Rebuilding Desert History continued from page 1
the buildings, but as usual they lacked the funds to do much more. Eventually the structures fell into further decay, and the old barn finally collapsed into a heap of historic lumber. Along came Brenda Hemond, the new Maintenance Chief of Anza-Borrego Desert Sector. She arrived in July of 2013 and brought a career’s worth of rich experience in many different park situations. Most important to this story is that her assignment before Anza-Borrego was Bodie State Historic Park, where preserving and restoring historic structures is a specialty. She took one look at Campbell Ranch and understood immediately the value of bringing the ranch back to some semblance of life, so we began to make plans for its future. Brenda decided she wanted to tackle rebuilding the old barn and was able to draw on her expertise to gather the resources to make it happen. Thanks to the generosity of a Vallecito donor and ABF, we were able to purchase materials to create an internal framework on which to attach the original wood of the barn. Brenda sought and won the enthusiastic cooperation of Colorado Desert Archeology Society volunteers to prepare for the project by providing an archeological survey of the barn site and then doing much of the actual construction work alongside the park staff. Thanks to Brenda’s energy and sheer willpower, and the willing work and many hands of volunteers, we will soon have a barn at the historic Campbell Ranch. We hope to be able to do further projects that will restore the Campbell Ranch to a point where it can be used for special events, interpretive activities and other potential possibilities. We would love to hear from you if you are interested in volunteering or contributing in other ways. Stay tuned for further developments! ■Top to bottom: Volunteers and staff disassemble the old barn, the screening crew, all four walls up. Below: Anza-Borrego maintenance mechanic Mike Drye conducting a safety meeting prior to commencing work.
www.theabf.org Desert Update Summer 2014
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