Today's photos of the Walter K. Robinson House were taken by Doug McIntosh in 1988. Doug writes, "The house was originally a one room cabin that was constructed circa 1883, by Jim Brown. Over the years there were several additions. The photos were taken the day that the developer had the structure demolished....
"Robinson Ranch was located along the east side of the Plano Trabuco. Walter K. Robinson was born in Santa Clara in 1853. In 1883 Robinson purchase a section of railroad property and the claims of Jim Brown and Lew English. He named it 'The Mountain View Ranch.'
"Robinson married Margaret Waite of Los Angeles in 1883. They had nine children. Several of the children died before adulthood....
"For many years, Robinson held the office of Trabuco Forest Reserve, now the Cleveland National Forest, and also filled the office of Deputy Fish and Game Commissioner of California, with headquarters in Trabuco Canyon.
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"...Walter K. Robinson died Nov. 11, 1920. He was remembered as 'one of the men who came in the Santa Ana Valley in the days when mustard, sycamores, salt grass, tule deer, elders, and cactus covered its level areas. He was honored as one who remained through days of adversity and who never desired to live elsewhere' (Register, Nov. 12, 1920:4). He was buried with his parents at the old Santa Ana Cemetery.
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"...Walter K. Robinson died Nov. 11, 1920. He was remembered as 'one of the men who came in the Santa Ana Valley in the days when mustard, sycamores, salt grass, tule deer, elders, and cactus covered its level areas. He was honored as one who remained through days of adversity and who never desired to live elsewhere' (Register, Nov. 12, 1920:4). He was buried with his parents at the old Santa Ana Cemetery.
"The [Robinson Home's] cobble fire place and a few other architectural features were salvaged and incorporated into the home-owners association community center/swimming pool area. The color photo [above] is from the Rancho Cielo Home-owners Association web page. It shows the salvaged fireplace and the community swimming pool.".
For more information, see Cultural Resource Investigation of the Walter K. Robinson "Mountain View Ranch" Orange County, California, 1996, by Wayne Bonner, Diane Bonner, David Hocking, Douglas McIntosh and Jaqueline Des'autels.
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There's also an entry on OCThen.com about the Escape Country private recreation park that once occupied part of the Robinson property.
