|
Reproduced
essentially verbatim (some spelling corrections) from a copy of the
article
found in The Sentinel. The Sentinel was an Oak View newspaper
whose address was:
P.O. Box 504 - MI 9-1754 It was published weekly on Thursday by
Chuck and Faye Hill,
with advertising by Joe Colville
Thursday,
September 25, 1958, THE OAK VIEW SENTINEL
HISTORY OF THE VALLEY
HE ROAD TO OJAI
by Percy G. Watkins
---------------------
THE ROAD AS IT REACHED OAK VIEW IN 1900 -- LAND $30 ACRE
The Grade Road forded the San Antonio Creek where it
immediately passed the house on the Harter ranch. A Mr. Alex
Wiltfong lived in this house, which I believe still stands. Mr.
Harter, owner of the ranch, lived in a small house nearby.
At this point a private road went up the canyon to get
to the farm land of the ranch. This land is now owned by Judge David
Drapeau, Margaret Bertles, the Mangans and others. I think this
included the land on the south of Sunset St. This part of the ranch
was planted in plum trees.
Leaving the Harter house, the Grade Road climbed
steeply and roughly to where Dr. Clow now lives.
At practically the same point where the road to the
Clow's house leaves the Old Grade Road, there was a private road
leading to the Arellanes Ranch. At the entrance was a barbed-wire
gate with a sign on it: "THIS 40 ACRES FOR SALE -- $30.00 PER ACRE."
On a hill back of Wood's Nursery was a small house of
typical design.
This house was vacant from 1900 to about 1915. Then a man named
Garman repaired it to make it livable. By that time Nidever had
bought the ranch and planted an apricot orchard. Garman rented it
and farmed on shares.
Mr. Garman attempted to get around the expensive
practice of pitting the apricots before they were laid out to dry.
He built a huge machine to cut the fruit, and women were hired to
spread the apricots. He took out patents on his machine and was
working on improving it at the time of his death.
Hay and barley were also grown on this ranch. We called
the ranch, "the Canstancia Ranch." I think it should have been
Cagnacci. ( to be continued ) |
