Wilder Ranch, 1401 Coast Road, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz County, CA

Significance: Wilder Ranch was one of the first homesteads in the Santa Cruz County region of California to embark on dairy production. It was first introduced by Jose Bolcoff, a Russian immigrant and naturalized Mexican citizen, in the 1830s at the property then known as Rancho del Refugio. Dairying continued from the 1840s to 1870s under Moses A. Meder, who erected some of the ranch buildings and profited by the great demand for butter and cheese. In the 1870s two Marin County dairy farmers, Levi Baldwin and Deloss D. Wilder, acquired the ranch, with the latter eventually taking the portion of the property once owned by Bolcoff. Wilder and four succeeding generations of his family were notably progressive dairy ranchers; they were quick to adopt the newly developed cream-separator, and the majority of the ranch machinery was water-powered using a Pelton wheel and belt-drive system, including the electrification of the dairy in the 1890s. In the 1930s the ranch's emphasis shifted from milk to beef stock, as well as thoroughbred horses and artichoke production; in 1969 the Wilders sold the property. In 1974 it was acquired by the State of California as the focus of Wilder Ranch State Park. The oldest ranch building, an adobe house, probably dates to 1839-41; most other structures, including the cow and horse barns, shop/bunkhouse, and granary, date to the last quarter of the 19th century. Construction and reconstruction continued, however, to the 1950s.
Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: FN-251
Survey number: HABS CA-2274
Building/structure dates: ca. 1894 Initial Construction