Providencia Ranch facts for kids
Providencia Ranch was a large piece of land in California, USA. It was once part of a Mexican land grant called Rancho Providencia. This ranch became a very important place for early movies. Many silent films were shot there. For example, famous battle scenes for the movie The Birth of a Nation (1915) were filmed on this land. It was also home to some of the first operations for Universal Pictures on the West Coast in 1914.
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Providencia Ranch: A Movie History Spot
The Providencia Ranch had many different names over time. People called it Providencia flats, Nestor Ranch, Oak Ranch, Oak Crest Ranch, and Universal's Old Ranch. It was different from the later, larger Universal City. This land was east of the river, near Cahuenga Peak. It was a big area, about 1,299 acres (5.26 square kilometers).
Universal Studios' First Home
In 1912, the Universal Film Manufacturing Company took over the movie studios of Nestor Studios. This included a studio in Hollywood and the ranch land in the San Fernando Valley. The Nestor Ranch was on the Providencia Land and Water Development Company property.
Filmmakers quickly set up simple stages on the 'Oak Crest Ranch' part of the property. They started making many western movies there. On December 6, 1912, Universal held an informal opening at Oak Crest. The public was invited to visit the ranch. They could watch a live battle scene with Bison Pictures cowboys and Indians.
Moving to Universal City
Carl Laemmle, who started Universal, thought the Oak Crest site was too small. He wanted a much bigger place to bring all of Universal's West Coast operations together. So, he bought a larger property from the Lankershim Land, Water Development Co. This new land included several areas, like the Taylor Ranch.
Universal started moving its operations in 1914. They moved several small buildings from the Sunset Gower Studios and the Oak Crest Ranch. The old sets at Providencia Ranch were taken down, and the site was left empty in 1914. However, Universal bought it back in 1915.
After the new Universal City officially opened in 1915, the Providencia ranch (Oak Crest) became known simply as the Universal Ranch. The new Lankershim property had three main parts. These included the Universal Back Ranch, which had the Universal City Zoo, a cafe, and a horse corral.
Universal still owned and used the Providencia property as late as March 1917. Today, since the 1950s, this area has been home to Forest Lawn Memorial Park.
Filming The Birth of a Nation
The Providencia Land and Water Development Company property was famously used for the battle scenes in the 1915 movie The Birth of a Nation. The movie's cameraman, Billy Bitzer, even drew a map by hand to show where these big battle scenes were filmed.
Other Studios Use the Ranch
After Universal moved, other movie studios also used the Providencia Ranch.
Lasky Ranch
In 1918, the Famous Players - Lasky Corporation bought the old Universal Ranch. This was a 1,000-acre (4.0 square kilometers) property very close to Hollywood. It was said to cost $1,000,000. The company planned to use it for permanent movie sets. The first movie filmed there was a new version of The Squaw Man, directed by Cecil B. DeMille.
Paramount Ranch
Later, the land was also known as the Paramount Ranch. On November 20, 1927, the LA Times newspaper announced that this 1,000-acre ranch was being left empty.
