“Thoroughly in Keeping With the Spanish Manner”: Some Early History of Montebello to 1930, Part Eight

by Paul R. Spitzzeri

It seems safe to say that, during the first three decades of Montebello’s history, about the first half of that time it was best known for its flowers as a nursery center of Los Angeles County, while the second half was marked by the prominence of an entirely different product derived from below the surface, namely, oil. The former, however, remained an important part of the city after the latter fully flowered and this eighth part of our post looks at both aspects during the Roaring Twenties, including the fact that was remarked upon by Helen W. King in the Los Angeles Times of 25 September 1927:

Within the immediate environs of Los Angeles is a little city which has acquired fame as a center of floricultural activities. Montebello, southeast of the Western metropolis some six or seven miles, could justifiably be termed the Flower City.

This included ten commercial nurseries with glass greenhouses “exclusive of numerous small nurseries operated by Japanese gardeners,” with close to a half million square feet invested in raising flowers, with many varieties (camellias, cyclamen, gardenias, lilies, orchids and roses mentioned) “grown in great quantities and shipped to markets outside of the State, as well as to local flower shops.” Bulbs, cut flowers and seeds were generated from the stock grown in Montebello.

Much of the industry was devoted to ornamentals, grown in houses to protect them from sun and wind, and this constituted more than triple the number of square feet given to flowers, with railroad cars full of plants sent out of the area, while acacias, boxwood, conifers and eucalypti were grown in the open. After a description of the wide range of plants found on a drive through the area, it was observed that “altogether there are close to four hundred acres in the Montebello district devoted to raising flowers, plants or bulbs.” King added that, countywide, floriculture contributed some $17.5 million in revenue, second only in agriculture to oranges at more than $20.5 million.

Highlighted among nurseries was Howard and Smith, mentioned here before, which came to the area about a quarter-century prior and acquired ten acres, with that growing more than five-fold since. Roy F. Wilcox arrived a decade prior and purchased twenty-five acres, though this tripled. C.J. Groen specialized in roses, all in greenhouses on his ten acres. Six other establishments were mentioned including the well-known Germain Seed Company and Figueroa Nursery, though it was not stated that this latter was Japanese-owned.

King concluded that, as an event at the city park on Whittier Boulevard was to take place on the last day of September and first two of October,

Flower growing represents only a part of Montebello’s activities, but it contributes a tremendous amount to the progress of the busy little city . . . Realizing its unique standing as a center of floriculture and nursery activities and the importance of the industry to the community [including employment and financial benefits for locals patronizing the businesses], the Montebello Chamber of Commerce sponsors a yearly flower show. It is more than a flower show, for ornamental stock, subtropical fruits and rare plants are featured, so the event is called a Horticultural Exhibition.

In a recap by Frances Duncan in the Times of 16 October, some of those local nurseries were highlighted, but so we outside ones like Theodore Payne, McDonald’s of Bellflower, Aggeler and Musser of Los Angeles, and Barker’s of Bell. The State Association of Nurseryman president gave an address and awards were given for best exhibits—the chrysanthemum premium went to I.K. Takata with Hazashi as runner-up—both were Montebello growers—, while entertainment was provided by the city band and orchestra and the Mission Play Orchestra of San Gabriel. Duncan remarked that “altogether it was a notable show, and an attendance of over 10,000 persons proved that Southern California was well aware of it.”

One of the oil investors mentioned previously in this post was William B. Scott, a brother-in-law of the Hardison brothers, co-founders of Union Oil Company, and who was president of the Columbia Oil Company, which had wells in several areas including the Puente and Olinda districts in an “oil belt” east of Montebello. Scott and others associated with these firms purchased a large tract of land, ostensibly for agricultural purposes, though one wonders if they entertained hopes of finding oil just a short distance south of where Walter P. Temple had his Montebello oil lease.

In a Times feature of 11 September 1927, Helen King wrote of “Picturesqueness of Old Days Preserved in Remodeling of Hacienda,” in which she observed that “one by one, the record of progress chronicles the passing of the remnants of the days when California was young, when ranches were vast domains of unfenced land, when ranch houses were haciendas and the center of a life that was at once thrilling and secure, simply and richly picturesque.”

Yet, the writer remarked that, while there was some interest in that pre-American California past, “we are a people bent upon increasing land values, developing our industrial and commercial resources and gaining an enormous population in a given number of years!” Counter to that, however, was that “true Californians rejoice in anything which preserves a bit of that colorful past” and it was “more than gratifying to find one of today’s generation making a distinct effort to retain every possible vestige of the by-gone days.”

Such was the Columbia Oil chief, King observed, adding that,

Up on La Merced Heights, on the outskirts of Montebello, is a property known as “the Scotch [!] Ranch.” At one time it was part of the great Baldwin Ranch, but before that, something over one hundred years ago, a man by the name of Sanchez who had come venturing into this new and promising country from his native Mexico had cast his eyes upon the fertile hillsides, appraised its value, strategic if not esthetic, of the site, which commanded a sweeping view of the surrounding country, and proceeded to establish his home upon that spot.

Aside from the bungled name of the “Scott Ranch,” King erred significantly in writing that Juan Matias Sánchez was the first settler of Rancho La Merced, with, of course, indigenous people being the original inhabitants, when it was Casilda Soto de Lobo, who was granted the tract in 1844 and built the first section of the adobe on the site. Sánchez, a native of New Mexico, was the mayordomo (foreman) for William Workman on the adjoining Rancho La Puente, and was given La Merced, with Workman’s son-in-law, F.P.F. Temple, when Workman foreclosed on a loan to Doña Casilda and took possession of La Merced at the end of 1850.

King went on to comment that the house was constructed of “staunch adobe walls, two and a half feet thick” and “built these in the form of of an ‘L,” though Sánchez added one of the wings to Lobo’s original, “at an angle with the crest of the hill and surrounded them completely with wide verandas.” It was asserted that “over the deep recessed windows he put the traditional iron bars of Spain,” while “every room opened onto the verandas, and almost none had doorways connecting them” and fireplaces were added in each room.

The author wrote of two existing pepper trees, along with orange and pear trees, that existed from the pre-American period, but she skipped past the tragedy of Sánchez placing his La Merced lands as collateral for the loan Baldwin made to the Temple and Workman bank and the loss that soon followed. King went on to observe that

About fifteen years ago the forty acres surrounding the dwelling became the property of W.B. Scott. Some necessary repairs were made in the old house, certain modern features were included and a second story was built up on the sturdy old walls, with a low roof sloping from the center, creating dormer windows in each room. The upper walls were built in the same manner, corresponding to in thickness to the original ones, and so the ranch house remained characteristically Spanish in type.

Scott and his wife, Luna Hardison (they had two children, Josephine and Keith, and resided in the Rampart Village section of Los Angeles) also planted extensively and added winding driveways “which add greatly to the beauty of the ranch today.” The higher elevations were planted with oranges, while “in a more sheltered spot a deciduous orchard which contained an extensive variety of fruits and nuts was established.” A few years later, following trends established at places like the nearby North Whittier (Hacienda) Heights tract, avocados were planted and it was said that Scott was “one of the few who were willing to experiment with this strange new fruit.”

King mentioned that “the original owner,” meaning Señora Lobo, “had selected the spot with a very discerning eye,” given that frost and strong winds were largely absent, so that anything grown (though she would have run livestock, not raised crops) would have thrived in such conditions. Whatever the property’s agricultural and horticultural past for nearly seven decades, “the property was rich in one resource, however, which no one suspected until 1916, when somebody began to talk oil possibilities.” As mentioned earlier in this post, it was nine-year-old Thomas W. Temple II who was credited with discovering the oil which launched the Montebello field. In any case, the Scotts had five producing wells on their tract within a short time.

William Scott died in 1920 and Luna followed five years later, so the writer noted,

Today the ranch is the property of Mr. Scott’s heirs, William Keith Scott [age 21] and his sister, Josephine Scott [soon to be 23]. It still produces oranges, avocados and the deciduous fruits. The oil still flows from its wells, but the chief interest is centered around the dwelling. It is the determination of the present owners to re-create the charm of the early days as far as possible, to add a measure of beauty, color and comfort which the old hacienda never knew, but which is thoroughly in keeping with the Spanish manner.

As examples of the work undertaken by the Scotts, “on its wide verandas artisans work at carving and staining the great wooden beams which will be placed in the ceilings of the lower floor,” while the walls inside “are being refinished in a manner more in keeping with the original architecture of the house.” Notably, changes made when the family bought the house were being removed and “wherever it is practical, the original idea will be carried out,” and, when not so done, “will be at least compatible with that style of architecture and which will be harmonious in effect.”

Whatever intent there was to harmonize the house with its past, real or supposed, a modern kitchen and a quartet of “ultra-modern bathrooms, such as no old Spanish architect,” of which there were none in the pre-American era, “ever visualized,” were added in the current remodeling, but it was claimed that a “guest feasting at the board” of the dining room with beamed ceilings and iron bars in the windows, “will sense nothing of the shining, strictly American-type kitchen.” Moreover, the added second level had ten bedrooms “which make the upper floor resemble a young hotel,” combined with the amenities of the kitchen were such that it was “evident that the present owners intend to bring back the old lavish days of hospitality.”

As for the grounds, a swimming pool and tennis court were being added, while landscaping was refreshed, but, to counter these modern additions, it was remarked that “the old-time charm of the long, shady verandas with their vine-hung pillars, [and] the grace of the magnificent old peppers remain undisturbed.” Those fruit trees, “an ancient cactus,” and other historic plants “have been carefully preserved” and any changes “will be keyed to the prestige of these things which have lingered to grace the garden of the present.”

A terraced section, probably on the north side of the house, was to be planted to subtropical fruits and others by ranch manager Henry M. Giller, with it added that “plants of tender nature tend to thrive particularly well on the sheltered slopes of the Montebello hills,” so Giller was confident of the success of the new plantings, along with existing avocados, including the Fuerte, Harmon and Taft varieties. King ended by commenting that,

The ranch, as a whole, certainly proves how thoroughly delightful a country place in California can be made, and while Mr. Scott [Keith became president of his father’s oil company while his sister moved to Honolulu for a short period] is particularly fortunate in having a property which has such a heritage of ancient charm, he deserves a great deal of credit for having so fully appreciated its value and so carefully preserved it.

With this linkage of landscape, through flowers, plants and trees as well as the burgeoning oil industry, will halt here and return tomorrow with part nine focusing on more descriptions of Roaring Twenties Montebello, so be sure to join us then!