June 4, 2026
Quote of the Day
There is always a madness in love. There is, however, also always a reason in madness.
~ Friedrich Nietzsche
This Day in History
June 4, 1876: Express train crosses the nation in 83 hours. That any human being could travel across the entire nation in less than four days was inconceivable to previous generations of Americans. During the early 19th century, when Thomas Jefferson first dreamed of an American nation stretching from “sea to shining sea,” it took the president 10 days to travel the 225 miles from Monticello to Philadelphia via carriage. Even with frequent changing of horses, the 100-mile journey from New York to Philadelphia demanded two days of hard travel in a light stagecoach. At such speeds, the coasts of the continent-wide American nation were months apart. How could such a vast country ever hope to remain united?
As early as 1802, Jefferson had some glimmer of an answer. “The introduction of so powerful an agent as steam,” he predicted, “[to a carriage on wheels] will make a great change in the situation of man.” Though Jefferson never saw a train in his lifetime, he had glimpsed the future with the idea. Within half a century, America would have more railroads than any other nation in the world. By 1869, the first transcontinental line linking the coasts was completed. Suddenly, a journey that had previously taken months using horses could be made in less than a week.
Five days after the transcontinental railroad was completed, daily passenger service over the rails began. The speed and comfort offered by rail travel was so astonishing that many Americans could scarcely believe it, and popular magazines wrote glowing accounts of the amazing journey. For the wealthy, a trip on the transcontinental railroad was a luxurious experience. First-class passengers rode in beautifully appointed cars with plush velvet seats that converted into snug sleeping berths. The finer amenities included steam heat, fresh linen daily and gracious porters who catered to their every whim. For an extra $4 a day, the wealthy traveler could opt to take the weekly Pacific Hotel Express, which offered first-class dining on board. As one happy passenger wrote, “The rarest and richest of all my journeying through life is this three-thousand miles by rail.”
The trip was a good deal less speedy and comfortable for passengers unwilling or unable to pay the premium fares. Whereas most of the first-class passengers traveled the transcontinental line for business or pleasure, the third-class occupants were often emigrants hoping to make a new start in the West. A third-class ticket could be purchased for only $40–less than half the price of the first-class fare. At this low rate, the traveler received no luxuries. Their cars, fitted with rows of narrow wooden benches, were congested, noisy and uncomfortable. The railroad often attached the coach cars to freight cars that were constantly shunted aside to make way for the express trains. Consequently, the third-class traveler’s journey west might take 10 or more days. Even under these trying conditions, few travelers complained. Even 10 days spent sitting on a hard bench seat was preferable to six months walking alongside a Conestoga wagon on the Oregon Trail.
Railroad promotions, however, naturally focused on the speedy express trains. The arrival of the Transcontinental Express train in San Francisco on this day in 1876 was widely celebrated in the newspapers and magazines of the day. With this new express service, a businessman could leave New York City on Monday morning, spend 83 hours in relaxing comfort, and arrive refreshed and ready for work in San Francisco by Thursday evening. The powerful agent of steam had effectively shrunk a vast nation to a manageable size.
[And to think…we complain about our flights being delayed a couple of hours. – Ray]
Ojai Weather
Mostly sunny – High 81 / Low 49
Total rainfall for the season – 27.87
Lake Casitas water capacity – 99.3%
Thursday, June 4, 2026
1:45 p.m.
There are four new or “coming soon” listings on the market:
435 Gridley Road – $2,795,000
483 Avenida Del Recreo – $1,150,000
1442 S. Rice Road – $2,295,000 (coming soon, 6/5)
1008 Creekside Way #A – $735,000
(This is already a pending sale)
Pic of the Day
Wednesday, June 3, 2026
12:50 p.m.
This is a new listing on the market:
10 Taormina Lane – $1,325,000
Recently cancelled, withdrawn, or expired listings – back on the market as “new:”
- 275 Fairview Road – $1,999,888 (this had recently been cancelled on 5/27).
Pic of the Day
Tuesday, June 2, 2026
1:20 p.m.
There are three new listings on the market:
228 High Street – $1,179,000
10948 Alto Court – $4,995,000
12400 Ojai Santa Paula Road – $2,700,000
The list of Libbey Bowl concerts has been updated!
Pic of the Day
Friday, May 29, 2026
1:40 p.m.
There is one new listing on the market:
651 Oak Grove Court – $4,950,000
Recently cancelled, withdrawn, or expired listings – back on the market as “new:”
- 407 Bryant Circle #G – $995,000 (this had recently expired on 5/8).
Have a great weekend!
Pic of the Day
Thursday, May 28, 2026
12:35 p.m.
There are two new listings on the market:
270 Valley Road – $1,065,000
601 Pearl Street – $3,700,000
Pic of the Day
Wednesday, May 27, 2026
10:45 a.m.
Five new listings have come to the market since last Friday:
1994 E. Ojai Avenue – $1,818,000
314 W. Santa Ana Boulevard – $1,795,000
919 E. Matilija Street – $1,195,000
1888 Garst Lane – $16,500,000
1102 Ayers Avenue – $799,000
Pic of the Day
Monday, May 25, 2026
Rest in peace to my dear friend, Ken Knight, Air Force Veteran (4/1/26)
Friday, May 22, 2026
12:45 p.m.
There are no new listings for today. Recently cancelled, withdrawn, or expired listings – back on the market as “new:”
- 386 Larmier Avenue – $997,000 (this had recently been cancelled on 3/2).
Have a wonderful weekend!
Pic of the Day
Thursday, May 21, 2026
1:00 p.m.
There are two new listings on the market:
305 S. Ventura Street – $1,800,000
0 Valley Meadow Ct. – $650,000
Pic of the Day
Wednesday, May 20, 2026
12:00 p.m.
Three new or “coming soon” listings have come to the market since last Friday:
1009 Daly Road – $3,750,000
132 Don Felipe Way – $315,000
312 Avenida de la Vereda – $1,275,000 (coming soon, 6/5)
Recently cancelled, withdrawn, or expired listings – back on the market as “new:”
- 10585 Ojai Santa Paula Road – $6,750,000 (this had expired on 5/1).
- 1738 Orchard Drive – $798,000 (this was cancelled on 2/26).
Pic of the Day
Friday, May 15, 2026
9:45 a.m.
There are four new or “coming soon” listings on the market:
920 El Centro Street – $2,195,000
1119 N. Signal Street – $3,125,000
66 Taormina Lane – $1,599,000
10622 Encino Drive – $2,250,000 (coming soon, 5/29)
Have a great weekend!
Pic of the Day
Thursday, May 14, 2026
9:45 a.m.
There are two new listings on the market:
1450 Grand Avenue – $2,995,000
2225 Maricopa Highway – $975,000
Recently cancelled, withdrawn, or expired listings – back on the market as “new:”
- 211 Fox Street – $950,000 (this had recently expired on 5/10).
Pic of the Day
Wednesday, May 13, 2026
11:40 a.m.
There is one new listing on the market:
1402 N. Drown Avenue – $1,395,000
Pic of the Day
Tuesday, May 12, 2026
11:55 a.m.
No new listings have come to the market since Friday.
Recently cancelled, withdrawn, or expired listings – back on the market as “new:”
- 883 Moreno Drive – $1,599,000 (this was recently cancelled on 4/30).
Pic of the Day
Friday, May 8, 2026
10:15 a.m.
There are five new listings on the market:
420 Andrew Drive – $1,879,000
4222 Thacher Road – $1,495,000
1317 Meadowbrook Road – $1,300,000
410 Church Road #24 – $949,000
1264 Ferrara Drive – $980,000
Here’s a quick Ojai market snapshot:
Pic of the Day
Thursday, May 7, 2026
10:05 a.m.
There are six new or “coming soon” listings on the market:
5180 Reeves Road – $7,499,000
245 E. Oak View Avenue – $1,075,000
1186 S. Rice Road – $1,695,000
1202 Loma Drive #41 – $439,900
(This was originally listed as “coming soon” on 1/24, but didn’t hit the market until now.)
205 Grand Vista Street – $825,000
144 Valley Ridge Drive – $1,150,000 (coming soon, 5/26)
(There is no link available as of yet. This is a 4 bed/2 bath, 1,744 sq. ft. home on .20 acres)
Recently cancelled, withdrawn, or expired listings – back on the market as “new:”
- 587 N. Rice Road – $1,449,000 (this had recently been cancelled on 4/16).
Pic of the Day
Tuesday, May 5, 2026
10:30 a.m.
Seven new or “coming soon” listings have come to the market since last week:
208 W. Oak View Avenue – $649,000
199 Fairview Road – $3,690,000
326 Descanso Avenue – $1,089,000
956 Tico Road – $1,285,500
805 Ventura Avenue – $500,000
474 N. Arnaz Street #3 – $195,000
25 Feliz Drive – $1,894,444 (coming soon, 5/6)
Pic of the Day
Click here for archived April, 2026 posts
