Courtesy Rancho Los Alamitos Historic Ranch and Gardens

history continued

In 1968, the Bixby family deeded the remaining portion of Rancho Los Alamitos to the City of Long Beach. The gift included 7.5 acres of land, along with the circa 1800 adobe ranch house and its contents, four acres of nationally significant gardens, and several remaining barns, as well as the agricultural equipment collections, all poignant reminders of the great ranching heritage of Southern California. The City of Long Beach continues to own the property and the Rancho Los Alamitos Foundation oversees its care. The nonprofit organization was established in 1984 as a public/private cooperative effort and operates under the auspices of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine. In 1990, the Rancho Los Alamitos Foundation contracted a licensed arborist and began the long process of reversing years of poor pruning choices. The previous technique that “laced out” the trees’ center growth was common practice during the 1970s and 1980s, but had led to long, bare branches with a “lions tail” of growth at the end of each. In reversing the effects of this growth pattern, the arborist has stimulated growth all along the branches and is gradually increasing the girth of the branch at its connection to the trunk. This gives the long, heavy branches better support and makes them more able to stand up to the elements.