P. O. BOX 782, GALT CA 95632
(209) 745-0951
Http://galthistory.org
When the Society began this project in 1997, it was agreed that a McFarland Advisory Committee be established, and they would give a report to the members at the beginning of each year as we progressed. This report is given as a written report so that all members, those who attend meetings and those who don’t, have an opportunity to see what has been accomplished. We hope that you will be pleased with how much has been done and how close to finish we are.
We are beginning to get more children visiting the ranch, (over 3000, in 2006 – one school from Milpitas this year.) and more groups reserving the ranch for special occasions. This year we had our first wedding at the ranch. We moved the annual Old-Car Festival to the McFarland Ranch, and it was a most successful move. The grounds leant themselves to the festival and provided the ambiance that was missing at Harvey Park. We also held the Country Crafter’s Faire, the Antique Tractor and Gas Engine Show, Kite Day at the Ranch, and our 20th Anniversary Dinner.
As we move forward with the restoration of the house and the building of the barn, our need for funding and volunteer labor has increased, so we are asking members to step up to the plate and offer in whatever capacity you can. These last years will be the hardest. We will need everyone's positive support to help complete the work. Once these two buildings are done, the ranch restoration will be complete.
As you read this report, please note that the budget page has shrunk, and the funding page and in-kind list have grown. Be sure to read the list of accomplishments, and when you get a chance, give the man who has guided us through this project, Ron Jacobson a big "Thank you!" Ron has given so much to this project, and he has not taken a penny for all that he has done. We are indebted to him for keeping the project on target and moving forward in a responsible manner.
The MAC committee extends its thanks to those members who have given many volunteer hours to help, and to those who have given donations to help the project move forward. Your support and encouragement has meant a great deal to the Society and to the McFarland Advisory Committee as we have worked together to reach the goal of finishing the restoration work at the McFarland Ranch.
Our major historic preservation project needs our support. Only we can make this historic dream come true and preserve the irreplaceable!
Each year the Society shares information about this project with new members and with those who know little or nothing about the McFarland Living History Ranch Project. What follows is a review of the reason and purpose behind the project.
The members of the Galt Area Historical Society, Inc. are the keepers of local historic artifacts and information. Seldom is an organization such as ours given the opportunity to preserve a site as historically significant as the McFarland Ranch is to local history. The citizens of Galt are fortunate that the Sacramento County Department of Regional Parks, Recreation, and Open Space turned to the Galt Area Historical Society, Inc. to save and preserve the McFarland Ranch, rather than demolish the home and farm buildings to make the ranch a golf course.
We have been given the opportunity to restore and preserve a portion (35 acres) of the pioneer ranch of John McFarland who played a significant role in our city’s history. He’s the man who gave the city of Galt its name. He was an extremely successful grain farmer, at one time owning 3800 acres of farm land in the area. His hobby was photography, and we are indebted to him for some of the earliest pictures of Galt and its citizens.
The preservation of this historic site is now up to the Society. Our goal is to make the McFarland Ranch a place where people from all over Northern California will come to visit a pioneer, living history ranch. It is a challenge!
When the McFarland Living History Ranch is completed, it will include a pioneer ranch house, a bunkhouse, a carriage house, a metal shop, a tank house, a privy, a washhouse, a barn, a chicken coop, animal pens, and a demonstration area where children and adult visitors may learn about early pioneer animal husbandry, folk dancing, musical instruments, and pioneer children's games and songs. There will be farm animals to feed, corn to husk, eggs to gather, and vegetables and fruit to plant, harvest, and prepare for eating.
A Youth Activities Center has been set aside outside the history zone for boys and girls to use for their special group events. Special activities are being planned for families, adult groups, and, of course, for school tours. This year, for the first time, a wedding was held at McFarland. The bride arrived in a horse and buggy! The reception and the wedding were beautifully set among the trees around the farmhouse and lawn. More of these kinds of events will be happening in the future.
For four years, we have had students visiting on a limited basis, and we have averaged 2,000 children a year. In the year 2006, we averaged 3,000 student visitors from Galt and Elk Grove. It is possible that over 50,000 children could visit the McFarland Living History Ranch annually, once it is in complete operation.
The planning for the McFarland Living History Ranch is being done by the McFarland Advisory Committee (MAC). It is comprised of members of the Galt Area Historical Society, who bring to the planning process a variety of backgrounds, knowledge, and expertise. They work as an arm of the Society's Executive Board, and share major concerns and decision-making issues with them. When the Ranch is completed and ready to open its gates to the general public, a McFarland Ranch Program Coordinator will be appointed by the Executive Board.
Before the ranch is fully "user friendly", every building must be restored or rebuilt to look as it did in McFarland's time, and must be structurally sound. There are two buildings left to restore, the home and the barn The home takes longer because so much exterior and interior “gingerbread” must be restored. Small, detail work takes longer.
The plan is to do as much as possible to make the ranch usable as quickly as possible so that income can be generated from visitations and special events. This will make the ranch, slowly but surely, self-supporting. The MAC knows that no work can be done unless there are funds for that particular part of the project. Working with donations from foundation grants, the State, the County of Sacramento, the City of Galt, and private individuals, they have accomplished much already. There is still much to do, so they are prioritizing the work ahead.
Because we have moved along well, the MAC members agreed that 2006 was a good time to review what was accomplished and assess what needs have arisen because of the new tasks that have developed since our simple beginnings. Together with the representative from the Sacramento County, Jill Ritzman, the committee reviewed and assessed the ranch work and created a new flowchart of responsibilities. In doing so, the committee added two more members and put to use the expertise of the committee members to relieved some of the workload from the shoulders of Restoration Project Director, Ron Jacobson. The MAC is now realistically assessing the usage and care for the ranch after the restoration work is done. They want to be ready when visitors come on a regular basis.
Ron Jacobson- Contractor & rancher - Retired Gary Berreth- Galt City Maintenance Supervisor & rancher - Retired Maureen Olsen- Galt Elementary School District GATE Coordinator Ida Denier- Galt Elementary School District Principal - Retired Liz Aguire- Galt City Clerk Eugenia Olson- Galt High School Teacher/Administrator-Retired John Durand- Galt Elementary School District “Reach” Coordinator Scott Lethbridge Law Enforcement Officer, Rancher - Retired Jeff Jennings Galt Elementary School Dist. Superintendent - Retired
Each member of the MAC has accepted the responsibility for some of the work that has developed as the McFarland Living History Ranch Project has evolved. Below is a list of the MAC members and their specific task areas:
1. RESTORATION & PRESERVATION – RON JACOBSON
2. EDUCATION – JOHN DURAND
3. PROGRAMS AND RESERVATIONS – IDA DENIER
4. GROUNDS AND MAINTENANCE – GARY BERRETH
5. YOUTH ACTIVITY CENTER – SCOTT LETHBRIDGE
6. GRANTS & FUNDING – GENIE OLSON
7. GALT CITY LAISON – LIZ AGUIRE
8. REACH PROJECT COORDINATOR – JOHN DURAND
9. FUTURE PLANNING COORDINATOR – JEFF JENNINGS
The Resource Committee for the MAC provides added expertise as needed. Members of this committee are sought out at different times as their particular area of expertise is needed. They are as follows:
Charlene Orr Hayenga Walters- John McFarland's great grand niece Hugh Mooney- Chairman, Galt High School Agriculture Dept. Joyce & Tom Dozier- Miwok descendants/representatives Billie Elliston- Miwok Descendant/representative Adrian Vermeltfoort- Building Contractor, retired Mike Eaton- The Nature Conservancy, rep./Delta Project Dir. Al Baldwin- Galt citizen at large Earl Geiger Rancher - Retired Jill Ritzman Sacramento County Parks, Recreation, Rep.
To accomplish our goal, we will still need to raise $301,000 ($110,300 if we get enough volunteer help!) because the most expensive part of our restoration project is ahead - - the completion of restoration of the home of John McFarland and the re-creation of the barn. This will be accomplished in the same manner as we did for the Rae House Museum, by seeking cash donations, and foundation and corporate grants. There will be fund-raising events sponsored by the Society and by local service organizations throughout our community. To keep expenses down, volunteers will help work on the project.
To date, we have raised a grand total of $714,170.80. Of that amount, $246,090.80 has been raised in donations of volunteer time and of material and of equipment. The Galt Area Historical Society, Inc. has always been able to keep expenses down thanks to the work of our volunteers. The more folks give hours of donated work, the less cash we spend, so volunteerism is a must for the success of a preservation project such as this. The Budget Page clearly illustrates the significant difference when volunteers help. Without volunteer efforts from our society members and Galt citizens, we could not afford such an ambitious historic preservation project.
We have has been working on the McFarland Living History Ranch Project for seven years. Listed below, are our accomplishments to date:
1. A contract was negotiated and signed between the Galt Area Historical
Society, Inc. and the Sacramento County Department of Regional Parks,
Recreation, and Open Space.
2. A Master Site Plan was written by Jones and
Stokes Consultants, paid for by Sacramento County Department of Regional Parks,
Recreation, and Open Space.
3. The EPA, DERA, and CQUA studies were done by
Jones and Stokes and were approved, paid for by Sacramento County Department of
Regional Parks, Recreation, and Open Space.
4. All debris from the old barn and
the weeds and underbrush was cleared through the efforts of volunteer members.
5. A parking lot and a new access road were created outside the history zone.
6.
The caretaker’s home was purchased and put in place. The caretaker is in
residence.
7. Fencing was put up with the help of community and church service
groups.
8. Security lighting was installed throughout the area.
9. All trash and
hazardous material was hauled away thanks to the help of volunteers and the
Sacramento County Department of Regional Parks, Recreation, and Open Space.
10. The McFarland home was fumigated for termites, paid for by Sacramento County
Department of Regional Parks, Recreation, and Open Space.
11. The McFarland home
had all asbestos siding removed and taken away, paid for by Sacramento County
Department of Regional Parks, Recreation, and Open Space.
12. The original
blueprints of the home were found by McFarland’s great, grand-niece, Charlene Hayenga Walters, and a copy is being used as the guideline for the restoration
of the home.
13. New water lines and a new septic tank were installed to prepare
for the building of the handicapped-accessible restroom facility.
14. The old
termite-ridden walls of the ranch hand’s shack were torn down, and the area
fumigated for termites to prepare for the restoration of the bunkhouse.
15. All
necessary County fees have been either waived or paid for.
16. John Durand,
mentor teacher in the Galt Elementary School District, received a three-year
renewable $150,000 Service Learning Grant which has freed him from the classroom
to hold teachers’ in-service meetings, to plan curriculum activities, and to
initiate and evaluate student visitations of over 1000 elementary school
children annually since 2001. This grant was renewed in 2004. He received a
“Reach” grant in 2006.
17. A “Teacher’s Handbook” has been created by John
Durand to help teachers prepare for visits.
18. The Ranch is becoming “user
friendly”, so elementary school children are visiting McFarland Ranch on a
limited basis until all work is completed. (2000 visited in 2005 from Galt and
Elk Grove)
19. The restoration of the carriage house structure is complete.
20.
The restoration of the metal shop structure is complete
21. The chicken coop and
yard are restored, and there are chickens living there.
22. An education
committee has been established to create a list of planned student activities
and events that will be suitable for the historic integrity of the Ranch. John
Durand chairs that committee.
23. Workshops for parents and teachers have been
provided to prepare them for the activities at the McFarland Ranch on the day
the children visit.
24. Charlene Walters has donated some of the original
McFarland furniture which she had in storage.
25. The public restroom facility
has been built and is complete.
26. The McFarland home has been submitted as a
State Historic Register candidate. Final review is pending the completion of the
restoration work.
27. The washhouse and the privy are finished.
28. The roof of
the McFarland home has been stripped, repaired and replaced with new shingles.
29. The “widow’s watch” has been built and replaced on the roof of the McFarland
home.
30. Over 190 oak trees have been planted.
31. The tank house is complete.
The windmill is in place.
32. The bunkhouse is completed, and being used for a
small classroom for the present.
33. $62,000 of lumber was donated in 2003 by
Sacramento County Board of Supervisors. This seasoned lumber from old bridges
will be used to build the barn, and has already been milled for use on fences
and on the house.
34. The windows have been replaced and installed on the
McFarland home. The trim and sills are almost all in place. 35. The siding has
been replaced on the exterior of the McFarland home.
36. The walnut orchard has
been leveled and the lawn has been seeded for the picnic area. An automatic
sprinkler system was installed.
37. A 4-acre area has been set aside outside of
the historic zone to be used as a youth activity area for Scouts and other
groups to have over-night camping activities. The plan was submitted and
approved by the Sacramento County Department of Parks, Recreation, and Open
Space.
38. The new “Youth Activity Center” is being planned for open-air seating
for nature preservation demonstrations and learning experiences provided by The
Nature Conservancy.
39. The McFarland Home is currently getting the two porches
restored and the interior walls restored to their original places.
40. The
flagpole has been installed and a flag is now flying at the entrance.
41. A sign
indicating the ranch site has been installed at the entrance to the McFarland
Living History Ranch
42. All interior electrical wiring has been updated.
43. All
interior plumbing has been updated.
44. Heating and air has been installed.
45.
The Youth Activity Center has received enough funding to complete the project.
46. The tank house is getting shelving to house the teaching equipment needed for
school visits.
At this point, we have embarked on the most time-and-money consuming part of the McFarland Living History Ranch Project. We must work on two major structures. We must rebuild the barn, and we must return the McFarland House to its turn-of-the-20th-Century ambiance. The house is well under way for completion, the barn will have to wait for next year. Much of the lumber has been provided for these buildings, but hardware, plumbing, electrical wiring, and structural rebar will be a big expense. Furthermore, when we work on the barn, we must first move the current metal building so that the barn can be placed in its proper site historically..
The house takes the longest, but we are making progress The upstairs will be ready for painting and interior decorating will begin by March. The speed of our progress depends upon funding and volunteers!
THE RANCH: COST: Volunteer No Labor Volunteers
Build Animal Pens
500
1,000
Build Barn
70,000
250,000
Landscaping
2,000
5,000
Equipment for Children with Special Needs
45,000
______
_______
$ 72,500
$,301,000
THE HOME:
Roof the Front and Back Porches
5,000
15,000
Paint Exterior
8,000
18,000
Replace Linoleum Flooring
7,000
17,000
Paint walls** and Wallpaper Interior
10,000
15,000
Finish Upstairs Bedrooms
7,000
10,000
Refinish Sewing Room Floor
800
2,000
Handicapped Accessibility (Where Possible)
60,000
_______
______
$ 37,800
$137,000
TOTAL WORK BUDGET $ 110,300 $428,000
* This column indicates the cost of the project work including labor as well as material and includes workman’s compensation where applicable. ** This includes the refinishing of all the wood trim on the door frames, window casings, and the staircase banister.
IN-KIND DONATIONS
Land Leveling (John Henke), Survey of Land
St. Luke’s Church (1800’s Organ)
Sacramento Stucco Company (Plastic Covers for Lumber)
Donated “Weed eater”
Pearson’s Ready-Mix Concrete
Benson’s Fence Company
Volunteer Work Hours $116,137.50
Sacramento Tree Foundation
Roof Rangers
Lumber from County Bridge Project (Sacto. County) 62,000
Galt ACE Hardware
Surveying for Parking Lot and Mobile Home
CA State Auto Association (Volunteer Labor)
Mormon Church Members (Volunteer Labor)
Knights of Columbus (Volunteer Workers)
Benson’s Fence Company (Post Hole Digger)
Richard & Cheryl Best (Flint & Walling Model 24 Windmill)
Charlene Walters (Original McFarland Furniture)
Emerald Park Company (Cement Work)
Vermeltfoort Construction Co. (Snorkel Lift & Forklift Usage)
Shawn Smith (Roseville Beeman)
Dave Huisman (Loan of Forklift & Equipment)
Muriel Conner (1867 Kitchen Scale)
J. Camilia McFarland (Spinning Wheel & Yarn)
Mike Brugh (Antique Butter Churn)
Bob Mark (Hydro-Seeding & Sprinkler Timers for South Lawn)
Ron & Maureen Olsen (1996 Ford Ranger Pickup)
Galt Machine & Welding (Repair of Windmill)
Mr. & Mrs. Jim Willette (1970 Dodge Pickup)
George & Diana Geiger (Misc. equipment)
Ronald Zerbe (Tractor & disk)
Mr. & Mrs. Rolander (trunk & travel case)
Rex Olson (Robin’s Feed-10 bales of straw)
Pat Maple (Forklift & dumpster at half cost)
Pat Maple (roofing labor)
Russell Ranch Antique Farm Equipment
TOTAL IN-KIND DONATIONS $246,090.80
GRAND TOTAL CASH DONATIONS & IN-KIND $714,170.80
FUNDING RECEIVED – 1997 TO 2006
A. Total Individual Cash Donations/Memorials 15,040
B. Organizations, Businesses and Foundations
The Gabilan Foundation 26,500
Sacramento County Board of Supervisors 90,000
Sacramento County Dept. of Parks & Recreation 91,000
Dean Witter Reynolds (Stockton Branch) 100
Farmers & Merchants Bank (Lodi Branch) 2,500
Circuit City 100 Bank of Lodi (Lodi, California) 500
AllState Insurance Company (Elk Grove Branch) 800
General Mills Corporation 35,000
L.J. Skaggs and Mary C. Skaggs Foundation 16,500
National Trust for Historic Preservation 6,000
Union Pacific Foundation 3,000
Air Products (Galt Branch) 500
Galt Country Quilters 828
Galt Rotary 975
Galt Women’s Civic Club, Inc. 1,000
P.G. & E. 2,000
Chapter SH, PEO Sisterhood (Lodi, California) 50
Ladies Auxiliary to California Pioneers 30
Lodi Historical Society 30
Lockeford Antiques 300
Rei Rebecca Lodge 1000
Arata Bros. Trust 32,500
State of California “Special Projects” 100,000
The Gannett Foundation 7,000
“Go Serv” Governor’s Office Service & Volunteerism 15,000
Building Material Distributors (Galt) 1,000
Sacramento Pioneer Association 500
Union Bank of California (Galt Branch) 3,000
The Glass Shop (Galt) 2,500 Galt Kiwanis 3,500
Galt Lady Quilters 467
Galt McDonald Manager (Charles Golding) 500
City of Galt 20,000
Wal*Mart (Lodi Branch) 1,400
Ronald McDonald House Charities 1,000
Pacific Coast Building Products 1,000
Total Cash Funding (Organizations, Business & Foundations) $468,080
Total Funding (A+B) $483,120
Although this project is not completed, it is capable of hosting families and organizations who wish to hold a special event in country surroundings. It can play host to students from many schools throughout the Sacramento Valley. As the work is completed, more activities can and will be planned.
There is no doubt that this is a most ambitious project for our society. We can all be justifiably proud of what we have achieved in historic preservation. When we are done, we will have created a pioneer ranch that will continue to educate visitors about the significance of pioneer life and agriculture and the role that it played in forming our local history and culture.
The McFarland Advisory Committee invites you to take an active part in seeing that this project is completed. Your generous donation of time volunteered or funds given will be a giant step toward the day of the Grand Opening. On that day, which is not too far off, we hope you and every member of the Society will be able to say, "I helped make this wonderful historic dream come true for my community. I saved the irreplaceable!
Since this project began, the planners have looked forward to the day when the McFarland Living History Ranch would offer a taste of history in pleasant surroundings to all who visit. The time has come! Listed below are some of the activities which are being considered. If you are interested in participating, either as a planner or as a participant, please give us a call at (209) 745-1477.
Proposed Activities
1. Kite Day and Contest
2. Heritage Day
3. History Day
4. Summer at the MAC (Student Summer Performance)
5. Business Retreats
6. School Workshops
7. Family Picnics
8. Weddings and Receptions
9. Organization Meetings and Luncheons and Dinners
10. Boy Scout Campouts
11. Girl Scout Campouts
12. Country Crafter’s Faire
13. Galt Old Car Festival
14. Antique Gas Engine & Tractor Show
15. 4H activities
16. FFA demonstrations and programs
17. Workshops for teachers, administrators, student leadership
18. Program in partnership with Galt Police, Elementary Schools for student drug
and alcohol awareness.
19, Youth docent program
Sign up today! (209) 745-1477