History

The Chumash Native Americans were in fact the first to settle the region around 10,000 years ago. The Chumash were a Native American people who lived in what is now Agoura Hills and the surrounding area for thousands of years. They were a hunter-gatherer society, and their diet consisted of fish, game, and wild plants. They also lived in villages, which were typically located near rivers or streams. The Chumash were skilled artisans, and they made a variety of objects, including baskets, pottery, and jewelry. They also had a rich culture, and they celebrated many festivals and ceremonies throughout the year. In the 18th century, the Chumash were forced to interact with Spanish settlers, who brought with them new diseases and customs. The Chumash population declined significantly during this time, and many of their villages were abandoned. Today, there are still a few Chumash people who live in Agoura Hills and the surrounding area. They are a part of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, and they continue to practice their culture and traditions.

In about 1800,

Miguel Ortega was granted a Spanish grazing concession called Rancho Las Virgenes. However, the grant was abandoned after Ortega’s death in 1810, and José Maria Dominguez was given Rancho Las Virgenes as a Mexican land grant in 1834. Maria Antonia Machado de Reyes purchased the rancho from Dominguez in 1845. Spanish Franciscan missionaries established El Camino Real in the late 18th century. In short this was a road that passed through what would later become Agoura Hills. In fact, the name “Agoura” is a misspelling of the last name of Pierre Agoure. Pierre was a local Basque man who had settled in the area in 1871.

By 1900,

Agoura Hills was being used as a popular stage stop for travelers along the Camino Real. In addition, Paramount Pictures owned Paramount Ranch in the area used for filming Westerns, which led to the community being briefly known as Picture City. For example, the 1953 film Shane was filmed in Agoura Hills. Agoura residents were required to choose a one-word name for their post office, and they chose Agoura, was subsequently a misspelling of the last name of Pierre Agoure. As a result, the city was officially incorporated in 1982, becoming the 83rd city in Los Angeles County. This was partly because of the rapid growth of the city in the late 1960s and 1970s, which was fueled by the construction of the Ventura Freeway section of U.S. Route 101. Which traverses through the city. The first housing tracts started in Agoura were Hillrise, Liberty Canyon, and Lake Lindero. These tracts quickly filled up with people. The new residents were attracted to the city’s natural beauty and its proximity to Los Angeles. Agoura Hills residents banded together in 1978 to lobby Sacramento to widen the Kanan Bridge. This led to legislation being passed requiring the State Department of Transportation to award contracts for widening the Kanan Road bridge overpass, over the Ventura Freeway, from two lanes to four lanes. The 1980s was indeed a period of tremendous growth, with large land areas being subdivided into housing tracts and a great wave of migration of people into the city. As a result, the downtown area was filled with shops and restaurants, and the city became a popular destination for tourists and businesses alike.