Barker Ranch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Barker Ranch
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Mining
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Abandoned building at Barker Ranch
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  California |
| County | Inyo |
| Built | 1940s |
| Founded by | Bluch and Helen Thomason |
| Elevation | 990 m (3,247 ft) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
Barker Ranch is a historic place located inside Death Valley National Park in eastern California. From the 1940s to the 1960s, it was used for mining and as a vacation spot. It became well-known because of its connection to Charles Manson and his group in the late 1960s.
Contents
Exploring Barker Ranch's Past
Barker Ranch sits in a valley filled with rocks and boulders within the Panamint Range. You can only reach it by rough, sandy roads. Small streams flow through this valley, helping many plants grow. The property has a main house and a small one-room guest house nearby. There is also a large cement and rock pool, which was actually a reservoir to store water from a spring.
How the Ranch Began
Bluch and Helen Thomason started building Barker Ranch around 1940. They first used it to store tools and supplies for their mining work in the area. They built a small cabin and other buildings. A windmill and generator provided electricity, and a nearby spring gave them drinking water. After Bluch Thomason passed away in 1950, the ranch became a place for seasonal vacations.
In 1955, James and Arlene Barker from Oklahoma bought the ranch. The Barkers continued to mine for gold and uranium in the area throughout the 1950s and 1960s. To have enough space for their family gatherings, the Barkers made the house bigger and built more small buildings.
Nearby Myers Ranch
The closest place to Barker Ranch is Myers Ranch. Bill and Barbara Myers built this ranch in 1932. The Myers family lived there until 1960 when they moved to Fresno. Today, Myers Ranch is a 40-acre (16 ha) private property located within Death Valley National Park. The Myers family still owns it.
Charles Manson and the Ranch
In 1968, Charles Manson learned about Myers Ranch from Catherine Gillies, who was Barbara Myers' granddaughter. Starting in November 1968, Manson and his group began staying at Myers Ranch. They soon found the nearby Barker Ranch. Since the buildings at Barker Ranch were in better shape, the group moved there. Arlene Barker later gave them permission to use the property for a short time. Sometimes, the group used both ranches.
Law enforcement officers from the Inyo County sheriff's department, the California Highway Patrol, and National Park Service Law Enforcement Rangers captured the group in raids on October 10 and October 12, 1969. Charles Manson was found hiding under the kitchen sink. At the time of the arrests, the officers did not fully realize the importance of their discovery. They were mainly looking for people responsible for damaging property within Death Valley National Monument.
In early 1970, members of the Manson group were filmed at Barker Ranch by Robert Hendrickson. This filming was for a documentary called Manson, which was later nominated for an Oscar.
In 1971, Arlene Barker stopped filing reports about the family's mining activities with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Because of this, the land and its buildings went back to government control. In 1976, the ranch became part of the California Desert Conservation Area. Then, in 1994, it was officially included in Death Valley National Park.
Today, the remaining parts of the ranch are cared for by the National Park Service.
What Happened Later
In May 2009, a fire destroyed most of the main building at Barker Ranch. Only the parts made of concrete and rock are still standing.
