Editing El Rio, California (section)

==History==
Early inhabitants of the area were the [[Chumash people|Chumash]], a Native American tribe who continue to inhabit the area.{{r|EIR 2001 |page=4.12-1}} The Chumash region extends from [[Point Conception]] to [[Santa Monica, California|Santa Monica]] and back into the foothills as far as the [[California Coast Ranges#South Coast Ranges|Coast Range]]. One of their largest settlements was at nearby [[Saticoy, California|Saticoy]], because of the bubbling springs that were found there.

On May 6, 1837, Juan M. Sanchez (1791&ndash;1873), a former [[Presidio of Santa Barbara|Santa Barbara Presidio]] soldier, was granted the [[Rancho Santa Clara del Norte]],<ref name=venturacogensoc.org>{{cite web |title=Spanish and Mexican Land Grants in Ventura County |last=Ventura County Genealogical Society |url=http://www.venturacogensoc.org/cpage.php?pt=38 |access-date=2013-10-22}}</ref> which contained {{convert|13989|acre|km2|0}} of land extending from the [[Santa Clara River (California)|Santa Clara River]] south to the northern boundary of present-day [[Camarillo, California|Camarillo]], and from the present day [[U.S. Route 101 in California|101 Freeway]] east to the west end of South Mountain.<ref>{{gnis|249741|South Mountain}}</ref> Sanchez and his wife, Ines Guevara de Sanchez (1794&ndash;1862), had their adobe home built below the western slope of South Mountain, within a heavy group of eucalyptus trees at the east end of present-day Rose Avenue, an avenue that was lined on both sides with tall eucalyptus trees.

The town was founded in 1875 and named New Jerusalem, California, by Simon Cohn (1852&ndash;1936),<ref>"El Rio [Ventura Co.]. ''California Place Names: The Origin and Etymology of Current Geographical Names, Fourth Edition''. 2004. p. 122.</ref> a [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussian]] [[Jew]]ish merchant who built a [[general store]] at the location.<ref>{{citation |title=Evolution of a Metropolitan Skyline. |author= A.C. Martin interviewed by Marlene L. Laskey |year= 1985 |page=2|publisher=Regents of the University of California |department=Oral History Program, [[UCLA]] |url=https://archive.org/details/evolutionofmetro00mart }}</ref> The [[United States Post Office Department|U.S. Post Office Department]] established New Jerusalem Post Office on July 26, 1882, and Cohn was appointed the first postmaster. The first one-room [[one-room school|schoolhouse]] was opened in 1885.<ref name=rio.k12.ca.us>{{cite web |title=Rio School District Website |url=http://rioschools.org/district/district-history/|access-date=2014-05-30}}</ref> Santa Clara Catholic Church was founded the same year though services has been conducted since 1877.<ref>Storer, Mark (November 27, 2010) "Mass to celebrate milestone for Oxnard parish: Santa Clara is marking 125th year as church" ''[[Ventura County Star]]''</ref> It was the first Catholic church to be built in Ventura County since the founding of [[Mission San Buenaventura]] 95 years earlier.<ref>{{cite news|last=Chawkins |first=Steve |date=November 30, 1989 |title=Plaque Marks Site of Area's First Church |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=17 March 2016|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-11-30-ve-175-story.html}}</ref>

Octaviano and Rosaria Moraga were early settlers who first came to county in the 1870s from [[Sonora, Mexico]]. Octaviano worked as the barkeeper at the New Parian Hotel in [[Ventura, California|Ventura]], and ran a boarding house they owned in Ventura. They eventually were able to buy land in New Jerusalem where Octaviano ran a livery stable. He also drove a two-horse stage between [[Port Hueneme]] and the [[East Ventura (Metrolink station)|Montalvo train station]]. His descendants were part of the El Rio community up into the 21st century.<ref>Moraga, Frank (April 20, 2008) [http://www.vcstar.com/news/2008/apr/20/el-rio-loses-another-link-to-historic-past/ "El Rio loses another link to historic past"] ''[[Ventura County Star]]''</ref>

On February 14, 1895, the postal authority changed the name of the town to Jerusalem.<ref>"Post Office Opens After Four Decades." ''Los Angeles Times''. Oct. 5, 1953, from Oxnard, Oct. 4. p. B 9.</ref> Four months later, they changed it to Elrio (one word.) In 1905, they changed it to El Rio, two words, which means in [[Spanish language|Spanish]] "The River,"<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ | title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States | publisher=Govt. Print. Off. | author=Gannett, Henry | year=1905 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n117 118]}}</ref> referring to the nearby [[Santa Clara River (California)|Santa Clara]] or to [[Rancho El Rio de Santa Clara o la Colonia|El Rio de Santa Clara o La Colonia]]. The town was at a crossroads on the boundary of two ranchos (El Rio de Santa Clara o La Colonia and [[Rancho Santa Clara del Norte]]).{{r|EIR 2001 |page=4.12-3}}

The El Rio Post Office was discontinued on October 31, 1911. It was reestablished in 1953.<ref>[[ibid.]]</ref> Until [[Rio Mesa High School]] was built on Central Avenue northeast of El Rio and opened in 1965,<ref name=riomesahigh.us>{{cite web |title=About Rio Mesa High School |url=http://www.riomesahigh.us/about/school.htm |access-date=2010-10-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101206213047/http://www.riomesahigh.us/about/school.htm |archive-date=2010-12-06 |url-status=dead }}</ref> El Rio students were bused to [[Oxnard High School]] and later to [[Adolfo Camarillo High School|Camarillo High School]] in [[Camarillo, California|Camarillo]]. The post office was discontinued again in 1966.<ref>"El Rio [Ventura]." ''Durham's Place-Names of Greater Los Angeles: Includes Los Angeles, Orange and Ventura Counties''. 2001. p. 58.</ref>