The present 1,800 acre Camulos Ranch, established by Ygnacio del Valle in 1853, was carved out of the 48,612 acre Rancho San Francisco, granted in 1839 to Ygnacio's father Antonio del ValIe, majordomo and administrator of Mission San Fernando. Camulos was located at the western boundary of the rancho and was originally a Tataviam Indian village known as Kamulus. The San Fernando Mission used the area as early as 1804 for raising small animals and crops grown by the Indians, who numbered 416 when visited by Inspector General of the Missions in 1839.
Antonio del Valle and his family lived at the eastern edge of the ranch near Castaic in the former San Fernando Mission granary adobe building. After Antonio's death in 1841, the land was divided among his second wife and the children from his two marriages. Ygnacio received the western portion of the ranch known as Camulos and built a corral and stocked it with cattle in 1842. He bought back some of the Rancho San Francisco acreage from the other del Valle heirs and also acquired Rancho Temescal, north of Piru. Ygnacio's first wife died in childbirth in 1842. He was married a second time to Ysabel Varela of Los Angeles, who was only 15. They settled in Los Angeles near the Olvera street plaza. The following year he built the first four rooms of what became the main adobe at Camulos, which was at first occupied by Ygnacio's majordomo (foreman).
Ygnacio and Ysabel lived in Los Angeles for almost a decade, during which time as Ygnacio held a number of elected positions. Between 1853 and 1861, five children were born to the. After the birth of their fifth child, Josefa, in 1861, the family moved permanently to Camulos and added three new rooms and a basement to the original adobe. Many of the Kamulus Indians continued to live and work at the ranch and helped to make the adobe blocks used in the construction - some of these Indians are buried in the del Valle family cemetery. Between 1862 and 1870, seven more children were born at Camulos. Of twelve children total, only five lived to adulthood.
The drought of the 1860s took its toll on del Valle cattle and crops, forcing the del Valles to sell most of the Rancho San Francisco in 1865. However, Camulos continued to evolve into a diverse agricultural operation. By the time of Ygnacio's death in 1880, the ranch had grown from a few hundred head of-cattle in the 1840s to a thriving, virtually self-contained ranch. It consisted of approximately 1290 acres of citrus, vineyards, almonds, grain, and vegetables, and supported close to 200 residents. In addition to the del Valles, large numbers of Mexicans and Indians, were employed on the ranch. The single four room adobe built in 1853, grew into a twenty room adobe surrounded by numerous other buildings-a brick winery, chapel, barn and workers' housing, The isolation of the Santa Clara Valley was broken with the arrival of the stagecoach in 1874 and the railroad in 1887.
Throughout its long history Rancho Camulos has had a diverse and rich agricultural history. The first oranges grown and shipped commercially from what is now Ventura County were from the Camulos Ranch in 1876. In addition to the annual crops of citrus, almonds, walnuts, apricots, peaches, wheat, corn and barley. Grapevines were also cultivated at Camulos for the production of wine and brandy. It was the wine grape that brought the first real commercial success for the del Valle family in the 19th century, Camulos wines and brandies enjoyed a good reputation throughout Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. During the 1860s, ninety acres of wine grapes were planted, a brick winery built, and a license obtained for brandy distilling. The federal industrial census for 1870 records the Camulos Ranch winery as the largest of the four vintners in the San Buenaventura Township of Santa Barbara County, with 45 tons of grapes resulting in 6,000 gallons of wine and 800 gallons of brandy.
In 1908 the ranch was incorporated as the del Valle Company by Ulpiano and his remaining brothers and sisters for the purpose of raising crops and livestock, acquiring water rights, and developing oil resources. Eventually, friction within the family and the death of several family members forced the sale of the ranch in 1924 to the August Rübel family. At the time of the sale, writer Charles Lummis, a close family friend of the del Valles, appealed to the State of California to purchase Camulos as a historic park. Lummis had long been an active preservationist. He founded the Landmarks Club, which contributed substantially to preserving the missions. His magazine Out West, more than any other publication, promoted the heritage of Southern California. When the sale to the Rübel was inevitable, Lummis wrote:
It has been forty years since I first visited Camulos. Since that time, it has been like my own home, and its people like my own. The old folks were like parents to me. The romance, the traditions, the customs of CamuIos are all familiar and all dear to me--not merely because they are Camulos, but because that was the Last Stand of the patriarchal life of Spanish California, which has been so beautiful to the world for more than a century. [Smith, Wallace E., This Land Was Ours: the del Valles & Camulos. Ventura: Ventura County Historical Society, 1977, pg. 242.]
The Los Angeles Times echoed Lummis' sentiment when they wrote:
An era in the history of California closed yesterday. The del Valles of Camulos bade farewell to the homestead where they have lived in successive generations since Antonio del Valle. It was the passing of the old regime. They are said to be the last of the old Spanish families who held in unbroken succession to the ancestral acres. [Los Angeles Times, August 11, 1924.]
Return to top
Three generations of del Valles served their country through either military service or in responsible governmental positions under the Mexican government and the new government of California. Their lives were closely associated with the most prominent and influential citizens of Mexico and California during the tumultuous years of California's entrance into the United States and its rise from a rural state to one of power and influence.
Antonio del Valle, a native of Compostela, Mexico, played a prominent role in both the Spanish and Mexican colonization of California. He arrived in California in 1819 as a lieutenant in the San Bias Infantry, responsible for delivering forty men to the presidio of San Francisco. New troops were called to reinforce the garrisons that had been attacked the previous year by the privateer Bouchard. The Company moved to Monterey and Antonio became commander in 1822. In 1824 he was placed in charge of secularizing the San Fernando Mission and served as majordomo until 1837. In recognition of his years of military service, he received the 48,612 acre Rancho San Francisco grant in 1839.
Ygnacio del Valle, son of Antonio, began his military service in 1825 as a cadet at the Santa Barbara Presidio. Following his training, he accompanied Comandante General Don Jose Echeandia to San Diego and served as staff adjutant and harbormaster in San Diego until 1832. By 1832 he had attained the rank of second lieutenant and was put in charge of the San Gabriel Mission. The following year he joined the Monterey presidial company and under Governor Figueroa was put in charge of the secularization of the Santa Cruz and San Francisco missions. As a trusted officer, Ygnacio was charged with the military command at: Monterey during Figueroa's absence. He left the military in 1839. As a reward for his services to the government, he was granted Rancho Tejon in 1843.
Continuing in public service, Ygnacio del Valle accepted numerous positions of importance in both the Mexican and American governments. During the 1840s he served as a member and secretary of the junta (council), and treasurer of civil government under Governor Pio Pico. In 1850 he was elected recorder of Los Angeles County and in 1852, he was elected to the California legislature. His residence, located near the plaza in Los Angeles was the center for political meetings.
Ygnacio's son Reginaldo was born in the family home on the Plaza in 1854, the second child born to Ygnacio and Ysabel Varela after their marriage in 1852. Perhaps it was his father's influence and the numerous political meetings held at the house that led Reginaldo into public life. By 1873, he graduated with honors from the Santa Clara College in San Jose and by 1871 he was admitted to the bar and elected to the Assembly in 1880. In 1882, at the age of 28, he was the youngest member ever elected as president of the State Senate.
Although he lost- the 1884 congressional campaign, he continued to work for the Democratic Party as a delegate to numerous state conventions and as elector in almost all presidential elections. Following his campaigning for Grover Cleveland in 1893, he was offered ministries to Chile and Japan, which he declined.
In addition to Democratic politics, Reginaldo del Valle had a great interest in California history and promoted it through preservation efforts due in large part to the influence of his close friend, Charles Lummis. Together with Lummis, Reginaldo was a founding member of the Landmarks Club of Southern California, formed in 1887 to advocate for the restoration of the missions. He was one of the forty founding members of the Southern California Historical Society and spearheaded the committee to restore the San Fernando Mission and to mark the El Camino Real with bells.
In 1913 Reginaldo was appointed by Woodrow Wilson as his personal representative to Mexico, and in 1914 was appointed president of the Los Angeles Public Service Board, later known as the Water and Power Commission on which he served for more than 20 years.
Return to top
The August Rübel family moved to Camulos in 1925 having purchased the ranch the previous year. August Rübel, the son of Swiss immigrants, grew up in New York. He came to Ventura County in 1922, after graduation from Harvard at the age of 23. He and his wife Mary Colgate Mclsaac first lived in Aliso Canyon near Santa Paula, having established the Billiwhack Dairy there in 1924.
The Rübels raised five children at Camulos. During the Rübels' tenure, several changes occurred at Camulos. The apricot and walnut trees were replaced with orange trees and a school house was built in 1930 for the Rübel children and those of the ranch bookkeeper. Mr. Rübel managed the ranch with a foreman and a number of farm laborers who had also worked for the del Valles.
Mr. Rübel had a great appreciation for the historical legacy he had acquired in Rancho Camulos and fostered within his family a sensitivity to historic preservation. He established a small museum in the winery for the del Valle artifacts that had been left at the ranch. Though Mr. Rübel let it be known that the ranch was private, "Ramona-seekers" continued to visit the ranch on occasion and small school groups from Piru and neighboring towns were welcomed on field trips.
Mr. Rübel served in the American Field Service in France between 1917 and 1919. He returned to this service during World War II and was killed in Tunisia in 1943 when the ambulance he was driving hit a German land mine. His untimely death changed the course of the future at Camulos. Mrs. Rübel was remarried in 1946 to Edwin Burger, who closed the ranch to the public and family members entirely after Mrs. Rübel's death in 1968. He had little regard for the cultural and agricultural legacy he inherited, neglecting the maintenance and upkeep of the historic buildings and agricultural operations. it wasn't until the 1994 Northridge earthquake that the children and grand children of August and Mary Rübel were able to take over management of the ranch, which, after 25 years of neglect coupled with damage sustained in the earthquake, was in a tragic state. In addition to reviving the commercial citrus operation, the family formed a non-profit museum that now oversees the restoration and interpretation of the historic buildings. The museum is governed by a Board of Directors, the president of which is Mr. Rübel's daughter Shirley Rübel Lorenz.
Return to top
The Rancho Camulos Museum is a 40 acre National Historic Landmark, situated within an 1800 acre working ranch known as the Camulos Ranch Company. The 1800 acre ranch is bounded by low hills on the north, Piru Creek to the west, the Santa Clara River and the Oak Ridge Mountains to the south and the Newhall Ranch on the east. The museum comprises 15 structures, the most significant of these are (in chronological order):
The Main Adobe, c. 1853-1880
The Ygnacio del Valle adobe was built in several phases, beginning in 1853 and reaching essentially its present plan by 1880. The first four rooms along the south veranda were built in 1853 (rooms 1-4 on floor plan). Between 1851 and 1862, three rooms were added adjacent to the original four rooms (rooms 5-7 on floor plan). Steps on the south veranda lead up to an elevated porch. A wine cellar was added beneath this portion of the adobe and accessed through double cellar doors below the porch. The porch is presently enclosed with screens that were added in the 1930s.A freestanding cocina (kitchen building) was constructed at the northeastern corner of what was to become the placita (patio) area. During the 1870s, a west wing was added to the 1861-1862 additions of the building (rooms 8-10). An external corridor runs along this section of the adobe, providing garden access to each room and forming an L-shaped plan. By 1880 three final rooms were added (rooms 11-13). Sometime around 1915 a wooden breezeway was constructed to connect the northeastern end of the adobe (room 13) to the cocina, thus creating the present U-shaped plan.
Alterations made by the Rübel family include: removal of the interior wall between rooms 7 and 8 to create an expanded living room; the addition a large picture window; remodeling the original cocina into a garage and living quarters; screening in the corredor and elevated porch; and adding the brick pathways that surround the house today.
The Fountain, c. 1853
The fountain is constructed of bricks and at one time was clad with lime-plaster stucco. The precise date of the fountain is unknown, but it is depicted in plan upon a signed drawing dated 1853 in the del Valle family papers. The central element was originally made up of two tiered, shallow basins on a narrow central stem. The Rübel family modified this element circa 1934 by broadening the appearance of both basins and the central stem.The Chapel, c. 1867
The chapel, consecrated as a Roman Catholic place of worship, was constructed circa 1867. It is a wood frame structure measuring fourteen feet in width by twenty feet in length, with a thirty-foot long porch extending from the entrance. The porch forms an "open chapel" when the large double entrance doors are opened, which enabled a larger congregation to participate in the sacrament of mass.The Bell Structure
Directly adjacent to the northwest of the chapel is the Bell Structure. Three bells hanging from a wooden freestanding frame have been a feature of Camulos since at least the 1870s. The largest of the three bells was cast by Russians in Kodiak, Alaska, was used to call worshipers to morning prayers or mass in the chapel. A second, smaller bell was also cast in Kodiak in 1796. This bell originally hung at the San Fernando Mission and may have been removed to Camulos by Antonio del Valle when he was administrator of the mission. A third, smaller bell was removed by a del Valle daughter and taken to her private chapel.The Winery, c. 1867
The one and one-half story brick winery was built in 1867. The gabled roof is wood shingled and the building has two large openings at the north and south ends. The foundation is constructed of river rocks and lime masonry. A wood frame shed used to store farm equipment was added to the west side of the building at an unknown date, prior to 1924. Before the winery's construction, wines were aged in casks in the cool wine cellar beneath the adobe.Camulos was known for its fine brandies and wines primarily between the 1870s and early 1900s. When grapes were no longer grown for commercial purposes, the winery building was converted to use as storage. In later years, August Rübel converted the second floor of the winery to a museum housing deI Valle family artifacts.
The Barn, Gas Station and Bunkhouse, c. 1910-1915
The exact date of the barn is unknown, but the style and detailing, (brackets, rafters and trim) suggests a circa 1910 date. Crop planting records indicate that the 1909 to 1916 period is when the largest number of walnuts, apricots and orange trees were planted. These dates might coincide with the construction of the barn, gas and oil house and bunkhouse. The gas and oil house was probably built about the same time as the barn, circa 1910. The bunkhouse was built circa 1916 and is a Craftsman style bungalow with a wood-shingled exterior. The bunkrooms are now storage spaces and the workers' dining area now serves as the office of the Camulos Ranch Company.The Small Adobe, c. 1920
The Nachito del Valle adobe was built by the youngest son of Ygnacio and Ysabel del Valle in 1920. It is a Spanish colonial revival-style house designed around a central courtyard and constructed of adobe clad with stucco. Badly damaged in the 1994 earthquake, grant funds for the seismic engineering and restoration will convert the building into the Rancho Camulos Visitor Center, which will feature interpretive displays, a library, museum offices, public restrooms and a gift shop. Construction is scheduled to begin in July of 2006.The Schoolhouse, c. 1930
The Schoolhouse was built circa 1930 by August Rübel to serve the family's five young children and those of the bookkeeper. (who at one time resided in the small adobe). It is a wood frame structure clad with stucco designed to blend in with the early adobe buildings.Other Features
In addition to the buildings and objects, a large number of mature trees and extensive gardens contribute to the historic character of the property. These landscape features help divide the working portion of the ranch from the residential sections. Surrounding the Ygnacio del Valle Adobe, schoolhouse, chapel and fountain, are well-manicured lawns, concrete and brick paths, flower gardens, and dozens of mature ornamental trees. At the southern end of the formal lawn is the family orchard where dozens of varieties of fruit trees are grown.Additional features include an aviary, a partial reconstruction of the once 150 foot long grape arbor (covered in mission grapes), an herb garden, fishpond, and a barbecue area with brick oven. Compacted earth, mature California pepper trees and cork oak trees characterize the working area of the ranch headquarters north of the del Valle adobe. At the entrance to the ranch is a row of Eucalyptus trees, a long arbor with mature wisteria vines and a stone historical marker bearing a bronze plaque denoting the State Landmark status of Rancho Camulos.
Directly across from the ranch, north of Highway 126 and the railroad right-of-way, are two railroad-related residences and three farm labor cottages. Located to the northeast of these buildings, outside of the boundaries of the museum, is the del Valle family cemetery.
California Black Walnut Tree
Of special interest is the California Black Walnut Tree, "El Rey Nogal," the only survivor of four "Black Eagle" seedlings planted by Juventino del Valle sometime during the 1860s. The tree has been noted by Maunsell Van Rensselaer in his publication Trees of Santa Barbara as the "Camulos Black Walnut." The author noted that it might be largest California Black Walnut in the region. When it was measured for this book in 1940, its circumference was eighteen feet with a branch spread of 129 feet. Today, the trunk measures approximately twenty-five feet in circumference with a branch span of approximately half an acre.Return to top
1804 Kamulus is a Tataviam Indian village used by Mission San Fernando for raising small animals and crops. The word "Kamulos" means juniper tree. 1819 Antonio del Valle arrives in Alta California from Compostela Mexico as a military officer. 1825 Antonio's son, Ygnacio del Valle, arrives in Alta California from ComposteIa Mexico at the age of 16 (b. 1808) as a cadet in the Mexican military. Stationed at the Presidion in Santa Barbara 1837 Ysabel Varela (later del Valle) born in Los Angeles. 1839 Mexican government awards Lt. Antonio del Valle Rancho San Francisco-part of Mission San Fernando for his services to the military. Antonio is also the administrator of Mission San Fernando. He and his family live at the eastern edge of the ranch near Castaic 1841 Antonio dies. Land divided among his wife and children. Ygnacio del Valle receives the land surrounding Kamulos renamed Rancho Camulos. Ygnacio has a son, Juventino, with Maria Lorenzana of Santa Barbara. 1842 Ygnacio del Valle builds a corral and stock it with cattle. Marries Maria de Los Angeles in Santa Barbara. First documented gold-find in California on Rancho San Francisco in Placerita Canyon. 1847 Maria de los Angeles dies in childbirth, no children. 1852 Ygnacio marries Ysabel Varela from Los Angeles; the couple lives near the Olvera Street Plaza. Ygnacio is elected a member of the Los Angeles City Council and the California Assembly. 1853 YGNACIO BUILDS A FOUR-ROOM ADOBE AT CAMULOS FOR HIS RANCH FOREMAN. FOUNTAIN CONSTRUCTED. 1857 Earthquake. Ygnacio resigns from the City Council to devote time to developing Camulos. Adds three rooms to the original adobe. Plants the first orange tree seedlings, obtained from William Wolfskill, making Rancho Camulos the first commercial ranch in what became Ventura County. 1853-1861 Five children born to Ygnacio and Ysabel. 1861 Family leaves Los Angeles and moves permanently to Camulos. 1861-1862 Floods. THREE MORE ROOMS AND A BASEMENT ADDED TO THE ADOBE. 1862-1870 Seven more children born at Camulos. Of twelve children, only five lived to adulthood: Reginaldo, Josefa, Ulpiano, Ysabel, Nachito (Ygnacio Ramon). 1865 Drought. Thomas Bard purchases 42,216 acres of Rancho San Francisco from del Valle heirs and sells 1,500 acre Rancho Camulos back to Ygnacio. 1867 WINERY AND CHAPEL CONSTRUCTED. (some form of an earlier chapel existed in 1861) 1870s WEST WING OF THE ADOBE EXTENDED TO THE NORTH. BELLS BROUGHT TO THE CHAPEL. 1874 Stagecoach service established in Santa Clara Valley. Camulos on the main stagecoach route. 1880 Ygnacio dies. Ysabel assumes control of the ranch operations. 1882 Author Helen Hunt Jackson visits Camulos. 1884 Publication of Helen Hunt Jackson's novel Ramona. 1886 Ulpiano, Ygnacio's third son, becomes the ranch manager at age 21 after graduating from Santa Clara College. Begins raising horses. 1887 Railroad service established through Santa Clara Valley. 1900 Ulpiano introduces new crops. Ysabel moves to Los Angeles to live with daughter, Josefa. 1908 Ulpiano and siblings incorporate ranch as the del Valle Company to raise crops and livestock, acquire water rights, and develop oil. 1910 BARN, GAS AND OIL HOUSE CONSTRUCTED. 1920 SMALL ADOBE CONSTRUCTED NEAR RANCH ENTRANCE. 1924 Sale of Rancho Camulos to August Rübel and family. 1925 Rübel family moves from Santa Paula to Camulos. 1930 Schoolhouse built for Rübel children. 1930s Aviary built to house Mrs. Rübel's tropical birds. Concrete and brick paths added to connect the main adobe with the chapel and school house. Play area established south of the schoolhouse, pond built nearby. Elms and fruit trees planted at edge of south lawn. 1943 August Rübel dies in Tunisia during World War II. 1946 Mary Rübel marries Edwin Burger. 1968 Mary Rübel Burger dies. Mr. Burger closes the property to family and public. 1994 Northridge Earthquake. Formation of the Rancho Camulos Museum. 2000 Rancho Camulos designated a National Historic Landmark.
Return to top