by Paul R. Spitzzeri
The continuing boom, the first in the region, that took place in greater Los Angeles from not long after the end of the Civil War for several years through the mid-1870s, included a fuller flowering of agriculture that became the major element of the economy, replacing the cattle industry that long ruled the roost.
While it was the orange that later became predominant and which was, before the rise of the film industry some four decades later, the prime symbol of the region, wine grapes were the essential staple of Los Angeles-area farming. Other citrus, namely lemons and limes, were popular, as were deciduous fruits, like apples, peaches and pears. Among field crops, wheat was important, along with barley and corn.
Often classified by the local media as a fruit, the walnut had a strong regional presence. Its place among agricultural products was somewhat modest compared to other products, but the numbers of trees grew consistently through the first quarter-century of the American period, with Workman and Temple family members among those who cultivated the crop.
Not long after the dawn of 1873, the Los Angeles Star of 24 January briefly remarked that “we have been handed a walnut from the grounds of M. Morris, Esq.,” this perhaps being Moritz Morris, a Prussian-born Jewish farmer and merchant, “which is growing and maturing quite in advance of its season.” The paper pointed out that “May is the month in which young walnuts put in an appearance in this climate,” but Morris’ tree “is laden with young fruit” already.
About a week earlier, the paper reprinted statistics from the county assessor for 1871, which usually were published in the following year, and which pegged the population at 16,300. Total assessed values were almost $4.4 million in real and more than $2.5 million in personal property. The report indicated that close to 46,000 acres were cultivated. Of this, more than 10,000 were devoted to corn and not far under that to barley, though it was added that some 6,000 acres of the latter crop were planted but did not mature, so was cut for use as hay. The latter was raised on nearly 3,000 acres, while much smaller amount dedicated to wheat, oats, potatoes and others.
With livestock, cattle totaled 19,000 with 3,800 cows and 3,550 calves and there were 14,000 horses. While the list stated there 572,000 oxen, this was obviously a misprint as that was, without doubt, the amount of sheep that were raised and which grew significantly over the last decade or so. Another growing species of livestock were chickens which pushed close to 90,000.
In the category of fruit trees and vines, there were over 4.1 million grapevines, with yields of 1.6 million gallons of wine and almost 60,000 of brandy, and close to 150,000 strawberry plants and more than 275,000 mulberry trees for silk production. Orange trees totaled 34,000, with 5,000 lime and 3,700 lemons completing the citrus inventory, while, among deciduous fruits, there were north of 11,000 peach, above 7,000 apple, well over 5,000 pear and 2,000 each of fig, olive and pomegranate trees. Walnut trees were accounted to be 5,100 in number.
The same day’s edition of the paper included a feature by its proprietor, George W. Barter, formerly of the Anaheim Bulletin, who wrote a multi-part series on the “Resources and Prospects of Los Angeles” with the eighth part concerning “Tree Planting, Profits, Etc.” The journalist remarked that “perhaps one of the most important and profitable industries at present in this county is that of fruit raising” and he added that “the best time to transplant semi-tropical trees is after the heavy rains of February.”
This process was essential, to avoid losing valuable time from planting to bearing, with care to be taken in preserving roots and getting the tree into the ground as quickly as possible and at the same depth as in its original location. After advising on how to prepare the soil and to water the trees, Barter commented, “fruit growing in this Eden of the United States is but in its infancy, and every man that owns a piece of land, if it is only a garden, should learn something of tree planting.”
Experienced horticulturists informed the editor that profits from an acre of bearing citrus trees constituted about $1,000 and it was added that,
The English walnut is also a most profitable crop, and will always continue to be so, for the reason that while the market for them extends over the whole world, the localities where they can be produced are very few. Not only the walnut, but nuts of every variety known to a semi-tropical region are raised here in abundance. There are in the vicinity of the city several nurseries of capacity from which the whole region can be supplies with trees for transplanting.
One of these was not operated by a man, despite Barter’s remark, but by Harriet Shaw, the wife of a doctor, on property the couple owned on San Pedro Street near Jefferson Street, in an area where other walnut growers and nursery owners, such as Thomas A. Garey, resided and worked. A new advertisement from Mrs. Shaw, from the 27 January edition of the Star and which was more briefly repeated at the end of the year, offered 100,000 orange, lemon and walnut trees from three to five years old.
In its 13 March issue, the paper published more promotional material about the region as Barter proclaimed, in what was part of quite a lengthy sentence,
While Los Angeles stands forth, a very crown jewel in the midst of the adjoining counties, and while its great and highly endowed resources must ever make it the greatest county in wealth, in beauty and in prosperity, of the counties of Southern California, if not eventually in the whole state, it will be borne in mind by all its thoughtful and reflective citizens, that it is a part and not the whole, of that heaven-favored section of this great State . . .
While it was added that the nearby counties of Kern, San Bernardino, San Diego and Santa Barbara were “absolutely correlative to [Los Angeles’] development and prosperity” and that “the peopling and building up of these counties is but the aggrandizement of Los Angeles county and city.”
Moreover, it was noted, Los Angeles County had close to double the property assessments (recall the figures above) of its neighbors and that it was “the banner county of the state in its production of wine and brandy.” Barter called for another hotel, a savings bank, a paper mill, a book bindery, an ore smelter and a better theater than the existing Merced, while he also commented about the county that,
It is well known that it can now furnish from its nurseries, the orange, lime, citron, lemon and walnut trees enough for any possible demand, from these four adjoining counties. It is well known that these counties [including in the relatively new town of Riverside, still part of San Bernardino County] are making large demands for this class of trees, each season. The bankers, the livery-stable keepers, the hotels of this city are largely dependent upon the very effect produced by this semi-tropical business [with citrus prices at some $60 per thousand pieces] upon the throng of travel arriving by every steamer ond [and] stage-coach.
In April, a quartet of articles discussed a variety of locales in the region, including the broader San Gabriel Valley and a recently established Farmers’ Club, which included Joseph Workman, son of Homestead founders William and Nicolasa, as having a particular interest in sheep-raising. In its monthly meeting at Jones’ Hotel in El Monte, members discussed “Important Agricultural Questions” including “which is the best way to transplant lemon, orange and walnut trees?” as well as how late in the season to do so and how much cold they could handle.
The Star of the 10th remarked on the El Molino Viejo (old mill of Mission San Gabriel, once co-owned by William Workman) property of lawyer and politician Edward J.C. Kewen, with the paper commenting that his 400-acre domain in what is now San Marino possessed plenty of water for 2,000 orange trees, of which the fruit was such that “its flavor is perfection.” Moreover, “he has some seven hundred English walnuts set out, many of them in capital bearing order.” Kewen expected, by 1878, to reap some $50,000 yearly from his crops, but, as a prior post here noted, those expectations went unrealized.
To the southwest of the largely settled portion of Los Angeles, the 22 April edition of the paper observed that “in the vicinity of Ninth and Grasshopper streets, is improving rapidly in the planting of trees and the useful subjection of the grounds.” A new zanja, or water ditch, was being dug by the proprietors of the nearby Los Angeles Woolen Mill, of which F.P.F. Temple had a financial stake, and one beneficiary, among others, was James Kennedy, whose 8.5 acre “Mount Hope” had 250 orange trees, was to have about 90 limes, contained 1,000 grapevines and included 125 walnut trees, aged five to 15 years. Incidentally, don’t search a map for Grasshopper Street, as it was changed to Pearl in 1874 and then, a quarter century later, to Figueroa.
Two days later, the Star printed an extract of an article in the San Francisco Call, with a journalist writing his report from Anaheim, in the southeastern section of the county (which became Orange County a little over 15 years later). The author remarked on “a twenty-acre plantation of oranges, limes, walnuts, or [and?] almonds in full bearing; [and which] constitutes a handsome fortune.” It was advised to those who could sell their Eastern farms and “who are troubled with lung diseases or general debility” to head to this region, while the Star added that “the whole valley and bench land, extending from the Arroyo Seco to Cucamongo [sic], will, ere long, be one continuous orchard and vineyard.”
The 1 June edition of the paper discussed the area northwest of Los Angeles that was generally known as Cahuenga and later included what was called Colegrove and then Hollywood and, where, water was also considered abundant, while the climate was celebrated for having low frost levels. Local farmers “are making great improvements by building houses, making fences, planting trees, etc., etc.” and some were using steam water lifting pumps for irrigation included one with the entirely appropriate name of Weed, who has “an orchard of over 300 trees, mostly orange and walnut, which, together with a newly planted live fence is looking exceedingly well.”
More outlying districts were mentioned in July articles in the Star, including Westminster, which was founded a few years earlier and where, it was recorded in the edition of the 11th, “nearly every settler on the colony has more or less trees and vines.” With live fences of willows or, more rarely because of the expense, pepper trees, the community boasted “2,500 almond, 1,200 walnut (3 years old) and 500 different varieties of fruit trees, along with north of 41,000 grape vines. In the nursery stage were 5,000 lemons and oranges, 10,000 almonds, 1,000 apricots, a few hundred grafted fruit trees and 5,000 walnut trees.
The edition of the 26th remarked on another new town, Duarte, situated west of the San Gabriel River at the foothills of the mountain range then known typically as the Sierra Madre. John E. Tipton, a key figure in the nascent community, stated that, since the first land sale in late January, there were some 20 families, all Anglo, there, enjoying what was said to be the most fertile soil in the county. Moreover, the account continued,
It seems to be peculiarly adapted to the cultivation of all the semi-tropical fruits, and will in a year or two begin to look like its neighbor, the delightful valley of San Gabriel [apparently meaning areas to the south and west]. Already there have been set out 15,000 grape vines, all of which are in a flourishing condition. Beside, there are a thousand each of walnut and orange trees, all of which are looking exceedingly well.
Tipton further informed the paper and its readers that there were many apple, fig, peach, pear and plum trees, along with cabbage, corn and other vegetables “which were a marvel in their way.” The corn, in particular, was praised as growing from eight to 12 feet high, which seemed to presage a bright agricultural future for Duarte.
In mid-July were general promotional pieces by the Star, including the assertion on the 15th that “the more Los Angeles becomes known abroad, the more our delightful city will become the hope of the tourist” as “there are more inducements held out here which no other city on the coast can show.” The climate, as usual, was considered paramount and was deemed “a perpetual summer” much like the East’s “Indian summer” and crops of varied kinds were available year-round, with it concluded that, “our olive, lemon, orange, and walnut orchards, and our vineyards are the finest in the world.”
Two days later, the paper insisted that “Los Angeles county possesses more agricultural advances than any other part of California, with “generous” soil and, strangely, “three inexhaustible streams,” these being the Los Angeles, San Gabriel and Santa Ana rivers, along with creeks and springs and some 80 artesian wells to date. Orchards are many varieties, including walnuts, contained “semi-tropical fruit [that] grow and ripen in great profusion” and it was pronounced that “there is no one member of the vegetable kingdom that does not do well.” Therefore, it was concluded, “if there is any terrestrial paradise, Los Angeles presents the living picture.”
September brought glowing reports from visitors, with T.Y. Ewing of Nebraska City, Nebraska cited in the Star of the 17th as remarking that if his fellows back home “only knew of the equable climate, and the general healthfulness of Los Angeles, they would flock here by thousands every winter.” Beside, he marveled, “fruit of all descriptions—oranges, lemons, limes, apples, pears, pomegranates, grapes, walnuts, almonds, peaches, berries—and all kinds of vegetable and flowers the year round! There is no other such place in the world.”
The next day’s edition quoted an unnamed Buffalo journalist as observing that “the new city of Los Angeles is being fairly built upon the ruins of the old” including modern brick edifices replacing the earlier adobe structures, including the Pico House hotel and the Temple Block. After “escaping from the business streets and those occupied by the poorer Spanish population,” the writer entered “The Garden of Southern California,” specifically citing such orchards as those of Francisca Wolfskill in town and Leonard J. Rose at Sunny Slope in the San Gabriel Valley, with those fruit and nut trees of many kinds, including the English (really, Persian) walnut.
In October, the San Francisco Real Estate Record was cited by the Star of the 11th as observing that “the city of Los Angeles continues to improve steadily, much attention being devoted to the planting young orange, lime and walnut orchards,” among other specifics recorded. In its edition of the 17th, the Angel City paper mentioned that,
It is said by those who own orchards that the walnut crop this year will be one of the largest and most lucrative that has ever been raised. We may add here that the orange crop bids fair to be the same.
A sampling of shipping reports from the Los Angeles and San Pedro Railroad depot and the port at Wilmington confirmed the much larger harvest as greater numbers of walnuts were shipped from these locations during the fall and into the winter.
The Star of 29 October quoted John Shirley Ward, a Grasshopper Street resident, in letters to Nashville, in which he averred that “Southern California, and this county particularly, is to be the great wine and fruit district of America” and asserted that a walk through the Angel City “brings up the most vivid picture of Eden ere [before] the fall” of Adam and Eve. This included his comment that, beyond oranges, “the lime, lemon and English walnut also yield a heavy profit.”
During the November edition of the Southern District Agricultural Association’s fair, nursery owner and farmer Ozro W. Childs again exhibit and won premiums for displaying walnuts, while a display of the nut was also mounted by James D. Durfee, who resided just north of the Temple family on the Rancho Potrero de Felipe Lugo in what is now South El Monte.
We will return with a progression into the year 1874, so check back in for that.