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Miguel Leonis Adobe

Approximately thirty-five miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles, U.S. Highway 101 runs directly through the small country-like community of Calabasas. Situated in the southwestern region of the immense San Fernando Valley, Calabasas is tucked away between the foothills of the Santa Monica and Santa Susanna Mountains. During the mid-1880s, it was a stop along the famous Butterfield Stage Route. The town became known as a haven for the wild and reckless. Treacherous desperados and highway bandits were drawn to the area. Until the turn of the century, Calabasas had the reputation as being one of the most dangerous towns in the Old West. Over the years, progress in the Calabasas area has been relatively slow and it is not too difficult to imagine the untamed wilderness that was once here.

Today, a remnant of the Old West could still be found in this area. Located on the north side of Calabasas Road between Valley Circle Boulevard and Parkway Calabasas, one can find a well-preserved, Monterey style adobe house. Construction of this two-story adobe structure possibly began around 1844 and was not completed until 1846. The identity of the original builder is undetermined. Sometime later, the adobe was restored and occupied by Miguel Leonis, for whom it was named.

Leonis Adobe
Photo: LAOkay.com

Leonis, a native of a Basque province in southern France, was one of the most colorful and legendary figures in San Fernando Valley history. He was a tall man with piercing green eyes, who was feared and despised by many, but highly respected as a shrewd businessman. In a short period of time, he came to control a majority of the land in the southwestern part of the valley. Leonis ruthlessly protected his land holdings by using armed bands of Mexicans and Indians to scare off determined squatters. He ruled over his manor like feudal lord and was known throughout California as the "King of Calabasas." Some say that the ghost of Miguel Leonis still occupies the old adobe.

Leonis may have arrived in Southern California in 1858, but long before he claimed possession of the rolling hills surrounding Calabasas, the Gabrielino Indians were the first to inhabit the area. The San Fernando Mission Baptismal Register had recorded "Calabazas" as an Indian birthplace, yet no village had ever been recalled there. The nearest rancheria (village) was located on a site, which later became the modern city Hidden Hills, just northwest of the Leonis adobe. This village was known as Tototngna, which was a Gabrielino word for "The Place of Stones." The name was appropriate due to the rocky terrain found in this region. It was reported that all Indians of this village died from a smallpox epidemic, which was brought to them by early Spanish settlers.

Tototngna was within the northwest borderlands of Gabrielino territory. To the east, most of the Indians in the San Fernando Valley were Fernandenos. To the west, the Chumash Indians occupied the coastal regions up to the San Luis Obispo county line. Nearby Old Topanga Road follows the same route of ancient Indian trail. This old trail offered a coastal access and many Indians travelling on foot would often camp in Calabasas Canyon before continuing on to the San Fernando Mission. The word Topanga is derived from the Shoshonean dialect, however its meaning is uncertain. At the mouth of Topanga Canyon along the coast, there was a large Gabrielino rancheria, which was called Topanga.

The Indians of this area may have had their first encounter with European explorers in 1769, when Captain Gaspar de Portola led the first overland expedition into Alta-California. Father Juan Crespi, a Franciscan padre, served as his chaplain and journalist. The Portola Party discovered the San Fernando Valley named it Valle de los Encinos (Valley of the Oaks). They continued north and eventually found the San Francisco Bay. On their return trip, they again entered the Valley by following the same route as today's Ventura Freeway. The Portola Party passed through and possibly camped in the Calabasas area.

In 1795, Franciscan priests from the Mission San Buenaventura were searching for a prospective site for a mission complex in the San Fernando Valley. They traveled the same trail that Portola did twenty-six years before. This trail became known as El Camino Real (The Royal Highway), which was the main roadway that linked all the Spanish missions and settlements throughout California. This historic highway is commemorated by a series of mission bell markers, one of which is located in front of Leonis adobe. These markers were placed all along the El Camino in 1907 by the Camino Real Association.

When the San Fernando Mission was founded in September of 1795, the padres claimed over 120,000 acres of land, which encompassed most of San Fernando Valley. After secularization of the missions in 1834, a majority of the mission's assets were subjected to private ownership. About 116,000 acres of the Valley was sold to Eulogio de Celis by Mexican Governor Pio Pico in 1846. This huge grant became Rancho Ex-Mission de San Fernando. The land where the Leonis adobe was later built was situated just outside the western boundary line of this rancho. The 8,885-acre Rancho Las Virgenes (The Virgins) was located five miles to the west of the adobe. This placed the site of the adobe in an area that was considered as public lands. Calabasas was also within this public domain.

This area became known as Calabasas in 1824. At that time, Antonio Jauregui, a Basque farmer from Oxnard, was transporting a load of pumpkins, or gourds, in a crude horse drawn cart. He was travelling west along El Camino Real and was headed toward the Pueblo to sell his produce. When he reached this vicinity, his horses were spooked by a rattlesnake on the roadway. The panicked animals reared upward causing the cart to overturn. The entire load was strewn about the path and destroyed. There was nothing left for Jauregui to salvage, so he simply cleared the road and returned home, most likely in a very bad mood. In a few months, hundreds of pumpkin plants sprouted where the damaged fruit was discarded along the sides of the road. From that point on, this site was referred to as "Las Calabazas" which in Spanish means, "the pumpkins" or "the gourds."

In the early nineteenth century, many immigrants of Basque decent were attracted to this part of Southern California. The climate and hilly terrain was conductive for raising sheep, which was a common vocation among the Basque. They were proud and cohesive people. When coming to California, they often sought out other Basque natives to work and settle with. Miguel Leonis was one such immigrant who was drawn to the area with dreams of becoming a large landowner.

Michel "Miguel" Leonis was born on October 20, 1824 in the small village of Cambo-les Baines, France. Cambo-les Baines, in the Basque Province, was situated high upon the Pyrenees Mountains, near the border of Spain. The Leonis family was wealthy and greatly respected. Miguel's father was a high ranking official in the government. When Miguel was a young man he became involved in the smuggling trade. By the time he was twenty years old, he led a profitable operation, trafficking contraband back and forth across the mountainous and isolated border dividing France and Spain.

His reputed illicit activities brought shame to the Leonis family name and he was compelled to leave the country at his father's request. It was also possible that the authorities were after him and he fled to avoid prosecution. Leonis arrived in Los Angeles in 1858. He went to work as a sheepherder for a man named Joaquin Romero, who owned half of Rancho El Escorpion.

Romero, who was born in 1821, was the son of Domingo and Francisca Feliz. His father served as a mission guard at San Fernando from 1816 to 1820. In 1845, Joaquin Romero received half of Rancho El Escorpion (approximately 550 acres), which was originally part of the ex-mission property. This was granted to him as a token of appreciation for his father's dedicated service to the mission. The mission padres gave the other half of El Escorpion to three of their neophytes. These new owners were Chumash Indians: Odon and his two brothers Urbano and Manuel.

Governor Pio Pico granted the one and a half square leagues of land to the three Indians on August 7, 1845. Juan Sepulveda of Los Angeles conducted the original survey. Some of the landmarks used to mark the boundaries were; "a foot in the hill, a point in the plain, an oak tree, and a stake placed at the Canada de Encinos (Mountain Valley of Oaks)" The claim was confirmed on October 11, 1852. The title for the 1,109-acre Rancho El Escorpion was cleared by the United States Land Commission in 1862, thereby recognizing Romero and the three Indian brothers as the original patentees of the land grant.

Joaquin Romero drank excessively and allowed his ranch to deteriorate. Shortly after he was employed, Leonis was promoted to mayordomo, or ranch manager. Soon he took over the entire operation from Romero. It was during this period that Leonis lived in a small, rectangular, adobe structure in the northwest corner of the rancho near the present-day community of Chatsworth. When Romero's condition worsened, Leonis persuaded Romero to sell him his undivided half interest in the ranch in 1861 for $100. This included all his cattle and sheep.

Under Leonis' ownership, the rancho prospered and his livestock increased in number. He felt the need to expand, and set his sights on the other half of El Escorpion, which was then owned by Espiritu, the daughter of Odon. Odon was the chief of the Chumash village of Humaliwo , which was located along the east bank of Malibu Creek near the coast. He was born in 1795, and baptized at the San Fernando Mission on January 16, 1803. Odon married a sixteen-year-old Gabrielino girl named Eusebia on June 23, 1812. Eusebia came from the Kuruvungna rancheria, which was where the present-day city of Santa Monica is located. In 1821, Odon and Eusebia were blessed with a daughter they named, Maria de (Espiritu) Santo Cheboya.

Espiritu married a man named Menendez, and they had a son named Juan. She eventually inherited Odon's holdings in Rancho El Escorpion. When Menendez died, he left Espiritu with a young son and no ranching experience. Espiritu and her son lived in an adobe located near the northeast corner of the rancho. Miguel Leonis seized the opportunity and asked the widow if he could graze some of his cattle upon her land. She agreed to allow him to use her property. Leonis probably contemplated that he could double the size of his rancho if he made the Indian woman his wife. Leonis and Espiritu were married in the traditional Gabrielino, by a contractual agreement. With this contract, Leonis gained the entire Rancho El Escorpion and all of Espiritu's cattle.

Although there was no record of a marriage taking place between the two, they affirmed their contractual marriage in court, while testifying during the many land dispute cases involving Leonis. Their marriage was one convenience and Leonis treated Espiritu more like a servant than a wife. Leonis, with his fierce temper, often treated his wife poorly and even refused to allow her son, by a previous marriage, within the threshold of their home. In 1860, they had a child of their own. Her name was Marcelina, named after Espiritu's aunt, the wife of Urbano. Leonis loved his daughter dearly and ensured that she had the best of everything.

The square shaped Rancho El Escorpion was located where the community of West Hills is now. The boundary lines of this modest sized rancho are described in the following manner:

The western boundary line was Valley Circle Boulevard from Calvert Street to Bell Canyon Road (named after Horace Bell). Calvert Street from Valley Circle to Fenwood Avenue was the south border. From here, a northward line went approximately along Berquist Avenue to a point two blocks north of Sherman Way. From this point, a westward line headed back to Bell Canyon and Valley Circle.

Leonis and Espiritu lived in the adobe ranch house located within the rancho boundaries. The Leonis adobe in Calabasas was actually situated one south of El Escorpion. In the 1870s, Leonis built a two-story barn on the rancho. The ranch house and barn stood near the southwest corner of Bell Canyon Road and Valley Circle Boulevard. Ruins of the adobe were still visible until the late 1940s. The barn was torn down in the 1960s by developers.

It was sometime between the late 1850s and the early 1860s when Miguel Leonis discovered the abandoned adobe located on public land in the area known as Calabasas. The earthen adobe walls were two feet thick and there were two levels to the original structure. Leonis restored the house and made it his place of residence. The surrounding land was ideal for grazing. Leonis allowed his flocks of sheep to roam freely along the hillsides. Under the Homestead Act of 1862, anyone could claim unappropriated public land providing that they established residency and made improvements to the property. Don Miguel took advantage of California's homestead laws and gradually built a land empire. Wherever Leonis livestock grazed, the crafty rancher would build a crude shack on the land, place one of his employees as a tenant, and then file a claim to the land. He amassed thousands of acres in this manner.

Leonis Adobe
Photo: LAOkay.com

Miguel Leonis was a tall man, measuring six foot four inches. He had stern looks and was known for his great physical strength. He was highly respected for his business skills, but he was despised and feared by many throughout Southern California. He was constantly in conflict with many potential squatters. On many occasions he would round up these settlers and drag them off to jail charging them with theft or trespassing. Leonis was continuously in court. During the last fifteen years of his life, he was involved in over thirty court cases. It was common for Leonis to treat a judge and jury to free food and wine, attempting to sway a verdict in his favor.

Leonis ruled over his domain like a feudal lord and became known as the "King of Calabasas." Leonis had over 100 employees, most of whom were Mexican and Indians. These workers were loyal but they feared the wrath of "El Basquo Grande" (The Big Basque). Mounted and armed, these men served as Leonis' army of enforcers. They were dispatched throughout the countryside to intimidate and discourage any squatters foolish enough to settle on Leonis' land.

In 1875, a dispute between Don Miguel and a band of squatters resulted in a bloody confrontation. An ex-Union soldier named Andrew Banks, and a number of other Civil War veterans intended to settle on land what is now Hidden Hills. Leonis ordered Banks to vacate the property or he would be compelled to use force to evict him. Banks obtained Los Angeles lawyer, Horace Bell, and filed a lawsuit against Leonis. This infuriated Don Miguel and war was declared. He sent his armed henchmen with orders to eliminate Banks. The ensuing gun battle taking place throughout the hills between the two parties lasted for weeks. The conflict ended when Banks was killed and the remainder of the settlers departed, leaving Leonis in possession of the land.

Don Miguel's vast land empire continued to expand. He claimed as much as 10,000 acres. Among his land holdings, he acquired 7,000 acres near Lake Elizabeth (Laguna de Chico Lopez) in northern Los Angeles County. Since the Spanish occupation of California, this region near the Antelope Valley was known for many strange occurrences that took place in or around the lake. The Spanish called it Laguna del Diablo (Lake of the Devil), because several people claimed that flying, dragon-like, demons would surface from the depths of the lake and whisk away livestock. A witness described one monster as forty-four feet long with two wings, six legs, and a large head resembling that of a bulldog . Many settlers and ranchers were frightened away from the site and the area remained vacant for years. According to legend, the fearless Don Miguel was apparently undaunted when he encountered this phenomenal beast. One account claims that Leonis chased the creature back to the lake where it plunged into the murky water after Leonis caught the monster raiding one of his stock pens.

Don Miguel began enlarging and improving his adobe on Calabasas Road in 1879. Most of the woodwork that is seen today was added on by Leonis. He encased the outside front of the house by building a veranda with Victorian style fretwork. He installed a clapboard roof and other modern features. The rear and northeast side porches were walled-in at both levels to create additional rooms. He placed wooden paneling on the living room walls and laid wood planks on the original earthen floor. Today, the adobe is painted white with red and blue door and window trimming. This particular color scheme is almost identical to the one used by Leonis during the 1879 restoration. The home became a fine example of the Monterey style adobe, which was quite fashionable during that period in Northern California, but was somewhat an architectural rarity in the southern part of the state.

In 1880, Don Miguel's beloved daughter, Marcelina, died as a result of smallpox. After her death, a distraught Leonis went over to an old oak tree at the rear of his adobe. He tied a rope around his neck and flung the other end of the rope over a large branch. He climbed upon his horse and tried his best to get the horse to gallop from beneath him. His trusty steed did not budge until Leonis dismounted; at which time it took off running. Leonis was so angered by his botched attempt to take his own life that he stormed off to his barn, grabbed a saw, and immediately cut down the branch. The trunk of this aged oak, which earned the sobriquet of "Hangman's Tree," stood for many years until the early 1990s, when fell due to rotting. It stood at the front of the Leonis adobe near the edge of Calabasas Road, right next to the Sagebrush Cantina.

With the untimely death of Marcelina, Don Miguel was left with no direct heirs to his fortune. By 1886, he sent for his nephew from France, John Baptista (J.B.) Leonis, to train him to take over his whole business operation. J.B. Leonis became Don Miguel's accountant, but he had no desire to run his uncle's ranches. He left in search of his own opportunities for wealth. In 1905, the younger Leonis and a group of hog farmers founded the City of Vernon, California, immediately southeast of Los Angeles. These founders sought to increase their property values by selling their farmland as sites for industry. By 1925, over 300 industrial plants with 15,000 employees were built in Vernon. It became one of the richest industrial cities in the nation.

Finally, the legendary life of the seemingly invincible Don Miguel Leonis came to an end in 1889. There were several accounts surrounding his suspicious demise. One such account began when he was involved in yet another lawsuit. This time, he obtained the services of his long time adversary, Major Horace Bell, to represent him as his attorney. In the past, Bell was often successful in defeating Leonis in court, but the surprising and unusual tactic of hiring Bell paid off. Don Miguel had won the case, and from the moment the trial ended, Leonis began celebrating his victory with several rounds of brandy. Later that evening, while driving through the Cahuenga Pass heading towards home, an intoxicated Don Miguel fell from his wagon and was crushed beneath it's wheels. On the morning of September 21st, the lifeless body of Miguel Leonis was discovered in the pass. He was sixty-five years old.

When news of his death reached Los Angeles, several wild rumors were spread regarding the cause of El Basquo Grande's demise. Some believed it was murder, that he was ambushed by one of his numerous enemies. Others claimed that he was a victim of armed robbery. One report stated that he died from a gunshot wound; but there was no evidence supporting this. When Leonis' body was exhumed in 1930 an examination revealed no bone fractures or obvious signs of trauma to his head or body. However, there were marks found on his upper abdomen, which appeared to be caused by a wagon wheel. This would substantiate the story of the wagon accident as the cause of death.

A coroner's inquest was conducted immediately after Leonis' death. The inquest reported that on September 17, 1889, Leonis was en route from Los Angeles to Calabasas with four other men, including, oddly enough, Juan Menendez (Espirtu's son). Leonis was in a wagon several miles from the city. When his wagon jerked, he suddenly fell from his seat, over the side, and between the wheels. Before the others could stop the wagon, a rear wheel ran over his abdominal area. He was gravely injured, but still alive. The men accompanying him placed him on a wagon and took him to the Six-Mile House , a stage stop along the road to the Cahuenga Pass. Leonis suffered from four broken ribs and internal injuries. Peritonitis set in and he died three days later.

On September 23, 1889, Miguel Leonis was interred at the old "El Campo Santo" cemetery at the end of North Broadway in Los Angeles. In 1930, the bodies of Don Miguel and his daughter, Marcelina, were exhumed and transferred to a family plot at the New Calvary Cemetery at 4201 Whittier Boulevard in East Los Angeles. At the time of his death, Don Miguel's estate was valued at about $300,000. He had over 10,000 acres of land, including seventeen and a half acres of prime real estate in the City of Los Angeles. This was orchard property with a single-story, wood frame house. This site is now the Aliso Village Housing Projects. Other assets included were 3,000 head of cattle, $85,000 in cash, a store, a saloon, and a two-story adobe home in Calabasas.

Although Leonis left behind a wealthy estate, he bequeathed to Espiritu a meager amount of money. In his will, he referred to Espiritu as a mere housekeeper and she was not entitled to the entire inheritance. Although there was no proof of a legal marriage between Espiritu and Don Miguel, the two shared a common law arrangement. They lived together for over thirty years and had a child together. Espiritu hired a lawyer, Stephen Mallory White, to help her reclaim the property, which was rightfully hers. With White's assistance, the widow won a claim granting her one-half of the Leonis estate.

After the death of Don Miguel, Espiritu invited her son, Juan Menendez, and his wife, Juana Valenzuela, to live with her at the adobe. While banned from the Leonis household, Juan Menendez moved to San Bernardino where he married and found work as a blacksmith. When he moved back with his mother, he built and operated his own blacksmith shop directly across the road from Leonis adobe.

Espiritu, although educated at the San Fernando Mission, was a naive and trusting individual with a limited comprehension of business. This left her extremely vulnerable to the likes of crafty con-artists. Inadvertently, she gave her full power of attorney to a man named Laurent Etchepare. Several months later, he alleged that she owed him $5,000. One swindler sold the widow's cattle and kept the money for himself. Another deceitful pair, who owed $12,000 to her husband's estate, fraudulently obtained Espiritu's signature on a note stating that they already paid $8,000. But the final blow was dealt when Etchepare assumed total control of all her property and transferred everything in his name.

For a second time, Espiritu was left impoverished, and once again she called upon Stephen M. White for assistance. This difficult and drawn out case was brought before the State Supreme Court on three separate occasions. By the time the ultimate verdict was reached on September 20, 1905, both Etchepare and White had died. The decision was made in Espiritu's favor and she was awarded 3,500 acres. The lawyer, who took over her case for White, summoned a photographer to take a picture of his client in order to capture her expression on that victorious day. The portrait depicted a relieved and dignified Espiritu in one of her finest black dresses. This photograph is mounted on the parlor wall inside the Leonis adobe. The black dress she wore that day is also displayed in the house.

Shortly after her victory in court, Espiritu became ill. Her illness lasted until April 10, 1906, when she died at her home in Calabasas. She was buried at the San Fernando Mission cemetery. Her son, Juan Menendez, and his family continued to live at the Leonis adobe. It was Menendez, who in 1901 received the official United States Patent for the property where the adobe stood.

Menendez built the present barn in 1912, replacing an older one built by Miguel Leonis. He also constructed a tank house, which he used for storing wine. Menendez was known for his exceptional winemaking skills, which he learned from mission padres. Juan and Juana Menendez adopted several children. In 1894, they adopted six-month old Maria Johnson. Maria lived in the adobe until she turned sixteen and married Pedro Orsua from Santa Monica. Mrs. Orsua was a premier source of historical information regarding her grandparents, Miguel and Espiritu Leonis. Menendez sold the adobe to Lester and Frances Agoure in 1922. Juan Menendez died in 1924.

When the Agoures moved in, they made some modifications to the aging house, trying to bring it up to date. They added two bathrooms with an extension built along the north side of the house. Lester Agoure enlarged the living room to its current size by tearing down a wall that stood between the parlor and the original living room. Also, he made a doorway, which created an access between the living room and dining room. Prior to this alteration, the only way to enter the dining room was from the outside. The upper level was converted into guest bedrooms.

During their time at the adobe, the Agoures learned that Miguel Leonis, who was distrustful of banks, may have buried a cache of gold under the outdoor brick oven near the northwest section of the house. This beehive shaped oven called a "horno" was built by Leonis. While searching for the lost Leonis treasure, the Agoures dug out a large quantity of earth beneath the old oven, but they found nothing. The oven still remains on the grounds.

The Leonis adobe along with the Calabasas area lacked an adequate supply of fresh water. The Agoures had to go to a well near Canoga Park to retrieve their water. This caused the Agoures and a group of local farmers to petition the City of Los Angeles for annexation in order to secure an improved water system from the large municipality. The annexation request by the Agoure family was granted by the city council in 1922. This accounts for the odd boundary line between the city and county of Los Angeles in this vicinity. On a modern street map, one can see how the city line detours sharply to the west to include the Leonis adobe, and only the Leonis adobe.

The Agoures often hosted large parties and barbecues at their ranch. Lester enjoyed leading hunting parties into the nearby hills. Guests were always welcomed to stay for a few days at the adobe. They also owned a restaurant in Calabasas. In 1931, the Agoures lost the adobe and property through foreclosure. Just a few miles west of the adobe, a town known as Independence was later renamed Agoura Hills in honor of the Agoure family.

After the departure of the Agoures, the Leonis adobe went through a succession of owners. In the early 1930s, the adobe was used as a restaurant featuring chicken dinners and at one time it was used as a retirement home. Eventually it fell into a state of disrepair after years of neglect.

On August 6, 1962, the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Board designated the adobe as the first Historical Cultural Monument in the city. In 1963, the 119-year-old historic structure was destined to be razed to make way for a modern shopping center. Mrs. Catherine S. Beachy of Woodland Hills founded the Leonis Adobe Association. She led an effort to solicit state and local governments to purchase the property for historic preservation. These attempts failed, but Mrs. Beachy did not give up. On March 28, 1963, she bought the adobe and five surrounding acres. Renovations of the house began in 1965. It was restored as it appeared in the 1870s when Miguel Leonis occupied the house. The adobe was opened to the public as a museum on May 21, 1966. On May 29, 1975, the home was recorded on the National Register of Historic Places. Today, the Leonis adobe and five remaining acres of land are owned and maintained by the Leonis Adobe Association.

Haunted Happenings

During the period when the Agoures resided at the Leonis adobe, stories about the strange happenings at the old place began to surface. Unexplained noises were ordinarily heard within the house. Sounds of footsteps on the upper floor and the staircase were detected while no physical being was observed at those locations. Odd smells would emanate from unknown sources throughout the house. The Agoures contended that the adobe was haunted by the ghost of Miguel Leonis.

Subsequent owners also reported unusual noises. In the 1930s, a family named Gregg owned the adobe. One moonlit evening, a woman who lived there, possibly Mrs. Gregg, was leaning against the railing on the second level veranda. The dilapidated rail cracked and was about to give away when a pair of strong hands pulled the woman back, saving her from serious injury. When she turned to look at who saved her, she was amazed to find nobody there. While alive, Leonis was touted for his great strength and undoubtedly had strong hands.

One day, a group of startled women witnessed an apparition while resting at the rear of the adobe. A tall and dark figure of a man materialized before their eyes and proceeded to walk toward their direction. They saw the figure instantly disappear into a solid oak tree. They claimed that it was the spirit of Leonis, who in life was a tall man about six-foot-four inches.

In 1965, another group of women were frightened away by sounds of an unseen presence digging somewhere on the site. Later, a guest at the house reported observing a supernatural image in the upstairs hallway and that it spoke in a female voice, "Chichita, Chichita." Maria Orsua believed that the spirit was the ghost of her grandmother, Espiritu Leonis, who used to affectionately call her "Chichita." Another tall ghostly being appeared to museum docents in 1971. This eerie male figured apparition, resembling Miguel Leonis, revealed itself at the front doorway of the house and quickly vanished.

Whether or not one believes in ghosts, one may sense a certain eerie mystique about this old adobe structure in Calabasas. More than a century after his death, the legend of Don Miguel Leonis, the King of Calabasas, apparently continues.

Today

An excursion to Calabasas and the Leonis adobe is an excellent way to experience the flavor of the old Western charm of California. The adobe dwelling is set in the center of a quaint nineteenth century farm, shaded by tall pepper and oak trees. Wine grapes are still cultivated throughout the grounds. A grape arbor shades the pathway leading to the front door of the house. The white washed wood barn (circa 1912), the tank tower, a windmill, and other antique farm implements are displayed outside. For over 100 years, the Hangman's Tree with an ominous looking noose dangling from a branch was a familiar landmark in the area until it fell recently. On the western side of the property, one can visit the corral containing live long-horned steer, goats, sheep, and a huge angry looking bull.

Leonis Adobe interior
Photos: LAOkay.com

Within the interior of the adobe, a beautiful array of Victorian era furniture can be seen. Furnishings of this type was brought around the Horn by ship, then carried across the plains by ox drawn carts known as carretas. The cast iron stove in the kitchen dates back to 1875. The rear bathrooms built by Lester Agoure were removed during the 1965 restoration. A small bedroom was transformed into a bathroom and a unique copper lined walnut paneled bathtub (circa 1880), was added. The interior design of the house is reflective upon the time frame when the Leonis family lived there.

Today, this splendid two-story adobe ranch house is now a historical museum open to the public. While touring the house and grounds, one might catch a glimpse of Don Miguel's restless spirit, if they're lucky.

Miguel Leonis Adobe  Official Website
23537 Calabasas Road, Calabasas, CA 91302   Map
818 222-6511

Open the the public (donation)
Wednesday through Sunday 1 to 4 p.m.

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