by Library Docent Volunteer Andy Ludlum
It was a quiet June morning in 1926 when Joshua Stockton of South Mountain set out along the trail to his ranch. Just beyond a sharp bend, a shadow leaped from the chaparral and a mountain lion blocked his path. For a heart-stopping moment, man and beast stared each other down. The lion lunged, closing to just ten feet, its wild eyes fixed on Stockton. Most would have run but Stockton held his ground, slowly moving forward, refusing to give an inch.
Read the story: Museum of Ventura County