Murphy Ranch

The fictious Jessie M. Murphy, was the assumed name that Norman and Winona Stevens (some: Stephens) used to purchase 41 acres (17 ha) of property that belonged to Will Rogers in Rustic Canyon, Los Angeles in the early 1930s. Much later, this land became known as Murphy Ranch. Winona Bassett Stevens was a wealthy heiress, inheriting a fortune amassed by Arthur J. Bassett in the Chicago steel industry.^[7] A Rasputin-like spiritual healer named Herr Schmidt convinced Winona to purchase the Murphy property as a survival retreat for the Nazi Bund and a center for the future Nazi rulers of the United States. Along with leaders of the Bund, Schmidt claimed that Germany would soon defeat the United States and a West Coast government center would be needed.^[8]

Construction began in 1934. Canyon hillsides were terraced, and 8 long concrete staircases were built into the side of the canyon to maintain orchard trees on the terraces. A good well was drilled, and a 300,000-gallon water tank and another smaller tank were added to be filled from the well. A watering system was built to water the trees in the terraces. A concrete building to house two large diesel generators was constructed, to provide electricity for the property's needs. The entire 41 acres were chain-link fenced at the perimeter, with barbed wire strands across the top. It appears that this fence is still there today. An electric gate at the property entrance had an intercom wired to the main house, from which the gate could be operated remotely. A strong steel house was built to serve as a garage in the original plan. Several large mansions were planned, one by architect Paul Williams, a well-known African American architect in the Southern California area. But only the steel building and two other small houses were built by the time the Stevens family moved in, which was November 26, 1942 - Thanksgiving Day.

The family consisted of Norman and Winona Stevens and their four children: Dale, Robin, Carlile, and Theanne. Conrad Anderson had a house on the property, and three of his followers also moved to the property: Ilsa Reynolds, Josephine Spotts, and Florence Kamp. All but Conrad Anderson worked daily on the property, tending livestock and chickens, maintaining the orchards, milking cows, raising hay and other crops, etc. The family moved out in 1945, after the war ended. The Stevens moved to property they bought in Ramona. Anderson died in 1943. In 1949, they sold the property to Huntington Hartford for $100,000. This was a huge loss for the Stevens’, as they had put $900,000 into the property.^[9]

Hartford also bought the adjacent Josepho property, for a total of 154 acres (62 ha). He set it all up as a retreat for artists and writers, who would be accepted to the retreat for six-month periods, all expenses paid for by Hartford. Henry Miller, Edward Hopper, and Christopher Isherwood were among those who were awarded these stays. The art colony ran until 1965 when Hartford ran out of money. He sold it that year to Jack Morehart, who owned Pacific Ocean Park.^[10] Morehart later sold 86.6 acres (35.0 ha) of the property, including Murphy Ranch, to the city of Los Angeles in 1972. He donated half and received $478,000 for the other half. The Mandeville Canyon fire of 1978 destroyed most of the structures. The large water tank, gate, and remains of the steel building were torn down in 2016, mainly for safety in the city park. The concrete powerhouse is the only structure left standing on the Murphy Ranch portion of the property. It is thoroughly painted over by graffiti, which is continually updated. All entryways have been sealed.^[11]^[12]

John Vincent was a UCLA music professor who helped Huntington Hartford with the purchase of Murphy Ranch from the Stevens family and later managed the art colony. He recounted that the Stevens family had bought Murphy Ranch at the urging of a German spy who Winona believed had mystical powers. When a local historian, Betty Lou Young, was writing a book about Pacific Palisades, she asked him to tell the story in the form of an affidavit in 1975. In the affidavit, he said that the Stevens family (he misspelled their name 'Stephens', the names are often used interchangeably), built out the property based on National Socialist ideals. Young included the story in her book.^[13] Her son Randy Young told the story to many over the years and was interviewed for the History Channel.

Drawings of the plans for an elaborate structure are housed in the Lloyd Wright collection at UCLA's Young Research Library. It appears that very little of it was actually constructed. Ownership of the ranch is lacking clear documentation but Norman and Winona Stevens (not Stephens) are confirmed as residents of Pasadena and Hermosa Beach during that time. The Wright plans show the signature of an NF Stevens.^[5] The identity of Herr Schmidt is unclear although a certain Capt. John Schmidt was employed by Leon Lewis who ran the anti-Nazi spy network in the 1930s in Los Angeles.^[14] In 2023, Stanton Stevens, grandson of Norman and Winona Stevens, published a book telling the family's story about Murphy Ranch and claimed that much of the story about his family's connection to Murphy Ranch and the American and German Nazi network was fictitious.^[9]

History

The Nazi Connection

In popular culture

References

External links

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