Webmaster's note.

Original caption: Miss Lucretia del Valle, whose picture is to circle the globe as that of a typical California girl, so declared by her compatriots in southern California. Her ancestral home and jewels have been described in Helen Hunt Jackson's novel "Ramona." (Click to enlarge.)

Lucretia del Valle: A Daughter of the Dons.

Twenty-Two Prisoners Are Taken to Los Angeles.

Sunset, The Pacific Monthly | Vol. 33 No. 1 | July 1914, pp. 120-122.

Truly she is a Daughter of the Dons — beautiful, vivacious, talented Lucretia del Valle, scion of an ancient Spanish-California family, whose picture is to circle the globe as that of a typical California girl, so declared by her compatriots in southern California. That the choice is an especially happy one, and that the commonwealth is to be congratulated on the wisdom of the Southland in selecting this particular one of many charming daughters to carry her message around the world, is evident from even a brief survey of the facts.

Miss Del Valle, in the first place, is a child of the Golden West and of the Old California, as well as of the new era. In the second place she is altogether lovely and lovable, just for herself alone.

The first Del Valle came to California in the Long Ago, having journeyed thither with Father Junipero Serra when the land was one vast wilderness. The next of the illustrious name came with Don Gaspar de Portola,^[1] and bore the hardships of exploration and discovery and pioneer achievements. The early history of California is closely associated with the history of this branch of the family, the direct forbears of Miss Lucretia. The Del Valle estate is the old Camulos rancho, situated half-way between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara.^[2] In the days of the Dons it comprised some five thousand acres, but has now dwindled to 1,800.^[3]. It stretches across the valley from side to side and a rude cross on the hilltop marks each boundary.^[4] Here is the wonderful old adobe house of twenty-two rooms, which has been immortalized by Helen Hunt Jackson as the home of Ramona in her story of that name^[5], and it was here that Mrs. Jackson wrote much of her famous tale.^[6] Here is also to be seen the ancient Indian chapel pictured in "Ramona"^[7], while the outbuildings and surrounding landscape are familiar to thousands through the pages of this charming tale of love and tragedy. It was here that Miss Del Valle was born^[8] and where she loves best to be, although for more years than the span of her lifetime the family residence has been in Los Angeles. Her association with the scenes of the familiar story has led to the statement that she is a descendant of Ramona's adopted mother. This is obviously untrue, as the character was purely fictitious, but the jewels described by Mrs. Jackson were the Del Valle heirlooms, and these are now in the possession of Miss Del Valle.

Click to enlarge.

When the heiress to the Camulos rancho arrives within its broad domain she sheds the trappings of conventionality as one sheds a coat in summertime, and becomes again a Daughter of the Dons. All the old Spanish-Californian customs are observed with scrupulous care. Masses are read, rosaries are told and prayers said as in the days of old. Here the little Lucretia is a queen come again into her own, for her position as eldest grandchild entitles her to all hereditary honors: her slender hand is reverently kissed by the faithful old Indian servants who still abide at the rancho^[9]; she reads the mass and tells the rosary, and sits at the head of the board. And she takes it all with graceful seriousness, being in her heart a "grande dame" of an age long dead, and the old servants adore her for it.

Miss Del Valle's chosen profession is the stage and she has become known to many Californians, and in fact to thousands from all parts of (the) globe, as the Señora Yorba of the Mission Play. Although she has met with much success in other roles, this one is her favorite, and it gives vent to a thousand day-dreams, and transplants her to times and scenes that she loves. Her devotion to this ideal may be understood in the light of the fact that she gave up an opportunity to star under Savage last season in New York, to return to Los Angeles and resume her role in the mission Play for the engagement in San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego. Also she vows that whenever the Mission Play needs her, no other engagement shall stand in the way of her answer to the call.

The father of this delightful daughter is himself a man of note. Reginald F. del Valle has served his state in the Senate of the United States^[10], and in other capacities none the less useful if less distinguished. He is an attorney of repute and is president of the present Los Angeles Water Department, which is responsible for the bringing of the Kern river water¹¹ into the Angel City. On her mother's side Miss Lucretia receives a strain of old Southern blood, of which she is almost as proud as she is of her Spanish-California ancestry — almost, but not quite.

Miss Del Valle's picture is to accompany a series of moving pictures of Calfiornia and will be flashed upon the screen in a thousand cities as a typical girl of the Golden State.

Clara M. Greening.