NOSTALGIC LOOK BACK AT WALNUT ACRES (aka Woodland Hills, CA) between 1953 - 1957

Now in my 82nd year on planet earth, I spend a fair share of my time reflecting on positive memories of the past. I define memory as, “What once was will always be.”

I was a pretty lucky kid... I grew up in the ‘country’ and ‘city’ at the same time.

And, there were some pretty nifty things left over from a colorful and historic past.

It was the perfect combination for a kid with a horse that dreamed of being a cowboy.  

In 1953, my dad built a house on Manton Avenue in an area that was known as Walnut Acres (aka Woodland Hills, CA). Across the street from us there were thousands of acres of rolling farmland with wild oats.

The farmland had once been the Platt Dairy, and before that it was Rancho El Escorpión, a Mexican land grant originally given in 1845 by Governor Pío Pico to three Chumash Native Americans.

Here’s what it looked like 70 years ago…

1952 photo of the Woodland Hills, Calabasas Area with El Escorpión adobe barn (red), a friends horse ranch (orange), my home (yellow), and Old Calabasas (Raspberry). Clink on images for a larger view.

1953 me and my bicycle with the remains of Platt Dairy behind.

Me and my bicycle — juxtaposed 1953 - 2022.

1953 view of Platt Dairy (camera North), with El Escorpión adobe barn at the far right (library photo).

Me and my first horse ‘Paint’ in the winter 1954. I out grew this 20 year old gelding, and had a new horse in just a few months. Look beyond us to get an idea of the open space I rode in.

Dirt road leading to El Escorpión adobe barn about 1953 (library photo).

El Escorpión adobe barn closeup as it appeared about 1954 (library photo).

Me and my dad on our horses (Lucky and Sandy), about 1955, on Manton Ave., Woodland Hills (aka Walnut Acres).

c.1950s Title Insurance Co. map of Spanish and Mexican Ranchos. Rancho El Escorpión is on the left, center near the Ox Cart.

If you live in this area today I hope you enjoy my NOSTALGIC LOOK BACK AT WALNUT ACRES.

ps

If you'd like to know what Walnut Acres and Calabasas looked like in 1956 have a look at these short YouTube clips taken from an old 8 mm home movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IWMXJwflfc AND https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcD2ztO7jC8 (ETI riders gathering for a trail ride to Chatsworth and back).

Happy Trails.