A curious little half day trip awaits you just down the highway in City of Industry. One wouldn’t think that a piece of local history could be found in a place called “City of Industry,” but then that should serve as a reminder of how layered even the Los Angeles area history is. The Homestead Museum was once the private property and residences of the Workman and Temple families, with structures built by the families over the course of a century. Back in 1840, when California was still part of Mexico and venturing west was left to risk-taking pioneers, a man named William Workman schlepped his family across the rugged terrain and decided to make a go of cattle ranching. The home he built still stands on the property.

As is so often and impressively the case, particularly with free tours such as this one, our docent was very enthusiastic and had loads of information to share with us. He gave us a summary of the regional history as far back as he could go before we stepped outside the visitor’s center and began a tour of the houses. The original Workman house was a modest structure built in 1841, but over the years additions were made and it evolved into a quaint early Victorian. Renovations are currently being done on the Workman house and since it is not furnished, a little imagination is required to picture an afternoon in the parlor, with the family enjoying a glass of lemonade and hoping for a gentle breeze through the window. Some of the original wallpaper remains and preservationists have taken pains to expose parts of the deeper architectural interests of the house such as the original adobe.

Workman branched out from the cattle business and tried his hand at different money making opportunities that arose in the ever growing west coast. His successes and failures are illustrated in development of his property. It should be noted that Workman was very involved in California politics and both the Workmans and the Temples played prominent roles in the development of the state. Both Temple Street in downtown L.A. and Temple City, among many other places, are named for members of the Temple family.

Workman’s daughter Antonia married into the Temple family and right next door to the Workman house is the house of a Workman/Temple descendent. This residence, named La Casa Nueva, was built in the 1920’s and is fully furnished with the latest gadgets and amenities of the time. The docent informed us that about one third of the furnishings were actual possessions of the family, and while this may not sound like much, it is actually considered quite a lot for an historic home. There are some colorful details to the house such as the stained glass windows of family members and the animal heads carved into the wooden beams.

Mostly, it is a sense of mystery that fills both houses. I wondered, among other things, why the Temples would build such a lavish home in the middle of nowhere when they could have lived close to all the action in Los Angeles. Driving home I realized it really wasn’t that far from downtown L.A. (only about thirty minutes taking the 10 E. and the 60), but how long did it take in the late 19th century? What once was the homestead of a cattle rancher who needed a lot of undeveloped land, became the pet project of a family at times involved in oil, land development, banking, mercantile, railroads, and politics. And, although by today’s standards, it really is close by, being at the Homestead feels far away from the city and all the familiar billboards and pavement of city life.

It’s always neat to discover these little bits of history tucked here and there around L.A., a city which generally appears pretty modern. But then, what is considered “historical” is relative. My sister lives in a house built in the 1600’s. And when we think of the ancient structures that still stand in Israel, well, a house built in 1840 is pretty new in the scheme of things. And yet, the Workman house is one of the oldest in California, and it offers an unusual taste of local history. It’s a nice change of pace on a Sunday afternoon.

If you come in between tours, take a stroll over to the brilliantly colored koi pond right next to the museum.

Notes:

Homestead Museum
Address: 15415 East Don Julian Rd, City of Industry, CA 91745
Phone: 626-968-8492
www.homsteadmuseum.org
Guided Tours: Wednesday – Sunday at 1pm, 2pm, 3pm, 4pm
Cost: Free