County Open Space Authority sells 38 acres of land for $1.1
million
Morgan Hill – Historic Jackson Ranch and its 38 acres of beautiful open land have changed proprietor’s hands.
The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved the $1.1 million purchase of the ranch, located on the east side of Anderson Reservoir on East Dunne Avenue, for use as a county park and interpretive center.
“This historic jewel is an important addition to the Santa Clara County park system and we look forward to restoring the glory of this ranch for the public to enjoy,” said Lisa Killough, director of the Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department, in a statement Wednesday.
“Jackson Ranch personifies Santa Clara County history,” said Santa Clara County Supervisor Don Gage, in a press release. “This is an exciting opportunity for the county to preserve a slice of life from an important early California pioneering family.”
The deal marks the end of a nearly 20-year-old arrangement whereby the County Parks and Recreation Department leased the 38-acre property free-of-charge from the California Pioneers of Santa Clara County, a statewide non-profit organization that inherited the land in the 1980s.
Over the past 18 years, the county has pitched in $600,000 to restore the ranch’s 1904 Victorian house that was heavily damaged in an earthquake in 1984.
It wasn’t the first time the old house moved. Prior to the construction of the Anderson Reservoir in 1950, the state exercised eminent domain to have the house relocated on the property. The move is rumored to have resulted in bitter feelings toward government on the part of Jackson Ranch heirs. Ironically, they may now be pleased county government is taking charge in honoring their wishes of maintaining the ranch as a historical site.
For some time, the county had been considering purchasing the ranch to preserve it, said Jerry Rosenthal, president of the California Pioneers of Santa Clara County. He said proceeds from the sale would allow his organization to refurbish a historic house located in San Jose’s History Park for use as a museum.
Some of Gladys Jackson’s – one of the ranch’s last living heirs – possessions will be on display at the new museum when it opens, hopefully in August, Rosenthal said. Items will include a German grand piano that “came around the Horn in 1852” and riding gear that belonged to her ancestors.
“We have all of Mrs. Jackson’s stuff in storage,” Rosenthal said. “When the building (in San Jose) is completed, we will have a wonderful place to display it.”
Rosenthal said Jackson Ranch was once part of a much larger ranch belonging to the Cochrane family, early settlers to the region, providing dramatic evidence of the old pioneer economy. He said the land operated as a cattle ranch and an orchard for growing prunes and apricots.
“It’s priceless,” he said of the ranch’s educational value. “You can’t put a value on things that are that old and in decent condition. Where else are people going to be able to visit with things that old and gain any kind of appreciation (for local history)?”
The Santa Clara County Open Space Authority is acting as “middle man” in the ranch’s transaction. Earlier this year the Authority – which is not technically part of the county’s government – agreed to hold the ranch in escrow while waiting for the county to approve funding.
Patrick Congdon, general manager of the Santa Clara County Open Space Authority, said the deal means the land stands a greater chance of being preserved. While praising the work of California Pioneers of Santa Clara County, he said non-profits are more susceptible to financial hardships that could cause them to liquefy their assets quickly.
“It’s nice because that ranch will always be park land,” he said. “Potentially, someone could have put in a bed-and-breakfast there, or something like that, and it would have only been a benefit to a select few and the property owner. But now it provides an opportunity for folks to see a home that existed during the historic ranching period, prior to the development of the Silicon Valley.”
Still, folks could face a five-year wait before the ranch house – currently closed to the public – opens its doors to school groups and guests. Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department Director Killough said first a new water system needs to be installed, and it could cost the county $250,000 or more. Only then will new parks staff be assigned to the house.
Tony Burchyns covers Santa Clara County for The Times. Reach him at (408) 779-4106 or at tb*******@mo*************.com.
