Lance S.
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The Melings and Richard Stevens lost vein of gold
https://youtu.be/FVFGnc8C9bI?si=3qnCZLatJyX00Os6
I learned from bajaric that Richard Stevens was the owner of Ranch San Jose before the Johnsons bought it. That must be the previous owner the
Melings refer to.
I especially like the scene where the Silvers go grave robbing at the "mission cemetery"đ.
[Edited on 8-4-2024 by Lance S.]
[Edited on 8-4-2024 by Lance S.]
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bajaric
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Wait, what?
That video was on here a while ago. Cool footage of the old Soccoro mine, 10 miles east of Meling Ranch. Not sure what "mission" they were at,
unless it was San Pedro Martir.
Anyways, it was Richard Stephens. However, I do not think Stephens owned Rancho San Jose. Johnson, owner of the Soccoro mine, sold his mining
interests on the cusp of the Mexican revolution, around 1910. He then purchased the 10,000-acre Rancho San Jose down the hill from the mine so his
daughters could live as they were accustomed to, in the mountains. One of his daughters, "Bertie" married "Salve" Meling. They purchased the rancho
from her mother, and it became known as the Meling Ranch. Bertie and Salve's descendants continue to operate the ranch as a working ranch and guest
resort.
Richard Stephens did own some ranch land in Baja, but I do not think he owned Rancho San Jose. In "Towns of Baja California" by Goldbaum (1918) there
was this mention in the description of Santo Domingo: "The land of Santo Domingo has an area of 5000 hectares and title was issues to Senora Rosario
Rosas de Espinoza by the supreme government in the year 1879. This lady was the proprietor of the neighboring ranch of San Ramon, which at present
belongs to the intestate of Senor Richard Stephens". So, Stephen's rancho was near Santo Domingo, 35 miles north of San Quintin, 5 miles inland.
I think that means that Stephens had died by then. Stephens, a Canadian, worked for the International Company prior to 1900, then quit in disgust and
work as a freelance mining claim surveyor. His diary, which I found in the archives of the San Diego historical society, makes extensive mention of
his land holdings and legal battles over the title to the land.
I don't recall saying that Stephens owned Rancho San Jose, though I do not know who Johnson purchased it from.
[Edited on 8-4-2024 by bajaric]
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David K
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Excellent post!
In 2000, while camping at Los Manzanos, off the observatory road, the caretaker told me a story on how Johnson obtained Rancho San José (Rancho
Meling today).
I relayed that story to Greg Niemann (GregN on Nomad) who put it in his book, Baja Legends (page 134).
An 1834 land grant that included Rancho San JosĂ© was given to Juan Ignacio de JesĂșs Arce, according to Greg. In 1893, Harry Johnson acquired the
land.
I have a little histrory of the Socorro Mine and Meling Ranch in my articles on the San Pedro MĂĄrtir mountains and Baja's Sky Ranchos:
https://www.bajabound.com/bajaadventures/bajatravel/sky_ranc...
https://www.bajabound.com/bajaadventures/bajatravel/san_pedr...
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surfhat
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David, you are an invaluable resource, as always, on Baja Nomad, and in so many ways.
A truly breath of fresh air i war you represent when it limits itself to non-political expressions, and for that alone, I am always gratified to read
your submissions.
If there is one place we all should agree upon, it is that Nomad should 'try' to limit some political leanings, right or left, to other forums.
Do we all not get more than enough in our daily lives to not want to deal with right or left on this forum? Have at it.
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surfhat
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David, Is what you stand for. Duh.
Geez. Where was my editor? Blame it on a Sunday morning, make that a Sunday afternoon.
Peace love and fish tacos to all Baja lovers.
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Lance S.
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Which one did Stephens formerly own?
"In the diary he spoke of some ranch land that he owned. He was involved in a protracted legal fight over the title. Recently, I stumbled across a
Bajabound article about a hunting and fishing lodge for American tourists. The former owner was guess who? Richard Stephens!'
[Edited on 8-4-2024 by Lance S.]
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David K
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Surfhat, Thanks for the first reply comments, very kind!
The second reply I am not getting. Can you hit the edit button and fix it?
Happy Sunday Nomads!
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Vince
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I enjoyed the movie on gold prospecting at the Meling ranch. That looks like it was shot close to the time I was there with Bud Bernard, Tom Carlin
and other friends from Coronado. We went on a week hiking trip thru the mountains up to Blue Bottle ridge where we looked across to Picacho del
Diablo (a few years later we climbed it with Bud from the San Felipe side). While there in 1954 we met Aida and her son, Phil. He demonstrated his
water witching skills to us with a willow, just like the film. Phil went with us on the hike, but he rode his horse. The next time we all rode his
horses for a week and Bud ran most of the way. Thanks for bringing back some great memories even tho the movie took a few liberties.
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bajaric
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Quote: Originally posted by Lance S.  | Which one did Stephens formerly own?
"In the diary he spoke of some ranch land that he owned. He was involved in a protracted legal fight over the title. Recently, I stumbled across a
Bajabound article about a hunting and fishing lodge for American tourists. The former owner was guess who? Richard Stephens!'
[Edited on 8-4-2024 by Lance S.] |
ahhh. I think the land Stephens owned later became Hamilton Ranch.
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David K
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| Quote: Originally posted by bajaric | | Quote: Originally posted by Lance S. | Which one did Stephens formerly own?
"In the diary he spoke of some ranch land that he owned. He was involved in a protracted legal fight over the title. Recently, I stumbled across a
Bajabound article about a hunting and fishing lodge for American tourists. The former owner was guess who? Richard Stephens!' |
ahhh. I think the land Stephens owned later became Hamilton Ranch. |
So, before Hattie Hamilton, perhaps?
From my 'Sky Ranchos' article:
Hamilton Ranch was located not far from the coast, between Colonia Guerrero and Mission Santo Domingo. It was actually next to the
first site of the 1775 mission, which moved a couple miles east in 1798. Hamilton Ranch was a very popular get-away, frequented by celebrities. A 1927
Automobile Club Report said,âWe found the meals excellent, and eleven rooms in a new adobe house furnished with Simmons beds, fine mattresses
and brand new bedding, several baths and flush toilets are included in this new building. It surely is a surprise to many to find these modern
conveniences in this out of the way place.â
The landing strip at the Hamilton Ranch was nearly 2,000 feet long. Many a âHollywood-typeâ would go there to get away from the cameras of the
Paparazzi. Hunting and fishing were popular, as well as at the other sky ranches. Another famous guest at the Hamilton Ranch was mystery author and
Perry Mason creator, Erle Stanley Gardner.
Gardner wrote many pages about of the Hamilton Ranch in his 1948 Baja travel adventure book âThe Land of Shorter Shadowsâ and mentioned that
Mr. and Mrs. Parodi had recently purchased the ranch from Hattie Hamilton. When Gardner and his five friends arrived, the place was
undergoing repairs and being upgraded. Mrs. Parodi was alone but refused offers of help with anything. She fed the party dinner and made up six beds
for the night. She also lit the kerosene water heater for them all to enjoy a hot shower.
Gardner returned to the Hamilton Ranch but would from then on referred to Mrs. Parodi as âMargo.â In Gardnerâs 1967 âOff the Beaten Track in
Bajaâ we read that Margo had some health issues but was fully recovered and accommodating a few tourists. The last Auto Club reference to Hamilton
Ranch being open was in 1975. Owner Margo Parodi Ceseña, herself a former Hollywood starlet, died in 1977.When visited in 2017, I
found the wooden ranch complex was mostly gone, marked by its many shade trees just west of the big red rock hillside. The hillsideâs white-painted
âHRâ still marking the spot.
In 1927:
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bajaric
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Yes! I googled it and found this article by Greg Niemann
https://www.bajabound.com/bajaadventures/bajafever/hamilton_...
Niemann wrote that Hamilton Ranch was originally part of Rancho San Ramon, granted to Jose Luciano Espinosa in 1845. (Goldbaum said it was granted to
his widow, Senora Rosario Rosas de Espinosa in 1879). After she died ownership passed to Richard Stephens, then to Randal Young, a colonist at San
Quintin, then to his niece Hattie Hamilton in 1920. The place was abandoned by 2000 when Niemen visited.
While a lot of the deserts of Baja California in the mid 1800's post-missionary period were "terrenos baldios" or "depopulated lands" where no one had
established ownership, there were some old land grants at the places that had water. These were huge chunks of land, 4338 acres in this case, that
supported just a handful of people raising livestock. These old land grants were eventually subdivided into smaller and smaller parcels.
I looked on Google earth trying to see some eucalyptus trees next to a red hill marked with an H but can only see what looks like some sewage
treatment ponds.
[Edited on 8-7-2024 by bajaric]
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David K
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Good you found Greg's article too. He and I sometimes write about the same places so you get more than one view of history.
Do you have any new Baja YouTube episodes? I hope your great book continues to sell!
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bajaric
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Thanks DK no YouTube videos recently, may make one here locally soon to promote my book, The Gold of Northern Baja by Jens Tobias -- I got an ebike
and am going to test it out up in the local mountains in the Cleveland National Forest and make a video. Still hope to do a big Baja tour pretty
soon. I will also be at the Baja Expo in San Diego on August 24. Will probably see you there.
I found Hamilton Rancho on Google Earth! it is a little inland on the south side of the big arroyo. There is a line of eucalyptus trees, not sure if
this is all that is left of the old ranch or if it is in the area next to the arroyo.
See the HR upper rightcorner. In Towns of Baja California the editor noted that in 1910 the total population of the greater San Quintin area was 338.
One can only imagine the natural beauty of the area in the 1920's - 1960's when the resort was in operation.
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David K
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Yep, in the left side of the image, above the row of trees.
Here are photos of the Hamilton Ranch in the 1930s, from Margaret Wood Bancroft:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/sdnhm-library/48871755741/in/a...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/sdnhm-library/48871228648/in/a...
All the historic photos collection at VivaBaja: https://vivabaja.com/historic-images/
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4x4abc
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the HR sign is always in fresh paint
Harald Pietschmann
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