Farming the Upper Oso Lease: The Milo B. Stevens Family - Mission Viejo, CA - Signs of History on Waymarking.com

The plaque says, "TODAY, a good day's catch at Lake Mission Viejo can bring in trout, sunfish, and bass. In the early 1900, the lands beneath Lake Mission Viejo yielded barley and black eyed peas. These crops were harvested, put into 100-pound sacks, and transported by eight-mule wagon to a warehouse in in what was then known as El Toro and is now the city of Lake Forrest.

The bottom of Lake Mission Viejo is the site of the original farmhouse of Milo B. Stevens, long-time leaseholder, and his family, who farmed 2,000 to 3,000 acres of land knows as the upper Oso Lease.

The Upper Osos Lease included lands beneath and around Lake Mission Viejo, and bounded by the current landmarks of Alicia Parkway and Olympiad Road. These lease lands were part of the 52,000-acre ranch then known as Rancho Mission Viejo and owned by the O'Neil Family.

Milo B. and Ella M. (Cook) Steven were married in 1907 and started farming the Upper Oso Lease in that year. Mr. Stevens owned the ranch house here and buildings.

Mr. Stevens dry-farmed barley as a main crop, rotating with a crop of black eyed peas every third year to replenish the nitrogen in the soil. Crews of hired hands worked the land. Mules pulied the wagon and plow. Rent the leases was on-quater of the crop yields, and every fourth sack was placed in a separate pile for the land lord.

Mr. Stevens farmed the Upper Oso Lease for more than 20 years, until 1928. Two of his four children were born on the ranch. Mr. Stevens then moved his family to Simi Vally to farm 60 acres he had purchased there. A sires of subsequent tenants continued to farm the Upper Oso Leas until the 1970s."

Group that erected the marker: Unknown Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary: Alicia Parkway, Mission Viejo, 92691 URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: Not listed

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Date Logged Log   08/14/2015 bluesnote visited it