Jonathan Bailey House

In the early 1880s, John M. Thomas established the Thomas Ranch to raise sheep. He built a simple, six-room wooden structure on the property that became known as the Old Ranch House. The Pickering Land and Water Company acquired the ranch in 1887 for the establishment of a Quaker community to be named after the New England Quaker poet, John Greenleaf Whittier. The Company officers’ election was held in the barn behind the house. Jonathan Bailey, then living in Los Angeles, was named President of the Company. Soon after, Bailey and his wife, Rebecca, moved into the house and four days later hosted their first Quaker meeting on the front porch. Bailey directed the development of the Whittier community from this historic site. The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Whittier, Los Angeles County
Image by Al Russell