It was a surprise visit when this perky lady dropped by to say hello and reminisce about her years growing up in Topanga. Margot “Bay� Barton Alexander is the last surviving sibling of the Barton family. Retired, Bay now lives in Santa Barbara. Her son, Bill, and his wife, Julie, drove through Topanga recently and decided to take a nostalgic look at the old Barton School location. They were surprised to find the original buildings intact, and trees planted “way back when� still standing on the property. When Bay learned that one of her best friends, Rose Wiley, still lived just up the road, the two women were able to meet and enjoy telling stories of the good old days. The Barton School was founded by Sven Hildor and Marguerite Arnold Barton in 1932. As a boarding school, students were dropped off for the academic year. Way ahead of its time, this unique education involved strict academic disciplines and also provided the year-round opportunity for students to learn how to milk cows, gather eggs, hoe potatoes, machine shop and metal working, and many other hands-on skills needed for a self-sufficient life. All vegetables were organic, as were the chickens and eggs. Much of this produce was sold to local health food stores. The Barton School operated until 1948 when the Barton’s retired and moved on. A full history of the Barton School is covered in “The Topanga Story.� (Available from the Topanga Historical Society, Facebook.com/TopangaHistoricalSociety) The property was sold to Betty Lee Morales and John T. Clark, who owned Organicville in downtown LA. At the time it was the largest health food store in the U.S. Betty Lee named the Topanga property Eden Ranch as it is still known today.