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RANCHO CAMULOS MUSEUM
NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK
.,,
HISTORY MATTERS AT RANCHO CAMULOS
REFLECTING ON 2016 AND LOOKING FORWARD TO 2017!
New Carriage House Completed New Research Library to Open in Early 2017
Earlier this Fall, a Many RCM visitors are unaware that the Museum has a
dedicated team substantial collection of historical documents-letters,
of volunteers financial ledgers, land deeds, photographs, guest books-
completed a spanning from the rancho period in the early 1800s to the
beautiful new August and Mary Rubel ownership of the ranch through the
carriage shed 1940s. These materials are valuable to researchers interested
to display the in early rancho history, agricultural history, and the del Valle
Museum's and Rubel ownership of Rancho Camulos. Currently, the
restored 19th- collection remains in storage because no suitable space is
century carriage, available to share the materials with visitors. In addition
The Museum's new carriage shed was completed this originally used to historical archives, a donor recently gave the Museum a
fall and now houses the fine 19th-century carriage by the del Valle collection of books on Southern California history, including
used by Senora de! Valle. family in the some rare editions.
1800s. Visitors
of all ages can now peek through the building's large picture What to do with this significant collection
windows and see the stately Rockaway carriage built in of historical materials? Thanks to several
the early 1850s. Most likely, Ysabel del Valle traveled in the generous benefactors and the assistance
carriage when her family moved from downtown Los Angeles of museum volunteers Dianne Gay Cox and
to Camulos in the late 1850s. The carriage also transported Marie Wren, RCM will be opening its new
Senora del Valle on her errands of mercy as a local midwife. research library during the first quarter of
Until recently, the carriage was stored and only available for 2017. Dianne and Marie have been busy
viewing on special occasions. The carriage house is dedicated fundraising, overseeing repairs to the
to the memory of Ralph Rees who restored the carriage and room, purchasing bookcases and other
designed the carriage shed. The Museum owns items needed to create a comfortable
numerous early
editions of Ramona, the and functional space for reading and
bestselling novel written research. The library will be housed
by Helen HuntJackson. in the recently restored 1920s small
Copies of Ramona and adobe. Special thanks to Chevron for
other books about early recently awarding RCM a community
Southern Ca/1fornia grant to assist with the purchase of a
history will be part of the computer workstation, which will feature
library collection. a database of the museum's historical
archive collection for visitor use. Look for your invitation to
celebrate the opening of the RCM Library early next year.
Volunteer Dianne Gay Cox with the
Museum's noteworthy collection of
19th and early 20th century archives.
The new library will make Camulos'
Museum volunteers Gary Giesseman, John Zermeno, Bob historic collection more accessible to
Cox and Tom Reigner (not pictured) were named Museum scholars and visitors interested in the
Volunteers of the Year for the many hours of work they spent rancho's history.
building the carriage shed.