| | Published July 20th, 2011
| Historical Society Tells Hacienda's Story with Pictures
| | By Sophie Braccini |  | | Parks and Recreation staff Kimberley Nelson and Jay Ingram with antique pictures of the Hacienda
Photo Sophie Braccini
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Even in a town as young as Moraga, there are historical stories to be told. The Hacienda de las Flores is one of the places where history meets romance and the past can come to life.
The Hacienda was built in 1929 by Donald Rheem, son of the president of Standard Oil Company of California. When the Town purchased the Hacienda in 1973, for $343,750, it came with archives - including a pictorial history of the land and the building going back to 1857, when Jesse Hall William bought the 160-acre lot from Jose de Jesus Moraga. "The pictures were hanging in the hall of the Hacienda, but they were not framed properly and there was no explanation (of what the pictures depicted)," says Moraga Parks and Recreation Director Jay Ingram, who turned to the Moraga Historical Society for help.
"We decided to frame the pictures and do the research for the plaques that explain the history of the property," says Historical Society Recording Secretary Susan Sperry, "Historical Society co-archivist Margaret DePriester had records from when the Town bought the Hacienda, and she had written a history of the property at the time."
The pictures are mounted in six groups of a few pictures each and the plaques below tell the story. They are hung on a wall in the main corridor of the Hacienda de las Flores, which is located at 2100 Donald Drive in Moraga. The images tell of hard working pioneers as well as elegant parties in the mansion of an oil magnate. The display is open to the public.
For information about the Moraga Historical Society go to: http://www.moragahistory.org/.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA