Ardenwood in Fremont in Alameda County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Ardenwood Historic Farm / George Washington Patterson Ranch
Photographed By Syd Whittle, March 14, 2010
1. Ardenwood Historic Farm / George Washington Patterson Ranch Marker
Lower Left Plaque:
Ardenwood Regional Preserve, Leased to East Bay Regional Park District by the City of Fremont and The Fremont Park Facilities Corporation
Lower Right Plaque:
Funds for Walnut Allee Restoration and Train Station Landscaping Donated by The Ardenwood Park Partners Tea Committee
Ardenwood Regional Preserve, Leased to East Bay Regional Park District by the City of Fremont and The Fremont Park Facilities Corporation
Lower Right Plaque:
Funds for Walnut Allee Restoration and Train Station Landscaping Donated by The Ardenwood Park Partners Tea Committee
The
George Washington
Patterson Ranch
Has been placed on the
National Register
of Historic Places
By the United States
Department of the Interior
November 29, 1985
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Notable Places. A significant historical month for this entry is November 1740.
Location. 37° 33.39′ N, 122° 3.061′ W. Marker is in Fremont, California, in Alameda County. It is in Ardenwood. Marker can be reached from Ardenwood Boulevard near California Highway 84. Marker is located just inside the entrance gate east of the parking area. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 34600 Ardenwood Boulevard, Fremont CA 94555, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Leal Tank House (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Machado House (approx. 1.4 miles away); Carter Brothers (approx. 2 miles away); The Beginnings of Centerville Presbyterian Church (approx. 2.4 miles away); Flight 93 Memorial (approx. 3.1 miles away); Site of the Nation’s First Successful Beet Sugar Factory (approx. 3.2 miles away); First County Courthouse (approx. 3.2 miles away); Pioneer Schoolhouse & Chapel (approx. 3˝ miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fremont.
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Regarding Ardenwood Historic Farm / George Washington Patterson Ranch. In 1849 George Patterson came to California to find his fortune in the gold fields of the Mother Lode. After a year and a half of mining, he was ill and broke. He turned his attention to the thing he new well: farming.
He worked for farmers near Mission San Jose and gradually purchased land. He married Clara Hawly in 1877, and by that time he was well on his way to acquiring nearly 6,000 acres and was one of the wealthiest and respected men of the region.
Today, Patterson’s home and farm is part of the East Bay Regional Park District. It is a working historic farm run just as George Patterson did. Draft horses still pull railcars and plows. The land still grows the same crops, and the farmyard is still full of animals. Docents, dressed in period clothing, show visitors chores and domestic duties as they were done in the late 1800 – early 1900’s. Tours of the house are available and train and wagon rides allow visitors to witness the 205-acre farm, its animals, and crops.
Photographed By Syd Whittle, March 14, 2010
2. Ardenwood Historic Farm / George Washington Patterson Ranch Marker and Plaques
Photographed By Syd Whittle, March 14, 2010
3. George Patterson Family Home
Ardenwood was named after a forest area described in William Shakespeare's play "As You Like It"
Photographed By Syd Whittle, March 14, 2010
4. The Mansion's South Side
Photographed By Syd Whittle, March 14, 2010
5. Looking Northwest at the Mansion
Photographed By Syd Whittle, March 14, 2010
6. Farm Equipment on Display
Photographed By Syd Whittle, March 14, 2010
7. A New Arrival at the Farm
Photographed By Syd Whittle, March 14, 2010
8. Chickens on the Farm
Chickens were an important part of the farm; supplying eggs and food for the residents and farm workers as well as generating income by the sale of eggs and chicks.
Photographed By Syd Whittle, March 14, 2010
9. Laundry Tubs
Doing laundry before modern washing machines was a difficult, time consuming task. Collected here are some of the tools once used to do this arduous job.
Dirty clothes were put into washtubs filled with soapy water and scrubbed on a wooden washboard which had a corrugated zinc surface. A dolly stick, a wooden handle with four or five prongs at its base, was pounded up and down and rotated, aerating the wash and loosening the dirt. After washing, the clothes were placed into the cast iron caldron and boiled. The last of the soap was rinsed out and the clothes were then squeezed through the wringer’s rubber rollers. Finally, the clothes were hung on the line to dry.
Dirty clothes were put into washtubs filled with soapy water and scrubbed on a wooden washboard which had a corrugated zinc surface. A dolly stick, a wooden handle with four or five prongs at its base, was pounded up and down and rotated, aerating the wash and loosening the dirt. After washing, the clothes were placed into the cast iron caldron and boiled. The last of the soap was rinsed out and the clothes were then squeezed through the wringer’s rubber rollers. Finally, the clothes were hung on the line to dry.
Photographed By Syd Whittle, March 14, 2010
10. The Gazebo
Located within the formal gardens.
Photographed By Syd Whittle, March 14, 2010
11. The Train Station
Ardenwood is a fee use area. The train station is where visitors pay the entrance fee as well as board the train for a tour of the farm.
Photographed By Ardenwood Park Brochure
12. The Patterson Family
Left: George
Center: Henry and William
Right: Clara
Center: Henry and William
Right: Clara
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 20, 2010, by Syd Whittle of Mesa, Arizona. This page has been viewed 3,757 times since then and 62 times this year. Last updated on July 2, 2021, by Diane Phillips of Pittsburg, California. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. submitted on March 20, 2010, by Syd Whittle of Mesa, Arizona. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
