DISCOVERING OUR VALLEY 2011
The actor John Carroll and his wife Lucile Ryman Carroll once owned a popular youth ranch in Granada Hills. I know little about the place save for the rumor that the actress Marilyn Monroe used to visit the ranch when she stayed with the Carrolls at their Hollywood apartment. Lucile Ryman was well known in the movie industry as a casting agent.
These images are part of a undated brochure given to The Museum of the San Fernando Valley by Gary Fredburg in 2011. (click on images to enlarge them.)
16 comments:
I was a camper at the John Carroll Ranch in '62, I believe. There were only a couple of residents who stayed there while most of the kids were there for day camp.
Seeing the brochures after all these years was great! Thanks for posting them.
I didn't mean my post to be anonymous. I was Ellen Sattler when I was at the Ranch.
ellen32707@gmail.com
(5 minutes with John) I lived @ 1600 hayvenhurst ave, John Carroll Ranch was on the way to my Tulsa elementary school.
In my life at 6yrs old, the family violence(alcohol) was unimaginable and the Carroll ranch
became a place where the normal, happy people who were nice to everyone. Somehow,I do not remember all the events that lead up to me being asked to join the swim team (6yr old), but I do remember being called in to that Great White House, as I came thru the rear doors I could see a smile that I will remember always, He was standing behind and to the left of a huge bar,Mr Carroll ask me to come in and sit down,He ask my name and if I wanted a coke, yes sir! I was 6yr old and this is the first time anyone except mom (Dora Cosby) had spoke to me of the good things in my life, and my potential as swimmer and "to do good, and try hard." I went on to Knollwood country club swim as AAU swimmer receiving several gold metals at L.A. coliseum junior olympics.I know it was simple for Him and not memorable, but for me He placed my feet on the ground to a future wrought with joy and sorrow all the while "To do good,and try hard" He is a great man in my life, thank you Lord. mike cosby 65yrs young.
I too went to the Carol Ranch .. I remember the big white House. We rode horses and some cool go Cart's.. I was around 5then and lived near by. Went to PineCrest School.. R his was so.e great memories as a kid..
I only remember going swimming there in the summer. It had to be in the early '60s.
When my mother's side of the family moved out to the Valley, one of my aunts lived on Chatsworth St. across the street from the John Carroll Ranch. And an Uncle took care of part of the Ranch, including the swimming pool. I was a young kid at the time, but I remember some facts about their move and jobs. Other's lived off of Hayvenhurst.
We lived @1400 hayvenhurst ave, Tulsa elementary and swimming @ the Carol ranch. Orange groves and Avacado forest!
I guess just about everything is entered in the computer. Who would think to find John Carroll Ranch... but here it is!
Learned to ride there in Summer of '62 on Pedro, a "flea-bitten" grey; and went Christmas caroling on horseback on Lady. Cleaned a lot of corrals to earn a ride. Eating lunch leaning on the fence, the palomino, Bill stole my banana!BEST summer ever!
Anybody remember Dan Bassett, the Stable Man?
Sheila Henken
Sheila Henkel we must have been there at the same time. I remember Pedro and Dan. I learned to ride on Bridgett the old gray mare.
Oops, my name at the time was Amy Hautzik.
I briefly met John Carroll when I was a guest at a fiesta that he and his wife had hosted at their ranch in Chatsworth, CA in 1959 (or 1960 (?). While at the Fiesta, I met the man who, at the time, was working at the ranch training Polo Ponies, and who later became my husband of 30 plus years. Also at the Fiesta was another actor by the name of Wade Preston, who demonstrated his ability, besides as an actor, was an excellent horn player. Best evening of my life.
I knew Dan Bassett the stable man! He was a wonderful true cowboy and horseman. I rode at John Carroll Ranch first on Casey, an old pinto that belonged to Casey Tibbs (famous bronc rider), then Buster. A bay, and finally Diamond, a blue roan, from 1961 to 1964. We still have home movies of the horse parade and show after. Seven years later when I was 14 we looked up Dan Bassett and he helped me find a horse which bee boarded at his place near Devonshire Downs. Kept my horse with him there for several years as he trained all of the riders and horses. He was a wonderful man! I know his son was a singer who tragically died young. Dan had trailered my horse to a show, and stopped talking to say, that song that’s playing, that’s my son! I’m forever grateful to Dan. When my parents brought horse crazy four year old me to John Carroll’s Ranch, expecting their staff to say come back when she’s seven, Dan sized me up and said, I’ll teach her to ride now!
Lived on Chatsworth st. I may have seen him but I don't remember all I remember is swimming in his pool and mowing the lawn at on of the small houses on his land.It was a sad day when the bulldozer came to knock everything down
In the Summer of 1963 my family was living in Mission Hills and during the Summer of 1963. My sister was 10 and I was 6. We went to the John Carrol Ranch for Summer camp. I do remember a White House, the go-karts and the horses. My sister loved riding the horses and I remember they had a parents day where my father took home movies of the us at the ranch. Then at the end of summer we moved to Northridge.
Joyce Augugliaro/Anthony: I went there for 4 summers 1959-1963. Loved every minute! Gail, my counselor picked me up, in the morning. My father was John Carroll’s insurance agent. Mr. Carroll and his wife, we’re the kindest people. Dr. Thomas was our camp leader. I remember Parent's Day and crazy bowling days. I was chosen as “gutterball queen”, and received a keychain as a prize by Dr. Thomas. The go-carts were the best. I met Tara Davis, daughter of Jim Davis, the lead actor of The Whirlybirds! We put on plays and learned to swim. We owned the horse named Casey. My Dad won both Casey and King from Casey Tibbs. We donated them to the ranch. When I went to Alemany High School, I met my History teacher, Kathy, who had been my counselor, the last year I was at the ranch. So many wonderful memories! I wish there were still places like this to send kids! I will never forget how good it felt to be the camper of the day!!
I’m curious whether anyone remembers the camp photographer , Mr. Bush. I was there the summers of ‘61 and ‘62.
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