Providencia Ranch

Alternative names of this filming site include Providencia flats, Nestor Ranch, Oak Ranch, Oak Crest Ranch, Universal's Old Ranch, and Universal Ranch (Providencia site) versus Universal City (Lankershim site).

File:Dustin Farnum Universal Ranch Moving Picture World 1913.jpg

Universal Film Manufacturing Company took over the west coast assets of Nestor Studios.{{cite book|author=Marc Wanamaker|date=2011|title=San Fernando Valley|pages=97, 103 and 106}} This included a studio in Hollywood and ranch land in the San Fernando Valley. The Nestor Ranch was located on 'Providencia Land and Water Development Company' property east of the river, just below Cahuenga Peak. The lease was said to be for {{Cvt|1299|acre|km2}}.{{Cite web |title=Moving Picture World (Mar 1917) - Lantern |url=https://lantern.mediahist.org/catalog/movpict31chal_0372 |access-date=2022-11-25 |website=lantern.mediahist.org}}

Makeshift stages were set up on the 'Oak Crest Ranch' property and the production of western films began at the former 'Nestor Ranch' site in 1912. On December 6, 1912, an informal studio opening was held at the Oak Crest property{{cite news|work=The New York Dramatic Mirror|title=Oak Crest, a film city by itself|date=January 15, 1913|page=49}} The public was invited to tour the Oak Crest Ranch and watch a Bison Pictures cowboys and Indians battle."Universal City Visit" Rotarians Visit the Ranch see Cowboys and Indians. Rotarian, February 1914

Carl Laemmle, founder of Universal, saw the Oak Crest site as too small to consolidate all the west coast operations.Drinkwater He ordered the purchase of larger property from the Lankershim Land, Water Development Co.{{cite news|title=A Motion Picture City...|work=Daily Advocate|date=October 2, 1914 |page=6}} The Lankershim site contained several tracts of land, including Taylor Ranch.

Consolidation began in 1914, with the relocation of several small buildings from the Sunset Gower Studios (former Blondeau Tavern) studio and Oak Crest Ranch property.

The sets were destroyed and the site abandoned in 1914, but reacquired in 1915.{{Cite web |title=Moving Picture World (Mar 1917) - Lantern |url=https://lantern.mediahist.org/catalog/movpict31chal_0372 |access-date=2022-11-25 |website=lantern.mediahist.org}}

After the official opening of the new Lankershim Universal City site in 1915, the Providencia ranch (Oak Crest) property became known as the Universal Ranch.{{cite book|author=Robert S. Birchard|title=Early Universal City}}

The three sections of the Lankershim property were referred to as the Universal Back Ranch and contained the Universal City Zoo, cafe, horse corral and stage 2.

The Taylor ranch bordering on Lankershim Blvd. was divided by a stream. It contained the studio front lot and the backlot on the east side of the stream. The photographs of the Providencia Ranch land, "A Birds Eye View of Universal City", can be seen in the Los Angeles Image Archives.

Universal still had control of the property as of March 1917.

Since 1950, this area has been home to Forest Lawn Memorial Park.Series of New York Daily Mirror articles, 1912 to 1915, in the Library of Congress Newspaper Archives

The Providencia Land and Water Development Company property was used for the battle scenes in The Birth of a Nation.{{cite book|author=G. W. Bitzer (as Billy Bitzer)|title=Billy Bitzer: His Story|location=New York|publisher=Farrar, Straus and Giroux|date=1973|isbn=978-0-374-11294-3}} Billy Bitzer illustrates the location of the battle scenes by his hand drawn map.

"The Famous Players - Lasky Corporation have secured the old Universal Ranch, a {{cvt|1000|acre|km2}} tract within five minutes of Hollywood at a cost said to be $1,000,000. The site will be used for permanent sets and the first Picture will be a revival of The Squaw Man, which Cecil B. DeMille is to direct."The Film Daily Wednesday, August 21, 1919 - Cover page 1

Paramount ranch: LA Times announced on November 20, 1927: "With one gesture a 1,000 acre ranch is being abandoned." Paramount Staff news letter

; Los Angeles Public Library

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20010627030753if_/http://jpg1.lapl.org:80/pics28/00033968.jpg November 24, 1913 Bailey, Chas. Z. Universal City]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20010607000158if_/http://jpg2.lapl.org:80/pics08/00013616.jpg 1911 Nestor Filmmakers at the Forest Lawn Site]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20010607000029if_/http://jpg2.lapl.org:80/pics08/00013619.jpg 1911 Nestor Filmmakers at the Forest Lawn Site]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20010607001048if_/http://jpg2.lapl.org:80/pics08/00013623.jpg 1911 Nestor Sunset and Gower]

;Motion PIcture Arts and Science – UCLA (picasa)

• [http://picasaweb.google.com/universalstonecutter/NestorStudios1911UniversalCity1912ToFeb1915#5119877071382742242 Universal City 1912]
• [http://picasaweb.google.com/universalstonecutter/NestorStudios1911UniversalCity1912ToFeb1915#5119877105742480626 Universal City 1913]

• Universal Studios Historic District consists of two studio sites in the San Fernando Valley.
• 1912-1914, Providencia Land and Water Development Company, the site today of Forest Lawn in the Hollywood Hills.
• 1914 Lankershim Land and Water Development Company, the site today of Universal City.

1. "Scrap it" the Old Universal – 1915 Universal Tour Brochure
2. The Cowboys, Indians and zoo 1914 first assets to be moved to the new Universal City. Motion Picture World
3. "The Theatre of Science; a volume of progress and achievement in the motion picture industry" by Robert Grau : Page 287 – 1914 Broadway Pub. Co. New York
4. The Life & Adventures of Carl Laemmle; by John Drinkwater (Carl Laemmle views Nestor ranch and names the area Universal City))
5. Universal History 1912 to 1915 – "Frickr Universal Image collection" by Dennis Dickens
6. Mammoth Film Plant - The Van Nuys news and The Van Nuys Call - Friday November 29, 1912
7. Mammoth Bison Film Plant - Universal Ranch 1913 - immense Moving Picture Ranch - Evening news - Saturday February 8, 1913 - Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan

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Category:Movie ranches

Category:Film studios in Southern California

Category:Film production companies of the United States

Category:History of the San Fernando Valley