Spalding Ranch

Zetus And Olive Spalding Ranch. This is the first time I got a sense that these old abandoned ranch houses could have been pleasant to live in at one time. They might have been warm and cozy, I don't know.

It looked forlorn (and lonesome) from space (satellite view) but not so bad on the ground.

I reckon it would still have to be pretty lonely though...

This one had several rooms and a large fireplace.
Rodents and birds have been the main inhabitants for a long time now.
Pictured is David Shirk, Olive was his daughter. She married Zetus and they lived across the prosaically named Guano Valley from her father's ranch.

Much was made of the chimney at the Spalding Ranch. Built by Zetus, it is dry stacked "field stone" made without mortar. Perhaps that is why this place seemed a little "homier" to me. The stone is very soft and many people have carved their names into it over the years. I think that vandals tipped it over at the top, but I don't know for sure. It could have just fallen with time.

The oyster stew can is from a later day explorer. I'm having a hard time imagining what oyster stew would be like.