A Brief History of the Steins and the Stein Farm

Susan Walter

Stein Farm Docent

The Stein Family Farm, now also known as the National City Living History Farm Preserve, in National City, California, was the home of Charles Stein, his wife, Bertha (nee Pallas), and their 5 children.  Charles had been born on Christmas of 1861 in Westfahlen, Germany.  Bertha, also of Germany, had been born in Preussen.  They met in National City, married in November of 1891, and moved to a homestead in the El Nido area of Otay.

Charles had changed his name from Carl at the same time he received his citizenship on June 11, 1888.  A very successful farmer, Charles improved his El Nido property with orchards of olive, citrus, deciduous trees, and grape vines.  In addition to a house, he had constructed a barn and outbuildings.  His kitchen garden area was fenced to protect it from rabbits, and the family raised a productive supply of food from it.  He insured water to his orchards and gardens by having 3 different wells constructed, and also enjoyed the constant supply from Otay Creek, which ran through a portion of his land.

At this time San Diego was growing rapidly; in fact this period is referred to as the “Boom of the 80s.”  Increased needs for water had resulted in the construction of dams throughout the county.  In the South Bay, the massive Sweetwater Dam was soon followed by the Otay Dam.  Unfortunately for Stein, this latter dam flooded his farm.  Offered what he thought was a paltry amount for the loss of his property, he took the builders of the dam to court and sued for a better settlement.  Stein, a small time farmer and immigrant, was neither awed nor intimidated by the rich and powerful men who tried to cheat him.  The transcript of the suit shows that Stein, who had lived on that property for about 13 years, not only understood the value of his property, but clearly realized how to manipulate the court proceedings to his advantage.  When E.S. Babcock’s lawyers presented unflattering photographs of his property, Stein countered by bringing in a stunning display of the crops from the farm.  This resulted in the adjournment of the court so that the jury could visit the farmstead.  Charles Stein won his suit.   

It was with $1,000 of this money that Charles Stein purchased the property in National City from E. Thelen in 1900.  The land consisted of “blocks 1 and 2, subdivision of 10 acre tract, lot 14 in quarter section 153” of Rancho de la Nacion (National City Record August 16, 1900).

Charles Stein immediately set to work to improve his new property.  There is some debate about the origins of the house.  According to some, the house at 1808 F Avenue was constructed using parts from their homestead house, and then Stein moved his old kitchen and attached it to the rear of the new two story structure.  A second theory is that the house, which structurally dates to the 1880s, was moved from the El Nido homestead.  Alternately, it is suggested it was moved from some other unidentified original site.  Another train of thought says the house was already on the property when Stein moved his kitchen there from El Nido.  At any rate, Charles dug the partial basement underneath the western end of the building. 

Mr. Stein’s building efforts are evident though out the home.  For instance, it is known that he divided the parlor into two rooms, built the pass through between the dining room and kitchen, installed the California cooler between the basement and kitchen, and constructed the pie safe.  At an unspecified time, the master bedroom was enlarged; this probably was also the result of Charles Stein’s efforts.  He undoubtedly was also involved in the construction of the closet at the foot of the stairs, and the installation of the bathroom as well.  Inspection of the house interior shows numerous changes, adaptations and repairs.

Currently the house includes several pieces of furniture that belonged to Charles and Bertha Stein.  The parlor contains two rocking chairs, a side chair and wedding portraits of the Steins; and the dining room includes their original table, some of their chairs, the heating stove and a stunning escritoire.  In the master bedroom are the bedstead and matching dresser, said by family members to be a wedding gift, and the quilt displayed on the bed was made by the Stein daughters.  The kitchen’s wood burning stove, eating table, work table, sink, and pie safe are original to the Steins. 

          The barn was built by Mr. Fuson of National City.  It was thriftily made with varying sizes of lumber, some of which was clearly recycled from earlier buildings.  An interesting detail is that the roof is a replacement of the original that was destroyed when a “cyclone” ripped through the area on April 26, 1926.  There is a door to a hayloft, but no floor for it; possibly the hayloft was not replaced after the tornado destruction.  The Stein Farm’s barn was never painted the typical barn red shade.  Its original color was white, and some of the original paint still remains. 

The barn and associated outbuildings contains a considerable number of the original implements and farm equipment that belonged to the Stein family, including plows, a ripper, manure spreader, a disker, hay baling machinery, tractor parts, and similar equipment.  A large collection of horse trappings remains, and a cream separator and milk cans show the importance of dairying to the family.  Several original vehicles are on the property.  There are three horse drawn passenger vehicles, all in excellent condition (one restored), and three of Mr. Stein’s motorized trucks including an early chain driven Mack truck.  The flatbed wagon used by Charles in his early house moving efforts still exists at the Farm.

Charles Stein worked steadily throughout his life.  He was not only a successful farmer and land purchaser, but was at times employed by the San Diego Brewery and in Otay for the Glacier Gardens Ice Rink.  In the directories, he was listed under varying occupations, including pipe repairer and foreman (for the Sweetwater Water Company), but most often as a teamster or contractor of various types related to the building trades.  Stein was involved in moving several structures, jacking them up and hauling the buildings on a flatbed wagon with a team of horses.  He also operated a sand pit in the Sweetwater River Valley.  Although most often thought of as a farmer, it wasn’t until 1939 and 1940 that he was described in the directories as a “rancher.”  He farmed on at least three different pieces of property.  The last employment listing for Charles Stein was in 1940.  Family stories, however, indicate that he was still actively tending his plants and farmstead, and still repairing the family’s shoes, right up until his death at age 92, on June 24, 1954, in his home.  Bertha had predeceased him by 12 years, dying the year following their celebration of 50 years of marriage.

          The Steins were active members of the community.  Charles served on the El Nido school board and was elected constable in National City.  The entire family attended the Lutheran Church and participated in various social and civic activities.

Charles and Bertha Stein had five children:  Adelma, Teresa, Carl, Mariea, and Freida.  Adelma Bertha was born November 10, 1893, in San Diego.  She died from scarlet fever on December 19, 1928 at 35 years of age.  Their second child was Teresa Carolina who was born September 26, 1895 in El Nido, followed two years later by the only son, Carl, on June 2,1897.  Carl helped out at his father’s teaming and trucking business.  Tragically, he died when he was 25 years old, from pneumonia on January 21, 1922.  Mariea Anna was born September 3, 1899, in San Diego.  She worked for the San Diego Transit System operating a comptometer, and died on March 25, 1967.  The last was Freida Lillian born in National City on March 28, 1905.  Frieda became a schoolteacher for the National District schools.  She died in 1965.   Frieda and Mariea remained unmarried, and continued to reside in the farmhouse right up until their deaths.

The home, which had been in Frieda and Mariea’s ownership, was passed on to a niece, Madelyn, the daughter of their sister Theresa and her husband Marrtie Briggs, and grand nephew Steven.  Theresa and Marrtie's children were named Warren, Madelyn, and Thelma.  Thelma married Fred Otto, and they had a son, Steven, in 1952.  The last ownership of the Farm by family members was by Charles and Bertha’s grand daughter Madelyn (Briggs) Head and great grandson Steven Otto.

Madelyn and Steven were approached by a purchaser who wanted to tear down the structures on the Farm and build apartments there.  Public awareness of this resulted in a campaign to “Save the Farm.”  The purchaser generously sold the Farm back to the City of National City at the price he had paid for it; to the eternal credit of National City's government, the farmstead was purchased with the intent to turn it into a living history museum.

Volunteer labor cleaned, scraped, repaired, and painted the structure, which had been analyzed for its original colors.  Decades of accumulated items were expertly assessed and either retained or hauled to the dump.  Inappropriate plantings – notably the bamboo forest and tons of weeds – were attacked and demolished, and replaced by historically correct plantings.

What remained after all this work was a site that admirably serves for the interpretation of the lifestyle of the Steins, who were important examples of the entrepreneurial efforts of immigrants who raised a family, invested in land, participated in the public arena, and were successful farmers that worked diligently throughout their lives. 

The remains of the Stein Family Farm, which includes the original house, barn, and attached out buildings, is the last cohesive remnant of a farmstead in the city of National City.  A 1928 aerial photograph of the Farm shows that with the exception of an earlier structure that was replaced by the modern garage, all the major original buildings are still in place, and the property boundaries were as are now present.[1]  Much of the original landscaping is extant, and current efforts on the property are designed with the view of continuing to interpret the Stein family’s life (1880s – 1950s), but focusing on rural 1900.

Currently, the Stein Farm is open on Saturdays to the public, at no charge.  Numerous group tours, at minimal rates, are given throughout the year.  Two events, Farm Days in March, and May & Arbor Day, draw well over a thousand school children annually for field trips.  Our newest event is Grandparent's Day, which is held in September.  Student and public participation in pumping water from the cistern, washing clothing on a washboard, quilting, planting trees and crop plants and similar farm related tasks are hands on activities that – judging from the hundreds of enthusiastic student letters and lively artwork now at the Farm – are thoroughly enjoyed. 

The restoration of the home to the circa 1900 date, plus the retention of original furnishings and acquisition of other temporally correct items, gives those who tour the structure a clear view into the rural past that was what National City was founded on.  The extraordinary collection of Stein family owned vehicles and equipment, coupled with their exhibition and storage in their original surroundings, is truly a precious resource.

Additionally, and very importantly, the Stein Farm connects to the general public as a rare example of a common family’s lifestyle.  Most house museums display the lifestyles of the well to do.  In contrast, the Stein Farm’s simplicity resonates strongly with numerous people of varying ages and origins.  Nearly every house tour elicits a comment from an adult that the Farm reminds someone of their old place, or grandma’s house, or former home in Mexico, the Philippines, Germany, England or elsewhere.  Knowing expressions accompany the exhibition of wood burning stoves, kerosene lamps, the chamber pot, cistern pump, and horse drawn equipment, often with reminisces offered from personal experience.  Youngster’s big observant eyes and their questions, and sometimes unintentionally funny comments, adds much fun to the docents’ tour experiences.  And, over a century after it was established, the Farm continues to charm an increasing number of visitors each year.

The Stein Farm is in need of reliable volunteers who are willing to remain in or near the parlor on Saturdays from 10 until 2:00 and/or 4:00 (depends on the season; we stay open longer during Daylight Savings Time).  We need someone who can greet visitors, do tours of the bottom floor of the house, get people to sign the guest book, and distribute self guided maps for the farmstead.  These greeters, ideally, will also wear some sort of costume (we're not too critical), and do light housework (dusting and sweeping).  Crossword puzzle aficionados, readers, sewers, etc. are encouraged to apply!  You will be so appreciated!

Special Note:  

The information contained in this document was drawn from various sources.  Particularly important were the articles written by Kathy Flanagan and others in the Farm Quarterly, a transcript of an interview of Madelyn Head, a partial transcript of Charles Stein’s suit against the water company, and information given in the form of personal communications from several people, including, but not limited to Bruce Coons, Alana Coons, Lori Peoples, Lucy Warren, Vince Reynolds, Chris Johnson, and Richard Head.  Susan Walter, docent and public outreach facilitator at the Stein Farm, is currently conducting additional research with the view of writing a more complete history of the Stein Family Farm.  That document will have a complete and correct citation format for all the information used in this abbreviated report.  Several photographs, maps, and documents will be included as well.

This page was last updated on 02/23/08.

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Last modified: June 03, 2008