Fallbrook Remembers: The American Ostrich Company

FALLBROOK – When the Titanic sank in 1912, the most valuable cargo on board was ostrich feathers. Only diamonds were worth more by weight then. Stylish Victorian ladies wore hats, boas and shoes adorned with exotic African ostrich feathers and flirted behind plumed fans.

Today, Fallbrook residents pass by the abandoned Ostrich Creek Bridge hidden in trees at Overland Trail at the south end of town. It spans Ostrich Creek, named for one of the town's earliest industries. Yes, there was an ostrich farm in Bonsall.

In 1883, E.J. Johnson bought 23 ostriches in South Africa for $1,000 per pair and brought them by ship to live on 80 acres in Mount Fairview, which is now called Bonsall.

Wing feathers were plucked every nine months and each ostrich yielded about 1 1/4 pounds of plumes per year. The best quality feathers sold for $250 per pound. Plucking the huge birds was a dangerous job though, as the ostriches resented the harvest.

Excited neighbors bought tickets to visit the farm and see the creatures in person.

The birds thrived in the local climate, and in 1887, Johnson opened a branch farm with 13 birds at Coronado. In addition to their feathers, the ostriches were a promotional attraction that brought visitors to the site of the Hotel Del Coronado which opened the following year.

Fashions change, and the market for plumes plunged around 1914. Women entered the workforce in World War I wearing nurses caps and rode in Model-T Fords topped with wind-resistant bonnets instead of fancy plumage.

It is said that Johnson sold his flock to a ranch in Hawaii.

The Fallbrook Historical Society is dedicated to preserving and sharing local history, like the ostrich story.

For more information, visit http://www.fallbrookhistoricalsociety.org.

Submitted by Fallbrook Historical Society.