by Paul R. Spitzzeri
In the seven-and-a-half years since John and Barbara Clonts donated to the Museum a remarkable cache of papers left by their home’s original owner, Grover T. Russell, related to his years as the on-site sales manager for the North Whittier Heights subdivision, renamed Hacienda Heights about 1960, we have had the opportunity to share some of these great documents from the first few years after the tract was opened to the public in May 1913.
This post takes us to 27 March 1915 and a trio of letters, all of which were file copies, sent by Russell to prospective buyers of property in the Heights and it is interesting that two of them were composed with what is stated, on one, as “Out of Town Copy,” while the third was to a local. The pair of out-of-town missives are essentially the same with a notable exception.
Frank C. Westover was a brick mason who resided in Aurora, Illinois, just west of Chicago, and worked for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad, long known for its “Burlington Route” and which was purchased by rail magnate James J. Hill and associated with his Great Northern Railway and Northern Pacific Railways. Later, the Burlington Northern was formed and then, when that was acquired by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe company, the BNSF. the biggest freight-hauling company in the country, was established in 1996. Westover, a widower when his wife Ella died in 1912, may have, in his grief and mourning, contemplated an escape when he sent his inquiry letter to Russell.
Then there was Charles R. Hall, a grocer in Holtville in Imperial County, east of San Diego and north of Calexico and Mexicali. Hall was previously a store owner and farmer in the Chickasaw Nation territory of what became the state of Oklahoma and resided southwest of Oklahoma City with his wife and four children, when a divorce ensued. Taking his children with him, Hall headed west. but apparently considered farming in North Whittier Heights not long after settling at Holtville.
In both communications, Russell wrote that he was separately sending “a descriptive folder of our property in which you will find articles explaining the soil, water, and climatic conditions of the holdings as well as a map of a portion of Southern California on which the approximate location of the subdivision is indicated and a map of a portion of the property as subdivided.” We’d sure love to get one of these folders for our collection!
The sales manager then explained that North Whittier Heights was broken into tracts of 5, 10 and as larger as 50 acres, with unplanted ones fetching from $450 to $800 per acre “according to the location and lay of each particular property.” He added,
The low rolling foothill portion of the property is priced lower than the more level portions, or main slope of the property for the reason that it requires a little more expense in leveling for planting and some extra attention when irrigating, but the better drainage and elevation gives them a better climate and as scenic homesites, they are without a peer in all the Southland. Some of the more experienced orchardists really prefer these rolling hills to the more level lands.
Furthermore, Russell explained, there were groves in the year or two since the subdivision was opened up and planted to Eureka lemons, Valencia oranges and Marsh seedless grapefruit, these both on the “main slopes or on the rolling hill lands,” at from $775 to $1025 per acre. Then, there were tracts containing “grafted one year old soft shell walnut groves which are being sold at prices ranging from $700.00 to $775.00 per acre.”
Terms for both unplanted and developed tracts involved 20% cash up front. the same percentage on or prior to two years from purchase, and the rest within five years “where a purchaser so desires, or we will plant or care for orchards where a purchaser wishes us to do so.” It was proudly noted that “we have sold approximately $450,000.00 worth of this property in tracts of 5 acres and up since the property was first offered on the marked, May 17th 1913, and a considerable portion of the sales have been made to successful orchardists from the best surrounding districts of Southern California.” In fact, this point was publicized in the press at the time.
Russell followed by informing Hall and Westover,
If you are in the market for a property of this kind which is both a most attractive investment and a desirable location for a future country home, suburban to Los Angeles, we shall be pleased to have you have anyone with whom you are acquainted in Southern California go out with us to inspect the property, or in the event there is no one here with whom you are acquainted, we shall be pleased to have you refer to the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, the Realty Board, or the First National Bank of this city as to the merit of our property and the ability and reliability of this firm, or you can refer to the Whittier Chamber of Commerce, whose members are more familiar with the property than anyone else except ourselves.
The agent then let both know that “it would be far better, of course, if you could come to Los Angeles and go out with us to see the property for yourself” as it was difficult “to sell a high-class property of this kind by correspondence.” To Westover, being the furthest away, Russell added that “most of our sales are made to people who are familiar with conditions and values of Southern California” and realized what differentiated “good, better, and best in lands” and resulting price variations.
Additionally, he pointed out that “sales are made to people who have orchard acquaintances here who know the conditions necessary for success and recommend our property to their friend.” That said, though, “once in a while . . . we sell someone directly from the East or Middle West, who come out and look things over and buy on their own initiative.” All of this was left out of the correspondence to Hall because of his closer proximity to North Whittier Heights.
As for the third letter, this was sent to Mrs. B.G. Jackson of Long Beach, this being the former Mary Phillipa Pascoe, a native of Globe, Arizona and the daughter of lodging house keepers who married miner Burton G. Jackson in that town east of Phoenix. The Jacksons had the terrible misfortune of losing three children as infants and toddlers through 1909 and then moved west, where Burton continued his occupation as a mining engineer. Yet again, however, they suffered the death of a fourth child in 1911, leading to another speculation as to why Phillipa reached out concerning North Whittier Heights—perhaps as another place for a new start.
In any case, the earliest parts of the letter were essentially identical to those sent to Hall and Westover, though with a bit less description of the conditions of the land because she was in the area. With respect to the walnut groves, Russell added that these amounted to about 150 acres, with the upper price range pegged at $850 an acre, rather than the $775 quoted to the others. What was added was that “the water stock which goes with each acre of our planted and unplanted lands is salable outside of our tract at $150.- per share,” though why this was not shared with Hall and Westover is unknown.
Moreover, the agent informed Jackson that “we expect to subdivide a modern townsite on a portion of our property which faces on the Salt Lake [now Union Pacific] Railway during the coming spring inasmuch as the surrounding territory has been developed to a pint which makes a townsite a necessity.” This became Hillgrove, sometimes known as Hartsville, after Edwin G. Hart, the head tract sales manager and co-founder of the Whittier Extension Company, developers of North Whittier Heights.
It was added that “the County has recently completed the North Whittier boulevard from Whittier to the North Whittier Heights property through the Whittier [Puente] Hills, which gives the people of the upper San Gabriel and San Jose [Pomona] valleys a much nearer route to the South coast beaches as well as providing a more accessible route to the older Whittier district and city for the orchardists of the North Whittier Heights section.” The new route was known more commonly then and now as Turnbull Canyon Road, which terminates on the north on Valley (then Pomona) Boulevard and turns into Beverly Boulevard on entering Whittier.
Russell added that “some of the most successful orange and lemon growers and nurserymen in Southern California are investing” at the tract and that this demonstrated that the climate, location, soil and water were such that it was a place for “citrus groves that pay” and the prices were “reasonable when the quality is considered,” the last part of this phrase was written in ink as an addition. As he’d done before, the manager cited examples of such “experienced citrus people” as Charles Hamburg and Harley M. Jordan of Whittier, Los Angeles County Assessor Ed Hopkins, and the Pollard brothers of South Pasadena, so Jackson was encouraged to contact them or the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce or Whittier Board of Trade.
After inviting her to take an auto tour with him of North Whittier Heights, Russell concluded his missive by commenting, “we are proud of this property and shall be glad to have it compared to other sections of the southland.” He hoped she would see him at the Los Angeles office so she could be escorted out to see the tract or that more information could be provided “with any additional information you may desire.” Jackson’s letter had a pencil note “City & Suburban Copy.”
None of the recipients appears to have purchased land at North Whittier Heights. Hall remained in Holtville for several more years, though he did move to Long Beach, not far from where Jackson once lived, and ran a grocery store there. In later years, he lived in San Diego and was a dry cleaner. Westover stayed put in Aurora for the remainder of his days. Tragically, Jackson had another child a few months after the letter was sent to her and then died in early August, perhaps from complications of childbirth—the boy lived longer than his siblings, but died at just ten years of age. Burton Jackson remarried, had four sons, three living to adulthood and lived in Oakdale near Modesto in the Central Valley until he died about three decades later.
As for media coverage of North Whittier Heights in March 1915, advertisements in the Los Angeles Times played up how prices of lots were predicated on presumed net profits and that these were assured because of those conditions on the tract Russell mentioned to Jackson, “being as good as the best there is in the State” and with “natural advantages [that] are an overwhelming asset.” The walnuts were denoted as “the Placentia Perfected variety,” as well.
Another ad placed in the Los Angeles Express asked readers to ponder broadly and
Stop and think of the limited area throughout the world in which it is possible to successfully grow lemons, oranges and walnuts in comparison with the area in which you can grow any other horticultural or agricultural product. Then investigate the percentage of increase in the consumption of oranges and lemons and all nations in the last ten years in proportion to the increase in the production of orchards, investigating the quality for eating and successfully shipping California lemons and oranges as against other citrus producing sections. Then investigate the superior advantages of our North Whittier Heights lemon, orange, grapefruit, walnut and avocado land subdivisions for developing “orchards that pay.”
Whittier realtor James S. Locke, in his hometown News, informed his fellow citizens that if they were curious about young citrus orchards, “we have some of the finest in [the] North Whittier Heights tract.” He added “if you are from Missouri, let us show you,” a play on that state’s motto of “The Show-Me State;” Burton Jackson happened to be from near St. Joseph north of Kansas City.
The Express of 13 March printed a brief statement, really an ad, that echoed Russell’s comments about the fact that $450,000 of North Whittier Heights property had been sold in previously unplanted tracts of five acres and larger since the tract opened not quite two years prior, adding that 700 acres were in citrus and walnuts, while up to half that was expected “during the present spring planting season.”
Lastly, the News ran a feature celebrating the fact that Turnbull Canyon Road, built at a cost of $20,000, “is in the throes of improvement work” that would lead to the thoroughfare “being made into a smooth boulevard lined with trees” and, as such, would become “famous as one of the best in Southern California.” The paper bragged that the route was already one of the finest in construction in the region, but with the smooth surfacing from gravel completed, “it will take a prominent place among popular motor boulevards.”
Moreover, under the supervision of Dan Langstaff, twenty workers and ten teams were hard at work on the project, most of whom worked on the original construction, gravel was extracted “from a pit about 1200 feet this side of the summit or divide of the road,” this apparently meaning about where the route meets Skyline Drive and not far from Workman Hill, the highest location in the Puente Hills and named for Homestead founders William and Nicolasa Workman.
An area of some four acres was used to secure the material and was “shot down or blasted” and “the gravel is laid to the pepper trees, a well known picnic ground in the canyon, which are located about half way to the summit.” After rain delays, work commenced on spreading the material about eight inches deep and “placed to the grade of the road and laid twenty feet wide.” It was anticipated that the project would be finished in April “as the gravel will only be laid to the summit” because “probably in June or July, the west side will be oiled to the summit.” The article remarked,
With its winding curves and beautiful views of the canyon, the nearby mountain ranges, North Whittier Heights and the famed Whittier section the road has already attracted large numbers of motorists [and when graveling was done] it will drawn enthusiasts from near and far. Many motoring trips radiating from Los Angeles and Whittier will include this road.
We’ll continue to share more great material from the Clonts’ donation in future posts, so keep an eye out for those!
It’s no surprise that none of the three inquirers who consulted with Russell ended up purchasing the land. Had they known how much the tract – spanning multiple tens of acres – would be worth decades later, they would have deeply regretted their hesitation.
It reminds me of what happened between 2008 and 2012, or even later, when property prices plummeted to rock bottom. I voluntarily drove several friends through two or three cities I knew well, showing them properties I had carefully evaluated. I shared my insights, assuring them they wouldn’t regret buying, as prices were exceptionally low. Once acquired, these properties would generate both steady rental income and long-term appreciation. Yet, none of them took action.
The reality of that period was simple: You didn’t need to be particularly savvy – affordable properties were everywhere; and there was no urgency either -years went by with ample opportunity to buy, yet so many still let it pass them by.