Kenwood: Tracing Sugarloaf’s history

Lying in the northeast section of Sugarloaf Ridge State Park is land rich with ecological diversity and historical significance. The 630-acre property known as Stern Ranch has long been off limits to park visitors, but thanks to a graduate student in archaeology, that could soon change.

In collaboration with the California State Parks, Sonoma State University and Team Sugarloaf, the nonprofit group that manages Sugarloaf, Lacey Klopp has undertaken a detailed study of the Stern Ranch property. She expects her report to be completed early next year, including the ranch’s history and results of a land survey she conducted to document human impact and various landscape features. The report, her master’s thesis, will help form the basis of a park management plan.

“Archaeological sites and environmentally sensitive areas can be very vulnerable,” Klopp said. “It’s important to know what they are and where they are located so they can be managed for the safety and enjoyment of park visitors. For example, there are remains of buildings, structures, ranch equipment and domestic items related to early settlement.”

The project stems from Klopp’s fond memories of hiking with her grandfather.

“We hiked trails my grandpa cleared when he worked with the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) during the Depression,” she said. “It was wonderful. That’s when I thought of doing something that would help open this land in Sugarloaf for the enjoyment of hikers. My final report will include recommendations for trails and possible campsites.”

Klopp, 29, grew up in the Sacramento area, received her bachelor’s degree in anthropology from Sacramento State and is doing post-graduate work at Sonoma State University. “I don’t want to do science just for science sake,” she said. “I want my work to have tangible benefits for the public.”

Klopp’s focus is landscape archaeology, so she approached Stern Ranch as if it were an immense outdoor laboratory. “Landscape archaeology is the study of how land changes over time due to cultural influences,” Klopp said. “The landscape in Stern Ranch represents broad processes that played out throughout the past, with Euro-American settlement beginning in Sugarloaf around the 1860s.”

Using a topographic map and a GPS navigating device, Klopp led a small team of fellow students who walked the entire region. “There are no roads or trails in the area, so we just spread out in a line and hiked, making observations and detailed investigations of what we encountered.”

It was rough going. Located at the base of the ?Mayacamas, the hilly terrain is thick with chaparral and manzanita. Steep ravines and deep gullies ?slowed the survey work, but Klopp and her crew pressed on.

“Field study can be tough,” said Klopp, who keeps in shape with regular weight training. “But that’s what I love about archaeology. If you want to do the science you have to do it on the ground.”

During the survey, she noted the location of clearings suitable for campsites and stands of shady pine trees that hikers would enjoy. But it was the discovery of remnants of drainage systems and irrigation pipelines that most interested her. This was clear evidence of how the landscape had been altered by ranching and farming activities that started in 1870.

According to Klopp’s historical research, the property’s first owner was Thomas Peugh, a prosperous farmer from Ohio. The property was called Peugh’s Mountain Ranch.

In 1884, it was sold to Howard Carpenter and John Gilcrest, who grazed horses, raised cattle and planted vineyards. Klopp discovered evidence that the ranch remained in operation until at least the 1920s and included the cultivation of prunes, olives and apricots. The farmhouse, barn and outbuildings still stand. A rusting wagon sits under a fallen shed.

The property became known as Stern Ranch in 1970 when Carl and Marjorie Stern bought the land to protect it from development. Over the years, Marjorie Stern, a well-known San Francisco philanthropist, donated sections to the park. The couple’s sons gifted the final portion in 2007.

For close to a century, the landscape of Stern Ranch remained much as it once was. However, Klopp did discover that a section has undergone recent change due to, as she puts it, “cultural influences.”

“We were doing our survey that day, just walking the grid as usual, taking notes,” she said. “Then we came to a clearing and there it was - a huge pot garden. It was definitely a shock.” After getting a fix on the location, she and her crew backed out of the area and notified park authorities.

“It was a sophisticated operation,” park manager John Roney said. “There were 500 marijuana plants, all in neat rows and each with its own drip system. It took a lot of work, and it must have been done at night. No one knew it was there until Lacey discovered it.”

An eradication team from the Sheriff’s Office was called in to destroy the plants, and Sugarloaf volunteers cleaned up the site.

Since starting this project a year and a half ago, Klopp has received a huge response from the community. She has spoken to several local historical societies and five Native American tribes have expressed keen interest in her project.

“Although not extensive, I did find evidence of Native American land use on the property. Obviously, people have been living in this area for thousands of years.

“This place is very special to a lot of different people,” she said. “I hope my work inspires more people to appreciate the historical significance of this land and its natural beauty.”