Casitas Springs, California

Casitas Springs is an unincorporated community in Ventura County, California, located 1.2 miles east of Lake Casitas. It is an old community which was recorded as Arroyo de Las Casitas (“creek of the little houses”) in 1864. It has a population of 1,038 as of 1999, down from 1,090 in 1990 Census. [2] Casitas Springs is located along California State Route 33 2 miles (3.2 km) south of Oak View.

Casitas Springs, California
Unincorporated community
Casitas Springs, California
Coordinates: 34°22′17″N 119°18′23″W
Country	United States
State	California
County	Ventura
Elevation	289 ft (88 m)
Population  (1999)
• Total	1,038
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
Area code(s)	805
GNIS feature ID	240315[1]

Mud and water from winter storms that damaged property and roads in Casitas Springs. FEMA photo taken on 01-15-2005.

It is known for its groves of eucalyptus trees along the highway.[3] Casitas Springs was the former home of Johnny Cash.

History

The community was first recorded in 1864 under the name Arroyo de Las Casitas (“creek of the little houses”).[4]

The same 2005 winter storms that damaged nearby La Conchita, California also damaged Casitas Springs.

Johnny Cash

Singer-songwriter Johnny Cash moved with his family to a 5,000 sq. ft. hillside home at 8736 Nye Road on a fifteen acre property in the late summer of 1961.[5] He had been living with his wife, Vivian Liberto, and their four daughters, Rosanne, Kathy, Cindy and Tara, in Encino.[6][7] Vivian hoped this move would put a stop to his growing issues with alcohol and other drugs. His time here instead resulted in the most colorful and worst of the legendary Man in Black's bad-boy behavior — the pills, the booze, the binges, the arrests, and the June 1965 forest fire above Fillmore that he said was ignited by his truck's exhaust system.[6][8][9][10] Cash would often go picnicking at the local Lake Casitas and Foster Park.[11] A local minister befriended Cash and set up the first San Quentin and Folsom Prison visits that would become a notable part of his career.[5]

His rendition of "Ring of Fire" was a crossover hit, reaching No. 1 on the country charts and the Top 20 on the pop charts during his time here. His drug abuse as well as constant touring, affairs with other women, and his close relationship with June Carter led his wife to file for divorce in 1966 and it was granted the next year.[8] After moving away in 1967, Cash came on several trips back to Casitas Springs to visit his children and parents.[11]

Economy

The oldest, most rural winery in Ventura County is near the community.[12]

See also

• Roadshow Revival

References

1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Casitas Springs, California
2. Capace, Nancy (1999). Encyclopedia of California. Somerset Publishers. Page 197. ISBN 9780403093182.
3. Strong, Kathy (2011). Southern California Off the Beaten Path: A Guide to Unique Places. Rowman & Littlefield. Page 39. ISBN 9780762774784.
4. Capace, Nancy (1999). Encyclopedia of California. North American Book Dist LLC. Page 197. ISBN 9780403093182.
5. Johnson, Brett. "Tour to stop at Johnny Cash's old west Ventura County haunts". Ventura County Star. Archived from the original on 2016-09-04. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
6. Hilburn, Robert (October 12, 2013). "Johnny Cash's dark California days". LA Times. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
7. Ybarra, Evie (2017). Ghosts of Santa Barbara and the Ojai Valley. Arcadia Publishing. Page 16. ISBN 9781439662786.
8. Johnson, Brett (2007-11-18). "Johnny Cash's first wife tells of romance, heartbreak — They walked the line". Ventura County Star. Archived from the original on 2009-02-28.
9. "Ventura: Los Lobos joins Johnny Cash revival concert in June". LA Times. May 20, 2014. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
10. Campbell, Garth (2003). Johnny Cash: He Walked the Line, 1932-2003. J. Blake. Page 113. ISBN 9781844540334.
11. Grant, Marshall and Chris Zar (2006). I was There when it Happened: My Life with Johnny Cash. Cumberland House Publishing. Page 157. ISBN 9781581825107.
12. Wilson, Kathleen. "Old Creek Ranch Winery owners sue Ventura County over decision on land-use violations". Ventura County Star. Retrieved 2020-01-08.