BajaNomad

Oldtimer's question re Hamilton Ranch (BCN)-1930

Baja Bucko - 12-2-2007 at 12:42 PM

I am hoping someone here might have info regarding the old Hamilton Ranch that was a "hotel" near Santo Domingo (BCN) in the 1930s. It was run by Hattie Hamilton, born in England in 1875, and as late as the early 60s was still a place for Americans to stay. In 1930 she was living there along with Antoineta Meling (b. 1913) and Alejandro Simpson (b. 1852 England). The Simpson fella is buried at the Santo Domingo cemetery if my old brain cells are correct according to my visit there in the early 1980s. Hay AridNeal-you is an an oldtimer.....any ideas?

The old Gerhard-Gulick guide doesn't offer much info. I will be getting in touch w Andy M.'s family for info also. Thanks!:cool:

Barry A. - 12-2-2007 at 04:33 PM

You can GOOGLE "hamilton ranch" and get quite a bit of info on the ranch----------also, Earle Stanley Gardner's book, "HOVERING OVER BAJA" has some info as Uncle Earle used the Hamilton Ranch as a stageing ground for some of his esplorations.

Also, the book about the Meling Ranch, "WHERE THE OLD WEST NEVER DIED" has some info on the Hamilton Ranch.

barry

Hamilton Ranch

Baja Bucko - 12-2-2007 at 05:58 PM

Thanks, Barry, I have both books so will check them. I googled and got zip. Did you get a bunch via google?

Barry

Baja Bucko - 12-2-2007 at 06:20 PM

I googled correctly this time and found a wealth of info. Thanks!

LaTijereta - 12-2-2007 at 06:57 PM

Stanley's book "Hovering over Baja" has good info...

Also check in Greg Nieman's book "Baja Legends" for a more recent trip up to the site...

Barry A. - 12-2-2007 at 09:33 PM

Googling "hamilton ranch" gets you straight into the Nieman book, "BAJA LEGENDS".

good stuff.

barry

bajalera - 12-3-2007 at 12:14 AM

During the 1940s, Dr. Carl Sauer regularly stopped off at Hamilton Ranch with small groups of grad students in geography and anthropology from UC Berkeley, some of whom later wrote of their research in Baja--Homer Aschmann, Brigham Arnold, William Massey, William Hohenthal, Adrian Triganza among others. The warm welcome and good meals at Hamilton Ranch were a pleasant surprise the students remembered.

Farther south, at the old ranch at Laguna Seca Chapala, the little expeditions had a decent meal for the first time in many days, were given access to the well there and all the bad-tasting water they wanted, and then stopped off at a stand of trees a mile or so south of the ranch that the guys called "Sauer's Camp."

I once Googled "Lincoln Constance," the name of a botanist who was on one of these trips--don't remember what he said about Hamilton Ranch, but his account of what it was like to travel with Sauer was pretty funny.

capt. mike - 12-3-2007 at 06:01 AM

skeet may know about this stuff too.
and what about Greg Nieman? he has to know this stuff.

David K - 12-3-2007 at 09:31 AM

Here's a 1927 Auto Club map that shows the Hamilton Ranch.

1927 Map-3r.JPG - 45kB

Barry A. - 12-3-2007 at 02:17 PM

It sorta looks like the fabulous Mexican movie actor that appeared in many, many westerns, during the "early years". His name escapes me, but he was just great.

Not Ricardo Montalban, not Fernando Lamas, not Ricky Ricardo, but---------?????

We used to see him at the TJ bull fignts in the 50's and 60's.

Very debonair fellow, and the Mexicans at the Bull Fights loved him. I just can't remember his name--------------?

Santa Maria Sky Ranch

David K - 12-3-2007 at 04:25 PM

Here's Erle Stanley Gardner at the Santa Maria Sky Ranch, just south of San Quintin in the mid 1960's. Note the clam shells on the roof...

It closed for business by 1970, still some years before the highway was paved. Dave and Juanita of Cielito Lindo saw the former resort-motel rooms being bulldozed to the ground recently to make room for more agricutural fields.

Photo from Choral Pepper

[Edited on 12-3-2007 by David K]

nomad-3.jpg - 47kB

Slowmad - 12-3-2007 at 04:38 PM

There's a twist: scraping development to make way for farming.
Hunter's take on the Sky Ranch in "The Baja Feeling" was kind of cute.

toneart - 12-3-2007 at 05:16 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Barry A.
It sorta looks like the fabulous Mexican movie actor that appeared in many, many westerns, during the "early years". His name escapes me, but he was just great.

Not Ricardo Montalban, not Fernando Lamas, not Ricky Ricardo, but---------?????

We used to see him at the TJ bull fignts in the 50's and 60's.

Very debonair fellow, and the Mexicans at the Bull Fights loved him. I just can't remember his name--------------?


Barry,

Are you thinking of Gilbert Roland or Anthony Quinn? They fit the bullfight angle, but I don't think this guy looks anything like either one of them.

Barry A. - 12-3-2007 at 05:44 PM

GILBERT ROLAND !!!!!!!! that's it.

Tony-----I just remember that Gilbert Rowland was small in stature, and had a mustache, and looked kinda like that guy in the photo when he was pretty young (or so I thought).

I was just taking a stab at it :lol:

Vince - 12-3-2007 at 06:12 PM

Don't think that is Gilbert Roland, he always had a leather bracelet on one of his wrists altho can't see the left wrist on this man. But as I remember at the bullfights it was his right wrist. Looks like the mariachi player that performs at Serenedad on Sat. nights to me. I used to stay at the Hamilton Ranch in the '40's and early '50's with my parents, good memories.

Vince - 12-4-2007 at 05:48 PM

I remember the other Mr. Black, E.S. Gardner's sidekick. When he was camped on Coyote Bay in the early '70's, my boat got loose and he helped me rescue it. Good to have you back online, Roger. We are going to join you on Coyote Bay after Christmas for a few days.

Hamilton Ranch

Baja Bucko - 12-4-2007 at 06:01 PM

Vince-I sent you a message U2U-abt Hamilton Ranch.