Work begins to bring home ranch back to life

As work continues to preserve the Dangberg Home Ranch, officials are working with residents to determine just what the agricultural park will look like.

Steve Weaver of the Nevada Division of State Parks called the home ranch one of the most significant and intact examples of 19th-century ranch life in the state.

H.F. Dangberg Sr. founded the ranch in the 1850s and built an empire that encompassed a large portion of Carson Valley by the time of his death in 1904. His son, H.F. Dangberg Jr., founded the town of Minden in 1906 on land owned by the family.

The last of the Dangberg granddaughters died in 1995, long after the property had sold to other interests. However, the home ranch was preserved as a site for a potential park.

At present, the site located off Highway 88 just south of Douglas High School, consists of 5.5 acres surrounded by a ranch operated by the Park Cattle Co.

Having a working cattle ranch surrounding the park will enhance the experience.

"It's almost like you're going back in time," said David Morrow, administrator of the Nevada Division of State Parks. Morrow addressed about three dozen interested residents at a Nov. 15 meeting held in Minden's CVIC Hall.

The plan at present is to rebuild the Dangberg purebred barn to serve as storage for the items collected from the home and as a welcome center for visitors. It would also house the bathrooms.

After passing through the barn, visitors would be directed along the north side of the property to the gates to the ranch located on the northeast corner.

At present plans are to have docent-guided tours of the home, which will remain on the first floor for the time being.

Karen Krieger who is working on the inventory said the goal is to be able to look up any of the 18,802 items in the collection, know exactly where it came from and replace it where it was.

Suzanne Sturtevant, who supervises both Mormon Station State Historic Park and the home ranch said working on the ranch has been a struggle with nature in the form of mice, skunks and bees.

She said one elm and two crabapple trees may be 100 years old. Because the trees are old and haven't been maintained, they are in some cases shedding limbs. One limb came down on the house further damaging the roof and causing some water damage inside.

"We're working with an arborist to trim trees so we'll minimize the damage to the house," she said.

Sturtevant said the Dangberg sisters used to grow prize-winning roses they would enter in the Nevada State Fair.

"We plan to work with master gardeners to restore the peonies and roses," she said.

State officials began work on the ranch this fall and plan to finish in 2007. The inventory of artifacts will also be due for completion in 2007.

Work on the Home Ranch is being paid for using $2 million in state recreation funds.