Here they feasted on steelhead trout, venison, and other game and harvested seeds, nuts and berries. They were master basket weavers and canoe builders. Primary to their wellbeing, they soaked in the natural sulphur hot springs and bathed in the cool canyon waters that flowed year round. For centuries the Chumash sustained themselves here.

Today, the Chumash culture in the Ventura and Santa Barbara counties is alive and active. The Santa Barbara Museum has an extensive historic exhibit as well as an accomplished Chumash advisory board. Ventura County's mild temperatures began to entice health seekers from the East Coast and Midwest back in the 1870's. Visitors particularly enjoyed the air of the Ojai Valley - warm without being humid, and crisp without being chilly.

Along with the mild climate, sulphur hot springs beckoned to searchers of robust health. As a result, a number of resorts sprang up around these natural oddities whose curative powers attracted people seeking an end to their many ailments.

Some of the best known hot springs are in Matilja Canyon, just north of Ojai off Highway 33. First recorded in 1872,when backwoodsman J.W. Wilcox laid claim to them by homesteading the land, they were later sold to R.M. Brown, whose dream was to build a health resort where guests could partake of the healing waters. Mr.Brown built a cottage hotel and bath houses at the spring and opened the resort for business. He advertised it as being in Matiliha Canyon and called it San Buenaventura Springs. A man known as Captain Gardner bought the springs around 1877 and erected cottages, calling the resort Matilija Hot Springs.

Mr. Wilcoxen and his daughter, Mrs. Vicker, took over the springs shortly before the flood of 1884 all but destroyed the resort it, washing out some of the springs. They continued to maintain a home there, but never again opened it to the public.

He ran a daily stagecoach that would gather up visitors from Nordhoff (now Ojai) to transport them to the springs. When train service finally reached the town in the late 1890's, coaches made a regular run between Nordhoff and the resort. He delivered spring water too and shipped it as far away as New York.

After the death of Abram Blumberg in 1899, (he fell from his bicycle and died of the injuries at age 63), his heirs sold the resort to a wealthy Angeleno, known in the newspapers as S.P. "Barrel O'Money" Creasinger. Indeed, it took $50,000, in 1901, to upgrade the resort as Creasinger added two 42' x 101' plunge baths in a building that also held 77 dressing rooms and installed electric lighting. Unfortunately, Creasinger landed in financial hot water and had to sell out after two years.

The next owner, Sim Meyers from Oxnard, had more success than his predecessor. Opening day in May 1904 went down as a gala event with a crowd of guests from every town in the county attending. Meyers ran the spa for a decade, continuing to add amenities to the resort. He ran it for ten years, dropping a reported $100,000 into the resort.

Matilija Hot Springs, 1908

The spa had a store with an adjacent picnic area. In back of the store sprang a spring with high sulphur content, and across the road lay a swimming pool that featured shade where parents could relax while their children splashed in the pool.

In those days Matilija offered furnished cottages for $2 per day and $10 per week, though some visitors preferred a housekeeping tent for half the price.
A plunge in the pool cost just a quarter.

The outdoor swimming pools still exist, however, cracks are prevent filling.

Joe Linnel, ran the springs between 1920 and 1938.

In 1947 an increasingly thirsty Ventura County needed more water and plans were made to build a dam across the Ventura River in Matilija Canyon. For the project, the county bought the land which held the hot springs.

The resort was leased to William Olivas and continued to operate for many years as a health center. Much of the spa, however, was damaged in the floods of 1969. In the 1980's, due to difficulty with insurance, Matilija Hot Springs was finally closed to the public, a victim of modern times.

In 1988 the zoning was changed from commercial to residential. The land and existing structures were auctioned by the county to the highest bidder. The name was changed to Matilija Sanctuary. After seventeen years, in 2005, and over a century enduring the forces of nature and influence of many, this historic property has changed hands once again. The legacy and stewardship of Matilija Hot Springs and Sanctuary continues.