Abstract The Bard family is one of the most influential families in Ventura County history. The family moved to the area from Pennsylvania by Thomas R. Bard in the 1860s. He was soon followed by his brother, Cephas "Little" Bard, who was a trained medical doctor. Thomas R. Bard was involved in local politics and went on to serve as a senator in the U.S. Senate. Dr. Bard practiced medicine in Ventura County and his collection of curios served as the basis for what would eventually become the Museum of...

Abstract Madeline Miedema was an Oxnard historian and educator. Born in 1909 in Michigan, her family moved to Oxnard when she was 9 years old. She attended school in Oxnard and received post-secondary education at University of California Berkeley and the University of Southern California. She served in numerous community organizations and worked as a teacher, school librarian, vice-principal, and Board of Trustees member for the Oxnard school district. Miedema died in Oxnard on September 11, 1994....