In the oldest part of San Buenaventura, atop a small hill, stands an old wooden cross. It's known by locals as, "The Cross" or "Serra Cross", for Father Junipero Serra, founder of the Mission San Buenaventura. The mission is on Main Street, downtown Ventura. This is one of California's oldest missions, and where the City of Ventura was born, and grew.

When I was in school, The Cross had lights attached, and Grant Park was a place where sweet-hearts, tourists and people just wanting to see the view, could safely park, day or night, to look at the city and lights below. The Cross could be seen from air, land and sea at night. It has been a comforting view for decades and generations.

The current hill-top home to The Cross is not its original location. As local history reports, Spanish Missionary, Father Junipero Serra, founded the "Mission San Buenaventura," on Easter Sunday, March 31, 1782. The Father had erected a cross on a sandy beach, close to the mission, at the same time, he blessed an area of land, claiming it for his own Catholic Mission, and his personal life's service mission works.

The original cross on the beach was part of marking the establishment of the mission to be built, and proclaiming works of Father Serra's to come. Shortly after, Father Serra started work on the mission. The second cross was erected on the hillside, to be seen in all the land later to become known as Downtown Ventura, and by which sailors could navigate.

Later still, in 1918, Kenneth and Tonie Grant donated 107 acres surrounding The Cross, the land now known as Grant Park. The Serra Cross was donated to the city of San Buenaventura. In 1941, came one more change. The Cross on the hill was again replaced, this time with the large wooden cross, which today, stands about 20 feet high.

In 2003, The Cross came under attack of an impending lawsuit charging, constitutional law required "separation of church and state". What had become known as a local landmark, a sweet memory for many, and a marker of the birth of the city of Ventura, allegedly violated constitutional law. Because of the City of San Buenaventura's inherited ownership, and the required maintenance of The Cross, the city faced ongoing, expensive and embroiled legal battles.

In the same year, on July 31, 2003, City Council voted, to sell The Cross, and an acre of land surrounding it, to "highest bidder. On September 22, 2003, the parcel now known as, "Serra Cross Park" was sold to San Buenaventura Heritage, Inc., for $104,216.87.

Somewhere in the process The Cross lost its' night-time illumination. Because of public safety after dark, in Grant Park, access to The Cross is restricted with locked gates from dusk to dawn. It’s been moved; taken down, put back up numerous times; lights added and lights stripped off; and guided ships safely to the once commercial pier located at the bottom of California Street. It has survived, evolved and yet remained, a surviving treasure.

The Serra Cross of Ventura is a survivor and symbol of hope everlasting. Don't give up no matter what.

Other Resources:

Weddings at Serra Cross

California Spanish Missions

Mission Sanbuenaventuramission.org

Ventura Visitors Center

San Buenaventura Heritage Inc, PO Box 6803, Ventura, California 93006,
805-644-3286, email: sc@cummingsresearch.com

J. Deborah Coss Editor
Email JDCoss@RoadSideWow.com

Copyright, 2014, J. D. Coss