Don Adolfo Camarillo Ranch (Camarillo, California)

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201 Camarillo Ranch Rd.
Camarillo, CA 93012
(805) 389-8182

In 1837, Jose Pedro Ruiz was granted Rancho Calleguas by Juan Alvarado, a Californio and two-time governor of Alta California. Juan Camarillo, Adolfo's father, purchased the 10,000-acre rancho from Ruiz in 1876 for $3,000 in gold.

After the death of Martina Camarillo in 1898, the ranch was deeded to her sons, Adolfo and Juan, while her daughters received $5 each. A lengthy court battle ensued as the children fought over property then valued over $1 million.

Eventually, Adolfo Z. Camarillo came to control the rancho and turned it into "the largest bean ranch in the world." Camarillo employed 700 workers on his ranch, and his production was so great that the Los Angeles Times reported in 1909 that, "through the enormous output of his ranch, [Camarillo] is, in a measure, able to set the price which the public must pay for beans." Adolfo Camarillo became one of the wealthiest landowners in the county, and in 1911 he was elected chairman of the Ventura County Board of Supervisors. He also served as a member of the State Board of Agriculture.

In 1892, after receiving title to the Rancho from his mother in 1891, Adolfo Camarillo hired architects Herman Anlauf and Franklin Ward to build a 6,000-square-foot Queen Anne style Victorian house. The house has two turets, a large veranda and sprawling lawns. Adolfo also planted many varieties of trees, including eucalyptus trees, around the house. The Camarillo Ranch House, as it is now known, became the center of the sprawling Rancho Calleguas for the next 70 years. From the ranch house, Adolfo oversaw the Rancho's production of lima beans, walnuts, and citrus. The house also became known for the barbecues, rodeos and fiestas held by Adolfo. Adolfo lived in the three-story Victorian mansion until shortly before his death from pneumonia in December 1958.

From the 1920s through the 1960s, the Camarillo Ranch House was most widely known for the white Arabian parade stallions bred by Adolfo. Adolfo rode one of his white Arabians each year in the Fiesta of Santa Barbara dressed in colorful Spanish costume. Even after Adolfo died in 1958, the family continued to carry on the tradition of breeding the white Arabians and riding them in area parades. Adolfo's original sire, Sultan, was a pure white, part Arabian and Morgan stallion. Sultan reportedly produced "snow white, pink skinned foals" no matter the color of the mares with whom he was mated. In 1967, the Camarillos were still breeding the white horses on the remaining 117 acres owned by the family, and the Los Angeles Times published a feature story on the Camarillo horses. At that time, there were about a dozen Camarillo white Arabians remaining.

When Adolfo Camarillo died in 1958, the ownership of the horses fell to his daughter Carmen, who faithfully carried on parading the horses for the enjoyment of the people of Ventura County until her death in 1987. On December 12, 1987, according to her wishes, the horses were sold at public auction, ending the tradition of exclusive ownership of the majestic white horses by the Camarillo family.

In 1998, the Camarillo Planning Commission approved a zoning change to allow an industrial park to be built around the Camarillo Ranch House, but conditioned the approval on the developer's donating the ranch house, barn and 4.4 acres to the city. The city then renovated the house and opened it to the public in 2001 as a museum and site for receptions and other functions. The house is operated by the nonprofit Camarillo Ranch Foundation. The renovation cost $1.5 million and was also made possible by volunteers who donated 10,000 hours to the effort.

Camarillo Ranch House is a popular location not only for weddings and receptions but also for filming. One location manager noted that the house has the appearance of a rural setting "almost anywhere in the United States -- from Bakersfield to Nebraska."

camarilloranch.org
www.camarillowhitehorses.org/