Photograph of an unidentified man atop a black horse; possibly that of Adolfo Camarillo, scion of one of California's oldest families and founder of the city of Camarillo. At the age of 16, Adolfo embarked on the gigantic ranching project to which he devoted his life - the 10,632-acre Rancho Calleguas, which had been bequeathed to him and his younger brother Juan (1867-1936) by their father, Juan Camarillo (1812-1880). Don Adolfo was famous for his generosity in donating thousands of acres of land for such things as the first High School, land for the Southern Pacific Railroad to go through Camarillo, land to have U.S. Route 101 stretch through the Conejo Grade, and land for the extension of St. John's Seminary to include St. John's College. He was also well known for his civic activities and his long public service, which were noticed by Pope Pius XII. On October 26, 1950, he was bestowed the decoration of Knight of St. Gregory. Don Adolfo, fondly referred to as the "Last Spanish Don", died on December 10, 1958 at the age of 94 from complications of pneumonia.
If you're wondering about permissions and what you can do with this item, a good starting point is the "rights information" on this page. See our terms of use for more tips.
Share your story
Has Calisphere helped you advance your research, complete a project, or find something meaningful? We'd love to hear about it; please send us a message.
