Harvey Bennett Ranch House - Lake Forest, CA - History Museums on Waymarking.com

The home was built in 1908 on a citrus farm in what was El Toro (before this area became Lake Forest). A plaque at the southern corner of the home shows it was donated to the county by the William Lyon Company and Saddleback Area Historical Society in 1976. It is a one story home that is typical of ranch houses in the area of that time period, but few remain.

The sign says, "By the 1920s, orange trees dominated the valley's landscape and economy. Sleepy outposts became small towns anchored by general stores, community halls, and packing houses. Water supplies, though barley adequate, sustained life in town and field.

This changed by midcentury when the region tapped into the imported water supplied of Metropolitan Water District. With water now flowing from the Colorado River and California State Water Project, a different industry was about to take hold. Placed like Bennet ranch house became increasingly rare, icons from a distance era. Built in 1908 and originally standing at 2nd Street and Cherry Avenue, the building is significant as the only remaining turn-of-the-century ranch house in El Toro.

By the 1950s, housing tracts and subdivisions began replacing the citrus orchids. As quickly as the orange trees were bulldozed, places like Laguna Woods (Leisure World) and Mission Viejo sprang up. The century-old eucalyptus groves that shade Lake Forest (El Toro) are the legacy of Dwight Whiting. Like the buildings that stand at Heritage Hill Historical Park, they help link us to the past."

The plaque says, "The
Harvey Bennett
Ranch House
1908
Donated by
The William Lyon Company
and
The Saddleback Area
Historical Society
August 15, 1976"

Theme: Ranch Street Address: Lake Forest, CA, USA Food Court: no Gift Shop: no Hours of Operation: 9am-5pm daily Cost: 0.00 (listed in local currency) Museum Size: Small Relevant Web Site: [Web Link]

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Date Logged Log User Rating   05/13/2021 bluesnote visited it