[Ranchos of California]

Three decades of promoting California real estate.

This fascinating group of advertising literature was issued by the Title Insurance and Trust Company of Los Angeles, a real estate and financing firm. The pamphlets were likely distributed as a promotional item to prospective clients, encouraging them to invest in a region steeped in history.

The Romance of the Ranchos – written by E. Palmer Conner (Chief Title Searcher) and published in 1929, according to the black and white fold-out map in back. Forty pages of text and photographs outline each of the 21 missions and several pueblos across the region, established during its era of Spanish authority.

The Romance of the Ranchos – published in 1941 and written by Palmer Conner, with illustrations by the talented Charles Owens. Enlarged from the prior version, this edition expands to 44 pages. The same map as the 1929 version is included in the back, but has been updated with vibrant printed color.

The Old Spanish and Mexican Ranchos of Orange County – authored by W.W. Robinson and published in 1950. This is a revised version that focuses on the southern portion of California. A mere 18 pages, the highlight is the large folding map (about 22″ x 22″) that brightly overlays the boundaries of the former rancho properties atop an official county map created in 1946.