RANCHO A HISTORIC JEWEL CAMULOS IS MUCH AS IT WAS IN 1800S.

Byline: Amy Raisin Darvish Staff Writer

PIRU - Resting in the shade of some of the world's most modern roller coasters, only a few miles from the explosive development in Valencia and Castaic, is a secluded piece of California history that has changed very little since its heyday in the late 1880s.

The authentic slice of early rancho life - the adobe buildings, orange trees and the original, tiny chapel still stand today - was so idyllic, in fact, that ``Ramona,'' a novel destined to become a best-seller at the dawn of the 20th century was set on what is now a National Historic Place, Rancho Camulos.

The 1,800 acres of Rancho Camulos, about eight miles west of Interstate 5 on state Route 126, support a working ranch where oranges and a variety of produce are still grown.

But it's the old adobe main residence, schoolhouse and chapel that offer the most intimate glimpse into the past, into a time when those traveling on horseback could stop for a home-cooked meal of tortillas, stewed jerk beef and mild chilies and a welcome night's sleep before setting off the next day.

``The senora (Ysabel del Valle), she was a very kind, welcoming woman,'' said Hillary Weireter, site manager for the Rancho Camulos Museum, located in the heart of the ranch. ``There were Indians who worked on the ranch; the girls and women used to bake their own bread.''

The del Valle family acquired more than 48,000 acres from the Mexican government in the mid-19th century. Rancho Camulos and its 1,800 acres were carved from that massive stretch of land in 1853 and became the permanent home of Ygnacio and Ysabel del Valle and their children eight years later.

A deeply religious Roman Catholic, Ysabel del Valle, when not tending to the medical needs of the families who lived on the ranch, could often be found in the tiny adobe chapel across the courtyard from the main house.

Weireter, guiding some members of the news media on a recent tour of the grounds, used the original key to gain entry to the chapel.

She opened the wooden double doors to reveal a small room anchored by the original rug and decorated with the 14 framed portraits of the Stations of the Cross, a step-by-step depiction of Christ's crucifixion and death.

Many of the pictures and objects depicting Christ are preserved from the del Valle era, while other items - the two wood kneelers were added when two sisters related to the family who owned the ranch after the del Valles' were married there in a double ceremony - arrived later.

On May 5, 2000 - Cinco de Mayo - a 40-acre portion of Rancho Camulos was designated a National Historic Landmark, the only such distinction in Ventura County, Weireter said.

Adding the sense of California history is a 1 1/2-story brick winery, built in 1867, that used Camulos-grown grapes to produce fine wines and brandies from the 1870s until about 1900. The structure, like most on the ranch, sustained extensive damage during the 1994 Northridge Earthquake and has not yet been rehabilitated.

Museum docents lead tours of the historic buildings and impressive grounds - an estimated 150 rose bushes cover the area around the buildings, all of them in fragrant bloom - from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

``We're here in this beautiful spot that very few people know about,'' Weireter said. ``We're trying to get the word out that right off the (126) is this wonderful piece of California history that's open for people to enjoy.''

Weireter, a del Valle descendant, said her grandfather and great-grandmother were born at Rancho Camulos.

The schoolhouse was built in 1930 for the five children of August and Mary Rubel, who bought Rancho Camulos six years earlier. Constructed of wood and stucco to blend with the adobe structures, the schoolhouse today is a spacious, airy room featuring historic photos of the ranch buildings and property.

The Rubels added on to the main house and settled into life on the ranch. August Rubel died in Tunisia during World War II.

Rubel's cousin, Peter Rubel, spent his five-week honeymoon at Rancho Camulos in 1941. Now 90, the Fillmore resident is the bookkeeper at the historic ranch, where he regularly walks past the room he shared with his new bride so many years ago.

``Isn't this just beautiful?'' Rubel said Friday morning to some visitors. ``There's the room we stayed in on our honeymoon. My cousin, my beloved cousin. He was such a wonderful man.''

Amy Raisin Darvish, [phone]

amy.raisin(at)dailynews.com

IF YOU GO

--Rancho Camulos Spring Event

--10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 23

--[phone]

--On state Route 126, 3.5 miles west of the Ventura County line

--www.ranchocamulos.org

CAPTION(S):

5 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- color) Peter Rubel, 90, cousin of the second owner of Rancho Camulos, works at the ranch answering phones. Rubel and his bride honeymooned at the ranch not far across the Ventura County line in 1941.

(2 -- 3 -- color -- ran in SAC edition only) The del Valles, left, in their wedding picture, were the original owners of Rancho Camulos. Above is the tiny chapel at the rancho, where several marriages have taken place over the years. The land that makes up the ranch was once part of a Mexican land grant.

(4 -- color -- ran in Simi edition only) Rancho Camulos served as the background for the novel ``Ramona'' by Helen Hunt Jackson. The ranch capitalized on the book by using it in citrus sales.

(5 -- ran in SAC edition only) A Rancho Camulos drawing room features paintings and drawings.

David Crane/Staff Photographer

Box:

IF YOU GO (see text)