outskirts of Olema, where he raised a large family. 143 



The ranch water supply originated about two miles away on the forest 

 lands of Payne Shatter to the west. Joseph Bloom traded two lots in Olema for 

 the water rights in 1894. The water traveled through a 2" pipe from its intake 

 near the source of Boucher (or Davis) Creek, across Olema Creek and uphill to 

 the ranch. The Blooms extended the line to the other side of the highway, up 

 the ridge, and then ran lines north and south to all of the important pastures, 

 crops and hayfields; the water system reportedly included about ten miles of 

 pipeline. 14 



Valenti J. Bloom continued to work on his father's dairy, and took over 

 the operation when Joseph Bloom retired about 1915. Bloom died in 1927 at 

 age 79 and was buried in Olema Cemetery on his ranch. Before the father's 

 death, the Bloom family sold the ranch to Valenti on July 1, 1919. Bloom and 

 his wife Mary ran the ranch for only a few years after gaining title. The couple 

 moved to San Rafael in 1924. V. J. Bloom kept a hunting camp on the ranch 

 near the creek on Johnson's old farm, and often entertained friends at the 

 rustic camp. 145 



The Bloom family leased the ranch to other parties for the remainder of 

 their ownership. Joseph Vogensen bought the dairy business from V. J. Bloom 

 and rented the ranch from 1924 to 1927. Nicasio dairyman Samuel Stewart, 

 recent purchaser of the neighboring Olds Ranch, then rented the Bloom Ranch. 

 Stewart improved the ranch, building a wooden floor in the barn and repairing 

 many of the aging structures. Stewart died after being injured by a horse near 

 the ranch residence in March 1927. Stewart's widow, daughter Henrietta, and 

 son Boyd operated the dairy until Henrietta married Thomas Greer in 1932. 

 The Greers took over the dairy, milking between 100 to 125 cows with gasoline- 

 powered milking machines and shipping the fresh milk to the Point Reyes 

 Cooperative Creamery. The ranch was equipped with two electric plants, a 



'^Population Schedules, 12th U. S. Census, 1900; Marin Journal. June 20, 1901; interview 

 with Louis Bloom. 



'"Deeds Book 28, p. 388, and Book 51, p. 375, MCRO; interview with Henrietta Greer. 

 Boucher Creek was named for Peter Boucher, a French-born harnessmaker who rented a small 

 dairy across Olema Creek from the Blooms (and adjacent to the aforementioned creek which was 

 Bloom's water supply) from the Shafter family. Davis was probably Sylvester Davis who lives at 

 the Olds Ranch in 1860. 



145 Deeds Book 209, p. 102, and Chattel Mortgages Book O, p. 99, MCRO; San Rafael 

 Independent Journal. October 8, 1969; interview with Henrietta Greer. 



250 



