The old-fashioned steamers, shipping vessels and commercial wharf of a bygone era have long since become things of the past, but Ventura's historic wooden pier still stands strong as a recreational attraction to fishermen, tourists and locals alike.

Fresh, cool sea breezes, a variety of local fish to reel in, casual places to eat within walking distance and a beachfront promenade for strolling, jogging or biking have ensured that Ventura's pier remains a popular visiting spot.

The pier, originally 1,958 feet long but now about 1,620 feet in length, was built in 1872 as a commercial wharf before the railroad came to then-rural Ventura. The pier has been battered and badly damaged many times by fierce storms throughout the decades, but it has always come back -- repaired or rebuilt once again -- for future generations to enjoy.

These days, fishermen, joggers, tourists and county residents out for a leisurely stroll share the path out to sea. The modern-day pier is lined with park benches and informational displays with historical photos about the pier's history, local fish, birds, the Chumash Indians and the Channel Islands. The pier is flanked by beaches with lifeguard towers, umbrella stands for rent, volleyball courts and toddler playgrounds.

On a recent sunny Friday morning, Chris Alapont of Ventura was walking along the promenade toward the pier with her two dogs, a Chihuahua and a Chihuahua-dachshund mix.

"It's beautiful here," Alapont said. "This is one place where you can people-watch, fishermen-watch, sea-watch and dog-watch. We do it all. It's great."

Fishing is the lure for many

At the end of the pier, far out into the ocean, Dennis Prien caught a perch and tossed the squirming fish back into the sea. Prien moved from Colorado to Oxnard a year ago and has become a regular visitor to the Ventura Pier. This summer he took up fishing, even though he throws back everything he catches.

"I like the sun, the friendliness of the people, the camaraderie of the fishermen. You hear a lot of stories here," the retired autoworker said with a laugh.

Darrell Maggand, an offshore oil worker who lives in Santa Barbara, is a veteran fisherman who visits Ventura's pier about once a week. Maggand said he likes to try to catch thresher sharks, a popular catch in Ventura.

"I've seen guys catch eight or nine threshers here in a day," he said.

Other fish commonly caught off the pier include bass, mackerel, yellowtail, white and calico sea bass, perch and halibut.

While the Ventura Pier today is used for recreation and dining, it was once a major force in Ventura County's agricultural, construction and oil trade businesses. The Ventura Pier was used commercially until 1936, when it was eclipsed by larger ports and trains.

Wharf first built for business

The idea for a commercial pier in Ventura initially came about when local prominent citizens Joseph Wolfson and his father-in-law, Juan Camarillo, proposed at a town meeting to finance construction of a wharf to aid local commerce. The construction contract went to the same builder, R.G. Salisbury, who constructed Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara. A warehouse was soon built at the new Ventura wharf and the commercial shipping trade began to thrive.

Exports included cattle, hogs, sheep, wheat, barley, corn and citrus, and by the 1890s, oil drilled around west Ventura, Santa Paula and Fillmore. Imported items included coal, glass, hardware, kerosene, sugar, coffee, tea and cigars from Cuba.

Despite its commercial success, however, the wooden pier was vulnerable to damage from winter storms and took repeated beatings from waves that often resulted in closures of all or part of the pier. In 1914, the pier was cut in half by the SS Coos Bay, a ship that was pounded to pieces on the beach after waves slammed it into the pier. The pier was rebuilt in 1917 with an additional 500 feet.

In 1926, another storm damaged the pier and killed wharf bookkeeper George Proctor. Eight years later, a fire destroyed much of the rebuilt pier. It was damaged again about a half-dozen more times after that, and repaired or rebuilt, until it was fully renovated with about 100 new wooden pilings in 1993.

Another storm, another rebuilding

Then in December 1995, the pier was pounded again by huge waves during a storm, lost 423 feet and was partly closed until the city of Ventura had it repaired for about $1.5 million, this time using steel pilings for extra support. In addition, a newly configured end was built on, adding 80 more feet to bring the pier to its current length of about 1,620 feet, said Rick Raivef, an engineer with the city of Ventura, which owns the pier and maintains it annually.

Still, Raivef said, there's no way to guarantee that the pier will escape storm damage in the future.

"You can't mess with Mother Nature," he said.