Twaddle-Pedroli Ranch
Encyclopedia
The Twaddle-Pedroli Ranch, also known as the Jackson-Harp Ranch, Rand Property and the Wilson Commons Ranch, was purchased by John Twaddle in 1869 for $5,000. The ranch, several miles to the north of Franktown, Nevada and adjacent to the Bowers Mansion
, was then known as the Sturtevant Ranch. The property amounted to 630 acre (255 ha).
John Twaddle sold the ranch in 1885 to the brothers Stefano and Anselmo Pedroli for $3,000. The Pedrolis were Swiss
born Italian speakers who had worked as cattlemen in the Washoe Valley
. After buying out Anselmo, Stefano developed a dairy business, shipping fresh milk and cheese to miners working the Comstock Lode
. Pedroli's son, William, took over the ranch on Stefano's death in 1924.
On July 7, 1943, Eleanor Roosevelt
visited the ranch while on a walk with her friend Gertrude Pratt
, who was passing a period of residency at the Tumbling DW Ranch in order to obtain a divorce.
The Pedroli Ranch passed in 1948 to Harp Brothers, Inc. and was managed by John Jackson. The Willson/Rand family then owned the property from 1956 to 1986. In danger of commercial development, the property was purchased by the Washoe County Parks Department in 1986, under the stipulation that it be known as the Wilson-Commons Ranch., and became a county park. The park comprises only 25 acre (10.1 ha), with 5 acre (2 ha) comprising the historic core of the ranch.
The structures do not include the main ranch house, which did not retain significant historic integrity and was demolished in 1998. Remaining structures include a horse barn, chicken house, dairy house, bunk house, tack house, and a privy, constructed by the Works Progress Administration
in 1938-39 as part of the Nevada Fly-proof Privy Program. Several corrals also remain.
The property was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 2000.
Bowers Mansion
The Bowers Mansion, located between Reno and Carson City, Nevada, was built in 1863 by Lemuel "Sandy" Bowers and his wife, Eilley, and is a prime example of the homes built in Nevada by the new millionaires of the Comstock Lode mining boom....
, was then known as the Sturtevant Ranch. The property amounted to 630 acre (255 ha).
John Twaddle sold the ranch in 1885 to the brothers Stefano and Anselmo Pedroli for $3,000. The Pedrolis were Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
born Italian speakers who had worked as cattlemen in the Washoe Valley
Washoe Valley, Nevada
Washoe Valley, Nevada is a geographical region in the United States covering sixty-six square miles in southern Washoe County in the state of Nevada. Located between Reno and Carson City, it is named for the Washoe people, Native Americans who lived there before the arrival of Europeans...
. After buying out Anselmo, Stefano developed a dairy business, shipping fresh milk and cheese to miners working the Comstock Lode
Comstock Lode
The Comstock Lode was the first major U.S. discovery of silver ore, located under what is now Virginia City, Nevada, on the eastern slope of Mount Davidson, a peak in the Virginia Range. After the discovery was made public in 1859, prospectors rushed to the area and scrambled to stake their claims...
. Pedroli's son, William, took over the ranch on Stefano's death in 1924.
On July 7, 1943, Eleanor Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt
Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was the First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945. She supported the New Deal policies of her husband, distant cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and became an advocate for civil rights. After her husband's death in 1945, Roosevelt continued to be an international...
visited the ranch while on a walk with her friend Gertrude Pratt
Trude Lash
Trude Lash, formerly Gertrude Pratt, née Wenzel was a student activist alleged to have had covert relationships with Soviet intelligence agencies....
, who was passing a period of residency at the Tumbling DW Ranch in order to obtain a divorce.
The Pedroli Ranch passed in 1948 to Harp Brothers, Inc. and was managed by John Jackson. The Willson/Rand family then owned the property from 1956 to 1986. In danger of commercial development, the property was purchased by the Washoe County Parks Department in 1986, under the stipulation that it be known as the Wilson-Commons Ranch., and became a county park. The park comprises only 25 acre (10.1 ha), with 5 acre (2 ha) comprising the historic core of the ranch.
The structures do not include the main ranch house, which did not retain significant historic integrity and was demolished in 1998. Remaining structures include a horse barn, chicken house, dairy house, bunk house, tack house, and a privy, constructed by the Works Progress Administration
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
in 1938-39 as part of the Nevada Fly-proof Privy Program. Several corrals also remain.
The property was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2000.
External links
- Photographs of the Twaddle-Pedroli Ranch at the National Park Service's NRHP database