Rancho Santa Fe (Images of America)

Nestled amongst a forest of eucalyptus trees and hidden behind private gates are the beautiful homes of the ultra-successful: CEO s of major corporations, sports celebrities, movie stars, musicians, politicians, and astronauts. This exclusive community is Rancho Santa Fe, and it is truly the town the railroad built. Though it began as a failed attempt to grow lumber for its railroad ties, the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway soon transformed the area into an exclusive community offering "gentlemen's estates." Among the first to sign on were Hollywood's reigning couple, Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford. Santa Fe officials hired the best engineers, architects, landscape architects, and naturalists to affect a utopian community. It was not long before Rancho Santa Fe was home to celebrities such as Bing Crosby, Howard Hughes, and astronaut Wally Schirra.