Ygnacio del Valle established Rancho Camulos and began building his adobe home there in 1853 on part of a 48,000-acre Mexican land grant awarded to his father. Originally a cattle ranch, Rancho Camulos began producing crops in the 1860s including citrus, apricots, walnuts, almonds, pomegranates, olives, and grapes, and it also produced some of the finest wine and brandy in 19th century Southern California. The rancho gained cultural significance through Helen Hunt Jackson's bestselling novel, Ramona, written shortly after her 1882 visit there. August and Mary Rubel purchased the rancho from the del Valle family in 1924 and diversified and increased agricultural production while working to preserve the historic adobe home. The ranch remained a private residence until the 1994 Northridge earthquake severely damaged several buildings. Volunteers joined with the Rubel family to restore Rancho Camulos, and a non-profit museum opened to the public in 1997. As one of the few land grant ranchos still preserved in its original rural environment, Rancho Camulos preserves the story of the people who lived and worked there during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
