Henry J. Oliva was a lifelong resident of Ventura County and worked as an accountant in the same office in downtown Ventura from 1933 to 1986. He was involved in many local organizations throughout his life such as the Ventura Elks Lodge, Ventura County Baseball Club, Native Sons of the Golden West and the Greater Ventura Chamber of Commerce. This collection is predominantly historical photographs of Ventura County along with receipts, legal documents, and ledgers from his professional and personal life.

Henry J. Oliva was born on February 19, 1901, to Joseph Oliva and Nellie Candida Oliva, both residents of Santa Paula. His father owned a saloon in Santa Paula and his mother died shortly after his birth. He was the grandchild of Giovanni and Maria Raffetto, who immigrated to the United States in the late nineteenth century from Italy and were active and prominent citizens in Ventura County. He was employed by the Bank of Italy in downtown Ventura until he opened his own accounting practice beneath the El Nido Hotel in 1933. He worked in that same office until his death at age eighty-five in 1986. He was active in many local organizations such as the Ventura Elks Lodge, Ventura County Baseball Club, and the Greater Ventura Chamber of Commerce.

1.74 Cubic Feet (1 carton, 2 legal-sized document boxes)

Property rights to the physical object belong to the Museum of Ventura County. Literary rights, including copyright, are retained by the MVC.

Open for research. Advance requests can be made to Research Library staff via email.