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timesofindia.indiatimes.com · DistrictNews · 2026-08-31

In 1940, actor James Cagney bought hundreds of acres of California grassland

In 1940, actor James Cagney bought hundreds of acres of California grassland. Over the following decades, portions were sold, leaving 417 acres. Conservation groups saw the remaining large parcels as opportunities to keep those connections intact rather than allowing the landscape to become increasingly fragmented. In 2003, after years of negotiations, the Nature Conservancy purchased the former Cagneys' property for $2.7 million. For decades, the grasslands outside Ramona, California, looked much as they had for generations: open country, seasonal pools and wide stretches of native vegetation broken by grazing land. As reported by the local news report, The San Diego Union-Tribune, among the people who once owned part of this landscape was Hollywood actor James Cagney, who acquired hundreds of acres in the area with his brother William during the 1940s.

Why it matters. Why it matters: In 1940, actor James Cagney bought hundreds of acres of California grassland.

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