The articles below are found on the individual city webpages. 
Links can be found at the end of each article.


A Brief History of Agoura Hills

Perched on the western edge of Los Angeles County in the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains, Agoura Hills is located just forty-five minutes from busy downtown Los Angeles, but is nevertheless rich with undulating hills and inspiring canyons. For many centuries the area that would become Agoura Hills was familiar territory for Native Americans who wandered inland from their haunts along the sea in search of game and other food. The permanent arrival of the Spanish in the late 1700s banished the Indians from their homes and introduced a ranching culture that would linger into the early twentieth century. In the 1900s, vast cattle and
sheep ranches conceded ground to rows of lettuce and celery, orchards,and wheatfields. Ranching and agriculture eventually diminished in importance. Ranchers began dividing up their property and selling individual tracts for housing. From the outset, ranchers and farmers had worried about water supplies and these concerns were shared by the citizens of Agoura Hills into the mid 1950s. Then, provision of outside sources of water helped ensure the growth of the community, aided by the new highways which acted as a conduit for fresh faces and commercial development and contributed to the maturation of Agoura Hills.

Print Sources:

• Miller, Patricia Russell. Tales of Triunfo. P.R. Miller, 1985.
• Gaye, Laura B. Last of the Old West: A Book of Sketches about the Calabasas Area. Illustrated by L. Liska. Bar-Kay Enterprises, 1965.

Images:

• Ventura road facing west from Las Virgenes Road, c. 1908
  [Courtesy of the Calabasas Historical Society]
• Vegare Station in Agoura, c. 1907. The center part of the building is adobe.
  [Courtesy of the Calabasas Historical Society]
• Agoura, 1950s
  [County of Los Angeles Public Library]
• Aerial view of Agoura Hills, c. 1990
  [County of Los Angeles Public Library]

Source:
http://www.colapublib.org/history/agourahills/ 




Westlake Village - The City in the Country

Settled snugly in the northern foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains in western Los Angeles County, the City of Westlake Village is nine miles inland from the Pacific Ocean and 38 miles west of downtown Los Angeles.  Occupying only 5.4 square miles, averaging 900 feet above sea level, the community is framed by the Simi Hills to the north and the Santa Monica Mountains to the south.

About 3,000 years ago, Chumash Indians moved into the region and lived by hunting rabbits and other game, and gathering grains and acorns.  On-going excavations, archaeological sites, and polychrome rock paintings in the area provide a glimpse into the social and economic complexity of the ancient Chumash world.  In 1770, Captain Gaspar de Portola led a party of Spanish explorers and missionaries, traveling north on the route that became known as the El Camino Real.  The party camped near a Chumash village, believed to be the site of present-day Westlake Village.  Father Juan Crespi, chaplain and diarist of the expedition, wrote:  “We are on a plain of considerable extent and much beauty, forested on all parts by live oaks and oak trees, with much pasturage and water.”

When the Spanish finally did settle the area, they were given huge land grants, the largest of which was Rancho Simi, given to the Pico family.  When Mexico won independence from Spain in 1821, California became a territory of Mexico, and a few more land grants were given.   When California was admitted to the union in 1850, most of the land that later became Ventura County was divided among only 19 families.  The picturesque future Westlake Village site among rising knolls, arroyos, barrancas and ancient oaks was recognized as the central part of two  Mexican land grants: Rancho El Conejo and Rancho Las Virgenes.  In 1881, the Russell brothers purchased a large portion of the land for cattle ranching.  According to Patricia Allen, historian and family descendant, Andrew Russell beat the competition in buying the land by racing across 6,000 acres on a fifteen-minute trip in a buckboard and sealed the deal with a $20 gold piece.  The price per acre was $2.50! The area continued to be known as the Russell Ranch although it was sold in 1925 to William Randolph Hearst and again in 1943 to Fred Albertson.  The Russell family leased back part of the land to continue its successful cattle ranch operation while the Albertson Company used the vast acreage as a movie ranch.   Many movies and television shows were filmed here, including “Robin Hood,” “King Rat,” “Laredo,” and various episodes of “Tarzan,” “Buck Rogers,” “Gunsmoke,” and “Bonanza.”

In l963, the American- Hawaiian Steamship Company bought the 12,000 acre ranch for $32 million and, in partnership with Prudential Insurance Company, commissioned the preparation of a master plan for a “city in the country.”    Prominent architects, engineers, and land planners participated in designing a unique, integrated community that has become a nationally acclaimed model for the planned community concept.   “The city in the country” was named Westlake Village and soon became recognized as one of America’s most successful suburbs and finest areas to live, work and raise a family.

Today, a population of 8,893 resides within this beautiful, natural environment of award-winning neighborhoods, thriving businesses, and enviable lifestyles.  The original master-planned community of Westlake Village is transected diagonally by the Los Angeles and Ventura County line.  The Los Angeles County side, consisting of 3,456 acres, was incorporated as the City of Westlake Village in 1981 and became the 82nd municipality in Los Angeles County.  The Ventura County side, comprised of the remaining 8,544 acres of the original Russell ranch, was annexed into the City of Thousand Oaks in two portions in 1968 and 1972.  The wisdom of the master planners in preserving, protecting and enhancing the natural environment of the area is evident today in the consistent growth and vitality of Westlake Village. 

Source:
 http://www.wlv.org/city_hall/city-history.asp



Thousand Oaks

This community has evolved from a rural Ventura County settlement into an attractive and desirable Southern California City. Thousand Oaks offers the ideal mixture of commercial, industrial, residential and recreational space in an exceptional location.

The City's history dates to the Chumash Native Americans who dwelled in the Conejo Valley hundreds of years ago. In 1542, the area was discovered by Spanish explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, who claimed the land for his Spanish king. The area remained virtually unsettled until the early 1800s when the Spanish governor granted 48,671 acres of land grants to loyal soldiers - land which included the Conejo Valley. (Conejo is the Spanish word for rabbit which are abundant in the area.)

Throughout the 19th Century, early pioneers migrated to the area. The first post office was built in 1875, and the small settlement became a stop on the stagecoach route between Los Angeles and San Francisco. With the invention of the motor car and the construction of a highway between those two major cities, the Conejo Valley began to evolve.

In the early 1900s the Janss Family purchased 10,000 acres of farm land and began planning a "total community." The family would leave a positive local imprint, and the Janss name remains highly visible in the Conejo Valley.

Chicken ranches, dairy farms and apricot orchards dotted the valley when Louis Goebel opened his Lion Farm in 1927. Crowds flocked to see Goebel's performing jungle animals. In later years, his tourist attraction was called Jungleland. Soon the motion picture industry discovered the Conejo Valley's beauty. Scenes from "Birth of a Nation," "Tarzan," and "The Adventures of Robin Hood" were filmed here. Today, that trend continues with movies, television shows and commercials being filmed or videotaped within the City and adjoining areas.

By 1961 there were two shopping centers, an industrial park, schools, churches and a four-year liberal arts college in the growing town. On Sept. 29, 1964, the community voted to incorporate and selected the name, City of Thousand Oaks, honoring the abundant, majestic oak trees in the area. In the first years of Cityhood, nearly 20,000 persons lived within the 14.28 square miles of the newly drawn boundaries.

Since incorporation, the City has developed into a quality community, integrating effective planning and citizen involvement. Having grown to 56 square miles with more than 127,000 residents, City officials remain dedicated to offering an envious family lifestyle.

In an effort to maintain its natural environment, more than 14,000 square acres have been designated as "Open Space" containing more than 75 miles of trails. This preserved space allows residents to enjoy the same natural beauty that the Chumash Native Americans first enjoyed hundreds of years ago. 

Source:
http://www.toaks.org/living/about/history/default.asp