Conejo Valley and the Jungleland days
By: Sher Hann
Not to be outdone by my colleague Jeff Biebuyck, who found some great 1920s photos of Encino (http://ewingsir.com/historic-encino/), I’d like to present the early days of the Conejo Valley.
My favorite photo, shot by Thousand Oaks chronicler Ed Lawrence, is not in the public domain. It’s a photo from the 1960s that he took at the intersection for Thousand Oaks Blvd. and Moorpark Rd., right by the 101 freeway exchange. It shows shepherds together with their dogs, herding a mass of sheep (none of whom faced the camera). Lawrence’s collection – a 50-year chronicle called From Ranches to Residences – is private (as he one time said, if I were a rich man, I would donate it, but I’ll be working till I die).
However, I did find a trove of photos from the old Jungleland site, now the home of The Lakes shopping center, City Hall and the Civic Arts Plaza. These photos, actually dating to the 20s, can be found at http://stagecoachmuseum.org/jungleland_exhibit/jungleland_exhibit.htm. Don’t remember Jungleland? Take a look!
There is also an archival video, a cross between Ronald Reagan’s General Electric Theater and Bonanza, at http://www.cosf.org/website/html/multimedia-video.html













