Hidden behind gates near the California State University of Long Beach is a storied and verdant rancho that smells of roses and livestock, one which carries part of the origins of what is now the greater Los Angeles area adobe brick by adobe brick.
Rancho Los Alamitos is one of five ranches that came as a result of the 1790 Los Coyotes land grant to Manuel Nieto, who aided in the Gaspar de Portolá expedition which was the first Spanish expedition of California responsible for San Diego and the Camino Real.
Established as Rancho Los Alamitos, or the Ranch of the Little Cottonwoods due to its cottonwood trees in 1833, the property had several owners such as Governor José Figueroa and Yankee Don Abel Stearns. The ranch was last owned by the wealthy Bixby family, who in 1968 donated the ranch to the city.
Even as Long Beach developed around the ranch area which caused it to continually shrink in size, especially as oil was found on Signal Hill, the ranch continued to function due to many Belgian, Mexican and Japanese immigrants coming to work the fields and shops as they settled in the United States through the early 1900s.
Today, the rancho sits at 7.5 acres of its initial 25,500 acres where much of the original buildings, such as the ranch house, equipment from the blacksmith and relics of the ranch have been kept intact. Around the site, you can find plenty of volunteers who help keep the place running and share its history with visitors.
Before all of this however, the land belonged to the Tongva people of Povuun’nga.
“The Tongva people believe their spirits come from this whole area, being these hills that the ranch and CSULB sit on,” Mitch Wellsteed said, a student at LBCC who volunteers at the ranch.
Gabrielinos, now known as the Tongva people, held a great deal of the land that is the Los Angeles Basin which the Los Coyotes land grant sat within. When the San Gabriel Mission was built on Nieto’s land, many of the Tongva were forced into brutal conditions and worked harshly which fueled the California economy at the time.
For some, the site is a reminder of what the state came from, while for others it serves as a means to unwind. Wellsteed sees the site as a chance to do both.
“We came here to check it out and liked it so much we decided to volunteer,” said Wellsteed, who has been volunteering at the ranch for over a year with his wife. “It’s peaceful and we learn more about both Long Beach and Los Angeles history.”
Wellsteed has lived in Long Beach since the late 70s and only recently learned about the rancho after visiting the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles where the ranch is discussed in the ‘Becoming LA’ exhibit.
“Not a lot of people really know about it, it’s one of those things where you type into Google what to do in Long Beach. I only recently learned about it after like 40 years,” said Wellsteed.
Rancho Los Alamitos has much to offer, such as workshops, luncheons, field trips and events. The aforementioned relics around the property serve as strong learning pieces and glimpses into the history of the city, county, and state.
“Something I love about the Rancho is how resonant this place is with so many people,” said Katie Lowe who manages education at the ranch.
“This has been a home, a workplace, and a gathering place for people for generations and generations. Through our education programs, we get to help students, families, and community members forge their own connections with this place, which is creative, meaningful work to do,” Lowe continued.
The rancho can be found at 6400 E. Bixby Hill Rd. through the gates for the Bixby Hills community, up the hill, and to the left. Admission and parking are free.