N. McFADDEN RANCH 



Former Bordessa Ranch 



(Golden Gate National Recreation Area) 



1. Description 



The McFadden Ranch is one of the most recent additions to Golden Gate 

 National Recreation Area at the time of this writing. The 340-acre beef cattle 

 ranch is a narrow parcel that stretches from the Olema Valley over Bolinas 

 Ridge to Lagunitas Creek, with the paved main access driveway off Highway 

 One at a point halfway between Olema and Point Reyes Station. The ranch 

 consists of grassland with pockets of brush and trees in the gulches and on the 

 eastern slope. It is bounded on the north by the former Edwin Gallagher 

 Ranch, on the east by Lagunitas Creek, on the south by the Mclsaac and Rogers 

 Ranches, and on the west by Olema Creek. The ranch complex is located about 

 half of a mile up the driveway from the highway. 



2. History of McFadden Ranch 



The McFadden Ranch was originally part of Rafael Garcia 's holdings as 

 confirmed in his 1866 patent to Rancho Tomales y Baulines. In 1868, as part of 

 the subdivision of Garcia's property after his death, a 340.93 acre parcel was 

 given to one of his daughters, Maria Hilaria Garcia, in a deed dated May 29, 

 1868. 179 



At an unknown date, apparently between 1868 and 1871, Maria H. Garcia 

 married a fellow Mexican, Jose de la Cruz Noriel. Apparently the couple lived 

 on their Olema lot. Mrs. Noriel died in 1872 shortly after giving birth to a 

 child, who then died a few days later. In 1874 Jose Noriel sold the ranch to 

 local dairyman Burton Shippy; no doubt Shippy operated a dairy and may have 

 built the original buildings on the property. In 1883 Shippy sold the ranch to 

 John Carter, an Irish-born dairyman who at the time was leasing a Shatter 

 ranch at Point Reyes. Some time before 1888, the ranch was leased to 



179 Abstract of Title and Certificate of Search. Part of the Rancho Tomales v Baulines (Felix 

 Garcia/Shafter Tract), original document in PRNS Collection; Deeds Book G, p. 98, MCRO. 



317 



