Yorba Linda History


Historic Documents

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close this bookBetween Times Collection
View the documentMy Life (Part 1)
by Charlotte Louise Blankmeyer,
Between Times December 2004 page 1
View the documentMy Life (Part 2)
by Charlotte Louise Blankmeyer,
Between Times January 2005 page 1
View the documentUp in the Back (Part 1)
by Marilyn Yorba Lasker,
Between Times April 2005 page 3-4
View the documentUp in the Back (Part 2)
by Marilyn Yorba Lasker,
Between Times May 2005 page 1-2
View the documentUp in the Back (Part 3)
by Marilyn Yorba Lasker,
Between Times June 2005 page 4-5
View the documentMy Life in Yorba Linda
by Lorna Ryan,
Between Times September 2005 page 3-4
View the documentChristmas Time at Rancho Santa Ana
by Eddie Castro,
Between Times October 2005 pages 5-6
View the documentMemories of December 7,1941
by Beatrice Navarro Guinn,
Between Times December 2005 page 4
View the documentWhit's Whittlin` Part 1
by Whit Cromwell,
Between Times March 2006 page 4
View the documentWhit's Whittlin` Part 2
by Whit Cromwell,
Between Times April 2006 page 4
View the documentWhit's Whittlin` Part 3
by Whit Cromwell,
Between Times May 2006 page 4
View the documentWhit's Whittlin` Part 4
by Whit Cromwell,
Between Times September 2006 page 4
View the documentWhit's Whittlin` Part 5
by Whit Cromwell,
Between Times October 2006 page 4
View the documentWhit's Whittlin` Part 6
by Whit Cromwell,
Between Times November 2006 page 4
View the documentWhit's Whittlin` Part 7
by Whit Cromwell,
Between Times December 2006 page 4
View the documentWhit's Whittlin` Part 8
by Whit Cromwell,
Between Times January 2007 page 4
View the documentWhit's Whittlin` Part 9
by Whit Cromwell,
Between Times February 2007 page 4
View the documentWhit's Whittlin` Part 10
by Whit Cromwell,
Between Times March 2007 page 4
View the documentEaster Egg Hunt at Rancho Santa Ana, March 1939
by Eddie Castro,
Between Times April 2006 pages 5-6
View the documentLiving on the Ranch (Part 1)
by Gloria Johnson,
Between Times April 2007 page 4
View the documentLiving on the Ranch (Part 2)
by Gloria Johnson,
Between Times September 2007 page 4
View the documentLiving on the Ranch (Part 3)
by Gloria Johnson,
Between Times October 2007 page 4
View the documentLiving on the Ranch (Part 4)
by Gloria Johnson,
Between Times December 2007 page 4
View the documentLiving on the Ranch (Part 5)
by Gloria Johnson,
Between Times January 2008 page 4
View the documentThis is Ernest
by Olive Laufield Johnson,
Between Times October 2008 page 4
View the documentTHE ERNEST (JOHNSON) AND OLIVE (LAUFELD) STORY PART 1
by Olive Laufield Johnson,
View the documentTHE ERNEST (JOHNSON) AND OLIVE (LAUFELD) STORY PART 2
by Olive Laufield Johnson,

Living on the Ranch (Part 1)

by Gloria Johnson,
Between Times April 2007 page 4   Open this page in a new window


Gloria Johnson is a member of the Historical Society and wife of the late Owen Johnson we thank her for the articles that we are putting in the Newsletters.

Living on the Ranch (Part 1)

By Gloria Johnson

I have enjoyed reading the stories and biographies that many of you have written for BETWEEN TIMES. Any stories about the Ranch and Owen would need to begin with a brief summary of Ernest R. Johnson and the Ranch.

Rancho Santa Ana

In 1875 John Bixby bought 5600 acres from Bernardo Yorba.

The area was east and north of the Santa Ana River. Mostly cattle were grazed on the land. In 1887 John Bixby died and left his Ranch to his widow and two children, Fred and Susanna. After her mother died, Susanna took an active interest in the Ranch. On her frequent visits she lived in the Craftsman house that was built in 1913. With Mr. Johnson's expertise they planted orchards of citrus, pears, lemons, tangerines and walnuts. Fred managed the cattle. At one time the cattle were contracted to Alpha Beta stores. In 1925 Susanna bought her brother's half interest and became sole owner. Fred developed property around Long Beach.

Susanna wanted to develop a garden devoted to Native California plants and also as a memorial to her father who loved the Ranch. She devoted two hundred acres on the hill above the Ranch compound for the garden. She also started plans for a bigger house near the garden.

Ernest Johnson left Kansas and came to California. His plan was to get a college education. This was about 1916. When he met Susanna Bixby Bryant she persuaded him to come to the Ranch. She soon recognized Mr. Johnson's talent. First she was foreman and then Superintendent for the 5600 acre Ranch. He lived in the bunkhouse with the single men at that time. Ernest made frequent visits to L.A. and Pasadena to consult with Susanna and buy supplies. Ernest met Olive Laufeld on one of these trips. She taught school in Piru but often came to L.A. to visit her mother, father and sisters. Ernest was a busy man and squeezed in his visits with Olive as often as he could. Her father died in July of 1919.

In 1918 Ernest tried enlisting in the Army Tank Corps. The draft listed him as "J-3". That meant that he was in an important position and they wanted him to stay at the Ranch. He also found that he couldn't quit and leave the 6000 acre ranch to an "inexperienced society woman (Mrs. Susanna B. Bryant)," as he wrote. At this time he was overseeing planting the orchards and surveying roads back up in the hills. No replacement could be found for his position at the Ranch and he was deemed too important. When he could not get to L.A. Ernest wrote many letters to Olive. She saved those letters and we still have them. From them we learned he was romantic and tender hearted as well as having a fine sense of humor. He also worked hard at the Ranch.

To be continued.

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