Newsletter of the Rancho Los Alamitos Volunteer Service Council

Co-editors Doug Cox and Roxanne Patmor

In this issue

VSC Perspectives
Coming Home: Bixby Family Donations
Sugar Beets: Now and Then
Breakfast is Served
Remembering Mary Ellis Carlton
Upcoming Community Events

April 2024

In the Spotlight

Volunteer Dan Bacchetti
Operations Manager Andrew Chaves
City Councilman Daryl Supernaw

VSC Perspectives

Doug Cox, VSC President

I need your help.

The Rancho needs to know about the great ideas that volunteers are always coming up with, just as much as hearing the many questions—yes, some of them rather pointed—that we volunteers have as well.

Fortunately, you have a direct pipeline to the Rancho’s key leaders: the VSC Steering Committee.

Comprised of volunteers representing each of the Rancho’s volunteer service areas and other all-volunteer efforts, the group meets for hours every other month with senior Rancho leadership to share news and discuss a broad range of issues affecting everyone, volunteers and staff alike.

The volunteer Steering Committee representatives can then pass along what was discussed with everyone and bring your reactions and follow-on questions back to the next gathering.

Where I need your help is in your support of your Steering Committee representatives by raising your issues and asking them for straightforward answers. And then keep raising issues and keep asking for answers—keep ‘em coming. Only then can we have honest, ongoing and accountable two-way communication throughout the Rancho community.

Here are your current representatives:

Community Outreach: Roberta Rogoff

Crafters: Barbara Keenoy

Curatorial/Faux Foods: Peta Beavis

Gardens: Kim Campanelli

General Docents: Pat Coil

Guest hosts: Cheryl Schwartz

Hospitality: Mary Ann Cullen

School Docents/Footprints: Donna Rogahn

Volunteer Enrichment: Janice Wellsteed

Thank you.

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Our far-ranging Community Outreach team is always looking for enthusiastic Rancho volunteers who would like to join them in traveling to an ever-expanding list of community events throughout the area in their highly successful efforts to introduce Rancho Los Alamitos to people who might otherwise not be inspired to come visit us.

Interested? Here are your two contacts:

Roberta Rogoff: rrrogoff@yahoo.com

Dorothy Russell: seedotrun@verizon.net

Coming Home:

Gifts from the Bixby Family

"I have something I'd like to give to the Rancho," is welcome news when it comes from Bixby family members. It's often motivated by downsizing that comes with moving from one home to another.

Last year, Fred's and Florence's grandson Jeff Green was preparing to move to a smaller home. The Steinway piano, on which he played music for Florence, was returned to its place in the music room. Although not presently playable, Pam Lee hopes funding can be secured for the necessary repairs. The gracious gift is a lovely reminder of its importance to the Bixby family and others who visited the Rancho.

Earlier this month, Fred's and Florence's great-granddaughter, Paula Foster Chambers, contacted Pam about returning a bronze statue that Florence purchased in 1931. The bronze, entitled Bacchante and Infant Faun, is a reproduction of the original that is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Sculptor Frederick William MacMonnie's artistry is evident in the statue's graceful lines and exuberant spirit. Plans are underway to return it to its original position in the Olive Patio. Click to read more about Bacchante and the Infant Faun.

In addition to the generous gift of the statue, Paula donated several boxes of chinaware, silver serving pieces, family linens, and documents. Also included was an engraved and monogrammed hand mirror given to Katherine by her grandmother, Susan Bixby.

Dr. Kaye Briegel, historian and RLA volunteer, is creating an inventory of the documents for cataloging in the PastPerfect database. Documents include correspondence received by Preston Hotchkis, Katharine Bixby Hotchkis, and Joan Hotchkis.

Included are carbon copies of Katherine's typed reports of trips to South America, Europe, and Asia, as well as reports of her activities while her husband served as U.S. Representative to the U.N. Economic and Social Council. Included is a certificate from the U.S. State Department when Katherine visited West Berlin in 1968.

Inscription on the mirror's handle reads From Grandmother Bixby.

Left: Kaye Briegel creating the inventory for cataloging.

Photos by Doug Cox

Volunteer in the Spotlight

Dan Bacchetti

Dan Bacchetti became a Rancho volunteer after 36 years with Franklin Electric, serving as its regional and national sales manager. He now owns Bacchetti Advisory Services and is a guest host for the gardens and barns.

What made you decide to become a Rancho volunteer?

I had been looking for an activity that provided social interaction and part time volunteer work. After looking at a number of options, the Rancho made the most sense to me. I grew up around the Bixby name in Long Beach. My dad even purchased some Bixby lots near PCH and Bellflower in 1961 after they removed the oil rigs. I live in Bixby Village. So, it all fits together nicely. I feel blessed.

How long have you been volunteering with us?

I started June 10, 2023.

What do you like best about the time you spend here?

The volunteers and foundation employees are a wonderful group of people to work with. Actually, the best in my career. The guests are a joy to interact with. The overall experience is one that I look forward to every time I volunteer.

What’s your favorite thing to hear from visitors?

I love it when guests say how the experience at the Rancho has improved their understanding of local history and culture. Returning visitors are particularly friendly and enjoy hearing more about the Rancho’s history. Guests often mention that they feel an inner peace while at the Rancho.

What advice would you give to someone considering volunteering here?

The Rancho is a people-oriented environment. If you like people and history, the Rancho is difficult to beat.

What do you like to do when you’re not at the Rancho?

I love spending time with my family, some travel and enjoying part time retirement.

From England's Stonehenge to the White House in D.C., Dan is an experienced traveler who enjoys seeing new places and meeting new people.

In the Spotlight

Operations Manager

Andrew Chaves

Andrew Chaves serves as Director of Operations for Rancho Los Alamitos. He is committed to historic preservation, sustainable practices, and finding practical solutions for the sometimes-complex needs of the site and its history.

In the Gardening for Habitat presentation, you talked about your family background in horticulture. Can you talk a bit about that?

I grew up around my family’s gardens and people who loved gardening. While most of the plants were not native, my grandparents sparked an interest early on. One of my first jobs after college was with the LA Conservation Corps’ SEA Lab doing habitat and native plant restoration in and around the South Bay and LA’s westside.

My maternal grandfather worked in agriculture and horticulture for much of his life. As a young man, he worked on a farm in Crowley, Colorado. He would tell me about how he would turn on the irrigation for the fields of onions, visit the local pool hall and subsequently forget that he left the water on. Because of the excessive water, the onions were large that year, while smaller onions were more popular in the market. After that he met my grandmother and worked in horticulture in the South Bay and greater LA area. He was the first to expose me to botanical names. He made up comical names if he didn’t know what one was. My paternal grandmother was an avid gardener and grew all kinds of plants in her garden. She still says that she loves the fact that I like plants.

We know water and sustainability are part of RLA’s history. We’re seeing some new ideas and practices. For example, selling native and drought-tolerant plants in the museum store. Are there other changes we might see?

By planting more native plants, the Rancho can reduce its water consumption, and cut down on the use of soil amendments and fertilizers. In addition to weeding out invasive plants and planting more native plants in the gardens around the Rancho Center, we're planning on upgrading our irrigation systems to reduce water consumption and more efficiently get water where it’s needed. We’ve started selling books on native plants, as well as the native plant flashcards.

Moreover, we're looking into selling climate-appropriate plants and seeds to further promote biodiversity and support local wildlife. These steps align with our commitment to sustainability and reflect our ongoing efforts to integrate environmental stewardship into Rancho operations. I would love to provide opportunities to horticulture staff and volunteers to learn about native plant horticulture.

We see botanical names for plants are making their way into communications. In addition to avoiding confusion with plant identification, is it also a way of elevating how the gardens are perceived?

It’s a way to be more precise. As you know, common names can vary widely depending on location and culture, leading to confusion. Botanical names on the other hand offer a clear and unambiguous way to identify plants. Botanical names reflect the evolutionary relationships and taxonomic classifications of plants, providing valuable information about their genetic ancestry and related species.

The plants at the Rancho are part of a living collection. Some of the plants are not commonly seen in the horticultural trade. The ability to identify these plants with specificity may help to convey the uniqueness of the collection.

A significant portion of the Rancho gardens came from Florence’s interest in her surroundings and the discovery of oil that gave her the financial means to achieve what pleased her. How does that fit in an overall discussion of sustainability?

While the circumstances surrounding the creation of the Rancho gardens may not align perfectly with all aspects of sustainability, they do illustrate the interconnectedness of wildlife and plants! On the surface, the discovery of oil might seem antithetical to environmental sustainability due to its association with pollution and carbon emissions. However, the gardens themselves could be seen as contributing positively to environmental sustainability.

Gardens, especially well-designed ones like the Rancho gardens, can serve as green spaces that provide habitat for wildlife, and contribute to local biodiversity. Additionally, gardens can inspire people to connect with nature and develop a deeper appreciation for the environment, fostering a sense of stewardship. Today, the gardens provide a space for community engagement, recreation, and education.

The Rancho has a “the land as it was” history and a cultural history. Even though the native garden was created as part of Florence’s vision, it seems more in keeping with aspects of the Rancho’s focus on the many people (indigenous and pre-Bixby) who inhabited the land. Is that an aspect we can include in our thinking and communications?

Absolutely. However, most of the plants in the native garden do not naturally occur in this part of town. They represent a more foothill or interior valley palette. Pre-Bixby or even pre-Stearns, the land would have been very different from what we have in the native garden. Some riparian species would be common around natural springs but for the most part, the area would have been covered by coastal sage scrub and dominated by Eriogonum fasciculatum (CA buckwheat), Artemisia californica (sagebrush), Encelia californica (bush sunflower), and Rhus integrifolia (lemonade berry).

The native plants selected for the garden a hundred years ago were selected for their aesthetic value. We are working with our Tongva educators to select locally native, and ethnobotanical plants that can be used in our education and public programs.

We’ve heard you’re looking at bringing in more native plants to replace ones that exist now. Can you talk a bit about where we can find those changes? And why they are important?

Let me be clear, the historical gardens should remain as they are, and the Rancho does not plan on replacing healthy, historical plants. Plants will be removed if they pose a danger to property or life or are in poor health. My vision is a native palette for the areas around the parking lot and Rancho Center. Also, any non-native invasive plant that wasn’t part of the historical gardens should be replaced. The big ones that come to mind are English ivy, ice plant, and the Pampas grass in the barns and Rancho Center area.

What else should we know about your ideas and plans for the Rancho?

I would like to focus on implementing sustainable landscaping practices and prioritizing the use of native plant species in upcoming projects. Not only does it promote biodiversity and support local ecosystems, but it also tends to require less water and maintenance in the long run compared to non-native species.

By carefully selecting plants that are well-adapted to the local climate and soil conditions, we can create landscapes that thrive with minimal intervention, ultimately saving time and resources on maintenance tasks. Additionally, incorporating efficient irrigation systems and adopting proactive maintenance schedules can further optimize the sustainability and resilience of our outdoor spaces.

In the Spotlight

Daryl Supernaw

Fourth District Councilman

Daryl Supernaw is RLA's City Council representative and a member of the 2024 Cottonwood Awards Luncheon Honorary Host Committee. Photo from 2023 Cottonwood Luncheon.

You and your family have a long history in Long Beach. Can you tell us a bit about it?

My grandparents from both sides settled in Long Beach in the 1920’s. My paternal grandparents are buried at Sunnyside Cemetery, and that has resulted in their life stories becoming very public. Shortly after taking office in 2015, I was informed by the Historical Society (HSLB) that I was the only elected official with family members buried at Sunnyside. They asked me to do a presentation at their gravesite for HSLB’s annual fundraiser. I agreed, and I have been invited back each year since.

My grandfather, Arthur Supernaw, was born in 1878 on the Osage Indian Reservation in what is now Oklahoma. I tell the story of the values he established early in life and how they influence me today. I also talk about his role in the development of the Liberal Arts Campus of LBCC, and vintage photos are used throughout the presentation. This led to my taking an active role in the City acquiring Sunnyside Cemetery and putting this historical landmark on a path toward complete renovation.

You grew up here. Can you tell us about memories of growing up in Long Beach?

I was born at the Harriman Jones Clinic across from Bixby Park. The historic clinic building still stands at the SW corner of Broadway and Cherry. I grew up in the Artcraft Manor neighborhood SE of Lakewood Blvd. and Willow St. I attended Buffum Elementary, Stanford Jr. High, Wilson High, LBCC and CSULB.

My earliest and fondest childhood memories are of playing in the open field north of Willow between Lakewood and Clark. Before there was the 405 Freeway, Holiday Inn and the extension of LGB’s main runway, we had a playground of open farmland. We actually had the experience of building hay bale forts. Growing up next to a rural setting that was eventually lost to urban sprawl gives me a special appreciation for Rancho Los Alamitos.

You’re known for responsiveness to your constituents. What led you to running for City Council and what motivates you to work so hard on behalf of your district?

I approach my job from the perspective of a constituent, and constituents feel quality of life and public safety issues need to be addressed immediately. From a practical standpoint, CD4 is graphically the largest council district, and we need to address the volume of requests we see on a daily basis in a timely manner, so they don’t get too far downstream.

Running for office was not a longtime ambition. I was a community advocate/volunteer for 30 years and had a number of successes. As a private citizen, I was best known for replacing the detested Atherton Ditch with a green belt. I was recruited to run for city council when my predecessor moved to the Assembly. I was fortunate enough to win, and I took my community volunteer skills to the public sector. I really can’t explain my motivation and work ethic, but I do know it’s multi-generational in the Supernaw family.

Last year, the city’s redistricting moved Rancho Los Alamitos into the 4th District. What have you learned about and come to appreciate about the Rancho?

Redistricting had greater impact on the 4th than any other council district. In fact, we only retained 40% of the original district.

Two of the largest assets we inherited were El Dorado Park and Rancho Los Alamitos. I already knew a lot about RLA, but I’ve gained a new appreciation of the love, dedication and pride the volunteers have for the historic site. I certainly feel it is a profound privilege to represent the Rancho, and I get a strong sense that each volunteer shares that feeling.

What else would you like Rancho volunteers to know about you?

Volunteers should know that my brand is to continually promote pride in our council district, and we do this through positive energy. This is exemplified by our motto: “Go Fourth!”

We are in ongoing contact with our constituents through our weekly e-newsletter. We have published 470 issues containing over 7,500 district updates over the past nine years. I applaud the RLA volunteers for publishing your own newsletter and wish you great success.

L- R Top

Nettie and Arthur Supernaw's 1900 wedding photo

Family portrait, Nettie, Martha, Arthur, Cassius

Student reporter interviewing Arthur in the "keytainer" at LBCC's Carson campus

L-R Bottom

Teacher Wilma Bailey and Arthur in revue lampooning faculty

Arthur's retirement announced.

Articles and photos by student reporters of the Viking News

Sugar Beets: Now and Then

From the end of the 1890s until after World War II, sugar beets were grown by tenant farmers, many from Belgium, on RLA land that stretched from Palo Verde Avenue into Los Alamitos in Orange County. Fred Bixby and the Bixby Land Company played an important role in getting the Los Alamitos sugar factory built to process the beets into sugar. The factory was located where Ganahl Lumber stands today.

Docent Tom Taylor (top) wanted to learn more about the sugar beets that were grown here. Working with Head Gardener, Jesse Herrera, and Education and Public Engagement Manager, Chris Fountain, Tom planted sugar beet seeds in a barrel and waited to see what would happen. Not surprisingly, they sprouted and grew.

Restoration specialist, David Quinn is building a larger sugar beet demonstration bed, and Tom plans to send seeds to the LA County Fair for its Heritage Garden.

Photos by Doug Cox

In the News: The Los Alamitos Sugar Factory

Los Angeles Times December 25, 1896

The Sugar factory now in process of construction will be ready to cut up beets and produce from them the best grade sugar by July 1 next. It is situated in the center of the Los Alamitos Ranch of 7000 acres. Under an agreement with the Bixby Land Company, it is guaranteed its full complement of beets for the term of five years.

The beet seed house at the factory is complete, ready to receive the two cargoes of seed on the way from France and Germany. Next week the force at work will be doubled and brick will be shipped a the rate of ten carloads a day.

The factory is what is known as a 250-700 ton plant, that is, the boilers are of sufficient capacity and the machinery so arranged that the plant may be increased from 350 tons per day, the initial capacity to 700 per day without increasing the size of the buildings.

The machinery for for working 350 tons of beets per day is now being put in and will be ready for the 1897 crop. The balance of machinery will be placed in time for the crop of 1898.

The yard is crowded with machinery and more arriving constantly.

The lands are now being prepared for next season's crop. The soil is a deep sandy, sub-irrigated loam, having been deposited by the San Gabriel River for centuries.

The depth as shown by the Artesian well, exceeds four hundred feet. There is sufficient moisture in the soil to produce beets in the dryest years without irrigation.

Photos from RLA's archive

1901 Alamitos Sugar Co factory

1912 Factory interior

1897 ads taken from 1996 Bixby Land Company history

Rancho Voices: Belgian Beet Farmers

These quotes give first-person recollections and impressions from a few Belgian tenant families who lived and worked on this site.

Coming to Los Alamitos

Anna Cannou Scott, daughter of Rene and Pelerine Cannou

In 1930, my aunt and uncle who lived on the Hellman Ranch got us a ranch on the Bixby Ranch and we moved here.

Frank Watte, son of Oscar and Anna (Otte) Watte

People came here because they couldn't make it at home. In those days, and a lot of the old families don’t like to bring this up, there were bootleggers. They got in trouble...where in the heck are you going to go if you’re on the run? Why not go to the United States?

George Watte, Frank's brother

The group of Belgians in Los Alamitos came from an area in Belgium, very close, with few exceptions, lived within 10 miles of each other. My father planted his first crop in 1909.That's the reason their names are at the top of the plaque in the music room.

Albert (Al) Lerno, son of Lawrence and Romaine Lerno

He (father) came here from Washington, I'm not sure when but I was born on the ranch, so it was before 1923. He was called back to Belgium to join the army but he joined the American Army and didn't have to go. It turned out pretty good because he then became an American citizen. Note: Marian says Lerno brothers were at RLA by the 19-teens.

Daily Life

Anna Cannou Scott

Mama said they had their own gardens, eggs and chickens. We had ten or 12 dozen eggs and we'd take them to the store and they'd pay us. Lots of times we got groceries plus money.

Al Lerno

When I came home from school there was always a team of horses ready for me to to work. The tractors came just in time to keep me interested in the ranch, otherwise I wouldn't have farmed.

Al Cosyns, son of Albert Cosyns and Margaret Lerno Cosyns

Sugar beets were one of the main crops because of the sugar factory. Most of the time it was a horse-drawn-plow that had a single stinger to loosen the beet in the ground. The laborers would hook the sugar beet, hold it in one hand, cut the top off...a horse drawn wagon would come and they'd pitch the beets on the wagon.

Eme Otte, relative of Anna Otte Watte

We grazed cattle on sugar beet tops...the steers would swallow small beets and they would not go down. In the cowboys' saddles there was a hose that was flexible. Sister had one, and I’d seen her wrestle the steer, get him down and poke this hose down his throat and shove that beet down and save it.

Beyond Beets

Anna Cannou Scott

Daddy didn't do too well with sugar beets so he asked Mr. Bixby if he still wanted him to grow them. Mr. Bixby suggested the black eyes, Daddy there's too much alkali and Mr. Bixby said, "You know your land better than I do, put what you want there."

Carol Lerno, Al's wife

(Asked about recreation)The Belgians enjoyed playing cards, mostly Whist.

Al Lerno

There were Belgian parties, birthday parties. All of the younger ones would get together and throw a party somewhere...usually in someone's home. The whole family came.

Leaving Los Alamitos

Al Lerno

(Leading into and during WWII) It was hard to get people to work on the ranch because the shipyards...and aircraft factories were paying big money.

Carol Lerno (Al's wife)

(After the war) Disney was just getting started. When the land was used to build houses, it also moved a lot of Belgians from here. That's when they started the migration to the Central Valley.

Anna Watte, married to Oscar Watte

We never bought the ground...Bixby leased this ground to us. He told Oscar "You don’t have to worry. Consider it your own and build whatever you want to." Of course, we should have had that in writing.

Quotes from interviews conducted by Marian Burton and Beverly Miller with Anna Cannou Scott, George and Frank Watte, Eme Otte, Albert and Carol Lerno, and Al and Betty Cosyns. Anna (Otte) Watte interviewed by Joan Hotchkis.

We thank Assistant Curator Robin Herrera and Volunteer Archivist Lauren Herrera for supplying interviews and photos for this article.

Three men with loaded wagon of sugar beets, c. 1920-23

Archille Van Steenberge, RLA Belgian Tenant Farmer, working the field with his team c. 1908

Belgian American Club, 1951.

L-R: Margaret Lerno Cosyns, Albert Cosyns, Irene and Albert Cannou, Madeleine Lerno Goeman, and George Goeman

Ring the bell, breakfast is on the table!

The menu in the men's dining room currently features a hearty breakfast sufficient to fuel the ranch hands for their morning work. While the cows and horses feasted on beet tops, hay, and grain, the workers had pancakes, fried eggs, bacon, biscuits and oatmeal.

In 1934, the cabinets held ingredients for Mrs. Shinkle's culinary delights, today they hold faux fruit, vegetables, and desserts like custards that look good enough to eat. Each box is labeled with a description of the contents. Some have their own boxes; persimmons do not mingle with peaches. But others, like mixed fruit, look delicious and table-ready right out of the box.

Photos by Doug Cox

Remembering Mary Ellis Carlton

On April 10, Gardens Committee Chair Kim Campanelli's grandmother, Mary Ellis Carlton, died just a month shy of her 106th birthday. Ms. Carlton was a reporter for the Long Beach Press-Telegram and editor of its Women section.

Ms. Carlton covered Rancho Los Alamitos for several years. Her articles focused on the gardens, volunteers, visitors, and the importance of the site to telling the city's history. On December 10, 1967, Ms. Carlton's column chronicled negotiations between Long Beach and Bixby family members to transfer Rancho ownership to the city.

Nearly 60 years after her grandmother's 1964 article describing RLA's gardens, Kim is part of the group that keeps them welcoming and beautiful.

Ms. Carlton's Rancho articles include:

September 13, 1964, October 11, 1964

December 10, 1967, April 2, 1973

Read September 1964 and December 1967 articles here.