A Man with the Midas Touch
By Ruth Starr
Some of the students at Hancock college most likely don’t know who Allan Hancock was, nor his rich Californian history. Born in 1875, Allan grew up in Los Angeles. His family owned Rancho La Brea, a “dry” farming area at the time. His twin, Harry, died in infancy. Of his three brothers, Allan was the only one to survive. The family house is now called the Page Museum at La Brea Tar Pits in L.A. Allan was taught in a one room school house. He would eventually attend a small Catholic College in the Santa Cruz area called Notre Dame, where he studied Liberal Arts.
Local longtime San Luis Obispo resident Jane Brennan relates the story of her great grandfather Allan Hancock.
Allan’s father, Henry Hancock, died in 1883. Henry left the Rancho to his Mom Ida (pronounced Eda) Haraszthy Hancock. Henry was the second surveyor to survey Los Angeles County for payment for the Rancho. He bought more land in the area for $2.50 an acre.
Ida took over the Ranch and ran it with her brother-in- law John. However, John seemed to be more interested in gold mining spent most of his time at Mormon Island near Sacramento. Ida was ‘a tough cookie,” according to family lore. She was not averse to using a gun to run off squatters to manage the property. Allan moving back to the ranch, began selling tar to the city that was growing and needing more roads that used the tar.
Being ambitious, along with his mother and uncle, Allan began drilling for oil on the ranch. At one point there were 350 wells that had been drilled by 1915. Papa, as Jane refers to him, decided to use steam for power to drill. The oil was thick and heavy and the steam heated it up so it would flow faster. By 1907, Allan was a pioneer in steam drilling. He started the Rancho La Brea Oil Co. At the same time, scientists began coming to the ranch where they were finding fossils and ancient bones. Papa donated twenty-three acres of the property to L.A. for scientific purposes. From there everything turned to gold for the family. Today the La Brea Tar Pits are a major visitor attraction.
Next Allan began developing property in the L.A. area, working with William Orcutt, a Union Oil man. Together with friends from the oil company, they developed land in the area. The town of Orcutt was named after William. Orcutt was a geologist who was very interested in the fossils and bones that were found. The men told Allan about an area north of L.A. that was similar to L.A.: the City of Santa Maria. All around the area was dry land farming as there was no water available. The Santa Maria Valley was a treeless, windswept wasteland that no one much wanted.
Allan felt there was oil in the area. He decided to settle in Santa Maria having his agents make the purchases, as he didn't want anyone to know about the land. He had people dig for water and found rivers of water where people said there was none. From the auction block he bought a farm, the Santa Maria Valley Railroad, and land in Cat Canyon that was oil rich. He had a train that brought oil out of Cat Canyon to Union Pacific in Guadalupe. Ostensibly, he had gone to Santa Maria to retire.
Once he had water Allan was able to farm wet crops. Having a need for cooling Allan built an ice plant downtown. The Ice House was taken down in the 80s and apartment houses currently occupy the space.
Allan was married three times. He married Genevieve in 1901 having two children, Rosemary and Bertram. Rosemary is Jane’s grandmother. Later after Genevieve passed away, he married Helen Leaf Morgan. That marriage ended in a divorce netting Helen a sizable divorce settlement of fifty million dollars. His third wife was Marian. He stayed with her until her death. Marian was Rosemary’s childhood friend.
Allan’s son Bertram wanted to see a ranch for cattle farming in June 1925. He and Allan drove separately from L.A. to Santa Maria and agreed to stay overnight in Santa Barbara at the Arlington Hotel. The hotel put them in separate rooms in the tower suites. The next morning a 6.3 earthquake hit Santa Barbara. A huge water tank was stored on top of the hotel and when the hotel began shaking, the tank came down and killed Bertram. Allan was severely injured. A steel rod impaled Allan’s shoulder. He recovered but his injuries affected his speech the rest of his life.
Always interested in transportation, he bought the second car sold in California. He founded and started the first Automobile Club of Southern California. Those who knew him appreciated what a remarkable man he was, with so many accomplishments in his life.
Jane said that Papa was intent on giving back to the community. Subsequent generations of the family have also made it a practice to give back to the community. Allan donated the airport land in Santa Maria where they named it Hancock Field. He gave the land now housing Allan Hancock college. He operated the College of Aeronautics now called Hancock College of Aeronautics. He also donated the land for the hospital and loved to voluntarily train cadets.
Aviation was a huge interest for Allan. He funded and owned the plane that made the first Trans Pacific flight from California to Australia in 1928. The plane began in
Santa Maria landing next in Oakland where the official start began. There was a stop in Hawaii then another stop in Fiji for fuel and then on to Australia.
He acquired a series of marine research ships that he took to the Galapagos
Islands. Bringing animals from the Galapagos Island, he helped start the San Diego Zoo, where he earned the title of Captain.
Great granddaughter Jane is steeped in all the family history. Her home is filled with scrapbooks, furniture, and memorabilia from the time of her great grandfather.
She was born in Pasadena coming up to this area often to visit and moving to San Luis Obispo in 1989. She currently works as a para educator in a special ed classroom at
Sinsheimer school. The kids in her class are severely emotionally disturbed children. Jane says that it takes a lot of patience. She makes sure they celebrate each accomplishment no matter how small.
Jane has two daughters, Brenna, 24, and Sydney, 16. They enjoy doing things together as a family. Brenna shows and trains horses. Daughter Sydney shows and trains dogs. On any given day, there may be 4 or 5 dogs at the house. Sydney has won numerous awards for her special dog Amber. Jane loves to travel, has competed in numerous triathlon and long distance cycling events and continues to enjoy skiing. A philanthropist in the tradition of her great Grandfather Allan Hancock, Jane is a Community Club Leader for the Edna 4H Club, among other volunteer organizations.
By Ruth Starr
Some of the students at Hancock college most likely don’t know who Allan Hancock was, nor his rich Californian history. Born in 1875, Allan grew up in Los Angeles. His family owned Rancho La Brea, a “dry” farming area at the time. His twin, Harry, died in infancy. Of his three brothers, Allan was the only one to survive. The family house is now called the Page Museum at La Brea Tar Pits in L.A. Allan was taught in a one room school house. He would eventually attend a small Catholic College in the Santa Cruz area called Notre Dame, where he studied Liberal Arts.
Local longtime San Luis Obispo resident Jane Brennan relates the story of her great grandfather Allan Hancock.
Allan’s father, Henry Hancock, died in 1883. Henry left the Rancho to his Mom Ida (pronounced Eda) Haraszthy Hancock. Henry was the second surveyor to survey Los Angeles County for payment for the Rancho. He bought more land in the area for $2.50 an acre.
Ida took over the Ranch and ran it with her brother-in- law John. However, John seemed to be more interested in gold mining spent most of his time at Mormon Island near Sacramento. Ida was ‘a tough cookie,” according to family lore. She was not averse to using a gun to run off squatters to manage the property. Allan moving back to the ranch, began selling tar to the city that was growing and needing more roads that used the tar.
Being ambitious, along with his mother and uncle, Allan began drilling for oil on the ranch. At one point there were 350 wells that had been drilled by 1915. Papa, as Jane refers to him, decided to use steam for power to drill. The oil was thick and heavy and the steam heated it up so it would flow faster. By 1907, Allan was a pioneer in steam drilling. He started the Rancho La Brea Oil Co. At the same time, scientists began coming to the ranch where they were finding fossils and ancient bones. Papa donated twenty-three acres of the property to L.A. for scientific purposes. From there everything turned to gold for the family. Today the La Brea Tar Pits are a major visitor attraction.
Next Allan began developing property in the L.A. area, working with William Orcutt, a Union Oil man. Together with friends from the oil company, they developed land in the area. The town of Orcutt was named after William. Orcutt was a geologist who was very interested in the fossils and bones that were found. The men told Allan about an area north of L.A. that was similar to L.A.: the City of Santa Maria. All around the area was dry land farming as there was no water available. The Santa Maria Valley was a treeless, windswept wasteland that no one much wanted.
Allan felt there was oil in the area. He decided to settle in Santa Maria having his agents make the purchases, as he didn't want anyone to know about the land. He had people dig for water and found rivers of water where people said there was none. From the auction block he bought a farm, the Santa Maria Valley Railroad, and land in Cat Canyon that was oil rich. He had a train that brought oil out of Cat Canyon to Union Pacific in Guadalupe. Ostensibly, he had gone to Santa Maria to retire.
Once he had water Allan was able to farm wet crops. Having a need for cooling Allan built an ice plant downtown. The Ice House was taken down in the 80s and apartment houses currently occupy the space.
Allan was married three times. He married Genevieve in 1901 having two children, Rosemary and Bertram. Rosemary is Jane’s grandmother. Later after Genevieve passed away, he married Helen Leaf Morgan. That marriage ended in a divorce netting Helen a sizable divorce settlement of fifty million dollars. His third wife was Marian. He stayed with her until her death. Marian was Rosemary’s childhood friend.
Allan’s son Bertram wanted to see a ranch for cattle farming in June 1925. He and Allan drove separately from L.A. to Santa Maria and agreed to stay overnight in Santa Barbara at the Arlington Hotel. The hotel put them in separate rooms in the tower suites. The next morning a 6.3 earthquake hit Santa Barbara. A huge water tank was stored on top of the hotel and when the hotel began shaking, the tank came down and killed Bertram. Allan was severely injured. A steel rod impaled Allan’s shoulder. He recovered but his injuries affected his speech the rest of his life.
Always interested in transportation, he bought the second car sold in California. He founded and started the first Automobile Club of Southern California. Those who knew him appreciated what a remarkable man he was, with so many accomplishments in his life.
Jane said that Papa was intent on giving back to the community. Subsequent generations of the family have also made it a practice to give back to the community. Allan donated the airport land in Santa Maria where they named it Hancock Field. He gave the land now housing Allan Hancock college. He operated the College of Aeronautics now called Hancock College of Aeronautics. He also donated the land for the hospital and loved to voluntarily train cadets.
Aviation was a huge interest for Allan. He funded and owned the plane that made the first Trans Pacific flight from California to Australia in 1928. The plane began in
Santa Maria landing next in Oakland where the official start began. There was a stop in Hawaii then another stop in Fiji for fuel and then on to Australia.
He acquired a series of marine research ships that he took to the Galapagos
Islands. Bringing animals from the Galapagos Island, he helped start the San Diego Zoo, where he earned the title of Captain.
Great granddaughter Jane is steeped in all the family history. Her home is filled with scrapbooks, furniture, and memorabilia from the time of her great grandfather.
She was born in Pasadena coming up to this area often to visit and moving to San Luis Obispo in 1989. She currently works as a para educator in a special ed classroom at
Sinsheimer school. The kids in her class are severely emotionally disturbed children. Jane says that it takes a lot of patience. She makes sure they celebrate each accomplishment no matter how small.
Jane has two daughters, Brenna, 24, and Sydney, 16. They enjoy doing things together as a family. Brenna shows and trains horses. Daughter Sydney shows and trains dogs. On any given day, there may be 4 or 5 dogs at the house. Sydney has won numerous awards for her special dog Amber. Jane loves to travel, has competed in numerous triathlon and long distance cycling events and continues to enjoy skiing. A philanthropist in the tradition of her great Grandfather Allan Hancock, Jane is a Community Club Leader for the Edna 4H Club, among other volunteer organizations.
