The buildings in this photograph of the Beauty Ranch, left to right are:
The Sherry Barn, originally built by Chinese laborers in 1884 for the Kohler and
Frohling winery. London converted it to a stable for his English Shire horses. Luther Burbank's spineless cactus was grown for cattle feed in the
open area between the barns and London's cottage. Burbank prunes and potatoes were
also raised on the ranch.
The Manure Pit was built by Italian stonemasons in 1914 to store manure for later
distribution in the fields. In addition, London also had an elaborate system built to
gather and store liquid fertilizer from his cow barn.
The Stallion Barn housed six of London's highly prized shire horses.
The winery ruins, standing next to the cottage, once were the main building of the Kohler and Frohling winery, and were heavily damaged by the 1906 earthquake. London repaired the damage and built a wooden upper story on top of the winery rock wall. He used it as a carriage house, living quarters for ranch hands, and rooms for his many guests. A fire destroyed the wooden upper story in 1965.
Erected between 1912 and 1915, these cement-block silos stand over forty feet high. they once held silage - fodder, made by cutting up green forage plants.
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"Effective June 1, Jack London State Historic Park will be closed on Tuesdays
and Wednesdays. The park is scheduled to be permanently closed by July 1, 2012."
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