By Jacob Marsh

At Everson Ranch, we have yet to perfect the time machine, but if you take a walk through the old 1880s side of the ranch, you can still get a vivid glimpse into the past.

One of the big projects at the ranch this summer has been the clean-up of the old barn areas. As old boards were moved and tumbleweed were tossed aside, treasures were found strewn across the area. Old farm artifacts, some over a century old, have been unearthed and put on display. Old smokers, wagon wheels, pulleys, horseshoes, wood peg door frames, skulls, oil cans, hand forged nails and much more make up our new walk through ranch 'museum'.

Four attached storage rooms line the barns, and all of the objects that were found in each were salvaged and displayed in the room they were found, thereby allowing the story of the ranch to come into a fuller picture. From the old paint/oil can storage space to the old butcher shop, the past starts to come into focus as the work progresses.

The next phase of work is cleaning up the area just outside the back gate of the ranch where old larger farm equipment sits. Old hay rakes, a fire truck, seeders and even an old model T are scattered throughout the property. Work is starting now to clean up the areas around the path that goes to the fields with the idea of lining said path with the antique equipment to better showcase the rich history of the ranch and the impressive amount of work that went into running a ranch a century ago.

On the horizon is work to reinforce and some of the old barns and utilize them once again as usable space for wintering animals or even hosting guests, thereby marrying the past and the present even further.

Every day from 10-2 the ranch is offering tours, so don't forget that on your way to see the baby animals and pick your veggies to also check out the remnants of our past and get a better glimpse into the work of our ancestors who paved the way for the life we live today.