High above the city’s hustle Runyon Canyon Park beckons. Its trails wind through a landscape shaped by history. Runyon Canyon Park wasn’t always a haven for hikers and their canine companions. Its story begins long before the Hollywood Hills were studded with mansions.
For centuries the Gabrielino/Tongva Indians used this very canyon. They hunted and camped in the area they called the Nopalera. Then came “Greek George” Caralambo. This man received the land in 1867. His reward for service in the US Army Camel Corps. Ironically he became linked to the notorious bandit Tiburcio Vasquez. Vasquez hid at Caralambo’s home before his capture in 1874.
Later prominent civil engineer Alfredo Solano acquired the canyon. It served as an investment before his widow sold it to Carman Runyon in 1919. Runyon a retired coal businessman gave the canyon its name. He and his wife Ellen built a small bungalow near the Fuller Avenue entrance. They enjoyed riding and hunting there.
The canyon’s ownership changed hands again in 1930. This time to John McCormack the famous Irish tenor. He fell in love with the estate while filming “Song O’ My Heart”. He built a mansion called “San Patrizio”. McCormack and his wife hosted Hollywood’s elite. Guests like Janet Gaynor and Charles Boyer frequented the home. World War II disrupted their idyllic life. The McCormacks returned to England. McCormack died in 1945.
Huntington Hartford heir to the A&P Grocery fortune next owned the property. He had ambitious plans. His vision included a country club and a cottage hotel. Neighborhood opposition stalled his development plans. Only a pool pavilion built by Lloyd Wright survived.
Jules Berman later acquired the estate. He intended to create a luxurious housing development. His plans also met with resistance from park activists. The mansion was demolished.
In 1984 the City of Los Angeles finally purchased Runyon Canyon Park. The Trust for Public Land secured additional land in 2007. Today Runyon Canyon Park remains a beloved spot. It’s a place for outdoor recreation and stunning views. The park preserves a rich history woven into the very hills themselves. A history of Native presence and Hollywood glamour.