Ventura County Star Rail passenger service stopped in 1934.
The community of West Saticoy did develop a small community just west of the "School Lot" as shown on the map. Saticoy School was built on the lot in 1900. The school is now called ATLAS Elementary: Academy of Technology and Leadership at Saticoy and is part of the Ventura Unified School District.Ventura Unified School District. Our History Retrieved January 7, 2014 This alternative townsite, on the other side of the Brown Barranca from the railroad station, was located on the main road to San Buenaventura. That distant town, incorporated in 1866, has grown so that all of Saticoy, except for "Old Town," has been annexed into the City of Ventura.
There have been many bridges across the Santa Clara River at Saticoy.MITCHELL, J.E.. (1994-7-30) "SATICOY : Completion of Bridge Will Be Celebrated" Los Angeles Times WEST VENTURA COUNTY FOCUS Retrieved 2013-10-29. They were often washed out due to abundant rainfall and flooding.FARLEY, SHANNON. 1990-1-18) New Saticoy Bridge Demanded Los Angeles Times Retrieved 2013-10-29. The most notable washout, however, was due to the flood wave of water caused by the collapse of the St. Francis Dam, in northwest Los Angeles County, which occurred two and a half minutes before midnight on March 12, 1928. The bridge was washed out again in the flood of 1969, and cars were rerouted through the riverbed east of the bridge while it was under repair.
Cabrillo Village
Cabrillo Village was a camp built in the 1930s next to the Santa Clara River. A lengthy confrontation in the 1970s ensued when the growers wanted to raze the cramped, rundown homes for development. The confrontation ended in 1976, when 82 farmworker families, advised by affordable housing advocate Rodney Fernandez, pitched in and bought their deteriorating cottages from the Saticoy Lemon Assn.Saticoy Lemon Association Official WebsiteRuiz, Enedina (2012) From Self-Help to Public Labor Camps: Exploring Ways to House California's Agricultural Workers UCLA Electronic Theses and Dissertations It was perhaps the first time that U.S. farmworkers had purchased the camp they lived in.""Cabrillo Village" Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation Website. Accessed 28 October 2013Guskind, Robert and Peirce, Neil R. Breakthroughs: Recreating the American City 1989 Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence. Chapter 5 Farm Workers' Own Housing: Self-Help in Cabrillo Village The first cooperative housing association in Ventura County was formed and the 154 apartments and houses in the village are owned by the cooperative. In 1989 Cabrillo Village was selected as a finalist for the Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence. Eventually new housing tracts were built next to the community and it was annexed into the city of Ventura in 1994. The community is located between the river and the railroad tracks and is about equidistant from "Old Town" and West Saticoy.
Geography Saticoy is near an apex of this compound alluvial fan formed by the river and Calleguas Creek.Thomas, H. E., and Others (1962) "Effects of Drought Along Pacific Coast in California: 1942-56" Geological Survey Professional Paper, Volume 372-G. United States Department of the Interior The Santa Clara River Valley opens up into the Oxnard Plain here as South Mountain on the south shore marks the end of the valley. Located on the fertile north bank of the Santa Clara River the shore of the Santa Barbara Channel is some 8 miles distant. Agriculture in the area includes avocados, lemons, oranges, strawberries, and many other row crops. Along the shore of the Santa Clara River, amidst the agriculture area east and northeast of the town, is the Saticoy Oil Field, discovered in 1955 and operated by Vintage Petroleum."Feasibility Study Pursuant to Senate Bill 244 for Unincorporated Saticoy" City of Ventura. 2013. Section V. History of Saticoy. Page 10 (PDF p.12) The city of Ventura is adjacent to the community on the north and west side. The Census Bureau definition of the area does not precisely correspond to the local understanding of the historical area of the community.
Demographics
Saticoy first appeared as a census designated place in the 2010 U.S. census.
2020 census As of the 2020 census, Saticoy had a population of 1,133. The population density was . The median age was 32.3 years, with 29.9% of residents under the age of 18 and 9.3% aged 65 or older. For every 100 females, there were 110.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 111.2 males age 18 and over. 100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.
+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 271 23.9% Black or African American 3 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native 47 4.1% Asian 2 0.2% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 3 0.3% Some other race 310 27.4% Two or more races 497 43.9% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 1,002 88.4%
The census reported that 1,109 people (97.9% of the population) lived in households, 24 (2.1%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and no one was institutionalized.
There were 268 households, of which 142 (53.0%) had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 143 (53.4%) were married-couple households, 10 (3.7%) were cohabiting couple households, 50 (18.7%) had a male householder with no spouse or partner present, and 65 (24.3%) had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 30 households (11.2%) were made up of individuals, and 10 (3.7%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.14. There were 224 families (83.6% of all households).