Articles
Lewis Fenno Moulton Arrival Day
Lewis Fenno Moulton arrived in California on May 6, 1874. We honored this historic date with a mural ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, May 6th. We
MOULTON MUSEUM OPENING
SUMMER 2022
Mission Statement
Our core values are reflected in our archives, exhibits, educational programs, and partnerships.
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Exhibitions
We provide historical materials and fine art to our partners throughout California.
Aliso Viejo Ranch
The Aliso Viejo Ranch is located at 100 Park Ave, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656. Self-guided tours are available during regular business hours. They are Monday-Thursday 7:30am-5:30pm and Friday-Sunday 8am-3pm. If you are looking for a facility tour with staff, please schedule an appointment at (949) 425-2550 or avcity.org. The city, county, and state officials recognized this historically significant and monumental site for the community’s use. We hope you enjoy the OC Register article that highlighted the May 1, 2021 opening event. We had the Bunkhouse BBQ on August 25, 2021 with the California Rangeland Trust. This inaugural annual event was featured in the OC Register.
The site features hands-on community educational programs on sustainable farming operations and provides an opportunity for onsite STEM, biological science, horticultural and urban educational classes and community programs, farm-to-table dinners and special events. It showcases Orange County’s development – from its agricultural roots to becoming the world’s 45th largest economy – and highlights the agricultural history of the United States.
We are hosting the Spring 2022 Orange County Docent League meeting at Aliso Viejo Ranch on April 11, 2022 from 9:30-12:30pm.
Laguna College of Art + Design’s BFA program in Drawing + Painting presented The Art of Nellie Gail Moulton, a retrospective exhibition of paintings and drawings created by Nellie Gail Moulton (1878-1972) in person from Oct. 7-Nov. 21, 2021. Enjoy the digital exhibit via Matterport. Please read our articles in Stu News Laguna and Laguna Beach Indy. This traveling exhibit will be featured at Soka University’s Founders Hall Art Gallery in 2023.
An avid en plein air painter, Nellie belongs to a larger movement of female artists who have recently gained significant recognition for their contributions to the arts. Nellie created art throughout her entire life and studied with renowned artists such as William Wendt, Anna Hills, Frank Cuprien, and Edgar Payne (also showcased within this exhibition). Her work captures the rich beauty of nature, expressing her keen eye for detail and impressive use of color.
Annual Events
Ranching and agriculture are central to the identity of the Moulton family to this day.
Bunkhouse BBQ
Aliso Viejo, California
Moulton Museum, an Orange County-based museum that works to keep the history of the region and its ranching era alive by archiving, restoring, and preserving historical artifacts, hosted around 300 guests at its First Annual Bunkhouse BBQ held at Aliso Viejo Ranch on August 25, 2021. Jared Mathis, President of Moulton Museum and CEO of Moulton Company, gave an update on the 2022 opening of the museum in Laguna Hills and presented the Aliso Viejo Ranch Foundation a check for $100,000. This inaugural event was held in partnership with the California Rangeland Trust, a non-profit organization that protects what matters by working with California ranching families to preserve our state’s rangeland, air and water quality, wildlife habitat, and local food supplies.
Pioneers of Orange County
Lewis Fenno Moulton & Nellie Gail Moulton
Lewis Fenno Moulton was a prestigious lawyer’s son. His father was a classmate and friend of President Lincoln. Lewis had worked at old Daniel Webster farm as an adolescent. As a part of Western expansion, many young men ventured West for opportunity. Lewis traveled to California at twenty years old by a boat around the Isthmus of Panama, train, and another boat to San Francisco before landing in soon to by Orange County. He learned to run a ranching operation by working at Rancho San Joaquin (Irvine Ranch) starting in 1874.
According to Louise Moulton Hanson, “In 1881 he bought Jonathan Bacon’s band of sheep and rented his 1,600 acres.” Lewis F. Moulton and Company was established with Jean Pierre Daguerre, a Basque sheepherder. The would developed a sheep and cattle enterprise along with agriculture.
On April 29, 1884 Lewis leased “17,000 acres, from Cyrus Rawson” (2018.43) which was a part of Rancho Niguel, a Mexican land grant once owned by Juan Avila. Throughout the years, Lewis purchased 21,723 acres which became known as the Moulton Ranch.
Lewis and Nellie married in 1908. He built her a house on their homestead near the modern day Oakbrooke timeline near the 5 Freeway. They had two daughters, Charlotte and Louise.
Today, the land comprises much of Laguna Niguel, Laguna Woods, Laguna Hills, Laguna Beach, Dana Point, and Aliso Viejo. We aim to work with these cities to provide them with their heritage and preserve the past. Together we can educate the communities by exhibiting their history at the Moulton Museum.
Cities Incorporated from Moulton Ranch
Laguna Beach
Incorporated: June 29, 1927
Laguna Niguel
Acquired: 1959 by the Laguna Niguel Corporation
Incorporated: December 1, 1989
Laguna Woods
Acquired: 1963 by Ross Cortese as Leisure World
Incorporated: March 24, 1999
Laguna Hills
Subdivided in the early 1960s from the Moulton Ranch
Incorporated: December 20, 1991
Aliso Viejo
Acquired: 1976 by the Mission Viejo Company
Incorporated: July 1, 2001
Dana Point
Acquisition: Early 1960s by Avco Community
Incorporated: January 1, 1989
Newsletter
May 2022
In this edition of our newsletter, we highlight Lewis F. Moulton’s Arrival Day, Mother’s Day, and National Preservation Month. Please enjoy our recent event photos
Articles
Judge Egan
Remembering Judge Egan, ‘The King of Capistrano’ by Janet Whitcomb in the OC Register on April 3, 2014 Saddleback Valley rancher Lewis Moulton, left, with
Moulton Ranch Center Mural
Laguna Hills, California
The Moulton Ranch Center mural depicts the history of Laguna Hills in a large, immersive mural painting that combines maps and photos from the Moulton Museum archives. These images are taken from the Moulton Ranch into an original artistic composition by Tim Smith, LCAD. View Orange County history through art in Laguna Hill’s first mural project! We hope you can experience the mural in person at 23272 Cabot Road in Laguna Hills. Please visit moultonmuseum.org/mural and follow us on social media for more content, details and upcoming events.
Moulton Museum
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Questions
Please provide us with your research questions, concerns, and ideas. We would be happy to follow-up with you and provide you with information.
Let us know if you’d like to schedule a visit. We will open our facility for tours in 2022.
949-257-2505
info@moultonmuseum.org
