A Little English History in Chino Hills

This is not a post about the history of the British in Chino Hills (though that would probably be smashing), but, instead, a sketch of another interesting person associated with this area long before there was a Chino Hills.

One of the city's more picturesque parks is English Springs Park at the southeast corner of Grand Avenue and Chino Hills Parkway, with its pond and rolling hills tucked below the busy suburban activity around it.

A bit to the southeast is one of the few equestrian zones in Chino Hills, with its sole entry point off Peyton Drive being English Road.

In both cases, their namesake is a horse breeder of some renown in the years between 1910 and 1950 named Revel Lindsay English.  He epitomizes what made the Chino/Diamond Bar area a well-known center of horse (and other stock) breeding during the first few decades of the 20th century, the image of which is still maintained in the region.

The listing of the English family, including young Revel, at Kane, Illinois in the 1880 census.  From Ancestry.com.  Click on this or any image to see them in a separate window in an enlarged view.

English hailed from Kane, Illinois, a rural town north of St. Louis, and was born there in February 1877 to Wharton Kane, a farmer and auctioneer, and his second wife, Deborah Lindsay.  Despite his country upbringing, Revel turned out to be a fine musician and baritone singer and worked for a time as a baritone in  the Castle Square Opera Company, based in St. Louis.  In 1898, he was a member of the Illinois Lyric Quartette, which toured the United States.

In the 1900 census, English lived in Jerseyville, a town just south of Kane, and his occupation was listed as "Singer, Opera."  Soon after, he moved to New York to further his career in the competitive world of professional operatics.  However, in early 1904, he migrated west and landed in Pasadena, where he took up the business of teaching vocal music.  He worked for a time with the Fillmore School of Music and lived where the Pasadena Convention Center is now located.

Revel English's listing as "teacher vocal music" in the 1905 Pasadena city directory.  From Ancestry.com

English also became a popular performer at local parties, community functions and other events, singing to piano accompaniment of a young woman named Edith Ames, who Revel married in 1907.  At the same time, he began to become a fixture in Pasadena's equestrian community, which had strong ties to the Crown City's society crowd.  Moreover, in 1909 and 1910, English was a competitor in chariot races that constituted the actual "tournament" in the famed Tournament of Roses festivities that began in the 1890s before gladiators in another sport--that is, football--took the spotlight!

By 1910, English and his wife settled into a residence on Palmetto Street, just east of Orange Grove Avenue, the famed thoroughfare littered with the mansions of wealthy Eastern capitalists and local power brokers, though site of the English house sits in the path of the incomplete 710 Freeway.

Around this time, he also opened the Kentucky Riding Academy, which may have been named for the home state of his paternal grandparents and perhaps where the English family developed its interests in horse breeding, located near Fair Oaks and Del Mar in Pasadena, where there are now industrial and commercial buildings.  He appears to have operated the Academy until about the 1920s.

Meantime, his widowed father followed Revel to California and, by 1908, the two of them invested in some land in Chino (as well as in Victorville), where they created the 560-acre Sierra Vista Stock Farm, which was devoted to raising purebred saddle horses, draft and harness horses, poultry, cattle and hay farming, and a 1,240-acre tract in what is now Chino Hills and where the English Road area is located.  This may have been something they knew from Illinois, but, in any case, Revel devoted himself increasingly to horse breeding and left music as an avocation.

Ad for Revel English's Sierra Vista Stock Farm in Chino from the 1 May 1913 issue of The Breeder and Sportsman.

Sierra Vista was at the southwest corner of Chino Avenue and Pipeline Avenue, where today's Don Lugo High School is situated.  After a few years, however, Wharton English's declining health led him, as a veteran of the Civil War (he was discharged in 1863 because of battle wounds) to be hospitalized at the Soldiers' Home at Sawtelle, at what is now the Veterans Administration compound at West Los Angeles, and where he died in July 1915.

Perhaps because Pasadena was growing rapidly in the 1920s as the southern California real estate market mushroomed or because he simply wanted to devote more time to his operations in Chino, he moved out to the Sierra Vista Stock Farm.  As English developed his horse breeding operation, he became nationally known both for that and for his competition as an amateur in saddle horse events.

On the horse breeding side, he was widely known for the quality and pedigree of many animals, including one named for his wife, Edith Ames, and his horses were highly successful at events and shows throughout the country.  One prize-winning horse, Coquette, was purchased by film star Gloria Swanson in the early 1920s.  In addition, English became a very sought-after judge at equestrian events.  In the late 1910s, he was vice-president of the Pacific Coast Saddle Horse Association.

A San Bernardino Sun article on Revel English's 19 September 1926 triumph at Louisville, when his champion horse, Edna May's King, was the winner at the Kentucky State Fair, marking the first time an amateur owner won the event.

With regards to his participation in events, English, in 1926, took the saddle horse world by storm by becoming the first amateur to win the Watterson division of the Grand Championship stake for the five-gaited saddle-horses at the Kentucky State Fair  at Louisville, in the fabled center of horse breeding based in Kentucky.  This was a feat that was not repeated for over six decades until an amateur captured the prize again in 1988.  The 1926 victory was the second title for Edna May's King in three years, as she won the championship in 1924, as well..

The horse that won that competition, Edna May's King, was bought by English from a Kentucky breeder in 1923 for a then-record $12,000.  In 1930, as the Great Depression began to worsen, he commanded a new record when he sold her to a Beverly Hills businessman for $40,000.  In 1931, English sold, for an undisclosed amount, a string of 14 horses to F. C. Mars of the famed candy firm and announced that he was cutting his inventory of fine horses to just a few while continuing general management of his ranches.

In August 1940, English's Sierra Vista operation took a major turn for the worse when a fire erupted in the laundry room of his home and and burned down the two-story structure, destroying many of English's horse-breeding and competition trophies and honors and causing $10,000 in damage.  This was the third major fire at Sierra Vista in the space of five years.  In 1935, a large hay barn was burned and the following year its replacement was consumed by a conflagration destroying $10,000 worth of hay.

Although he rebuilt, the 63-year old English was never quite as active in the industry after the disaster as he was before.  In fact, in June 1941, English held an auction to sell sixty work horses, a dozen purebred colts, a few other animals, farm implements and tools.  This wasn't the first time he'd had a major auction of materials at the ranch, there was one in June 1927, but it seems clear that the fire's aftermath led English to scale down his activity and "downsized."  It appears that he mainly served as judges at shows and events and disassociated significantly, if not completely, from horse breeding.

Among his community activities was service on the Chino Rural Fire District, for which he was a founding trustee when the district was formed in 1935 and he also served as president of the organization for a time in the early 1940s.

As for his Chino Hills ranch, which terminated with the westerly line of the Rancho Santa Ana del Chino and was, therefore, the eastern neighbor of the Tres Hermanos Ranch owned by Los Angeles Times publisher Harry Chandler; Rancho La Puente scion, oilman and former Los Angeles County Sheriff William R. Rowland; and Olinda oil magnate Thomas B. Scott, English not only raised animals there but also, from about 1910, he leased the land out for prospective oil drilling.

A 3 September 1932 article from The San Bernardino Sun detailed plans to drill an oil well on land leased from Revel English on his 1,240-acre ranch in Chino Hills.  

In 1920, the International Petroleum Company drilled down 950 feet on a portion of the English ranch and it was said that there was some showing of oil about half way down the well, though the effort proved to be fruitless.

In 1932, a second well was drilled by the Great American Petroleum Company, subleasing from Si Rubens, who held the lease from English.  Rubens had acquired some 2,000 acres, including smaller leases from two owners adjacent to English and had permits from the state of California to drill three wells in a concentrated area.  Notably, this was a spot that had been the location of the first oil drilling effort in the Chino Hills, undertaken by a man named MacRae in the early 1890s--that attempt was curtailed because of excess water that filled the well and doomed the project.

Meantime, a portion of the Chino Hills ranch was dedicated to breeding horses and grazing stock, this being the area off today's English Road (known for years as English Ranch Road, which intersected with what was called Peyton Ranch Road.)

A San Bernardino Sun article from 13 April 1941 covering the sale of Revel English's Chino Hills ranch, comprising 1,240 acres, to Pasadena capitalist James N. Clapp and his wife.

In April 1941, however, English decided to sell his Chino Hills spread and found a buyer in Pasadena capitalist James N. Clapp and his wife.  While English continued to manage his reduced operation at Sierra Vista, the Clapps began an extensive renovation of the Chino Hills property.  They had only been owners of the property for a few years, however, when Clapp was killed while working with a tractor on the ranch.  His wife quickly sold the property, which was subdivided.  Among the later owners of a portion of the English Ranch were the Paynes, for whom the upscale Payne Ranch housing subdivision and adjacent shopping center are named--more on them later.

One other historical tidbit--in 1976, the San Bernardino County supervisors approved, after a long period of planning and deliberation, the extension of Grand Avenue from Diamond Bar eastward into the county.  Several routes were proposed, including two that would link Grand to Schaefer Avenue in Chino.  Another, however, was to extend Grand southeastward and connect it with English Road.  This latter route, however, was deemed to be too prejudicial to existing landowners, including the Payne family, and the current, more northerly route was selected.

Revel L. English, second from left, with other judges at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show in a newspaper photo from 1948.

Meanwhile, within several years after the 1940 fire and subsequent auction, English relocated to San Marino and then Tujunga, between Pasadena and San Fernando, where he lived the last decade or so of his life, dying there in June 1953, at the age of 76.

Carbon Canyon Road Closed At County Line

8:45 A.M., 2 DECEMBER: The reopening of Carbon Canyon Road finally took place at 1:30 this morning.

A little commentary--bearing in mind that this accident possibly had nothing to do with dangerous driving, but also understanding that it very well could have, given past history and experience.  So, here goes . . .

This pole has been destroyed or damaged several times in the last several years.

Maybe some steel bollards like those used to protect a similar pole at the S-curve further east near Carriage Hills would help protect this area, too.  Except that one of the S-curve bollards has been pushed back from repeated collisions to the point that it is now touching that pole.  A couple more significant crashes and there'll probably be another downed pole or power outage.

Again, the cost of continued damage along Carbon Canyon Road must be somewhat substantial, though absorbed by state and local agencies and private property owners.  These costs are probably not tracked with any detail and certainly not correlated, so the broad effects of dangerous driving may not be easily quantified.

For those who have to put up with the noise and the delays and other issues, though, much of this can be qualified.

It would probably take deaths, and several of them, to stir action, however, in terms of some consistent patrolling to check dangerous driving behavior.

Because, now, there is virtually none.  Yet, accidents continue to happen with some regularity.  Over 6 1/2 years, this blog has cataloged a significant number of incidents and certainly cannot be expected to track all of them.  A reasonable person could conclude that the inventory is alarmingly high.

Except that Carbon Canyon is somewhat removed from the centers of activity (and power) in Brea and Chino Hills.

Except that there seems to be a prevailing mindset that the Canyon, to use a too-popular nonsensical term, "is what it is."  In other words, we have to expect dangerous driving, accidents, and near-crashes, because it is the nature of the canyon and its serpentine roadway.

Except that it isn't.  Because if it was, everyone would be crashing all the time.

The road is perfectly and easily driven without incident by the vast majority of its users.  Sometimes, of course, there are pure accidents for a variety of reasons.  Far more often, though, there are too many reckless drivers.  They can be heard virtually every night, usually late at night, more often on weekends.

They do this, because they can.  There's no one or nothing to stop them.  And, there's virtually no effort to do so.  And, in ten years experience, there never really has been, except for some token displays that, insignificant as they were, have gone away the last several years.

After a decade here (and there are many people who have been here far longer), it would be easy to be apathetic and think things will never change.  And, they may not.

But, the concern that one reckless driver could hit an innocent driver and passengers and cause major damage, injury and death is every reason not to be (too) cynical and (too) apathetic.

Do our local leaders see and understand this?

OK, the soap box is now back in storage.  Enjoy our badly-needed rain.

UPDATE, 10:30 P.M.  Now the City of Chino Hills has sent out an update merely stating that work continues on the damaged power pole and lines, that there is still only one lane open on Carbon Canyon Road, and does not provide an estimate for completion, 26 1/2 hours or so after the accident.

Hold on, it's now 10:35 and the last little update was revised to say that the latest estimate for reopening the road is Midnight and that a new update from the city will come at 5 a.m.

UPDATE, 9:45 P.M.  OK, 6:00 is out; they're still working and there's still just one lane open in each direction.  How much is this response costing and who is paying for it?

UPDATE, 2:45 P.M.  Well, this is strange.  First, the anticipated reopening for Carbon Canyon Road is at 6 p.m. instead of Noon, which means those heading back east during commuter times will find it nightmarish no matter which route they take.  For now, there is one lane open for both directions and a pilot vehicle is employed in getting travelers through the affected area.

Secondly, the Chino Hills notification system has erred in stating that the accident was on the Brea side--the accident was at an old familiar crash location--the intersection of Carbon Canyon and Rosemary Lane/Hillside Drive in Sleepy Hollow.  Just how that misinformation could be generated when the accident happened in Chino Hills is puzzling, to say the least.

In any case, the projected reopening is 6 p.m.  For now.

Southern California Edison crews work on the downed power pole and lines taken out by an errant driver last night on Carbon Canyon Road at Rosemary Lane/Hillside Drive in Sleepy Hollow.

UPDATE, 7:00 A.M., 1 DECEMBER.  An update from 4:30 this morning states that, while Carbon Canyon Road is open through one lane only, a full reopening of the state highway by Cal Trans, as Edison works to replace a destroyed power pole, will not take place until about Noon today.

UPDATE, 11:30 P.M.  The latest news on the Carbon Canyon Road closure is that CalTrans is working on repairs and that the Brea Police Department is in control of managing the situation.  It is reported that there maybe access through one lane only as work is undertaken, but the update is not clear as to whether this is the case now, will be from a given time, or will be intermittent through the night.

Brea P.D. updates can be found by calling (714) 990-7732.

Chino Hills expects to provide an update at 5:45 a.m.

As of 8 p.m., Carbon Canyon Road is closed to all traffic due to accident near the line between Chino Hills and Brea just west of Sleepy Hollow.

It is reported that power lines are down and that Southern California Edison crews will be on-scene to do repairs, while some customers appear to be without electricity--this blogger, however, is 2/10 of a mile from the scene and has power.

While there was some heavy rain about an hour or so ago, it hasn't been all that strong in the last half-hour, but the roads are slick.  We haven't had much rain for so long that some drivers may not be making the necessary adjustments (read: slowing down.)

More info as it becomes available will be posted.

Happy Tanksgiving at La Vida!

That didn't take long and just in time for giving thanks to whoever it was who rushed out and quickly painted over the recent marring by graffiti artists of the old water tank at the historic La Vida Mineral Springs resort.

As noted in the post just two days ago, the defacing of the tank had taken place within the last several days and it is great to see such a quick response.

Kudos to the good samaritan who did this!

La Vida Mineral Springs Tank Defaced Again

So, once more this water tank and nearby concrete footings from the historic La Vida Mineral Springs resort has been the target of graffiti, after years of obscurity behind a dense fence of plant material before the 2008 Freeway Complex Fire exposed it to the world.

Let's hope the anonymous good samaritan(s) return to apply new coats of paint and give the old relic another respite from defacement.

This latest attack appears to have taken place within the last week or so.

Chino Hills State Park Discovery Center Open House This Saturday!

This Saturday the 22nd from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., there will be an Open House at the Chino Hills State Park Discovery Center at 4500 Carbon Canyon Road in Brea.

Sponsored by California State Parks, the local environmental advocacy group Hills for Everyone, and the Chino Hills State Park Interpretive Association, the event also received funding from Toyota Motor Company through the National Environmental Education Foundation for the schedule of activities. These include:

• Information booths for organizations like the sponsors as well as the California Department of Fish and Game, Orange County Parks, the federal department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Brea/Fullerton fire department; 
• Three 25-minute ranger-led interpretive programs on mountain lions (10:15-10;40), adapatable coyotes (11:15-11:40), and rattlesnakes (12:15-12:40)
• A ranger-guided mountain bike ride at 10:30; 
• Three 20-minute walks on the center's interpretive trail at 10:15, 11:15, and 12:15 led by a state parks interpretive scientist;
• Face-painting throughout the event;
• Kids' crafts from 10:30-12:30; and
• A photo booth from 10:30-12:30

The combined Brea and Fullerton fire department will also have a fire engine on display and visitors who love the center and the park can sign-up to be a volunteer.

For more information, please click here for the Hills for Everyone Web site.

Carbon Canyon History Article Published

An article on the history of Carbon Canyon has just been published in the tenth volume of the journal Orange Countiana, issued by the Orange County Historical Society.

Based on a presentation given to the society earlier this year, the ten-page piece discussed the early history from native Indians through the mid-1800s; the Olinda Ranch; the Olinda oil field; La Vida Mineral Springs; Carbon Canyon Road; fires and floods; and recent residential development.  The article is also illustrated with historic photos.  Because the piece was for the Orange County Historical Society, most of the content concerns that side of the canyon, though there is some brief mentions of the Chino Hills and San Bernardino County side.

The tenth volume of the journal Orange Countiana, just published this week by the Orange County Historical Society, features a ten-page article on Carbon Canyon, focusing mainly on the Orange County portion of the canyon.

Orange Countiana is very ably edited by Phil Brigandi, an authority on the history of the county, and this issue also contains articles on the Gospel Swamp community of today's south Santa Ana; an early winemaker from the county, and a reprint of a chapter of a 1930 book by early OC chronicler Terry Stephenson about the earliest Spanish settlers of the area, including the Yorbas, Peraltas, and Grijalvas.

For information on the journal, copies of which are $24 including shipping and handling, contact the Society at orangecountiana@orangecountyhistory.org or send a check to Orange County Historical Society, P.O. Box 10984, Santa Ana, CA 92711.

Yet Another Ramble in the Hills Above Carbon Canyon

Here's a pretty view looking northwest from a 15+ acre parcel off Carbon Canyon Road.  Not only can the remnant of the Ski Villa slope and part of Sleepy Hollow be discerned, but over the canyon ridges in the distance are hills far to the west.  Click on this or any other image to see a slide show of all the views from this post, shown in enlarged views.

Last Friday, another jaunt in the Carbon Canyon area took place with a longtime resident who has hiked the canyon for over forty years and knows it as well as anyone.

A nice zoomed-in view looking towards Mt. Baldy, Ontario Peak and Cucamonga Peak in the San Gabriel Range.

Actually, the morning started with a visit to a 15-acre property east of Sleepy Hollow where a short walk to one of the higher elevations on the parcel provided some very nice views of the canyon.

The view down the Ski Villa slope remnant, looking towards the horse and cattle ranch that contained much of the former Camp Kinder Ring buildings and looking towards the southeast.

After that, a trek was made up the remains of the slope from Ski Villa, the bizarre 1960s resort which, for all of a year, gave people the unique and unforgettable experience of skiing down the asphalt and concrete slope that was lined with plastic tiles topped by needles.

This was just one of many remnants of plastic tiles with projecting "needles" that constituted the skiing surface on the asphalt/concrete slope at Ski Villa.

If that sounds like loads of fun, imagine when people came down to the bottom, which curved to the right while most of the skiiers, unable to find enough traction, didn't.  In any case, there are still shards of these tiles scattered about and quite a few of the nails still embedded in the slope.

This was a two-room structure, including what appeared to be a bathroom in the foreground and probably sleeping quarters at the left of one of the Camp Kinder Ring cottages.

From the top of the slope, the hike headed to the north along what is the Canyon Hills subdivision site.  This 141-acre parcel is to contain 76 residences on about half of the site (the other half is to remain open space--presumably much of it manufactured slopes and so on) in a project approved by the county back in 1987, four years before the incorporation of Chino Hills.  Two years later, the tentative tract map was finalized, but the economy and the real estate market took a dive a few years later, so it wasn't until 1997 that the final map was recorded.

It's fairly easy to make out the name "Miriam" at the left and the "P" from her surname, as well as the date "7-19-46."

One of the archaic aspects of development law is that, even though that was nearly two decades ago, this project is fully entitled, even though conditions (more houses built in the canyon, increasing traffic, greater water use, long-term drought, etc.) have changed.

A pair of rock pilasters with crude cement caps flanking steps leading to a camp structure.  The hand print, name and date noted in other photos is on the left pilaster.

So, Forestar Homes, the current owner, has instigated initial utility work in terms of drainage system installation, but also intends to sell the property soon.  Obviously, there is no way to know when actual construction of the development might get done.  A Tract Home Design Review has not been submitted to the city's Planning Commission, which would be followed by an approval by the city of building construction plans.

Several shards (somewhat artfully arranged for this photo) of Fiesta Ware, a popular product from the 1930s through 1960s, dovetailing with the time Camp Kinder Ring was at the site.

For now, though, there have been some access roads cut through the property, berms built, drains installed and pipes laid, while much of the terrain is relatively undisturbed.  In fact, as was pointed out by the resident, whereas the south side of the canyon has had extensive cattle grazing on leased property, leading to a great deal of denuded landscape, this north side of the canyon has been left fundamentally intact, so there is much more plant material under and around the oak and walnut trees.

The entrance to a well-sited camp building, with one of the brick pilasters flanking the steps into the building toppled over.

Notably, there are also quite a few remains of some of the cabins and other structures that were built on the property when it was Camp Kinder Ring, a youth and, later, all ages, camp run by the Arbeter Ring, a left-leaning Jewish organization that owned the site from 1928 to 1958.  This blog has covered much of the history of the camp, noting that some of the buildings now part of the horse and cattle ranch on the east side of Canyon Hills Road are from the facility, as well as observing that the camp also extended to the west of the road.

A toppled-over chimney at a Camp Kinder Ring cottage site.

This was the first time, however, that this blogger has seen the remnants of camp buildings on the Canyon Hills tract site.  As accompanying photos show, there are several sites with remnants of walls, fireplaces, sidewalks, stairs, entrance posts and the like.  Some of these sites are along ridgelines with beautiful views of the canyon, the San Gabriel Mountains and so forth.

A bit of the rim of a modern piece of china located on one of the Camp Kinder Ring cottage locations.

In one prominent case, there was the remains of a structure that had two small stone pillars at the entrance.  On the concrete cap to the pillar on the right is still a hand print, a name (Miriam was the first name, but the surname [which starts with a "P"] is not fully discernible on the photos) and a date of 19 July 1946 that were imprinted on it.

A portion of one of the large building sites from the Camp Kinder Ring days.

Elsewhere, there was a large site that still had portions of walls made of hollow tile (also known as structural clay tile), a clay building material that was mainly used in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but which has not been common for many decades.

A remnant of a wall made of hollow tile (structural clay tile) from one of the Camp Kinder Ring structures--likely built around the 1940s or earlier.

There was even, in a depression beneath one of the building sites, the rusted-out remains of an old vehicle.  Elsewhere, pieces of what looked like Fiesta Ware plates, which were very popular from the 1930s through the 1960s, consistent with the years Camp Kinder Ring was on site, were located, as were fragments of modern china.

Here's an example of a road gouged through the Canyon Hills parcel.

Evidently, documentation of the site, according to the resident guide, regarding its long history as Camp Kinder Ring was not adequately done during the environmental impact report's completion.  Then again, under the county's jurisdiction in the 1980s that standards were, let's just say, different.  Consequently, there was no requirement to recognize the site's history as part of the planning process for Canyon Hills.  It would be nice to think that, with a future buyer, the city might ask that something be done to remember the history of both Camp Kinder Ring, as well as Ski Villa.

An example of a drain and berm installed on a crudely-cut access road on the project site.

For example, the entrance to the gated community could have a plaque or two commemorating the camp and Ski Villa.  This would be a low-cost way to mark the history of the area and would be a minimal gesture.

A fine view looking southwest towards Sleepy Hollow past the chapparal on a largely undisturbed portion of the Canyon Hills site.

The development of the Canyon Hills site means the razing of the ski slope, the destruction of huge numbers of oak and walnut trees and other plant life, as well as the removal of wood rat nests, which would affect the owls that prey on them, and the obliteration of the many remnants of Camp Kinder Ring buildings that dot the site.

A nice view to the southwest of the Canyon Hills site.  Just above the ridge-line is a little speck--this was a hawk soaring in the sky.

It may yet be several years before construction would start on the 76 homes planned there, though. If An economic downturn may come along (and, obviously, one is coming sooner or later) and constrict the housing market and forestall new development.  This could also happen due to the long-term drought we're experiencing--if it continues and leads to shortages and rationing.

One of dozens of wood rats' nests observed over the course of the hike.

Meantime, there is still a functional oak and walnut woodland complex, many remnants of Camp Kinder Ring buildings, fantastic views, the ugly ski slope scar, and the feeling that, if those 76 houses are built, another large chunk of Carbon Canyon will be gone and the area's transformation from a unique rural oasis amongst the relentless march of suburbia that much closer to realization.

A zoomed-in view at the far west edge of the project site showing the FEMA-grant generated fire break just over the fence and, in the distance, associated structures for the St. Joseph's Hill of Hope religious complex.

Moreover, just across Carbon Canyon Road is the 537-acre Hidden Oaks Country Club property, which proposed 107 units on the ridgelines between Carbon and Soquel canyons.  Somehow, the future residents there, as well as those in Canyon Hills and the Oak Tree Downs and Oak Tree Estates communities are supposed to drive down to Carbon Canyon Road, a two-lane state highway that cannot be widened and make their way to wherever they are going.  Including to the west, where the City of Brea has this past summer approved the 162-unit Madrona subdivision.

An expansive Camp Kinder Ring structure with multiple levels and a good many pieces of hollow tile used here.  This structure was basically at the top of the site.

And, somehow, they're going to have to find the water that will be used in large homes on large lots that will use far more water per average in the rest of the area.

What appear to be shards of porcelain from a bathroom at one of the Camp Kinder Ring cottages.

And, somehow, fire fighting and prevention will have to take into account the increased number of homes in fire-prone areas, subject to high winds which feed the encroachment of the flames, as well as to deal with more people to evacuate.

More footings for a Camp Kinder Ring structure with the hills to the southeast of Carbon Canyon in the distance.

And, the list goes on . . .

A path leading to the Canyon Hills site as framed by a beautifully-gnarled oak tree.