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SPOTLIGHT

__A Little History on

Rancho Camulo6
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Rancho Camulos Museum is located 10 for maintaining the traditional rancho
miles west of Valencia on scenic Highway lifestyle long after it had disappeared
THE HOME OF RAMONA
126. When the ranch was granted by Mexi- elsewhere. Camulos bustled with extended
co's California governor to Lt. Antonio del family members and ranch workers, with
Rancho Camulos is also part of
Valle in 1839, it spanned 48,000 acres of the up to 200 people living on the property
literary folklore as the setting for
Santa Clarita Valley including the present during years of peak agricultural produc-
Helen Hunt Jackson's novel Ramona,
communities of Newhall, Saugus, Valencia, tion. Among the frequent guests at
first published in 1884 and still in print
Stevenson Ranch and surrounding areas. Camulos during the late 1 9th and early
today. It is the romantic tale of a young
Visitors can see the 1853 Del Valle 20th centuries were a number of promi-
girl raised by a Spanish California
adobe home, their 1860s chapel and other nent writers and artists, including Charles
family who falls in love with an Indian
features on most Sunday afternoons. Along F. Lummis, James Walker and Alexander
ranch hand. Their life together mirrors
a well traveled road known as El Camino Harmer, who were inspired time and again
the fate of Indians at the hands of white
Real (The King's Highway) lies a place out by the rancho's idyllic setting.
settlers. With its tragic love story and
of time ... Rancho Camulos. It is one of the Camulos was a noted stop along the
nostalgic view of history, the dramatic
best surviving examples of an early Cali- main coach stage route-part of the
tale captured the imagination of the
fornia rancho in its original rural environ- original mission trail-from Los Angeles
American public and created tremen-
ment and stands as a vibrant reminder of to Santa Barbara. Padres traveling between
dous interest in California's Hispanic
the state's Spanish and Mexican heritage. San Fernando and San Buenaven-
past. Tourists and settlers flocked to
Established by Ygnacio Del Valle in 1853, tura would visit the ranch to say mass
the region in huge numbers from the
Rancho Camulos was once part of a 48,000 for the Del Valle family and the nearby
late 1880's until the beginning of WWII.
acre Mexican land grant deeded to Ygna- residents in the private chapel, which over
Rancho Camulos-once a stop on the
cio's father Antonio Del Valle in 1839. the years has become endearingly referred
Southern Pacific rail line-was dubbed
The Del Valles were a prominent Cali- to as "the lost mission:' Rancho Camulos
"The Home of Ramona" and was a must-
fornia family involved in state and local remained in the Del Valle family until 1924
see attraction for devotees of the novel.
politics during the Mexican period and when it was sold to August Rubel, whose
For more information visit: http://
after its transition to statehood. They were heirs have worked to protect and preserve
ranchocamulos.org/
famous for their generous hospitality and the site.
60 June/July 2017 www.scvelitemogazine.com
I July 2017