Historian honored by the city she loves
By Michelle Knight
knight@theacorn.com

Pat Havens has devoted many of her 75 years to preserving the history of Simi Valley. And the city she loves celebrated her lifelong efforts this past Saturday at the Strathearn Historical Park, the museum she was instrumental in establishing.

"For many, many, many years she preserved the history of Simi Valley, the buildings and all the antiques, as a labor of love. She didn’t get a penny for it," said Colleen Janssen, a spokeswoman for the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District, who has worked shoulder-to-shoulder with Havens for the last few years.

The park district has partnered with Havens and the Simi Valley Historical Society for the last several years, purchasing historic buildings and helping the group restore them.

After noting how much time Havens has put into preserving history, Janssen added, "She was a pioneer in knowing what to do."

The history of Pat Havens

One night in 1964, Havens and three friends decided to finally do what they’d talked about for years: save and document the history of Simi Valley. The group formed the Simi Valley Historical Society and began collecting artifacts from family, friends and other resident old-timers. They opened a museum in 1968 in the city’s first library, a tiny building that was then on Third Street and since has been moved to the historical park.

The next year, the Strathearn family donated to the group six acres of land, which included an adobe building dating back to 1810 and the family home built in 1892. The family also donated heirlooms, such as the home’s furnishings and 100-year-old correspondence. Over the years other structures, such as the 103-year-old St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, have been added by the park district. And thus was born the Strathearn Historical Park and Museum.

Pat Hayes was a freshman in high school when her family moved to Simi Valley. A few years after graduation, she married Neil Havens, whose family had lived in the valley since 1889. Neil and his family were Simi Valley groundbreakers. His grandfather was the town’s first postmaster. He began the first mail delivery service—mail was brought to residents instead of the other way around—which meant a daily trip of 55 miles on dirt roads. Neil’s father also served as postmaster, as did Neil for 30 years. And Neil Havens helped start the Simi Valley Education Foundation, which has become a fundraising arm for the city’s schools.

The Havens went on to have three children and four grandchildren. But with her daughters living out of state, Neil’s death, and her son’s move to San Diego last year, Pat is now the last of the Hayes and Havens families to live in Ventura County.

A former elementary school teacher who taught from 1951 to 1955, Havens remembers having more than 40 students in her Simi Valley classroom.

"Don’t talk to me about large classrooms," she said with a smile.

For the last 30 years, Havens has taught a 10-week course on Simi Valley history at the adult school. Although, she won’t teach the class after this semester, Havens will be busy nonetheless. The book she co-authored, "Simi Valley—A Journey Through Time," now in its fourth printing, continues to sell.

She’ll continue as museum director or city historian, an honor bestowed on her 24 years ago. She’ll also continue collecting Simi Valley’s history piece by piece and overseeing the $300,000 renovation of the stately St. Rose of Lima church, expected to be completed by summer. She’s working on editing the Strathearn letters, and on ways to raise the over $2 million needed to build a permanent home for the museum.

Havens said attendance at the museum has dropped recently and laid the blame on the pace of life. "People are just moving too fast," she said.

Her advice: Step back in time and visit the museum and park.

"We need to learn from the past in order to appreciate where we are now."