Ventura County Landmark No. 69: The Mill

In 1887, the Southern Mill and Warehouse Company built eight produce storage facilities along the rail line between Santa Barbara and Newhall; the Mill was the smallest one. Farmers brought wagonloads of produce here to be weighed, stored, and shipped out by rail. In 1894, the Southern Pacific Milling Company bought the building, enlarged it, and began to sell livestock feed, grain, and seed, as well as storing beans, cleaning grain, and shipping apricots and other produce. From 1954 to 2004, the Hengehold family of Santa Paula ran a business in the building. Louis (Lou) and Polly Hengehold originally called their enterprise Santa Paula Feed and Supply, but by 1960 renamed it The Mill. The Mill became a community staple (Ventura County Resource Management Agency, Planning Division, 2013).

One Santa Paula resident fondly remembered visiting The Mill in its earlier days: Anita Tate of Santa Paula had been a Mill customer since the early 1950s, when her shopping list was heavy on fertilizer and gopher traps. It was always fun to come in and see all the animals of the farm and home variety for sale, as well as the pet dogs and cats that amicably roamed the building with their owners, many of whom, noted Tate, became friends. At that time, and until The Mill closed its doors, it was operated by Polly and Lou Hengehold, whose children all pitched in, even when they were little pitchers themselves (Kelly, 2009). The Hengeholds were very supportive of their community, and the community was equally supportive of them. The family—and The Mill—remained a community hub for decades (Kelly, 2009).

Lou passed away in 1986, and after Polly passed in 2004, the business was closed (County of Ventura, 2013). Soon after, it became an antique mall (Kelly, 2009).