Los Encinos State Historic Park

Los Angeles County -  July 28, 1997

There aren’t many places left in the Los Angeles area to walk on acreage and back in time to the rancho era of pre statehood, but here at Los Encinos State Historic Park you can, and it’s free. The visitors’ center is in the Garmier building and is open for tours 10 to 5 Wednesdays through Sundays. They offer guided tours of the newly refurbished De la Ossa Adobe as well. 

Originally this site was a ‘rancheria’ (Indian Village) of the tribe now often called Fernandeno, and was a gathering place for thousands of years prior to the Spanish muscling in in the late 1700’s. Natural spring water at the site was the attraction.

The original private owners of what was a 4460 acre grant were three Mission Indians and their families when the Mexican government dissolved the Missions in 1834. Raising cattle and simple crops their successors fell on progressively harder times, or got gold fever, and they sold out to Vincente de la Ossa in 1849.

It’s interesting to come to know that almost all of the vaqueros of the region were Native Americans, and that the cattle they rounded up annually to a rodeo were slaughtered mainly for their hides and tallow for the trade ships, and there was way too much meat to eat or preserve.  

Plaque inscription (local plaque):NO. 689 LOS ENCINOS STATE HISTORIC PARK - The Franciscan padres used Encino as their headquarters while exploring the valley before establishing Mission San Fernando in 1797. In 1849 Vincente de la Osa built an adobe with nine rooms. The next owner of was Eugene Garnier, who built the existing two-story limestone house in 1872. In December 1891 Domingo Amestoy acquired the property.
Location: Los Encinos State Historic Park, 16756 Moorpark St, Encino
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places: NPS-71000142
GPS: 34.160549,-118.498498