Free Republic

Two of the three paintings, visible to guests and millions of tourists at Hearst Castle since 1935, will be returned Friday to the heirs of the rightful owners, both of whom died during the war, one in the death camp at Auschwitz. The shocking discovery, made after a lawyer for the heirs filed a claim with the California State Parks, is yet another reminder of the scope of Jewish persecution during World War II. "Never in a million years did I think anything like this would cross my desk," said Brad Torgan, the former general counsel for the state parks...

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - One of the largest land conservation deals in California history became final Friday when the state and two private groups closed escrow on a $95 million agreement to preserve the nearly pristine stretch of coastal rangeland that surrounds Hearst Castle. Nearly all the 82,000-acre Hearst Ranch about 200 miles north of Los Angeles will remain undeveloped, while 13 miles of coastline that has been privately held for generations will transfer to the state for public access, according to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's office. "The landscape and the coastline will remain pristine," said Nita Vail, executive director of...

SAN SIMEON – It's one of the most stunning chunks of waterfront real estate in California. Largely unpaved, unwired, unpiped and untouched by the public, it is home to zebras, and seals the size of Hummers, and carries the enduring stamp of an American icon. The Hearst Ranch is believed to be the largest undeveloped, privately owned property on the coast. "We think it's as special as they come," said Stephen Hearst, 47, the great-grandson of newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst, who inherited land that his father bought in the 1860s and was the force behind the famed Hearst Castle....