page_title: Rancho Sierra Vista
section_title: Beal period, 1936–1946
hierarchical_section_title: Rancho Sierra Vista / Beal period, 1936–1946
caption_attribution_description: English: This cattle brand was used at Rancho Sierra Vista in the 1930s and 1940s.
context_page_description: Rancho Sierra Vista is one of the last intact ranches from the first half of the twentieth century in the Santa Monica Mountains. The majority of the landscape is much as it was 100 years ago. The area is now owned by the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, a unit of the National Park System.
  It is home of Satwiwa Native American Indian Culture Center.
context_section_description: Wealthy petroleum geologist Carl Beal purchased the northern section of the old rancho in 1936 and christened the area Rancho Sierra Vista, meaning Mountain View Ranch in Spanish.  Beal constructed most of the current ranch buildings and his house and barbecue pit in Sycamore Canyon in what is now Point Mugu State Park.
  Beal explored the ranch for water and developed a system of dams, wells, springs, and reservoirs that provided the water for a variety of agricultural products and horses. He was the person responsible for building 25 miles of roads and 18 wells feeding the 14 miles of steel pipe that is seen alongside today's trails. Water for his avocados was brought in by pipe from a spring at Boney Mountain. Near this spring was a cabin. Beal was probably not the person who built the cabin, but he and his son used it as their hunting cabin. It has since been destroyed by fire and only the foundation and chimney remain.
  The Beals were well known for hosting parties and barbecues at Rancho Sierra Vista which often included riding and other sports.
  The Beals also reported having problems with escaped patients from the nearby Camarillo State Hospital.  In 1940 Carl Beal reported that escapees found on his ranch had threatened to kill him and had started wildfires.
caption: Cattle Brand used at Rancho Sierra Vista
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