Brandings Were Pretty Much the Same

An Interview with Louise Hansen

by Oscar and Luis

When we got to her house, she was nice to us. She asked nicely what we wanted to do first. She had a funny smile. Her face was wrinkled and her hair was brown like her eyes.

It was a sunny day. We went into her house and it looked great. It had a picture of her mom visiting John Wayne. In her museum, the carriages were black. We saw a brown saddle like the ones the used in Mexico. The pool table was old, and so was the wood.

How did you start raising cattle?

We started with sheep and then went to long horn bulls and cattle.

What do you think of children living and growing up on ranches?

I think it's real good, and it's a good life. It's a good foundation because they learn about animals and everything about the environment. Yes, it's very good to grow up in the country.

Do you have any cattle dogs at the ranch?

We had cattle dogs, but not as much as they use now. We also had greyhounds. The greyhounds would chase the coyotes. We had some cow dogs, but not a lot, not like they use now.

Did you travel the stage coaches to get places?

No, I didn't. That was before my time, but we had the trains.

Did your parents have to ride the cattle to places?

Well, you mean to market. We drove the cattle to the railroad. They had corrals set up to put your cattle in so they wouldn't run away.

Did you have a favorite place on the El Toro Ranch where you used to live?

When we were kids, we had favorite places. It was where we made corrals for our animals. And we had tree houses.

Are the carriages in the museum at your house from El Toro Ranch?

You bet. The carriages I have were used at the ranch. It was way back. I think they stopped using the surrey before 1920.

What kind of bulls did you start out with?

We started out with Short Horn bulls. Then people went to the Herefords. Then people went into Angus.

What was it like on the El Toro Ranch?

We didn't have trailers to carry horses. We did more long distance riding in those days. But a lot of things were the same. Brandings were pretty much the same. You had your mules for farming. You had your horses to pull the wagons. We had spring wagons to take the place of a pick-up. In fact, I have one wagon at my museum at my house. I also have wagons that carried hay and hauled grain. Well, where they worked, we pretty much did the same thing as now, but it's a little different.

On the El Toro Ranch, did you have other places where people slept?

We had a cookhouse for the workers and a bunk house where they slept. And some had families with their own house and other ranchers from different ranches would come and help us round up the cattle.

Was it fun back in the old days?

You bet it was. It is fun now, too, but sure, it was fun.

When did you leave the El Toro Ranch?

I came here in 1968, but I went to college in the meantime. I went to Pomona College and graduated there.

Did you meet any characters a long time ago?

Yes, I met John Wayne. I also met some Indian people. They were good people.

Did you have a favorite animal on this ranch?

I had one horse named Corazon and he was part Arabian, and I had a horse named Rob.