Sheep grazing on E.J. "Lucky" Baldwin's Santa Anita Ranch, ca.1890

Description

Photograph of sheep grazing on E.J. "Lucky" Baldwin's Santa Anita Ranch, ca.1890. Over a hundred sheep graze or lounge on the rich pasture. The pasture is hilly and surrounded by trees. To the right is the shores of a lake (or stream?). Caption reads: "contented sheep on Baldwin'ranch , an afternoon in 1890".
"Santa Anita Race Track, Baldwin Hills, Baldwin Park, Baldwin Lake, Baldwin Avenue -- Elias Jackson Baldwin (1828-1909) left his mark on these Southern California landmarks, and much more. One of the great characters of Southern California history, he was described by writer Arthur M. Ellis in 1933: 'Lucky Baldwin's reputation must survive for generations to come as that of one of the greatest pioneers of the West, the greatest builders of California, the most spectacular of libertines, and the most contradictory of characters in our annals.' And Baldwin certainly earned his nickname 'Lucky.'" -- unknown author.
"Most historians agree that the big break that made his fortune, and earned him his nickname, came in 1867. Wealthy enough to take a world trip, before he left he instructed his broker to sell his stocks if they fell below a specific price. He then left to hunt elephants in India. His trip ended in New York where he became a vaudeville producer, representing a troop of Japanese entertainers he'd met in Tokyo. When he finally got back to San Francisco, Baldwin learned that his stock had fallen below the figure he specified, but his broker had been unable to sell because Baldwin had taken the key to his safe with him. But instead of a financial disaster, it was incredible good fortune. The value of his stock had rebounded spectacularly, leaving Baldwin with a multi-million dollar windfall. This was only the first of many stories that are credited as the source for his nickname, but Lucky Baldwin always insisted that his moneymaking ability was the result of shrewd investment. With his newfound riches he survived stock crashes and bank failures, built the Baldwin Theater and Baldwin Hotel ('the finest west of New York'), and became an American legend." -- unknown author.

Title:

Record ID:

chs-m6430

Names & Dates

Created:

[circa] 1890

Creator:

[photographer] Pierce, C.C. (Charles C.), 1861-1946

Publisher:

[host] University of Southern California. Libraries

Subject

Topic:

Ranches , Sheep , Baldwin, Elias J. ("Lucky") , [file heading] Los Angeles County -- Rancho Santa Anita , agricultural sites

Coverage:

[circa] 1890

Place:

[cities] El Monte
[counties] Los Angeles
[states/provinces] California
[countries] USA

Relationships

Part Of:

[collection] Title Insurance and Trust / C.C. Pierce Photography Collection, 1860-1960
[project] USC

Physical

Type:

images

Format:

glass plate negatives
negatives (photographic)
photographic prints
3 photographs : glass photonegative, photonegative, photoprint, b&w ; 21 x 26 cm., 20 x 25 cm.
photographs

Access

Rights:

California Historical Society

Repository:

USC Libraries Special Collections
Doheny Memorial Library, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0189
specol@usc.edu

Ordering:

Send requests to address or e-mail given. Phone (213) 821-2366; fax (213) 740-2343.

Identifiers

Record ID:

chs-m6430

Source:

[record id] USC-1-1-1-6545
[accession no] 5540
[call no] CHS-5540
[microfiche no] 1-64-10