8899 Orr Rd.
Galt CA
Galt Area Historical Society, Inc.
PO Box 782
Galt CA 95632
For information call (209) 745-0951
For school field trips, or for group, family or businesses looking for a nice
park setting for special events call (209) 745-1477
April 30th.
Scouts camping at the Ranch
Raising the Restored Windmill
History
Past and Future
Events Early
Engine and Tractor Show Old-Car
Festival Galt
Area Historical Society Field Trips
(premier
learning destination!) Service
Learning In
the News
Rental information and rates
Significance of the Historic McFarland Living History Ranch Project!
In 1878, John McFarland went
to the "widow's walk" on the roof of his house to survey his 3800 acre
ranch in the heart of the Sacramento Valley. He saw nothing in the distance
except waves of wheat and perhaps the Miwoks, members of a tribe of local Native
Americans, harvesting the grain. He certainly didn't see his ranch filled with
hundreds of happy, wide-eyed children who would be visiting on a field trip from
their school. He didn't know the pleasure of seeing their smiles as they would
choose a pumpkin from the great pumpkin patch, or see the look of satisfaction
as they completed making a candle from a tub of hot wax or a rope from many
longs strands of string.
In 1998, when the Galt Area
Historical Society began their project to make possible a living history ranch
on the McFarland Ranch, members of the Society had no idea what joy would come
from seeing children dressed in costume, reliving pioneer life on a farm at the
turn of the twentieth century. We really didn't have a clue how wonderful and
rewarding the effort would be.
In 2003, when the McFarland Living
History Ranch was opened on a limited basis to over 1000 nearby elementary
school children, we began to understand the significance of this historic
preservation project. Volunteers who helped during school visitation days were
amazed at the pleasure that children found in meaningful learning activities.
This wonderful project, four years in
the making, is almost complete. It needs a variety of small items to complete
the ranch. It also needs the completion of three significant structures When all
is completed, the McFarland Living History Ranch will open its gates to school
children and families from Woodland to the north, to Modesto to the south. As
many as 500,000 children may be served throughout a given year.
We need the support of foundations
and grants programs that have the goal of service to the youth of Northern
California, especially those in the Sacramento Valley.
If such a program as this meets your
criteria, we ask for application material so that we may submit a complete
proposal.
Eugenia Olson, Funding Chairman