Pope Valley in Napa County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Litto’s Hubcap Ranch
By Andrew Ruppenstein, April 9, 2011
1. Litto's Hubcap Ranch Marker
California Registered
Historical Landmark No. 939
Plaque placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with SPACES (Saving and Preserving Arts and Cultural Environments), a non-profit education corporation April 4, 1987.
Erected 1987 by California State Department of Parks and Recreation; SPACES. (Marker Number 939.)
Location. 38° 38.207′ N, 122° 27.192′ W. Marker is in Pope Valley, California, in Napa County. Marker is on Pope Valley Road 2 miles north of Howell Mountain Road, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 6654 Pope Valley Road, Pope Valley CA 94567, United States of America.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 8 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Pope Valley Store (approx. 2 miles away); Pope Valley Garage
By Andrew Ruppenstein, April 9, 2011
2. Litto's Hubcap Ranch Marker - wide view
To find this marker - drive along Pope Valley Road. When you see some hubcaps hanging on the fence, then you know you're close.
Categories. • Arts, Letters, Music •
By Andrew Ruppenstein, April 9, 2011
3. Litto's Hubcap Ranch - Entrance
The driveway entering the Hubcap Ranch is lined with, uh, hubcaps.
By Andrew Ruppenstein, April 9, 2011
4. "Lito the Pope Valley Hubcap King" - sign to the right of driveway
By Andrew Ruppenstein, April 9, 2011
5. Litto's Hubcap Ranch - view from the south of the driveway
By Andrew Ruppenstein, April 9, 2011
6. Ooh, look - shiny things!
The marker says more than 2,000 hubcaps. Various web pages suggest the Ranch's number of hubcaps is now up to 5,000. It's a lot of hubcaps, any way you look at it.
By Andrew Ruppenstein, April 9, 2011
7. About a quarter mile of hubcaps line the east side of Pope Valley Road
One thing the pictures don't capture is the sound of hubcaps. When there is no traffic and a slight breeze, the distinctive, although not loud, noise of hubcaps rubbing or banging against the fence wires can be heard. It's something between a crinkling noise (almost like tinfoil) and pie pans being tapped.
By Andrew Ruppenstein, April 9, 2011
8. The Magic of Hubcaps...
So one day sometime in the 1930's, Litto Damonte sets on his fence a hubcap he found on the road, hoping the owner would see and retrieve it. Decades pass and....
Credits. This page was last revised on March 30, 2018. This page originally submitted on April 12, 2011, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Sacramento, California. This page has been viewed 1,300 times since then and 8 times this year. This page was the Marker of the Week April 24, 2011. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 12, 2011, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Sacramento, California. 4, 5. submitted on April 13, 2011, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Sacramento, California. 6. submitted on April 12, 2011, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Sacramento, California. 7, 8. submitted on April 13, 2011, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Sacramento, California. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.
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