Ventura County Landmark No. 106: Mt. McCoy and Cross

Spanish priests erected the first cross on Verde Hill (Mt. McCoy) in the early 19th century to direct travelers between the Ventura and San Fernando missions and to the Simi Adobe, the only dwelling for many miles. A wooden cross is shown on an 1858 hand-drawn map of the Ventura County ranchos. The hill was named for C. B. McCoy, a salesman for the Simi Land & Water Co., who settled on 5,000 acres in the area (the old Cañada Verde Ranch) in 1898. Around the turn of the 20th century, a shepherd was said to have built a stone cross there. R. E. Harrington, knowing of the earlier wooden cross on the 1858 map, erected a new wooden cross with his Sunday School class in 1921. The present 12-foot-high, steel reinforced concrete cross was erected by the Simi Valley-Moorpark Lions Club in 1941. Mt. McCoy was used for Easter morning services from 1921 until 1968.

In 2013, the cross was vandalized. To improve stabilization, maintenance crews installed additional concrete around its base. Today, Mt. McCoy remains a popular hiking and recreation destination to observe panoramic views of Simi Valley and surroundings (Belmond, 2018).