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http://www.omniture.com --> Email Story to a Friend June 26, 2006 Daryl Kinsman of Wild Rogue Antique Power points out an antique hull mill used to sort wheat kernels at the Givan Ranch outside Eagle Point. Kinsman and other members hold work parties to clean up the ranch, which they hope to restore and someday open to the public. Working with antiques By JENNIFER STRANGE for the Mail Tribune More than 130 years of regional history is being discovered, uncovered and recovered by a local group of antique enthusiasts. For three years, the members of Wild Rogue Antique Power have been holding work parties at the old Givan Ranch along the Rogue River outside Eagle Point. Their goal is to restore the once-thriving agricultural outpost. "We're hoping to make it an educational, fun-type place," said Daryl Kinsman, board member of the non-profit organization. "It's got milk barns and horse barns. It's like the owners just walked away; the harnesses are still hanging in the barns." The 306-acre ranch was established in 1879 by Lindsay and Martha Givan, and it stayed in the family for more than a century. The Jackson County Parks Department took control of the land in 1986 upon the death of the last living relative, grandson Charles Givan. The county bought the property from Givan for $106,000 in 1977 with the help of a $90,475 federal grant from the Land and Water Conservation Fund. A condition of sale was that the land must be used as a park or another park must be built if the county fails to use the land. The property's 200-acre north parcel was approved for an 18-hole golf course, said Randy Hutton, parks program manager for Jackson County. But a potential developer pulled out in the mid-1990s. The 106-acre south parcel is where all the ranch buildings are located, including the original house, which is rented to a parks department employee who serves as the property's caretaker. Situated at the end of a rugged dirt lane right next to the Elks Park on Agate Road, the south parcel caught the attention of Wild Rogue Antique Power in 2002. The county granted a lease to the group in exchange for maintenance and restoration efforts. "This is their hobby and their profession and they're having a lot of fun uncovering things — things we never could identify," Hutton said. "It now looks relatively nice. You can actually see the equipment." The group of about 18 collectors, all members of Branch 141 of the Engine and Gas and Tractor Association in Central Point, just finished wiring some security lights. Next they'll tackle the milk barn. But it took months of mowing and clearing out scrap metal and baling wire before they got to the goods: pre-industrial farm equipment that's been preserved since the settlement of the Rogue Valley. The collectors hope to open the ranch to the public and possibly create a Pottsville-style outdoor museum where restored engines and tractors could be displayed. Kinsman envisions interactive plowing and planting bees that illustrate early farming techniques. "We want to plant crops out there and harvest with the old equipment and show kids how it used to be done — it wasn't so relatively easy back then," Kinsman said. "Same thing with the milk barn. We'd like to have some milk cows out there and learn how to milk." At their frequent work parties, Kinsman toils alongside Doug Peterson of Ashland. Peterson moved to Oregon in 1938 and grew up on a ranch on Jenny Creek, where he hayed by hand and horsepower. "When Daryl mentioned Givan Ranch to me, I wanted to get in on at least cleaning it up so other people could see what it was like a while back," he said. Now Doug and his wife, Ellen — both antique hounds who scour the Northwest for their own collections — are signed onto the project. "For folks that have never been around that kind of situation, it would be very educational," said Doug. "These days kids have their hands on cell phones and video games, but what did they used to have their hands on? A scythe and pitchfork." The parks department is looking to develop a master plan for the entire south parcel. Discussions with adjacent property owners are underway to secure documented legal access to the area, Hutton said. Taking care of agricultural artifacts from those early days can help explain the present and shape the future, Kinsman said. "Otherwise, all of our history is going to go away and nobody will know anything other than what they see in a picture," he said. "There will be no way to put their hands on the past and learn how it worked." Those interested in making donations to the Givan project can call Kinsman at 541-826-2235. Jennifer Strange is a freelance writer living in Central Point. Reach her at [email protected]. Advertisement s Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Discount Hotel Reservations --> online casinos news Ashley Furniture HomeStore Send Flowers California Casinos GMAT Prep Windermere Van Vleet Sports Equipment Entertainment Guide --> Online Casino Fundraisers Sudoku Online Casinos Canada Online Casino Reviews