Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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His son, Leando, took control of the property, but treated the Native Americans very harshly.
Legend has it that they eventually poisoned Leando, then told him how he was about to die a miser-
able slow death. Leando promptly committed suicide.
Between 1906 and 1917, the Santa Fe Railway acquired all of the lands that made up the original
San Dieguito Land Grant. The railroad company intended to plant 4,000 acres with 3,000,000 eu-
calyptus tree seedlings to produce railroad ties. Many of the trees were planted, but the project was
abandoned when they discovered that eucalyptus would not hold the spikes. The railroad company
turned to development.
The Lake Hodges Dam solved the flooding problems and opened the region to agriculture
and residential development. The area was renamed Rancho Santa Fe and the railroad formed the
Santa Fe Land Improvement Company, which laid out estates and constructed roadways for new
home sites. Most importantly, they established deed restrictions, which even today control most ev-
ery aspect of land use and building design and construction in Rancho Santa Fe, the oldest planned
community in the nation.
The first structure erected by the Land Company, a guesthouse in the Spanish Revival style,
was called La Morada, or “the house of many rooms.” Originally intended to provide lodging for
prospective buyers, La Morada became a clubhouse. It was sold in 1940 and the named was changed
to The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe. Osuna's adobe house, overlooking the San Dieguito River Valley,
was restored and is now part of The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe.
Lilian Rice returned to her family home near San Diego in 1910, fresh out of the University of
California at Berkley. As an architect, she was hired by the Land Company, and soon found herself
in charge of the Rancho Santa Fe development project. Responsible for the overall plan and supervi-
sion of this new community, Rice designed many of the town's buildings as well as a number of resi-
dences. She remained the driving force for the community's development until her death in 1938.
If you feel comfortable, inspired, or renewed at The Inn, it's for a reason. As Lilian said, “I
have found real joy at Rancho Santa Fe. Every environment here calls for simplicity and beauty: the
gorgeous natural landscapes, the gently broken topography, the nearby mountains. No one with a
