A Movie ranch called the largest in the world by the trade Journals . The Lantern Movie research website contains the needed inline references to clarify this story of this Ranch land before it became part of today's Forest Lawn Memorial Park.The Providencia Land and Water Development Company' property, is of significant History in the San Fernando Valley Movie History California, USA.Why ?as a major filming location for some early motion pictures; most notably for battle scenes in the silent classic about the American Civil War, The Birth of a Nation (1915).and as a Movie Ranch.Trade Paper articles on the http://lantern.mediahist.org - using key words : Oak Crest - Universal Ranch - Universal City - Universal Bison Plant - Lasky Ranch - Swanson - Otis Turner - Universal Bison Litigation are a fewThe Movie ranch was once consider the movie largest in the world by the trade Journals . The Moving Picture World - Aug. 31, 1912 - Page 870 -Oak Crest was created as Universal first ranch due to the need to produce Universal Brand pictures. IN 1912, New York Motion Picture Company left Universal taking the Bison Motion Picture plants (Evensdale and Sanata Monica) away from Universal - New York Dramatic Mirror - Aug. 14, 1912 - Page 25 - Universal's Bison Brand Film Production -Motography - Baumann Bolts Universal July 6, 1912 Page 3Motography - Brevities of the Business - Swanson - Sept. 14, 1912 page 225Trade Paper articles on the http://lantern.mediahist.org - using key words : Bison Plant - Oak Crest - Universal Bison Brand - Universal Evensdale plant battes with the New York Company with its president (Baumann) was replaced by Laemmle at UniversalMotion Picture Historical importance remains unclearly in following two Documents : by the City of Los Angeles and Burbank.such as " Universal Studio Oak Crest Ranch - the first location of universal city (1912 to 1914) is not in Lankershim town ship rather than Providencia Land and Water Property in Burbank Township.Why ? Article insufficient inline citations written in 2010 - better coverage of 1912 to 1914 Motion Picture History In the Valley
Source Reference: UnIversal Studios Historic District - Preservation Plan Final - NBC Universal Evolution Plan - page 1622 an 1623 - Final errata requestedSource Reference: Historical Resources Assessment - Forest Lawn Memorial Park - Hollywood Hills - page 11& 11 - Final errata requestedErrata Historic Resources - base on Motion picture Trade articles and Newspaper Articles searched after the publication dates of The Los Angeles PlanningDickens Universal Stonecutter Image collection Flickr Keyword search : San Fernando Valley - Providencia Ranch - Oak Crest Ranch - Lasky Ranch - Universal City -Documented and researched Images unavailable to the Planning Dept. during the creating of this Wiki article in 2010.University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Communication Arts. Media History Digital Library was developing during the time period the Historic resources were bin reached. Only one trade paper of 1912 is given for Lasky ranch, the same issueSeveral Wiki articles created in 2010 requires an erratathe The San Fernando Valley was also the site for two Universal Studios west coast operations in 1914.new research available to confirm the need of updating City Planning Historic Document in a 2016 Report.Trade Publications - 1912 to 114 http://lantern.mediahist.org - provide by the UniversityMedia History Digital Library - https://archive.org/details/mediahistoryLantern is an open access co-production of the Media History Digital Library andUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Communication Arts. Media History Digital ProjectFuton Newspapers collection using the Library of Congress, Motion Picture, Newspaper Collections 1912 to 1914 - http://fultonhistory.com/Library of Congress - 1912 to 1914- Using any keywords in this wiki article - http://www.loc.gov/rr/news/ndnp/million.htmlLibrary of Congress, Motion Picture, Newspaper Collections 1912 to 1914 - library of congress newspapersUniversal oak Crest ranch the largest in the world by the trade Journals Studios Historic press articlesCalifornia Digital NewsPaper Collection - Eagle Rock Sentinel, Number 14, 5 December 1912 page 2 - Mammouth Film Plant -San Fernando Valley Famous - http://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&d=ERS19121205.2.22Universal Film Manufacturing Company took over the west coast assets of Nestor Studios. 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. El Providencia Rancho in the foothills of the San Fernado Valley
Newspaper : Van Nuys News and The Van Nuys Call Friday, Nov 29, 1912 - Dec. 5 1912 - - Mammouth Film Plant is making San Fernando Famous - El Providencia rancho - Universal Ranch - Pacific Electric Oak Crest StationMakeshift 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 The public was invited to tour the 'Oak Crest Ranch' and watch a Bison Pictures cowboys and Indians battle.
Newspaper : Eagle Rock Sentinel - Dec. 5 1912 - page 2 - Mammouth Film Plant - El Providencia rancho - Universal RanchAfter the official opening of the new Lankershim Universal City site in 1915, the Providencia ranch (Oak Crest) property would become known as the "Universal Ranch".
Carl Laemmle, founder of Universal, saw the Oak Crest site as too small to consolidate all the west coast operations. He ordered the purchase of larger property from the Lankershim Land, Water Development Co. 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 three sections of the Lankershim property were referred to as the Universal Back Ranch and contained a 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 can be seen in the a "A Birds Eye View of Universal City".
The alternate names of this filming site include Providencia flats; Nestor Ranch; Oak Ranch; Oak Crest Ranch; Universal Ranch/Universal City [Providencia site vs Lankershim site]; 1916 Lasky Ranch; and Paramount Ranch (until Nov. 1927). Today this area is Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills).
The Providencia Land and Water Development Company property was used for the battle scenes in Birth of a Nation. 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 1,000 acre 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 Ceil B. Demile is to direct. [ The Squaw Man II, Presented by Jesse L. Lasky for Artcraft Pictures Corp., released by Famous Players Lasky Corp. on the Paramount Program, Dec. 15, 1918.
Paramount ranch: LA Times announced on November 20, 1927: “With one gesture a 1,000 acre ranch is being abandoned.”
