William Harmon Black and his wife, Ruth Faulkner Black, were a prominent and successful couple who came to the La Jolla area in the late 1930s. Their numerous ventures included thoroughbred horse breeding and training, real estate development, banking, and philanthropy. Black was born in Paris, Texas, in 1898 and spent most of his childhood in Louisiana. He entered the oil business in about 1917, and as a partner in the Black-Marshall Oil Company he soon earned a fortune in the oilfields of Kansas, Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. In 1921, Black's family moved to Los Angeles, and although it is unclear whether William Black moved to California with them, he developed an affinity for Southern California in the early 1920s. He moved to San Diego in 1922 or 1923 to pursue real estate development and other ventures.
Black's good fortune faltered on the eve of the Great Depression and he lost much of the financial worth he had accrued through his real estate dealings in San Diego. Black left San Diego in 1929, shortly after the stock market crash, to engage in a variety of business ventures throughout the southern and southwestern United States. William Black's Depression-era business ventures took him as far as New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Wichita, and Santa Fe. It was also during this time that he met Ruth, who was born in Guthrie, Oklahoma, around 1902. They were married in 1933 in Arkansas City, Kansas.
For William "there ever existed the urge to return to San Diego in general and La Jolla in particular." In 1937 he, with his wife Ruth, did return to La Jolla and purchased a home; however, they did not permanently reside in La Jolla until a decade later. The Blacks made New Mexico their permanent residence during the late 1930s and the better part of the 1940s.
It seems that a major factor delaying the Blacks from permanently returning to La Jolla was their desire to acquire a large tract of ocean-side land known as the Scripps Biological Cliffs. He first visited and fell in love with the property during the 1920s when he was a frequent hunting guest of Fred Scripps, the parcel's owner. The property at that time was completely undeveloped and Scripps used it primarily as his private hunting reserve. The parcel came on the market once after Scripps' death, but Black failed in an attempt to purchase it at that time. Black's patience and persistence eventually paid off: in 1947 the land came on the market once again and he was able to secure the property. The Blacks paid cash for the 248 acres of oceanfront real estate that encompassed the bulk of San Diego Pueblo Lots 1312 and 1313.
Almost immediately after the purchase the Blacks renamed the property "La Jolla Farms" and began developing it as a horse ranch. Initial development of a stables and training complex, known as "Black Gold Stables," began in 1948 and continued into 1949. The complex included a twenty-two stall horse barn, a trainer's house, a large feed barn, a half-mile training track complete with starting gates, and a polo field. Construction of the La Jolla Farms Clubhouse, a Spanish Revival building with red tile roof, began in the spring of 1949.
In the spring of 1949 the development of the La Jolla Farms property garnered a lengthy feature article in one of the major local newspapers, the La Jolla Journal. It was about this time that the Blacks decided to subdivide their property into four or five residential sites. The lots were not made available to the public, but instead were to be offered exclusively to friends and acquaintances with the proviso that the homes to be constructed must be valued at no less than $100,000. The Blacks reserved a choice lot for themselves, located at the southwestern corner of the planned subdivision. This lot was at the edge of the mesa and became the dramatic site for their residence.
As mentioned above, while in Santa Fe William and Ruth Black lived in a 1920s era adobe home designed in the "Southwestern" style. The house was probably of the Pueblo Revival style which was immensely popular in New Mexico during the 1920s and 1930s and continues to be the dominant residential style. It was this residence that served as inspiration for the design of their planned new home and led the Blacks to hire Santa Fe architect William Lumpkins to design a Pueblo Revival style mansion for the La Jolla Farms lot (Crawford 2004). He drew up the plans for the house in November 1949. Construction of the sprawling adobe mansion began in 1950 and was finally finished by Rancho Santa Fe contractor Howard Winter Stein in 1952. In a 1990 feature newspaper article about the house, Lumpkins made the claim that the residence "was the first pure New Mexico-style house built in San Diego."
During the period that William Black lived in his La Jolla Farms home, from about 1952 through the spring of 1967, he was ostensibly retired from the world of finance. This claim notwithstanding, he still remained very active in the San Diego and La Jolla business communities and continued to develop real estate in Southern California. In the mid 1950s he was instrumental in developing the resort community of Borrego Springs, located approximately 100 miles east of San Diego, where he maintained a second home.
A board of directors was established in 1954 for a new venture in Borrego Springs, CA -
de Anza Desert Country Club and Estates. It included:
William H. Black – LaJolla CA
Austen S. Cargill – Minneapolis MN
Donald H. Castle – Borrego Springs CA
James S. Copley – Aurora IL
Cyril Gail – Santa Monica CA
Roy Guppy – Borrego Springs CA
Eric V. Hauser – Portland OR
Rupert V. Hauser – Wolfeboro NH
Dr. Adolph Kosky – Santa Monica CA
Rear Admiral Ralph Wood US Navy Retired – Borrego Springs CA
In March of 1955 elections within de Anza Desert Country Club's board of directors took place naming Austen S. Cargill the first president. William H. Black became vice president. George J. Kuhrts was treasurer and finally James S. Copley was voted secretary.
In the late 1950s and early 1960s he was listed in San Diego city directories as the president of the Colonial Hotel Corporation of La Jolla, and by 1962 he had become the director of the San Diego Transit System. In 1964 Black co- founded the Bank of La Jolla, a small charter bank that was consolidated with the Union Bank of California in 1968. He later served on the board of directors of the City Bank of San Diego and Security First National Bank in San Diego. Black was also president of the Landowner's Oil Association, a position he held until his death in 1967. [He died on the golf course at the La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club]
William and Ruth Black were also well-known philanthropists in the La Jolla community. In 1965, the Blacks endowed the $70,000 William H. Black Cardiovascular Laboratory at Scripps Memorial Hospital. Ruth continued to direct philanthropic efforts in many civic and medical causes after William's death. In 1974, she, along with her son, William F. Black, funded the establishment of the Scripps Research Institution's General Clinical Research Center. Ruth was also a member and supported numerous cultural and philanthropic organizations including the UCSD Chancellor's Club, the La Jolla Library, and the philanthropic group The Committee. Ruth Black died in 1991 following a prolonged illness.
__________________________________________
Daughter-in-law: Suzan Jene Black, wife of William F. Black
Black's good fortune faltered on the eve of the Great Depression and he lost much of the financial worth he had accrued through his real estate dealings in San Diego. Black left San Diego in 1929, shortly after the stock market crash, to engage in a variety of business ventures throughout the southern and southwestern United States. William Black's Depression-era business ventures took him as far as New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Wichita, and Santa Fe. It was also during this time that he met Ruth, who was born in Guthrie, Oklahoma, around 1902. They were married in 1933 in Arkansas City, Kansas.
For William "there ever existed the urge to return to San Diego in general and La Jolla in particular." In 1937 he, with his wife Ruth, did return to La Jolla and purchased a home; however, they did not permanently reside in La Jolla until a decade later. The Blacks made New Mexico their permanent residence during the late 1930s and the better part of the 1940s.
It seems that a major factor delaying the Blacks from permanently returning to La Jolla was their desire to acquire a large tract of ocean-side land known as the Scripps Biological Cliffs. He first visited and fell in love with the property during the 1920s when he was a frequent hunting guest of Fred Scripps, the parcel's owner. The property at that time was completely undeveloped and Scripps used it primarily as his private hunting reserve. The parcel came on the market once after Scripps' death, but Black failed in an attempt to purchase it at that time. Black's patience and persistence eventually paid off: in 1947 the land came on the market once again and he was able to secure the property. The Blacks paid cash for the 248 acres of oceanfront real estate that encompassed the bulk of San Diego Pueblo Lots 1312 and 1313.
Almost immediately after the purchase the Blacks renamed the property "La Jolla Farms" and began developing it as a horse ranch. Initial development of a stables and training complex, known as "Black Gold Stables," began in 1948 and continued into 1949. The complex included a twenty-two stall horse barn, a trainer's house, a large feed barn, a half-mile training track complete with starting gates, and a polo field. Construction of the La Jolla Farms Clubhouse, a Spanish Revival building with red tile roof, began in the spring of 1949.
In the spring of 1949 the development of the La Jolla Farms property garnered a lengthy feature article in one of the major local newspapers, the La Jolla Journal. It was about this time that the Blacks decided to subdivide their property into four or five residential sites. The lots were not made available to the public, but instead were to be offered exclusively to friends and acquaintances with the proviso that the homes to be constructed must be valued at no less than $100,000. The Blacks reserved a choice lot for themselves, located at the southwestern corner of the planned subdivision. This lot was at the edge of the mesa and became the dramatic site for their residence.
As mentioned above, while in Santa Fe William and Ruth Black lived in a 1920s era adobe home designed in the "Southwestern" style. The house was probably of the Pueblo Revival style which was immensely popular in New Mexico during the 1920s and 1930s and continues to be the dominant residential style. It was this residence that served as inspiration for the design of their planned new home and led the Blacks to hire Santa Fe architect William Lumpkins to design a Pueblo Revival style mansion for the La Jolla Farms lot (Crawford 2004). He drew up the plans for the house in November 1949. Construction of the sprawling adobe mansion began in 1950 and was finally finished by Rancho Santa Fe contractor Howard Winter Stein in 1952. In a 1990 feature newspaper article about the house, Lumpkins made the claim that the residence "was the first pure New Mexico-style house built in San Diego."
During the period that William Black lived in his La Jolla Farms home, from about 1952 through the spring of 1967, he was ostensibly retired from the world of finance. This claim notwithstanding, he still remained very active in the San Diego and La Jolla business communities and continued to develop real estate in Southern California. In the mid 1950s he was instrumental in developing the resort community of Borrego Springs, located approximately 100 miles east of San Diego, where he maintained a second home.
A board of directors was established in 1954 for a new venture in Borrego Springs, CA -
de Anza Desert Country Club and Estates. It included:
William H. Black – LaJolla CA
Austen S. Cargill – Minneapolis MN
Donald H. Castle – Borrego Springs CA
James S. Copley – Aurora IL
Cyril Gail – Santa Monica CA
Roy Guppy – Borrego Springs CA
Eric V. Hauser – Portland OR
Rupert V. Hauser – Wolfeboro NH
Dr. Adolph Kosky – Santa Monica CA
Rear Admiral Ralph Wood US Navy Retired – Borrego Springs CA
In March of 1955 elections within de Anza Desert Country Club's board of directors took place naming Austen S. Cargill the first president. William H. Black became vice president. George J. Kuhrts was treasurer and finally James S. Copley was voted secretary.
In the late 1950s and early 1960s he was listed in San Diego city directories as the president of the Colonial Hotel Corporation of La Jolla, and by 1962 he had become the director of the San Diego Transit System. In 1964 Black co- founded the Bank of La Jolla, a small charter bank that was consolidated with the Union Bank of California in 1968. He later served on the board of directors of the City Bank of San Diego and Security First National Bank in San Diego. Black was also president of the Landowner's Oil Association, a position he held until his death in 1967. [He died on the golf course at the La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club]
William and Ruth Black were also well-known philanthropists in the La Jolla community. In 1965, the Blacks endowed the $70,000 William H. Black Cardiovascular Laboratory at Scripps Memorial Hospital. Ruth continued to direct philanthropic efforts in many civic and medical causes after William's death. In 1974, she, along with her son, William F. Black, funded the establishment of the Scripps Research Institution's General Clinical Research Center. Ruth was also a member and supported numerous cultural and philanthropic organizations including the UCSD Chancellor's Club, the La Jolla Library, and the philanthropic group The Committee. Ruth Black died in 1991 following a prolonged illness.
__________________________________________
Daughter-in-law: Suzan Jene Black, wife of William F. Black
William Harmon Black and his wife, Ruth Faulkner Black, were a prominent and successful couple who came to the La Jolla area in the late 1930s. Their numerous ventures included thoroughbred horse breeding and training, real estate development, banking, and philanthropy. Black was born in Paris, Texas, in 1898 and spent most of his childhood in Louisiana. He entered the oil business in about 1917, and as a partner in the Black-Marshall Oil Company he soon earned a fortune in the oilfields of Kansas, Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. In 1921, Black's family moved to Los Angeles, and although it is unclear whether William Black moved to California with them, he developed an affinity for Southern California in the early 1920s. He moved to San Diego in 1922 or 1923 to pursue real estate development and other ventures.
Black's good fortune faltered on the eve of the Great Depression and he lost much of the financial worth he had accrued through his real estate dealings in San Diego. Black left San Diego in 1929, shortly after the stock market crash, to engage in a variety of business ventures throughout the southern and southwestern United States. William Black's Depression-era business ventures took him as far as New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Wichita, and Santa Fe. It was also during this time that he met Ruth, who was born in Guthrie, Oklahoma, around 1902. They were married in 1933 in Arkansas City, Kansas.
For William "there ever existed the urge to return to San Diego in general and La Jolla in particular." In 1937 he, with his wife Ruth, did return to La Jolla and purchased a home; however, they did not permanently reside in La Jolla until a decade later. The Blacks made New Mexico their permanent residence during the late 1930s and the better part of the 1940s.
It seems that a major factor delaying the Blacks from permanently returning to La Jolla was their desire to acquire a large tract of ocean-side land known as the Scripps Biological Cliffs. He first visited and fell in love with the property during the 1920s when he was a frequent hunting guest of Fred Scripps, the parcel's owner. The property at that time was completely undeveloped and Scripps used it primarily as his private hunting reserve. The parcel came on the market once after Scripps' death, but Black failed in an attempt to purchase it at that time. Black's patience and persistence eventually paid off: in 1947 the land came on the market once again and he was able to secure the property. The Blacks paid cash for the 248 acres of oceanfront real estate that encompassed the bulk of San Diego Pueblo Lots 1312 and 1313.
Almost immediately after the purchase the Blacks renamed the property "La Jolla Farms" and began developing it as a horse ranch. Initial development of a stables and training complex, known as "Black Gold Stables," began in 1948 and continued into 1949. The complex included a twenty-two stall horse barn, a trainer's house, a large feed barn, a half-mile training track complete with starting gates, and a polo field. Construction of the La Jolla Farms Clubhouse, a Spanish Revival building with red tile roof, began in the spring of 1949.
In the spring of 1949 the development of the La Jolla Farms property garnered a lengthy feature article in one of the major local newspapers, the La Jolla Journal. It was about this time that the Blacks decided to subdivide their property into four or five residential sites. The lots were not made available to the public, but instead were to be offered exclusively to friends and acquaintances with the proviso that the homes to be constructed must be valued at no less than $100,000. The Blacks reserved a choice lot for themselves, located at the southwestern corner of the planned subdivision. This lot was at the edge of the mesa and became the dramatic site for their residence.
As mentioned above, while in Santa Fe William and Ruth Black lived in a 1920s era adobe home designed in the "Southwestern" style. The house was probably of the Pueblo Revival style which was immensely popular in New Mexico during the 1920s and 1930s and continues to be the dominant residential style. It was this residence that served as inspiration for the design of their planned new home and led the Blacks to hire Santa Fe architect William Lumpkins to design a Pueblo Revival style mansion for the La Jolla Farms lot (Crawford 2004). He drew up the plans for the house in November 1949. Construction of the sprawling adobe mansion began in 1950 and was finally finished by Rancho Santa Fe contractor Howard Winter Stein in 1952. In a 1990 feature newspaper article about the house, Lumpkins made the claim that the residence "was the first pure New Mexico-style house built in San Diego."
During the period that William Black lived in his La Jolla Farms home, from about 1952 through the spring of 1967, he was ostensibly retired from the world of finance. This claim notwithstanding, he still remained very active in the San Diego and La Jolla business communities and continued to develop real estate in Southern California. In the mid 1950s he was instrumental in developing the resort community of Borrego Springs, located approximately 100 miles east of San Diego, where he maintained a second home.
A board of directors was established in 1954 for a new venture in Borrego Springs, CA -
de Anza Desert Country Club and Estates. It included:
William H. Black – LaJolla CA
Austen S. Cargill – Minneapolis MN
Donald H. Castle – Borrego Springs CA
James S. Copley – Aurora IL
Cyril Gail – Santa Monica CA
Roy Guppy – Borrego Springs CA
Eric V. Hauser – Portland OR
Rupert V. Hauser – Wolfeboro NH
Dr. Adolph Kosky – Santa Monica CA
Rear Admiral Ralph Wood US Navy Retired – Borrego Springs CA
In March of 1955 elections within de Anza Desert Country Club's board of directors took place naming Austen S. Cargill the first president. William H. Black became vice president. George J. Kuhrts was treasurer and finally James S. Copley was voted secretary.
In the late 1950s and early 1960s he was listed in San Diego city directories as the president of the Colonial Hotel Corporation of La Jolla, and by 1962 he had become the director of the San Diego Transit System. In 1964 Black co- founded the Bank of La Jolla, a small charter bank that was consolidated with the Union Bank of California in 1968. He later served on the board of directors of the City Bank of San Diego and Security First National Bank in San Diego. Black was also president of the Landowner's Oil Association, a position he held until his death in 1967. [He died on the golf course at the La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club]
William and Ruth Black were also well-known philanthropists in the La Jolla community. In 1965, the Blacks endowed the $70,000 William H. Black Cardiovascular Laboratory at Scripps Memorial Hospital. Ruth continued to direct philanthropic efforts in many civic and medical causes after William's death. In 1974, she, along with her son, William F. Black, funded the establishment of the Scripps Research Institution's General Clinical Research Center. Ruth was also a member and supported numerous cultural and philanthropic organizations including the UCSD Chancellor's Club, the La Jolla Library, and the philanthropic group The Committee. Ruth Black died in 1991 following a prolonged illness.
__________________________________________
Daughter-in-law: Suzan Jene Black, wife of William F. Black
Black's good fortune faltered on the eve of the Great Depression and he lost much of the financial worth he had accrued through his real estate dealings in San Diego. Black left San Diego in 1929, shortly after the stock market crash, to engage in a variety of business ventures throughout the southern and southwestern United States. William Black's Depression-era business ventures took him as far as New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Wichita, and Santa Fe. It was also during this time that he met Ruth, who was born in Guthrie, Oklahoma, around 1902. They were married in 1933 in Arkansas City, Kansas.
For William "there ever existed the urge to return to San Diego in general and La Jolla in particular." In 1937 he, with his wife Ruth, did return to La Jolla and purchased a home; however, they did not permanently reside in La Jolla until a decade later. The Blacks made New Mexico their permanent residence during the late 1930s and the better part of the 1940s.
It seems that a major factor delaying the Blacks from permanently returning to La Jolla was their desire to acquire a large tract of ocean-side land known as the Scripps Biological Cliffs. He first visited and fell in love with the property during the 1920s when he was a frequent hunting guest of Fred Scripps, the parcel's owner. The property at that time was completely undeveloped and Scripps used it primarily as his private hunting reserve. The parcel came on the market once after Scripps' death, but Black failed in an attempt to purchase it at that time. Black's patience and persistence eventually paid off: in 1947 the land came on the market once again and he was able to secure the property. The Blacks paid cash for the 248 acres of oceanfront real estate that encompassed the bulk of San Diego Pueblo Lots 1312 and 1313.
Almost immediately after the purchase the Blacks renamed the property "La Jolla Farms" and began developing it as a horse ranch. Initial development of a stables and training complex, known as "Black Gold Stables," began in 1948 and continued into 1949. The complex included a twenty-two stall horse barn, a trainer's house, a large feed barn, a half-mile training track complete with starting gates, and a polo field. Construction of the La Jolla Farms Clubhouse, a Spanish Revival building with red tile roof, began in the spring of 1949.
In the spring of 1949 the development of the La Jolla Farms property garnered a lengthy feature article in one of the major local newspapers, the La Jolla Journal. It was about this time that the Blacks decided to subdivide their property into four or five residential sites. The lots were not made available to the public, but instead were to be offered exclusively to friends and acquaintances with the proviso that the homes to be constructed must be valued at no less than $100,000. The Blacks reserved a choice lot for themselves, located at the southwestern corner of the planned subdivision. This lot was at the edge of the mesa and became the dramatic site for their residence.
As mentioned above, while in Santa Fe William and Ruth Black lived in a 1920s era adobe home designed in the "Southwestern" style. The house was probably of the Pueblo Revival style which was immensely popular in New Mexico during the 1920s and 1930s and continues to be the dominant residential style. It was this residence that served as inspiration for the design of their planned new home and led the Blacks to hire Santa Fe architect William Lumpkins to design a Pueblo Revival style mansion for the La Jolla Farms lot (Crawford 2004). He drew up the plans for the house in November 1949. Construction of the sprawling adobe mansion began in 1950 and was finally finished by Rancho Santa Fe contractor Howard Winter Stein in 1952. In a 1990 feature newspaper article about the house, Lumpkins made the claim that the residence "was the first pure New Mexico-style house built in San Diego."
During the period that William Black lived in his La Jolla Farms home, from about 1952 through the spring of 1967, he was ostensibly retired from the world of finance. This claim notwithstanding, he still remained very active in the San Diego and La Jolla business communities and continued to develop real estate in Southern California. In the mid 1950s he was instrumental in developing the resort community of Borrego Springs, located approximately 100 miles east of San Diego, where he maintained a second home.
A board of directors was established in 1954 for a new venture in Borrego Springs, CA -
de Anza Desert Country Club and Estates. It included:
William H. Black – LaJolla CA
Austen S. Cargill – Minneapolis MN
Donald H. Castle – Borrego Springs CA
James S. Copley – Aurora IL
Cyril Gail – Santa Monica CA
Roy Guppy – Borrego Springs CA
Eric V. Hauser – Portland OR
Rupert V. Hauser – Wolfeboro NH
Dr. Adolph Kosky – Santa Monica CA
Rear Admiral Ralph Wood US Navy Retired – Borrego Springs CA
In March of 1955 elections within de Anza Desert Country Club's board of directors took place naming Austen S. Cargill the first president. William H. Black became vice president. George J. Kuhrts was treasurer and finally James S. Copley was voted secretary.
In the late 1950s and early 1960s he was listed in San Diego city directories as the president of the Colonial Hotel Corporation of La Jolla, and by 1962 he had become the director of the San Diego Transit System. In 1964 Black co- founded the Bank of La Jolla, a small charter bank that was consolidated with the Union Bank of California in 1968. He later served on the board of directors of the City Bank of San Diego and Security First National Bank in San Diego. Black was also president of the Landowner's Oil Association, a position he held until his death in 1967. [He died on the golf course at the La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club]
William and Ruth Black were also well-known philanthropists in the La Jolla community. In 1965, the Blacks endowed the $70,000 William H. Black Cardiovascular Laboratory at Scripps Memorial Hospital. Ruth continued to direct philanthropic efforts in many civic and medical causes after William's death. In 1974, she, along with her son, William F. Black, funded the establishment of the Scripps Research Institution's General Clinical Research Center. Ruth was also a member and supported numerous cultural and philanthropic organizations including the UCSD Chancellor's Club, the La Jolla Library, and the philanthropic group The Committee. Ruth Black died in 1991 following a prolonged illness.
__________________________________________
Daughter-in-law: Suzan Jene Black, wife of William F. Black
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