October 29, 1864 – December 10, 1958)
Don Adolfo Camarillo was a successful rancher, farmer, horse breeder, business man, philanthropist. I wrote about his famous white horses a while ago. He was among the first in the Valley to cultivate lima beans. A town grew up around his ranch. It eventually became a city, and was named after him of course. He invested heavily in his home county, Ventura County. He helped established the Peoples Lumber Company. I worked there for a while myself. He was also an investor in the Bank of A. Levy. It was an influential bank of the area for many years.
Throughout his lifetime he invested, or donated funds for education and other community projects. The Oxnard Union High School District was of particular interest. He also donated land for other schools in his area. He donated land to establish a high school in his town. He donated land to the state for widening the freeway that went south to the Los Angeles basin. He was a member of the Ventura County Board of Supervisors.
In 1950 Pope Pius XII named him a Knight of St. Gregory the Great. He was a good man and lived a life well lived.
Here is a picture of my brother Roberto. He was born in 1898 and in 1917 he married a young lady named Eloise Orette in Calexico, California. He was way too young to get married by our modern standards, however we can’t always control our heart strings. The truth is, it was not uncommon for couples to marry at an even younger age.
It wasn’t long before they returned back to Oxnard. He started working for People’s Lumber Company. That’s him in the picture standing by one of the company trucks.
Roberto’s bride is of interest here. She was the niece of Don Adolfo.
