“It was a hot day, so I thought I would go with them…” – Agnes Baron
Margaret Magnus
The following is Agnes Baron’s account of the search for the property which became Meher Mount, dedicated to Avatar Meher Baba.
By Margaret Magnus & Wayne Myers
One afternoon, Jean Adriel approached Agnes Baron, who was renting a cottage at the New Life Center at the time, and said, “We are going out for a drive this afternoon, looking for a place, would you like to come?” [1]
AGNES BARON at Meher Mount sometime in the 1970s. (Photo: Lola Long)
In 1944, Jean Adriel and Alexander Markey had established the 500-acre New Life Center in La Crescenta, CA, which was dedicated to Avatar Meher Baba.
Then sometime in 1946, Jean received word from Meher Baba that He wished for them to relocate to a place farther from the Los Angeles area, somewhere one or two hours outside a big city. [2]
“Well, it was a hot day so I thought I would go with them,” remembered Agnes. [3]
“It seems they were planning to sell the New Life Center and buy another place. I didn’t know what the details were, and I didn’t particularly care,” Agnes continued. “I just went along for the ride.” [4]
Another lady who was also staying on the New Life Center had a little girl whom she wanted to put in a private school at Ojai, 75 miles away. So, they headed north toward the Ojai Valley. [5]
They motored for about two hours out of Los Angeles eventually turning onto Highway 150 through Santa Paula to Ojai. Every time the group would see a lovely place, they would say, “Oh there’s Baba’s place.”
And as they continued along Highway 150 toward Ojai, “We looked out,” Agnes said. “On the top of this mountain, on the very top of the mountain range there was this crown” of trees with the light shining through. [6]
“There’s a place for Baba.”
They said jokingly, “There’s a place for Baba,” Agnes continued. [7]
A CORNER OF THE GUESTHOUSE at Meher Mount. (Photo: Meher Mount Archives, 1949)
After leaving the schoolgirl in Ojai and on their way back, they said, “Let’s drive up and see what it’s like.” [8]
It was very a very narrow dirt road in the woods with room for just one car. They crawled along. Finally – about three miles up from Highway 150 – there was a driveway to the left.
When they turned into 9902 Sulphur Mountain Road, the sign said, “MacConaty Ranch,” [9] and the big wooden gate was closed. It appeared as if no one were home.
THE CORNER OF A COTTAGE that could be been from the road which led Agnes Baron to continue her investigation of the property. (Photo: Meher Mount Archives, mid to late 1940s)
“We could just see the corner of a cottage,” Agnes said.
“Meher Baba’s going to send six of the mandali [close men disciples] to live here,” Jean noted. [10]
“Well, they’re going to stay here for a while, so we have to have a lot of buildings,” Agnes responded.
“Now, why did I say that? I just went for the ride. I wasn’t there finding a place for Meher Baba like everybody else,” she asked herself when remembering that day. [11]
Agnes was sure there were more buildings on the property, so she jumped over the gate to investigate.
“There aren’t any buildings, it’s a waste of time,” the group called after her.
Agnes replied, “No, behind that there’ll be another building, behind that there’ll be another. There’ll be plenty of buildings. [12]
“So, I rushed up the hill and looked into the windows. There was a beautifully furnished two-bedroom little house.
“And I walked around and there was another house, a bigger house, and more buildings,” Agnes continued. She looked through the windows, and it, too, was beautifully furnished. She went around to still another building. “And I was more astonished than anyone,” she laughed. [13]
“Hey, come on everybody!”
Agnes went to the top of the of the road and called out, “Hey, come on everybody! There are a lot of buildings here.”
The group climbed the fence to find a brand-new house with beautifully landscaped grounds. In addition to this main house, there was a guesthouse, a garage with caretaker quarters on the second floor, five or six outbuildings, a greenhouse, an orchard, vineyards, a rose garden, and a swimming pool.
THE WALKWAY to the “beautifully furnished” guesthouse at Meher Mount. The ‘Baba Room’ where Meher Baba met with His followers later in 1956 is in the guesthouse. (Photo: Lud Dmpfl, November 1956)
The ranch was being looked after by a local farmer who was not there. But the group located his wife, who told them that the property belonged to Gertrude Ralphs MacConaty, a wealthy heiress to the Ralphs Grocery Company, a chain of grocery stores .[14]
Mrs. MacConaty was thinking of selling the land, but the group thought she would surely ask a high price for it. [15] She was the widow of Elmer L. Ralphs, the son of George A. Ralphs, one of the founders of the Ralphs Grocery Company. Elmer had died in 1930, merely 18 months after their wedding.
Mrs. Gertrude Ralphs Wolverton (nee Miller) married again to John MacConaty in 1940. [16] According to property records, Gertrude Ralphs MacConaty acquired 9902 Sulphur Mountain Road in her name only, on June 25, 1941.
“But we’ll never be able to afford it.”
JEAN ADRIEL in 1949. (Photo: Meher Mount Archives)
Jean, Alexander and Agnes returned to Los Angeles, and Agnes urged them to call up the owner. “But we’ll never be able to afford it,” they said.
Agnes responded, “It won’t cost you anything to get on the phone and find out.”
In remembering, Agnes always asked herself, “Now why was I insisting the whole time?” [17]
So, at Agnes’ persistence, they phoned Mrs. MacConaty, who responded, “Well, how did you know that we were planning to sell? We haven’t announced it.” [18]
She explained that she had planned to retire at MacConaty Ranch, but she and her husband were getting a divorce, and the property was to be sold. “Go and talk with my business manager,” Mrs. MacConaty told them. [19]
By selling the 500-acre New Life Center, the group reasoned they could afford to purchase the 173 acres in Ojai, which came to be known as Meher Mount.
For $42,500 – or about $608,250 in today’s prices – the New Life Foundation acquired the Sulphur Mountain property on July 31, 1946. [20],[21]
The group lived there for several years, conducting retreats and other spiritual activities, and receiving many visitors. Soon afterwards, however, Alexander and Jean had some disagreement, and he moved back to New York. [22]
AGNES BARON and (unidentified woman) working in the garden at Meher Mount. The caretaker house and garage are in the background. (Photo: Meher Mount archives, late 1940s).
“Won’t you come anyway?”
Early on, Jean asked Agnes to move to Ojai with her. “Why?” Agnes responded. “I’m not committed to your Meher Baba. I’m not going to live your life.”
“Won’t you come anyway?” Jean asked. [23]
Agnes responded, “If I can be the outdoors man, and if I don’t have to commit myself. I’ll work outdoors.”
Jean said, “Alright.” And Agnes was the first one to move in.
“Well anyway,” remembered Agnes, “not being involved in any of the meetings, I tried to stay away from everything. I was just doing my own writing and outdoor work.
“I didn’t know anything about farming at the time. So, I learned how to prune fruit trees, how to run a tractor. I did all that stuff that I didn’t know before.” [24]
“I’m not interested in your Baba, why should I stay?”
AGNES BARON (left) and Margaret Craske (right), a Western disciple of Avatar Meher Baba, cutting the grass at Meher Mount. (Photo: Meher Mount Archives, 1940s)
In 1948, Jean left California to visit Meher Baba in India. [25] There were about 10 people at Meher Mount, according to Agnes, and Jean asked them all to leave. But she wanted Agnes to stay.
“I'm not interested in your Baba, why should I stay?” Agnes asked
“I want you to stay until I find out what Baba wants,” Jean countered.
“So finally, it ended up with her going away and my staying on. I was here alone, keeping this place alone.” Care of Meher Mount had thus fallen to Agnes Baron who was 45 years old at that time.
“Before she left, Jean formed a new governing board with a man who later offered to pay off the mortgage. I discovered that he had plans to build a hotel and turn the place into a psychic center!” Agnes said. [26]
Agnes wrote to Meher Baba: “If you want Meher Mount, I will keep it for you through hell, fire and damnation!”
Meher Baba replied that she should keep Meher Mount by all means, and sent me His love. [27]
And Agnes Baron remained as caretaker of Meher Mount until her death in 1994.
AUTOMOBILE used by Agnes Baron. (Photo: Meher Mount Archives, 1949)
Footnotes
[1] Agnes Baron, “Beginning,” Mandali Hall Talks. Recorded in Mandali Hall, Meherazad, India, in September 1982, accessed online on August 2, 2021.
[2] Bhau Kalchuri, Lord Meher: The Biography of Avatar of the Age Meher Baba, Online Edition, pg. 2555, accessed on October 14, 2021. © Avatar Meher Baba Perpetual Public Charitable Trust.
[3] Baron, op.cit., accessed online on August 2, 2021.
[4] Baron, ibid., accessed online on August 2, 2021.
[5] Kalchuri, ibid., pg. 2555, accessed on October 14, 2021.
[6] Baron, op.cit., accessed online on August 2, 2021.
[7] Baron, ibid., accessed online on August 2, 2021.
[8] Baron, ibid., accessed online on August 2, 2021.
[9] Jean Adriel, Letter to J.F. Rowney, J.F. Rowney Press, May 14, 1945. Department of Special Collections, Davidson Library, University of California, Santa Barbara.
[10] Baron, op.cit., accessed online on August 2, 2021.
[11] Baron, ibid., accessed online on August 2, 2021.
[12] Baron, ibid., accessed online on August 2, 2021.
[13] Baron, ibid., accessed online on August 2, 2021.
[14] “Ralphs,” Wikipedia, accessed online on October 14, 2021.
[15] Kalchuri, op.cit., pg. 2555, accessed online October 14, 2021.
[16] “Newlyweds Visit Santa Barbara,” Los Angeles Times, July 25, 1940, page 25, downloaded on July 7, 2021 from Newspapers by Ancestry.com.
[17] Baron, op.cit., accessed online on August 2, 2021.
[18] Baron, ibid., accessed online on August 2, 2021.
[19] Kalchuri, op.cit., pg. 2555, accessed online on October 14, 2021.
[20] Briefacts, Oxnard Press Courier, August 1, 1946, page 2, column 2.
[21] Grant Deed, Date Recorded 7/31/1946, Book 756, File/ID# 07560234, Page 234, Document 19460731407560234.
[22] Kalchuri, op.cit., pg. 2556, accessed online on October 14, 2021.
[23] Baron, op.cit., accessed online on August 2, 2021.
[24] Baron, ibid., accessed online on August 2, 2021.
[25] Kalchuri, op.cit., pg. 3047, accessed online on October 14, 2021.
[26] Baron, op.cit., accessed online on August 2, 2021.
[27] Kalchuri, op.cit., pg. 3047, accessed online on August 2, 2021.