 The Romance of the Ranchos Beverly Hills 1852 Indians besiege widow at Rancho Beverly Hills 1919 Douglas Fairbanks buys hilltop land for home Beverly Hills 1941 Beverly Hills one of the world's wealthiest cities the title insurance and trust company of Los Angeles presents the Romance of the Ranchos dramatizing the romance and adventure of the history of our Southland each week our wandering Vecchero Frank Graham Uncovers another fascinating story of events and people that make up the romance of the ranchos The interesting historical facts which form the background for our drama tonight were obtained from the vast files of the title insurance and trust company of Los Angeles and Those files are growing at the rate of approximately 1500 documents every business day For the essential facts affecting land ownership must be gathered from these recordings and from the records of some 50 different public offices and Transferred to the title insurance company records daily in order that the company can ensure your ownership of property against any others claim However, it is from the older records that the facts forming the basis of these radio stories are taken and Here is our wandering Vecchero Frank Graham when I notice Señoras y señores our story tonight deals with a part of the Southland We know as Beverly Hills, but which was once the ranchero Dale de las almas or the gathering place of the waters Let's relive the romance of this run It was about the time of the end of Spanish control of California 1821 that Maria Rita Valdez and her soldier husband came to live on the ranchero Dale de las almas They built a home near the present location of Sunset and Alpine in Beverly Hills for a few years The life was peaceful then one day at 1828 Jose Antonio Carrillo. I'll call the of Los Angeles visited the ranch Welcome to my home This is an honor your call the of the Pueblo calling on me What brings you so far? I had to journey this way on a boundary dispute So I thought I would pay my respects to you Express my sorrow at the loss of your latest team. Those events are him to be here. Thank you, sir I would have been here before but my duty is kept me so busy. I know Quite all right. Is there anything I can do to assist you? No, I do not think so, sir Unless unless you could help me to get a grant for this land You see I have no real title to it. Although we have made it our home for these 20 years See of course, I should be glad to do whatever I can I should feel safer who are alone here No, my Kingsman Luciano Valdez. He lives on the land too, but here in this house Oh, no, sir. You forget I have children 99 is it not it is not Widow finally received her first title the land of Rodeo de las Havas in 1831 When citizen being sent his son chest who was they are called the of Los Angeles Granted the land jointly to Maria and her kinsman Luciano, but this arrangement could not last very long Luciano was a hard neighbor to get along with And over there Mariano, we shall plant a long line of vines Of these canada will be our vineyard and you shall help me care for it. I see my mind It will be very fine here Mario. What is going on here? Well, yes, Luciano, what do you mean what is going on here? Are you planning to plant vines in my canada? Your canada. I don't know what you mean. This is my land as much as yours I have spent three months clearing this canada so that I may plant my vines. You shall plant no vines here This is my canada and I mean to keep it for my own use How can you do these things to me? I say nothing when you move your house near mine Obstructing the front of mine. I even let it go when you run my cattle off the only watering place on the land And they wander off onto my neighbor's ranch horse, but this is too much Too much, yes It is too much when I find you trying to use up my land It is not your land and if it were you did not try to stop me from clearing it Oh no for three months you have watched me and my family working on it Only now when I want to plant the vines I make a place for the object You wish to complain about me, huh? Well go ahead. I dare you to who would listen to you a foolish woman Why you cannot even read or write Just because you can read and write just because you were once full master of the Pueblo Is that any reason for you to lord it over everybody else? I am a man of culture It is beneath me to associate with persons of such little education You will kindly remove yourself from this canyard. I have told you with his mind You won't come back for a while madri I'm sorry. I won't do it again unless he comes back Don't you marry a Rita Valdez de Villa finally took up Luciano's dare and registered the complaints with the governor It was subsequently turned over to the Los Angeles Ayuntamiento. One day Maria heard And so in view of the complaint against him Also in view of the fact that he does not own enough cattle to receive ownership or land anyway The said Luciano Valdez is ordered to vacate the property of the widow Tonya Maria Rita Valdez de Villa Called San Antonio or rodeo de las aguas However Maria Valdez must pay Luciano Valdez for the property which he'll give up Therefore the council is appointed to appraise us Jesus Diaz and Tomas Telemante's place of value on said property The appraisal of the property will be carried on at the earliest possible moment And besides the earth this peace tree that is mine Here are two poles. I was performing purposes. They must be counted too. What do you say Jesus? Oh very well Tomas two pesos for the tree and Give these in tabos with a pole very well 15 pesos for the house that may total of 17 pesos and 50 cent house that's an factory Luciano not much but very well see I take For 17 dollars and 50 cents the dispute was settled and now don't you marry a Rita Valdez was sole possessor Rancho rodeo de las aguas But her only title was from the Los Angeles City Council and she wished the legal protection of a grant from the governor And so it was that she talked with Francisco Villar major Domo of the mission San Gabriel The governor he will not make a grant to me unless there are 150 head of cattle grazing on the rancher and there are not senora No, I have little over a hundred and I have no money to buy more Do you think the governor might overlook the cat? I hardly think so senora. It is the law However, there may be another way to arrange it Suppose I arrange for you to borrow enough cattle to make up the difference Is it possible? I think so senora. I should take up the matter immediately and to I have another idea We shall send your kinsmen captain via straight to governor alvarado to present your petition and I should help your case Say you're I do not know how to thank you needn't senora. I am happy to help you You have spent many years on this land you put much work and file into it It is only right that it should be yours and they shall see that it is Capitan via journeyed northward toward Monterey and with donya Maria Rita's precious petition on the way He stopped at San Juan Bautista to see Henry Al José Castro Prefect of the distance. Oh you see who say I got to present the petition of the widow one days to governor Oh the widow Valdez Well, I know her whale when I was south with my troops. I was guest at her home Oh, she's fine woman. I like her Capitan. I tell you what I will do I go with you. I should speak to Alvarado myself. Perhaps I can help and repay our kindness to me With such powerful friends helping her the grand from Maria Valdez was assured soon Capitan via brought the precious title papers back to Los Angeles The future looked brighter for Maria Valdez But more misfortune came quickly in 1846 news came that the American armies were closing in on Los Angeles At the time Maria Valdez was staying in a house she owned on Main Street in Los Angeles Late one evening her son rushed to her Mama, mama, we must fly the americanos they're coming. We must flee as fast as we can But Mariano, they will not hurt us. There may be a battle mama Guns cannon the city may be destroyed. We must flee for our lives mama, or there is no time to lose I have an ox cart waiting. Oh, but mariano, my clothes might be longing. No, no, no mama. There is no time for that Leave everything take only what you will need to keep you warm. Hurry mama Wildly many Los Angeles residents fled before the american army with them don't you maria Rita Valdez Behind her she left everything she had including the title papers for the rancho rodeo de las awas As soon as she saw there was no danger. She came back It was to find her house had been broken in to buy looters. It had been robbed pillaged Mariano They have taken everything But oh no, no, they cannot take in my papers the papers for the rancho Any trunk the big trunk in the corner Oh see are the papers Empty The title papers were gone victim of wartime looters California Indian or american no one knew which their loss was felt deeply When after california became a state in the union the board of land commissioners met to pass on all land titles in california Maria Valdez had no proof of ownership Once again loyal friends came to the support of the aging widow one by one. They testified on her behalf Jose Antonio Carrillo A rancho rodeo de las awas has belonged to donia maria Rita for many years At least since 1828 For it was in that year that I visited her Her soldier husband had just died and there she was with her 11 children Francisco Villa it was in 1839 some years after her relative lushano had moved from the rancho Had donia maria rita wished to obtain a grant from governor alborado I had already obtained for her enough cattle to make up the necessary 150 heads Jose Castro She a captain dia and I went to see the governor in monterey and he graciously exceeded to our request He gave me the title papers granting to donia maria rita about one league of land One by one friends and relatives offered their help Finally after many weary days of waiting the board announced the decision Donia maria rita valdez de vea It is the decision of the united states board of land commissioners that your claim to the title of the land known as the rancho Radeo de las awas is confirmed The land is yours madam Yes Yes, donia maria's loss of her title papers almost cost her her rancho Her title was in doubt for years until the land commission finally determined that it was valid This was not an uncommon situation in those early days There were no public offices in which title transfers could be recorded In fact ownership of land frequently passed by a mere transfer possession without any written document When california was admitted to the union in 1850 One of the first acts of the state legislature was to set up public offices in which records of title transfers might be kept And to require that all transfers must be by deed or other written instruments The theory was that an intending purchaser of property could then examine the public records and determine that the seller actually owned clear title to the land Unfortunately, it is often impossible to establish true ownership of property from these public records Deeds and other title documents are sometimes lost or destroyed Sometimes never placed on record Sometimes defectively acknowledged or executed Sometimes forged or executed by miners or incompetence So that even though they have the appearance of valid legal documents Actually, they are not For these reasons some further assurance of ownership is required by persons dealing in land today The policy of title insurance meets that need it stabilizes land titles Makes them marketable enables you to know that you really own the title you pay for Now the ranchero de orif zawas What she calls san antonia really belonged to donya maria rita And she settled down with a great army of relatives to raise her cattle and cultivate her garden But troubles still pursued her Early one day in 1852 the workers in the garden were startled by India Hurry inside get inside pedro call everybody into the house now lock all the doors barricade the windows get down the gun See inside quickly the guns are in the racks fathering the cask in the corner hurry Here close the door Put that table across the window leave enough room to sight the rifle. Hurry. There they are behind the tigamore. Oh, be careful Oh, you want to fight do you heathen all right our police are as good as yours Doc will you I get you next time pedro her rifles for me and keep bringing up the ammunition Look how they come out in the open They've locked they've locked We have driven him back to cover but they will die again hurry pedro more ammunition Pedro more ammunition. We've held him off for three hours, but I don't The ammunition is running low. We cannot hold him off much longer, sir We must you know what it will mean if we do not The ammunition won't last much longer. Then save it. Don't waste a shot Hold your fire until they try to attack again. What would our health or your I'll go for her No, pedro. You cannot I can't do it, senor if I can sneak out without them seeing me I can crawl down the beach to the swap and get away to the nearest ranch Perhaps you could senor I will not listen. They will kill you and he's just a boy They will not see me senor because I am just very small. It may be our only chance senor I I try myself. No, no one shall go Perhaps our shots will attract attention and he'll come but no one will go. It would be suicide But your force quickly pedro more ammunition We've driven them back into grove again Thank heavens there are only three of them. We must be prepared for their next assault Pedro bring more powder Pedro Pedro Where is he Pedro? Oh senor He is gone. He has slipped out the door while we were busy fighting Here he goes sleeping down the trench. Mother of the gods do they see him? I don't know. They haven't made any movie yet They're shooting at us. He's almost to the swamp. They can't see you from there. He's hidden by the trees now He's getting up. He's running They haven't seen him. They haven't seen him senor. Now we have a chance We have driven them back again Senor have you any ammunition left? If yours won't shut here somebody bring up more ammunition. There is no more, senor. What? No more Then when they attacked again Oh, what has happened to Pedro? He has only been going an hour It might take him that long to get to the nearest ranch. Oh, no. He is a fast runner. He should be back by now 40 years left Senora This won't shut If you wish I can spare you any. I am not afraid, senor. I have not lived here all these years without being used to facing death You are a brave woman, senor I salute you. They're creeping up again, senor. We cannot fight them now This is the end, senor. No, no listen What is that? Indians have stopped. They're running the other way. They're making for the hills. Look at horses. It's help coming Pedro got through. Pedro got through. Look at them. The ranchero is charging at full speed. We're saved. We're saved This was the last of such harrowing experiences for the owners of Rancho Rodeo de la Sahuas But even so the courageous Donia Maria Rita Valdez pound managing a great rancho too much for her declining health And so in 1854 She sold her land to two neighbors Benjamin D. Wilson famous in early california as Don Benito and Henry Hancock The full price for the site of what is now bevelly hills was roughly about $1,300 and now at last the americans took over its development They planted 2,000 acres of wheat and the first year reaped a golden harvest then came drought two years without water Oh, just look at it Bill. A withered plane. The swamps dried up. No flowers nothing. Yeah, Ben's pretty sad Your wheat crops ruined. Ruined? Well, there isn't any wheat crop. I'm afraid this ranch is going to be a white elephant I've been looking for you. What is it Jose? To señores from Los Fagales. They're at the house to see you. Yeah, well, what do they want? They are from the pioneer oil company. They want to see you about this land They think there might be oil here. Oil? Man, oil here Well, then you'd be rich. Holy smokes. Oil. Where are they? But the oil bubble burst quickly wells were drilled but nothing of any consequence was found Then slowly newcomers came to live on the ranch new names appeared to be associated with Rodeo de las Havas Workman Whitworth Edison a benedict required benedict canyon edward a pruce lulun Eberle Francis temple finally in 1869 pruce and temple sold their land to the de las Havas land association Ambitious plans for a town called Santa Maria were never realized The association gasped for life for a short time and then peacefully expired The rancher went to Hamel and Denker to Los Angeles businessmen who prospered for a while by raising liner beans on their land With the coming of the railroad the rancher Odeo de las Havas was flooded with eager lot buyers Little towns mushroomed around the railroad stations Morocco, Cahuenga, Sunset More ambitious plans were made the boom of the 80s however collapsed and the towns faded back into obscurity It was not until 1906 that the heirs and successes of Henry Hamel and Andrew Denker Handled over their rancher to another group whose plans were to prove successful Here's a rodeo land water company mr. Clark. This is a map of the town laid out Beverly Hills Well looks well laid out mr. Grain Thanks, ought to be got the best man we could for the job Wilbur cork landscape architect in New York planned it Dan Halladay engineer did actually an art pretty name too Beverly Hills I had something to do with that himself see um I read newspaper counter president taps visit to Beverly farms in massachusetts Well, I like the names so much. I just rushed right down here and persuaded my associates to name our town Beverly Hills Uh, since this was fairly lander subdividing. Well, yes, it's fine. I'll tell you I like you new town I'll take two lots. I looked on now. Let's see. It's a crescent drive. Isn't that that's right? So, uh, well, I guess I'll be your first customer. I'll buy him Henry c. Clark became the first homeowner of the new town of Beverly Hills in Rapidly the subdivision grew Then one day a real estate man and his potential customer walked up a hill overlooking donya maria rita valdis's old land Let's just climb up there a little further to the crest. It must be a wonderful view Okay, I don't see how you do it. You take these hills like you're doing nothing Which has in your condition. I must be getting old. You should be in the movement picture business That's done. It's not the key to your trip. There must be that kind of picture you do here. Let me lend you hand Thanks Yep, thank goodness Well, what do you think of that view? Just look at that. I've never seen anything like it. It's perfect I think of having a home here. Hey, it's just what I hope you're thinking of Just imagine how it'd look landscape a home right over there overlooking the entire valley That's a real bargain. You don't have to tell me. I'm so just make out the papers to uh, Douglas Fairbanks When Douglas Fairbanks brought the site for pickpair on april 22nd 1919 He started the great movie star invasion Which has made Beverly Hills one of the most celebrated residential communities in the world Quickly more and more famous people made it their home. The population grew by leaps and bounds in 1924 The population was 5 000 quickly the rancho rodeo de las aguas Blossomed into hundreds of mansions vias homes The building boom finally reached such proportions that had prompted one prominent resident of Beverly Hills to say Well, lots of souls are quickly off and out here that they're put through escrow made out to the 12th owner Now they couldn't possibly make out a deed for each perch sir besides you wouldn't have time to read it in 10 minutes He owned a lot You're having no money. Don't worry agents if they can just get a couple of dollars down or an old overcoat Or a shotgun or anything to act as first payment Second-hand fords are considered a one collateral too Will Rogers may have been spoofing a little but the boom brought almost 30 000 residents to live in this One of the most beautiful and one of the wealthiest of residential communities Today the land which was once the domain of the widow valadis and her 11 children Is the pride of the southland the home of many of its famous people the distinguished city of Beverly Hills Such is the romance of the ranchos Frank Graham will be heard in just a moment, but first hear something to think about In these days of rising costs and taxes every dollar counts to all of us Doubly interesting then is the fact that the rates at which title insurance and trust company is able to offer you necessary title protection Are very considerably lower than those prevailing almost anywhere else in the united states There are two factors that make these low rates possible First the size and completeness of title insurance and trust companies record files and the efficiency of its hundreds of trained workers Second the fact that this company writes a greater volume of title insurance than any other title company in the world Whatever the value of the property you're interested in or the type of policy you require The rate you pay for title insurance is less than it would be elsewhere because of these considerations And the protection it brings you is not surpassed by comparable policies issued anywhere And what's the story for next week, Frank? Next week we're going to take you for a visit to the ranchos san Pedro and palos verdes For a dispute between two of the great families of early california blazed for many years It's a story. I know you'll want to hear so be with us again next wednesday night until then this is your wandering vaquero Frank graham saying The romance of the ranchos is a presentation of the title insurance and trust company of los angles Featuring frank graham as the wandering vaquero Bob laman speaking. This is the columbia broadcasting system