The second day we
headed to Camarillo Ranch in Ventura County. The ranch has a long
history dating back to the mid 19th century. Juan and Martina Camarillo
were married in 1840 and moved to Ventura, California in 1854, becoming
the fourth European family in the town. In 1876, Juan Camarillo bought
the 10,000-acre (40 km2) Rancho Calleguas in eastern Ventura
County from Jose Pedro Ruiz for $3,000 in gold. Rancho Calleguas
remained in the Camarillo family until the 1960s, eventually becoming
the City of Camarillo—named for the family. Juan Camarillo died in
1880, and Martina Camarillo in 1898. In 1891, Martina had deeded the
Rancho to her sons, Adolfo and Juan Jr.
Eventually, Adolfo Z.
Camarillo (1864-1958) came to control the rancho and turned it into
"the largest bean ranch in the world." Camarillo employed 700 workers
on his ranch, and his production was so great that the Los Angeles
Times reported in 1909 that, "through the enormous output of his
ranch, [Camarillo] is, in a measure, able to set the price which the
public must pay for beans." Adolfo Camarillo became one of the
wealthiest landowners in the county, and in 1911 he was elected
chairman of the Ventura County Board of Supervisors. He also served as
a member of the State Board of Agriculture.
Shortly after receiving
title to the Rancho from his mother in 1891, Adolfo Camarillo hired
architects Herman Anlauf and Franklin Ward to build a 6,000-square-foot
Queen-Anne style Victorian house. The house has two turrets, a large
veranda and sprawling lawns. Adolfo also planted many varieties of
trees, including eucalyptus trees, around the house. The Camarillo
Ranch House, as it is now known, became the center of the sprawling
Rancho Calleguas for the next 70 years. From the ranch house, Adolfo
oversaw the Rancho's production of lima beans, walnuts, and citrus. The
house also became known for the barbecues, rodeos and fiestas held by
Adolfo. Adolfo lived in the three-story Victorian house until shortly
before his death from pneumonia in December 1958
After his death, the
stately home fell into disrepair, but in 1998, the City of Camarillo
established the Camarillo Ranch Foundation, incorporated, as a
nonprofit public benefit corporation. The City Council appointed a
15-member Board of
Directors to operate the Foundation. In addition to the fifteen
directors, the Foundation also includes two ex-officio members from the
Camarillo City Council. The newly formed Board met on May 5, 1999, and
has met monthly ever since. The current president of the foundation is
Chuck Andrews, whom we met soon after completing our tour of the home.
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