It all started around 1820, when Mexico had gained it’s independence from Spain and became allies with California. The Mexican land grant system was liberalized which resulted in many large land grant north of the border. Governor Alvarado had given one of the last Mexican Land Grants to a man named Jose Pedro Ruiz. Back then the land was approximately 10,000 acres and had gone by the name Rancho Calleguas. Jose later sold the land to a man named Juan Camarillo and his sons, Adolfo and Juan, who as you can tell by their named were later credited with founding the town of Camarillo.

Adolfo Camarillo was only sixteen years old when his father died and left the ranch for him to run. The main form of farming for the ranch was corn barley alfalfa, walnuts citrus and, most popular, lima beans.

Eight years after taking over the ranch operations, Adolfo had married a woman by the name of Isabella Menchaca, and moved into an adobe home on the ranch, which was later destroyed by fi re. With the aid of a work crew, in 1892, Adolfo had built a three story 14-room estate that represented the Queen Anne Victorian style. There he and Isabella raised seven children of their own.

Being as dedicated to the land and the country around them, Adolfo’s family had worked the ranch with the Chumash that lived nearby and also donated land to many good causes. His younger brother Juan, donated land for St. Mary Magdalen Chapel and St. John’s Seminary which are still prominent features in Camarillo today. Although Juan lived in Ventura and Buenos Aires and chose not to stay at the ranch he felt the need to give back to the community that was so close to him.

All the way up to his passing in 1958 Adolfo was a leader in the community with organizations such as the Ventura County Fair Board, Ventura County Board of Supervisors, Camarillo Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Pleasant Valley School District Board of Trustees for 57 years, and many others. He was also named by Pope Pius XII as “Adolfo a Knight of St. Gregory”.

Adolfo also helped Ventura County in many other ways such as donating land for the fi rst high school Adolfo Camarillo High School, (also named for him). In 1904 he donated land for the Southern Pacifi c Railroad to go through Camarillo, land for the 101 to stretch through the Conejo Grade and land for the extension of St. John’s Seminary to include St. John’s College.