The History Of Calabasas :

The history of Calabasas is rich with diverse groups, from Native Americans to explorers, settlers, and even outlaws. The Chumash Indians were the area’s first inhabitants, living peacefully among the rolling hills. They built their homes in canyons, where springs and streams provided abundant wildlife for hunting. Acorns from the region’s towering oak trees were a staple of their diet. Some of these ancient oaks may be as old as 500-700 years today. The Chumash called the area Calabasas, a name that could be derived from the Chumash word for “where the wild geese fly,” though others believe it comes from the Spanish word for pumpkin or wild gourd.

In the 1700s, the arrival of Spanish expeditions dramatically impacted the Chumash way of life. The Diary of Miguel Costanso, which documents the Portolá Expedition of 1769-1770, mentions encounters with the Chumash in the area. In 1776, the Juan de Anza party camped just west of Calabasas, further cementing European influence in the region.

By the 1830s, the El Scorpion or El Escorpion ranch occupied a large tract of land in the western San Fernando Valley, including parts of what is now Calabasas. This land was granted to three Chumash Indians. Several decades later, Miguel Leonis, a Basque settler known as the “King of Calabasas,” acquired the ranch and 1,100 acres through his marriage to Espiritu, an Indian woman who inherited the property from her father.

As the late 1800s progressed, large ranches were divided into farms, and many families struggled with poverty and drought. In her book, Calabasas Girls, Catherine Mulholland vividly recounts life during this era through photographs and letters from her ancestors, the Ijams family. When water and electricity reached Owensmouth (now Canoga Park), many pioneers, including the Ijams, eagerly left the difficult life in Calabasas.

In the Monte Nido area, the Stunt family established a homestead on the northern slope of Saddle Peak. The area’s stunning scenery soon attracted filmmakers, and it became a popular location for Hollywood productions. Iconic scenes from films such as Tarzan, The Adventures of Robin Hood, and Stalag 17 were shot in what is now Malibu Creek State Park. Around 1863, a settler named Sepulveda built an adobe home for his wife and 12 children near the park. Today, this adobe is being restored.

The first Calabasas High School was built in 1880 on the south side of Calabasas Road. A new school was constructed on the same site in 1924-1925, serving as a one-room schoolhouse until 1948, when it merged with other schools to form the Las Virgenes Unified School District. A small portion of the second school building remains at the former Pelican’s Retreat.

This mix of cultural influences, from Native American roots to European settlers and Hollywood’s golden age, has shaped the legacy of Calabasas, which continues to reflect its deep and diverse history.