Rancho Sierra Vista is one of the last intact ranches from the first half of the twentieth century in the Santa Monica Mountains. The majority of the landscape is much as it was 100 years ago. The area is now owned by the
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is a United States national recreation area containing many individual parks and open space preserves, located primarily in the Santa Monica Mountains of Southern California. The SMMNRA is in t ...
, a unit of the
National Park System
The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational properties ...
.
It is home of
Satwiwa Native American Indian Culture Center
Satwiwa (Chumash: "the bluffs") was a former Chumash village in the Santa Monica Mountains of Newbury Park, California. The current Satwiwa Native American Indian Culture Center is operated by the National Park Service in cooperation with the Frie ...
.
Prehistory and European Contact
Over 150 archeological sites have been found indicating both permanent and transient occupation of the area by Native Americans. In 2014, glass beads were found at a small site exposed by the
Springs Fire
The Springs Fire was a wildfire in Ventura County, California in May 2013. Although the fire burned only 15 homes, it threatened 4,000. This threat passed when rain shower moved through the California area because of a low-pressure system off th ...
. This find possibly indicates contact in the late 1700s during the initial period of Spanish colonial occupation.
The first European land exploration of the area was the
Portola Expedition Portola may refer to:
* ''Portola'' (album), a 1998 album by Rose Melberg
* Portola, California
* Portola, San Francisco, California
People with the surname
* Gaspar de Portolá
Gaspar de Portolá y Rovira (January 1, 1716 – October 10, 1 ...
of 1769-70. The horsemen portrayed in the Saddle Rock Ranch Pictographs in the heart of the
Santa Monica Mountains
The Santa Monica Mountains is a coastal mountain range in Southern California, next to the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the Transverse Ranges. Because of its proximity to densely populated regions, it is one of the most visited natural areas in ...
are considered to be a representation of Portola's exploring party, and have been determined to be eligible as a
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
. The expeditions led by
Juan Bautista de Anza
Juan Bautista de Anza Bezerra Nieto (July 6 or 7, 1736 – December 19, 1788) was an expeditionary leader, military officer, and politician primarily in California and New Mexico under the Spanish Empire. He is credited as one of the founding fa ...
also travelled through the area, first in 1774 and then again in 1776. The
Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail
The Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail is a trail extending from Nogales on the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona, through the California desert and coastal areas in Southern California and the Central Coast region to San Francisco. ...
passes through Rancho Sierra Vista.
Rancho period, 1802–1870s
Rancho Las Virgenes, 1802
Rancho Las Virgenes
Rancho Las Vírgenes was a land grant in the Santa Monica Mountains and Simi Hills, in present day western Los Angeles County, California. The lands of the Rancho Las Vírgenes included present day Agoura Hills, Oak Park, and Westlake Villag ...
was a 17,760 acre land grant given to Miguel Ortega but was abandoned after his death in 1809. Nemecio Domínguez and Domingo Carrillo received a Mexican grant in 1834.
[Ogden Hoffman, 1862, ''Reports of Land Cases Determined in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California'', Numa Hubert, San Francisco] The lands of the Rancho Las Vírgenes included present day
Agoura Hills
Agoura Hills () is a city in the Santa Monica Mountains region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. Its population was 20,330 at the 2010 census, which decreased to
20,299 in 2020. It is in the eastern Conejo Valley between the S ...
,
Oak Park, and
Westlake Village
Westlake Village is a city in Los Angeles County on its western border with Ventura County. The City of Westlake Village incorporated in 1981 becoming the 82nd municipality of Los Angeles County.Baker, Pam (2002). ''Thousand Oaks Westlake Vil ...
and part of the
Santa Monica Mountains
The Santa Monica Mountains is a coastal mountain range in Southern California, next to the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the Transverse Ranges. Because of its proximity to densely populated regions, it is one of the most visited natural areas in ...
.
Lindero Canyon marked the boundary between this ranch and
Rancho El Conejo
Rancho El Conejo was a Spanish land grant in California given in 1803 to Jose Polanco and Ygnacio Rodriguez that encompassed the area now known as the Conejo Valley in southeastern Ventura and northwestern Los Angeles Counties. ''El Conejo'' is ...
. ''Lindero'' means "border" in Spanish. Medea Creek, a tributary of
Malibu Creek
Malibu Creek is a year-round stream in western Los Angeles County, California. It drains the southern Conejo Valley and Simi Hills, flowing south through the Santa Monica Mountains, and enters Santa Monica Bay in Malibu, California. The Malibu C ...
, flows through the center of old Rancho Las Virgenes. ''Medea'' is an anglicization of the Spanish word ''medio'' meaning "middle".
Rancho El Conejo, 1803
Local ranching history in the western
Santa Monica Mountains
The Santa Monica Mountains is a coastal mountain range in Southern California, next to the Pacific Ocean. It is part of the Transverse Ranges. Because of its proximity to densely populated regions, it is one of the most visited natural areas in ...
began in 1803 when former soldiers Jose Polanco and Ignacio Rodriquez were granted
Rancho El Conejo
Rancho El Conejo was a Spanish land grant in California given in 1803 to Jose Polanco and Ygnacio Rodriguez that encompassed the area now known as the Conejo Valley in southeastern Ventura and northwestern Los Angeles Counties. ''El Conejo'' is ...
by the King of Spain.
Rancho Guadalasca, 1836
Rancho Guadalasca
Rancho Guadalasca was a Mexican land grant in present-day Ventura County, California given in 1836 by Governor Mariano Chico to Ysabel Yorba. The grant was in the southern part of the county, bordering on Los Angeles County. The grant extended ...
was a 30,594 acre
Mexican land grant
The Spanish and Mexican governments made many concessions and land grants in Alta California (now known as California) and Baja California from 1775 to 1846. The Spanish Concessions of land were made to retired soldiers as an inducement for ...
given in 1836 by Governor
Mariano Chico
Colonel Mariano Chico Navarro (1796–1850) served one of the briefest terms as Alta California governor from April 1836 to July 1836. He was both preceded and succeeded by the equally unpopular Lieutenant Colonel Nicolás Gutiérrez, who joine ...
to Ysabel Yorba.
The Rancho Guadalasca portion of the area now known as Rancho Sierra Vista was sold in 1871 by
Ysabel Yorba. The southern part of the rancho was purchased by
William Richard Broome
William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...
in 1871. His son, Thornhill Francis Broome, is the namesake for Thornhill Broome Beach in
Point Mugu State Park
Point Mugu State Park is a state park located in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area in Southern California. The rugged, nearly impassible shoreline of the western Santa Monica Mountains gives way to tidal lagoons and coastal sand ...
.
American settlement period, 1870s–1935
Beal period, 1936–1946
Wealthy petroleum geologist Carl Beal purchased the northern section of the old rancho in 1936 and christened the area Rancho Sierra Vista, meaning Mountain View Ranch in Spanish. Beal constructed most of the current ranch buildings and his house and barbecue pit in Sycamore Canyon in what is now
Point Mugu State Park
Point Mugu State Park is a state park located in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area in Southern California. The rugged, nearly impassible shoreline of the western Santa Monica Mountains gives way to tidal lagoons and coastal sand ...
.
Beal explored the ranch for water and developed a system of dams, wells, springs, and reservoirs that provided the water for a variety of agricultural products and horses. He was the person responsible for building 25 miles of roads and 18 wells feeding the 14 miles of steel pipe that is seen alongside today's trails. Water for his avocados was brought in by pipe from a spring at
Boney Mountain. Near this spring was a cabin. Beal was probably not the person who built the cabin, but he and his son used it as their hunting cabin. It has since been destroyed by fire and only the foundation and chimney remain.
The Beals were well known for hosting parties and barbecues at Rancho Sierra Vista which often included riding and other sports.
The Beals also reported having problems with escaped patients from the nearby
Camarillo State Hospital
Camarillo State Mental Hospital, also known as Camarillo State Hospital, was a public psychiatric hospital for patients with both developmental disabilities and mental illness in Camarillo, California. The hospital was in operation from 1936 to 1 ...
. In 1940 Carl Beal reported that escapees found on his ranch had threatened to kill him and had started wildfires.
Danielson period, 1947–1980
In 1947 Richard E. Danielson (1913-1988) purchased 7,793 acres of Rancho Sierra Vista from the estate of Carlton Beal, the son of Carl Beal. Danielson was the great grandson of the founder of
International Harvester
The International Harvester Company (often abbreviated by IHC, IH, or simply International ( colloq.)) was an American manufacturer of agricultural and construction equipment, automobiles, commercial trucks, lawn and garden products, household e ...
and had inherited a substantial fortune. He and his family lived primarily in Los Angeles and visited Rancho Sierra Vista only occasionally, for weekends or holidays. Danielson is responsible for completing the ranch house, including the swimming pool, and paving twelve miles of roads. Danielson is reputed to have been a staunch advocate of water conservation and rural land preservation.
["Richard E. Danielson," ''Plain Dealer'' (Cleveland, Ohio), January 1, 1989, page 64.] He built a dam on the property to conserve water which was used to irrigate lemon groves, and became the largest individual lemon grower in California.
He also raised cattle, sheep and
quarter horse
The American Quarter Horse, or Quarter Horse, is an American breed of horse that excels at sprinting short distances. Its name is derived from its ability to outrun other horse breeds in races of a quarter mile or less; some have been clocked at s ...
s.
Danielson is reported to have "preserved the early Spanish atmosphere
f Rancho Sierra Vistaby employing true Mexican vaqueros to handle their large herd of Hereford Cattle."
Between 1972 and 1973 Danielson donated 5,585 acres of his ranch to the state of California which became
Point Mugu State Park
Point Mugu State Park is a state park located in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area in Southern California. The rugged, nearly impassible shoreline of the western Santa Monica Mountains gives way to tidal lagoons and coastal sand ...
. In 1980 Danielson sold 850 acres containing the horse ranch to the
National Park Service
The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...
. It became one of the first acquisition of the newly created
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is a United States national recreation area containing many individual parks and open space preserves, located primarily in the Santa Monica Mountains of Southern California. The SMMNRA is in t ...
. Danielson died December 27, 1988 and was buried near the cabin site. Plots are reserved there for the rest of his family. The "Peace, Love and Joy" artwork marks the location.
NPS period, 1980–present
The
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is a United States national recreation area containing many individual parks and open space preserves, located primarily in the Santa Monica Mountains of Southern California. The SMMNRA is in t ...
purchased the area in 1980. The site is now home to a native plant nursery, the park's horse stable, and the
Satwiwa Native American Indian Culture Center
Satwiwa (Chumash: "the bluffs") was a former Chumash village in the Santa Monica Mountains of Newbury Park, California. The current Satwiwa Native American Indian Culture Center is operated by the National Park Service in cooperation with the Frie ...
. It is also a popular starting point for hikers, equestrians, and mountain bikers exploring
Point Mugu State Park
Point Mugu State Park is a state park located in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area in Southern California. The rugged, nearly impassible shoreline of the western Santa Monica Mountains gives way to tidal lagoons and coastal sand ...
and
Boney Mountain. The Wendy Drive Trailhead can also be used to access Rancho Sierra Vista, Point Mugu State Park, as well as the 25 miles of th
Los Robles Trail system which is administered by the
Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency.
From 1983 to 1994,
Moorpark College
Moorpark College is a public community college in Moorpark, California. It was established in 1967 with enrollment of 2,500 students and enrolled 14,254 students in 2014. An Exotic Animal Training and Management center houses over 200 animals o ...
used Rancho Sierra Vista for their Equestrian Training and Management Program, stabling and training over 100 horses on site.
According to the
National Parks Conservation Association
The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) is the only independent, nonpartisan membership organization devoted exclusively to advocacy on behalf of the National Parks System. Its mission is "to protect and enhance America's National Pa ...
, "the majority of the barns, equipment sheds, wells, and staff residences from this period (1936-1946) remain, making Rancho Sierra Vista historically significant as one of the last intact 20th-century ranches in the Santa Monica Mountains." Moreover, the site is eligible for entry in the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
, but as of 2008 has not yet been nominated.
A restoration project to bring back critical habitat for birds and other animals had already been started when in May 2013, the
Springs Fire
The Springs Fire was a wildfire in Ventura County, California in May 2013. Although the fire burned only 15 homes, it threatened 4,000. This threat passed when rain shower moved through the California area because of a low-pressure system off th ...
burned nearly 70 percent of Rancho Sierra Vista. From January to March 2014, a team of volunteers planting 24,000 plants to help restore the area with native plants such as coast live oak trees and flowering purple sage. By restoring the plant community that existed before ranching practices changed the area, they expect the area to be less prone to wildfires.
[Carlson, Cheri (June 8, 2014]
"Restoration project takes hold in area burned by Springs Fire"
''Ventura County Star
The ''Ventura County Star'' (Marked online as VC Star) is a daily newspaper published in Camarillo, California and serves all of Ventura County. It is owned by Gannett, the largest publisher of newspapers in the United States. It is a successor ...
''
See also
*
Satwiwa
Satwiwa (Chumash: "the bluffs") was a former Chumash village in the Santa Monica Mountains of Newbury Park, California. The current Satwiwa Native American Indian Culture Center is operated by the National Park Service in cooperation with the Frie ...
*
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is a United States national recreation area containing many individual parks and open space preserves, located primarily in the Santa Monica Mountains of Southern California. The SMMNRA is in t ...
*
Boney Mountain State Wilderness Area
Boney Mountain in Ventura County, California is one of the highest peaks in the Santa Monica Mountains. The prominent mountain visible from Newbury Park, California is . It is also known as Boney Peak. The mountain contains four of the highest p ...
References
External links
{{authority control
Protected areas of Ventura County, California
Ranches in California
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area