ATTENTION: Citizen Access will be unavailable Thursday, October 9 at 5:00 PM to Monday, October 13 at 6:00 AM for scheduled maintenance and updates. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Aerial view of Tapo Citrus Association packing house, surrounded by orchards.
Historical photo of Tapo Citrus Association. Credit: Strathearn Museum.

Ventura County Landmark No. 42: Tapo Citrus Association Packing House Site

Historical Background

“Packing houses processed crops such as lemons, oranges and avocados after they left the fields. The packing houses employed large numbers of workers to clean, sort and pack the crop in preparation for shipping to markets. Packing houses have at times also held the responsibility for hiring field workers and managing harvesting activity.” (San Buenaventura Research Associates, 2014).

Tapo Citrus Association Packing House Site

This former large citrus packing house was built in 1917 by the Patterson Ranch Company near the northwest corner of Tapo Canyon Road and Alamo Street (refer also to related Ventura County Landmark No. 71). From it, Tapo District oranges and lemons were processed and shipped via a railroad spur line to Santa Susana and marketed throughout the world. Tapo Citrus Association was an agricultural cooperative formed by Simi Valley farmers to process and market their produce. The Simi Valley Civic Center now stands on this site.

Additional Reading

References

San Buenaventura Research Associates (December 2014). Historic Context Statement and Reconnaissance Survey for the Eastern Oxnard Plain of Ventura County CA. https://docs.vcrma.org/images/pdf/planning/programs/chb/East-Oxnard-Plain-Context-12-2014.pdf.

Date Designated: May 1978

Location: Northwest corner Tapo Canyon Road and Alamo Street, Simi Valley

Photos:

Historical photo of Tapo Citrus Association workers sorting oranges, dated 1937.
Historical photo of Tapo Citrus Association workers. Credit: Simi Valley Historical Society and Museum.

Translate Disclaimer

The vcrma.org website has been translated for your convenience using translation software powered by Google Translate. Reasonable efforts have been made to provide an accurate translation, however, no automated translation is perfect nor is it intended to replace human translators. Translations are provided as a service to users of the Ventura.org website, and are provided “as is.” No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, or correctness of any translations made from English into any other language. Some content (such as images, videos, Flash, etc.) may not be accurately translated due to the limitations of the translation software.

The official text is the English version of the website. Any discrepancies or differences created in the translation are not binding and have no legal effect for compliance or enforcement purposes. If any questions arise related to the accuracy of the information contained in the translated website, please refer to the English version of the website which is the official version.