Happy National Preservation Month!
We are excited to announce the opening of Aliso Viejo Ranch! This project has been in development for over a decade. The rehabilitated historic barn, sheds, new barn, and foreman’s house are dedicated for community use. The 7.7 acre site provides educational resources and showcase the last portion L.F. Moulton & Co. headquarters.
We enjoyed attending the Aliso Viejo Ranch highly-anticipated Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony held on Saturday, May 1st. 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 event.
Aliso Viejo was incorporated on July 1, 2001. It is Orange County’s 34th city.
From the Archive
"In 1874, when Father was twenty years old, he came from Boston on a Pacific mail steamer and across the Isthmus of Panama by train. He took another Pacific mail vessel to San Francisco. After a few days he caught a San Diego-bound boat which landed him at Wilmington, from whence he proceeded by stage to Santa Ana. He arrived there at midnight on May 6, 1874, and was befriended by William O. English."
Rancho Niguel was named for a local Native American village called “Niguili.” This Indigenous community resided near Aliso Creek and Sulphur Creek.
California History
“California’s cattle industry began in 1769 when Captain Gaspar de Portolá and his group of missionaries and soldiers brought 200 head of cattle to the area, and by 1863, approximately three million cattle were grazing on the hills of California.”(1)
Happy Birthday, Jean Pierre Daguerre!
May 16, 1856- Jean Pierre Daguerre (1896-1911) born in Hasparren, Basses-Pyrenees, France. Read his family’s history at Laguna Woods History Center’s website.
Eddie Grijalva shared his El Toro experiences with Larry Saavedra who produced this film. Eddie’s father worked on Moulton Ranch and remembered seeing Lewis Moulton. In his 1996 oral history at CSU Fullerton, he stated, “Well, El Toro to me was the most beautiful days of my life growing up.” (23)
Do you have any personal collections that pertain to Rancho Niguel or Moulton Ranch? Please send us a digital copy to archive@moultonmuseum.org.
Are you passionate about local history? Consider joining the Moulton Museum as a volunteer. Please fill our our form at: moultonmuseum.org/
(Historical image circa 1950, 2017.05.1)
