About Piru

Piru is a small community in northeast Ventura County. It began as a small town in the late 1800’s that served as a citrus stop for the Southern Pacific Railroad. Paralleling El Camino Real (now known as Telegraph Road), the rail line was built from east to west – Los Angeles to Ventura. The town of Piru was laid out in 1888 by David C. Cook, a publisher of religious books from Illinois who had moved west for his health. Cooked planned to create a “Second Garden of Eden” and planted over 900 acres of oranges, apricots, walnuts, olives and other fruit and nut trees. Originally Highway 126 ran through the center of this town. A new bypass built in the 1980’s moved the highway one half mile south.

The community’s size and architectural character have changed very little since that time. Agriculture, forestry, and fishing are its important industries. For a more detailed history of Piru, visit the Heritage Valley website.

Visit the Heritage Valley Tourism Bureau website to learn about Southern California’s last pristine agricultural valley nestled along the banks of the Santa Clara River in Ventura County. The Heritage Valley incorporates the communities of Santa Paula, Fillmore, Piru and the national landmark of Rancho Camulos.

Then visit the Rancho Camulos Museum website  to learn more about Rancho Camulos, the only National Historical Landmark in Ventura County. Camulos was the home of the early Californio del Valle family, obtained as a Mexican land grant in 1839 until 1924 when it was acquired by the current owners, the Rubel family. Both families have preserved this slice of early California history for the public.