The Purchase of Land at Loma Linda and Letters from Mrs. E. G. White

The purchase of land at Loma Linda

At the time of the original purchase of Loma Linda, there were seventy-six acres in the tract. The hill contained twenty-three acres. About one-half of this was occupied by the buildings, walks, carriage drives, lawns, ornamental shrubbery, and beautiful shade trees; and the other half was orchard and garden. There were eight or ten acres of thrifty orange trees about eight years old, and two or more acres of other fruit,—Apricots, Plums, Figs, Apples, Pears, and Peaches. SpTB17b 3.1

The remaining fifty-three acres, a strip of fertile valley land of varying width, and about three-fifths of a mile in length, lay to the north of the hill and south of the railway line. Of this, three acres was apricot orchard, fifteen acres was in Alfalfa, three or four acres were devoted to the stables, barns, chicken run, and vegetable gardens, and the remainder was grain land. SpTB17b 3.2

No sooner was it decided by the conference to go forward with the purchase of the place, than a plan was suggested of selling off a portion of the acreage to help pay for the balance. By those immediately connected with the institution, it was felt that the future development of the work would require all the land we had and more. SpTB17b 3.3

Regarding this, Mrs. E. G. White, in a letter written from San Jose July 5, 1905, expressed her views in very positive terms, as follows: SpTB17b 3.4

“I just thought to write you a few lines to assure you that not one foot of that land is to be sold to raise money. We will hire money at the bank rather than that this shall be done.” SpTB17b 3.5

At this time a few small pieces aggregating about Three and one-half acres, which were necessary to square out the property, we purchased for $700. a number of valuable properties near the sanitarium could have been purchased at that time at forty per cent of their present values. SpTB17b 3.6

About a year later a Mr. Bell, who owned the thirty acres lying just east of the Loma Linda tract and south of the railway, offered it to us at what we thought was a very low price. The brethren considered the matter and felt favorable to its purchase. As sister White also favored it, the land was purchased at less than $100 an acre. Since that time we have several times been offered $300 an acre for a portion of it. SpTB17b 4.1

Shortly afterward, sister White visited Loma Linda and asked to see the piece of property we had purchased. As she viewed it from the top of the sanitarium building for some little time, she said, “Well, we are thankful we have it,” But turning and looking north she waved her hand in front of the building and said, “The Angel said, ‘get all of it’.” On remarking to sister White how difficult it had been to secure what we already had, she simply said. “Well, we shall be thankful for what we have,” and turned and went to her room. SpTB17b 4.2

We did not know how much was included in her remark, “Get all of it,” But supposed she referred to the kelly tracts in front of the sanitarium on which we had secured prices when we first purchased Loma Linda, and on which we had really held an option for a time, thinking possibly the brethren might consider purchasing a portion of these tracts. SpTB17b 4.3

One tract of one hundred and fifty acres lying west of pepper drive (Loma Linda Avenue), between the southern pacific railway and colton Avenue, was held at $18,000. Another tract of fifty-five acres, lying east of pepper drive from the railroad to the bridge, including the orange orchard and house, was held at $20,000. The next tract, twenty-seven acres, lying east of pepper drive, running from the Creek to Colton Avenue, was held at $2,250. Another three-corner tract of about twenty acres, lying north of the southern pacific railway, extending to the eastern line of the thirty acres that we purchased on the south side of the railway, was offered us for $750. This twenty-acre piece I urged one of our brethren to purchase and hold for us, but because of the criticisms and misgivings regarding what had already been done in securing the place, nothing was done. And so far as considering the purchase of the other pieces of property, it seemed entirely out of the question. SpTB17b 4.4

Nothing more was said concerning the purchase of these properties until a few weeks before the Loma Linda property was taken over by the union and general conferences at a meeting held at Loma Linda in May, 1910. SpTB17b 5.1

In the meantime, the twenty-seven acres which could have been bought for $2,250, or nearly $85 an acre, had been sold, re-sold, sub-divided, and laid out into lots, many of which have changed hands at $200 and $250 a lot, or $800 to $1000 an acre. Our brethren who have desired to be near the sanitarium have purchased most of these lots and built more than thirty cottages. SpTB17b 5.2

The twenty-acre tract that we could have purchased for $750 has changed hands, and to protect ourselves from having a number of shanties built just opposite the depot, we were obliged to pay $300 for a little over an acre of the land. The balance I do not think could be purchased at less than $200 an acre, or $3,600. SpTB17b 5.3

Mr. Hazen Kelly, owner of the fifty-five acres lying on the east side of pepper drive, north of the railway, once offered us at $20,000, sold off eight acres, lying along the east side of pepper drive, at $400 an acre, to a number of our brethren. These eight acres have been divided and sub-divided and built on until there are now on this portion of land twenty-two cottages occupied by physicians and workers of the sanitarium. SpTB17b 6.1

On the west side of pepper drive, just north of the railway, the kelly brothers sold off some ten acres to our brethren at from $200 to $400 an acre. The sanitarium has since purchased back most of these small tracts at from $500 to $1,000 an acre. SpTB17b 6.2

Just before the general meeting at Loma Linda held in May, 1910, when sister White was again with us, she expressed the conviction that we should secure the property in front of the sanitarium. We told her it had nearly doubled in value since we purchased Loma Linda. Nevertheless she expressed her anxiety that we should secure these lands so close to the institution. We then obtained an option on the one hundred and fifty acres lying west of pepper drive, or than portion that remained unsold, at $250 an acre. While waiting for the general meeting to convene in may, the parties were about to back out on their option, so the local board took the matter under advisement and compromised by securing thirty-six acres of the property lying north of the railway, at $225 an acre, and purchased most of the acreage that had been sold off in front of this piece along pepper drive, paying $500 and $600 an acre for it. SpTB17b 6.3

Early in 1911 the remainder of the kelly tract, comprising eighty-six acres lying west of pepper drive and south of colton avenue, was offered to us at $300 an acre. This was an advance of $50 an acre. SpTB17b 6.4

At the annual meeting of the constituency held late in March, 1911, the importance of securing this property was presented. A number looked over the tract, but no action was taken. At the close of this meeting sister White visited paradise valley. Within a few days she returned, saying that her work at Loma Linda was not yet finished. Soon after her return she took up the matter of the purchase of the balance of the Kelly tract of eighty-six acres west of pepper drive. Three or four times she rode over and around the property, each time stating she had been instructed that we should secure the land adjoining the sanitarium, and urging that we ask the brethren to pray over the matter, so that we might have light to know what to do. She mentioned that we needed the property, and emphasized particularly the troubles that would come to us if others were allowed to secure the land and sell it to unbelievers who would crowd in about us. SpTB17b 7.1

On one occasion she mentioned a scene that had passed before her of a village located in the valley, and serious difficulties coming to the work. At another time she mentioned that some of our aged people would want to make their home here, and she suggested that suitable ones might be permitted to build with the understanding that the buildings would be left to the institution. SpTB17b 7.2

A number of the board remaining at Loma Linda took counsel together, and felt they could do nothing then, as the constituency had considered the matter and had thought best not to purchase. Still sister White urged that we pray over the matter and see if we could not get light. Finally, the day Before she was leaving she called some of the leading brethren together, and although she was talking on other themes, her mind constantly referred to the land. From her remarks we quote the following: SpTB17b 7.3