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| Inscription Along the Ortega Trail |
It's easy to forget (or not even think about in the first place) that many of the hiking and recreational trails we use today follow routes established for very different reasons by those who came long before us. Game trails, ancient Native paths, and historic trails through the backcountry all serve as a substrate for a good number of contemporary trails used regularly by we hikers, backpackers, and mountain bikers. Examples abound. The Mt. Wilson Trail in the Angeles National Forest was established in 1864 to haul timber to Sierra Madre from the summit of Don Benito's mountain. It was also used to transport telescope parts to Mr. Harvard to be used in the first telescope (which was later relocated to Mt. Wilson). Now, hikers and trail-runners trod the old way primarily to get in a good, long day-hike to the summit of Mt. Wilson. The Cold Spring Trail in Santa Barbara was originally the main route leading into the Cuyama Valley from Montecito. Today, it is a pleasant, if not moderately strenuous hiking route to the Camino Cielo, Forbush Flat, and/or Cottam Camp.
And then there's the Ortega Trail (23W08) just north of the town of Ojai. Some sources claim that the trail was named after Jose F. Ortega who in 1895 established an 80 acre homestead at the mouth of canyon. Others suggest that the trail was established by famed vaquero and bear hunter extraordinaire Jose Ramon Ortega, descendent of El Capitan, Jose Francisco Ortega. Either way, it is rumored that the route was originally used to gain access to the upper Sespe from the Ojai Valley. Today the trail is an ORV route that connects the Maricopa Highway near the Holiday Group Camp site to the Cherry Creek area.
A mile or so up the rough trail there is a large sandstone boulder sitting trailside. Etched into the boulder is the inscription "JB King 1908 Jan 30." Immediately above the inscription is a calvary cross. There are no other carvings, inscriptions, or monuments in the immediate vicinity. So the questions that go begging about this inscription are (i) who was J.B. King, and (ii) why did he invest the time and energy into carving his name into this particular stone other than for the sake of notoriety?
I'm certainly not the first person to pose those questions. But to date, no one seemingly has come up with any satisfactory answers or explanations. Short of doing some serious historical research (which is quite difficult in these extraordinary times), the most comprehensive and readily available examination of this mystery can be found in a 1995 Los Angeles Times piece written by columnist Leonard Reed. Although Reed was not able to determine with certainty who the late-20th century Ortega Trail tagger was, he did narrow the field of potential candidates.
According to Reed's sleuthing, the rock carving is most likely attributable to John B. King of Nordhoff (now Ojai) who was a reverend at The Holiness Church and is now buried in Plot 192 of the Nordhoff Cemetery. Reverend King, his wife Katherine Linder King, and his son Robert Linder King are all long dead so any possibility of securing validation from them is non-existent. The Holiness Church is also gone. Established in 1885, the church occupied a wooden building at E. Topa Topa and Ventura Streets until approximately the 1920s. That building was either enlarged or reconstructed and is now occupied by the Ojai Valley Wesleyan Church.
So that is as much of an answer to the riddle as we are going to get unless and until something further can be unearthed. In the meantime, the Ortega Trail still affords the opportunity to walk back in history and see the backcountry much as it appeared during halcyon days of Ventura County's Californio past.
And then there's the Ortega Trail (23W08) just north of the town of Ojai. Some sources claim that the trail was named after Jose F. Ortega who in 1895 established an 80 acre homestead at the mouth of canyon. Others suggest that the trail was established by famed vaquero and bear hunter extraordinaire Jose Ramon Ortega, descendent of El Capitan, Jose Francisco Ortega. Either way, it is rumored that the route was originally used to gain access to the upper Sespe from the Ojai Valley. Today the trail is an ORV route that connects the Maricopa Highway near the Holiday Group Camp site to the Cherry Creek area.
A mile or so up the rough trail there is a large sandstone boulder sitting trailside. Etched into the boulder is the inscription "JB King 1908 Jan 30." Immediately above the inscription is a calvary cross. There are no other carvings, inscriptions, or monuments in the immediate vicinity. So the questions that go begging about this inscription are (i) who was J.B. King, and (ii) why did he invest the time and energy into carving his name into this particular stone other than for the sake of notoriety?
I'm certainly not the first person to pose those questions. But to date, no one seemingly has come up with any satisfactory answers or explanations. Short of doing some serious historical research (which is quite difficult in these extraordinary times), the most comprehensive and readily available examination of this mystery can be found in a 1995 Los Angeles Times piece written by columnist Leonard Reed. Although Reed was not able to determine with certainty who the late-20th century Ortega Trail tagger was, he did narrow the field of potential candidates.
According to Reed's sleuthing, the rock carving is most likely attributable to John B. King of Nordhoff (now Ojai) who was a reverend at The Holiness Church and is now buried in Plot 192 of the Nordhoff Cemetery. Reverend King, his wife Katherine Linder King, and his son Robert Linder King are all long dead so any possibility of securing validation from them is non-existent. The Holiness Church is also gone. Established in 1885, the church occupied a wooden building at E. Topa Topa and Ventura Streets until approximately the 1920s. That building was either enlarged or reconstructed and is now occupied by the Ojai Valley Wesleyan Church.
So that is as much of an answer to the riddle as we are going to get unless and until something further can be unearthed. In the meantime, the Ortega Trail still affords the opportunity to walk back in history and see the backcountry much as it appeared during halcyon days of Ventura County's Californio past.
