Editing Westlake Village, California (section)

==History==
[[File:José_de_la_Guerra_y_Noriega_(cropped).jpg|thumb|left|Westlake Village was part of [[Rancho El Conejo]], owned by Don [[José de la Guerra y Noriega]], founder of the prominent [[Guerra family of California]].]] About 3,000 years ago, the [[Chumash people|Chumash]] moved into the region and lived by hunting [[rabbit]]s and other [[Game (hunting)|game]], and gathering grains and acorns. Excavations, archaeological sites, and polychrome rock paintings in the area provide a glimpse into the social and economic complexity of the ancient Chumash world.<ref>O'Brien (2017). ''Thousand Oaks and Westlake Village''. Arcadia Publishing. Pages 7 and 88. {{ISBN|9781439661956}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.csuci.edu/fs/documents/4.4_Cultural_Resources.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180831104148/https://www.csuci.edu/fs/documents/4.4_Cultural_Resources.pdf |archive-date=August 31, 2018 |url-status=live |title=Cultural resources |publisher=www.csuci.edu |access-date=January 31, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=24435|title=Humaliwo: An Ethnographic Overview of the Chumash in Malibu|first=California State Parks, State of|last=California|website=CA State Parks|access-date=April 19, 2018}}</ref>

A Chumash village was settled here in 500 BCE, known as Hipuc.<ref>Casey, Lynda (1984). ''The Story of the Conejo Valley: The Westlake Chumash Indians''. Westlake Research Committee. Page 27.</ref> The Chumash Indians gathered and prepared acorns and other seeds. These were collected in the fall. The Chumash also hunted wild animals, fish and gathered plants. Their diet consisted of acorns, gophers, cottontail rabbits, skunks, jack rabbits, rats, mice, and seeds. They made their clothing from the skins of animals such as rabbits, deer, and sea otters. Women wore long skirts woven from grass or soft bark, while men wore pieces of deerskin tied around their waists. Both men and women painted designs on their bodies and wore shell beads.<ref>Casey, Lynda (1984). ''The Story of the Conejo Valley: The Westlake Chumash Indians''. Westlake Research Committee. Pages 7–9.</ref>

On a return trip from Northern California in January 1770, a group of men led by [[Gaspar de Portolá]] are believed to be the first Europeans to encounter the Chumash Indians in the Conejo Valley. Father [[Juan Crespí]], chaplain and diarist of the expedition, wrote about El Triumfo, a Chumash village. He wrote that there was plenty of water and firewood in the village, and that the land was covered with pastures. He wrote: "We are on a plain of considerable extent and much beauty, forested on all parts by live oaks and [[oak]] trees, with much pasturage and water." Crespí named the place ''El triunfo del Dulcísimo Nombre de Jesús'' (in English: ''The Triumph of the Sweetest Name of Jesus'') to a camping place by a creek.

Other villages were found throughout the valley, including [[Satwiwa]] and two villages near Ventu Park Road in [[Newbury Park, California|Newbury Park]]. These Chumash villages are believed by archeologists to have first been settled over 2,000 years ago. Another village was located by [[Lake Sherwood, California|Lake Sherwood]].<ref>Casey, Lynda (1984). ''The Story of the Conejo Valley: The Westlake Chumash Indians''. Westlake Research Committee. Pages 2–5.</ref>

In 1795, the area became part of one of the first Spanish land grants, [[Rancho Simi]], given to the [[Pico family of California]]. When Mexico won independence from Spain in 1821, [[Alta California]] became Mexican territory, and the Rancho Simi grant was confirmed in 1842.

In 1881, the Russell brothers purchased a large portion of the land for cattle ranching. According to Patricia Allen, historian and family descendant, Andrew Russell beat the competition in buying the land by racing across 6,000 acres (24&nbsp;km{{sup|2}}) on a fifteen-minute trip in a buckboard and sealed the deal with a $20 gold piece. The price per acre was $2.50. The area continued to be known as the Russell Ranch although it was sold in 1925 to [[William Randolph Hearst]] and again in 1943 to Fred Albertson. The Russell family leased back part of the land to continue its successful cattle ranch operation while the Albertson Company used the vast area as a movie ranch. Many movies and television shows were filmed in the Conejo Valley, including ''[[Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood|Robin Hood]]'', ''King Rat'', ''Laredo'', and various episodes of ''[[Tarzan (1966 TV series)|Tarzan]]'', ''Buck Rogers'', ''Gunsmoke'' and ''[[Bonanza]]''. The 1940 film ''[[Danger Ahead (1940 film)|Danger Ahead]]'' was filmed on Westlake Boulevard.<ref name="Schneider, Jerry L. 2016 Page 6">Schneider, Jerry L. (2016). ''Western Filming Locations Book 5''. CP Entertainment Books. Page 6. {{ISBN|9780692564417}}.</ref>

[[File:Westlake Village CA Westlake Lake.JPG|thumb|left|[[Westlake Lake]]]]
In 1963, [[Daniel K. Ludwig]]'s [[American-Hawaiian Steamship Company]] bought the 12,000 acre (49&nbsp;km{{sup|2}}) ranch for $32 million and, in partnership with [[Prudential Financial|Prudential]] Insurance Company, commissioned the preparation of a master plan by architectural and planning firm A. C. Martin and Associates.<ref name="LAT 2017-11-10">{{Cite news|last=Garner|first=Scott|date=November 10, 2017|title=Neighborhood Spotlight: Westlake Village is far from the madding crowd ... perhaps too far|url=https://www.latimes.com/business/realestate/hot-property/la-fi-hp-neighborhood-spotlight-westlake-village-20171111-story.html|access-date=February 16, 2021|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US}}</ref> This new "city in the country" planned to have a firm economic base including commercial areas, residential neighborhoods, and ample green space with the lake as a focal point. Prominent architects, engineers, and land planners participated in designing the new community, a distinctive example of planned 1960s-style [[suburbanism]].<ref>[https://www.laconservancy.org/locations/westlake-village "Westlake Village"] ''The Los Angeles Conservancy'' Website. Retrieved March 19, 2014</ref><ref>{{Cite news| issn = 0458-3035| last = COLVIN| first = Richard lee| title = Shipping Magnate Who Created Westlake Dies : Suburban: Daniel K. Ludwig was 95. In 1967, he began developing the area into one of nation's first instant cities.|newspaper= [[Los Angeles Times]]| access-date =March 15, 2015| date =August 29, 1992| url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-08-29-me-5597-story.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vcstar.com/story/news/2019/02/19/fillmore-and-westlake-village-notice-over-housing/2918189002/|title=Newsom puts 47 cities, including 2 Fillmore and Westlake Village, on notice over housing |date=February 19, 2019|website=[[Ventura County Star]]|language=en|access-date=February 20, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.vcstar.com/story/money/business/2019/02/20/fillmore-westlake-village-reps-meet-governor-housing-talk/2886122002/|title=Fillmore, Westlake Village reps meet with governor for housing discussion|newspaper=[[Ventura County Star]]|first=Tyler |last=Hersko|date=February 20, 2019|access-date=February 21, 2019|language=en}}</ref>

The original tract was divided by the Los Angeles/Ventura county line. In 1968 and 1972, two portions of the Westlake development consisting of {{convert|8544|acre|km2|0}} on the Ventura County side were annexed into the city of [[Thousand Oaks, California|Thousand Oaks]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.toacorn.com/articles/lake-superior/|title=Lake Superior|last=Bradley|first=Ian|date=October 24, 2019|work=Thousand Oaks Acorn|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191025133417/https://www.toacorn.com/articles/lake-superior/|archive-date=October 25, 2019|access-date=October 30, 2019}}</ref> In 1981, the Los Angeles County portion ({{convert|3456|acre|km2}} or roughly 1/3) of the Westlake master-planned community was incorporated as the City of Westlake Village. California state law prevents a city from existing in two separate counties.<ref name="Acorn20110908">{{cite news|url=http://www.toacorn.com/news/2011-09-08/Front_Page/Which_Westlake.html|title=Which Westlake?|last=Kuperberg|first=Jonathan|date=September 8, 2011|work=Thousand Oaks Acorn|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131204035023/http://www.toacorn.com/news/2011-09-08/Front_Page/Which_Westlake.html|archive-date=December 4, 2013|access-date=September 9, 2011}}</ref>