Contributions
This project has been made possible with the generous assistance and contributions of many people and organizations. I am continuing to pursue research opportunities, and expect to post more information to this site as it becomes available.
One of the reasons I began work on this project was a fear that Loomis Ranch history is gradually disappearing. There are very few people left who have actually spent time at the old Loomis Ranch. Some of us that are part of the third generation of descendants and relatives of Captain Loomis learned Ranch history secondhand from our parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles. My Dad is now 85 years old, and although he spent time at the Ranch in the 1930s and 1940s, he only met Captain Loomis on one brief occassion.
Happily, I have found that a large amount of information on the Ranch still exists, and that many of the descendants of Captain Loomis are very interested in preserving Ranch history. Several have private collections of pictures, documents, and artifacts from the Ranch. I hope to include a selection from these private collections in a future update.
If you have recollections of the Ranch, historical documents or photos, or ideas about who to contact for research possibilities, please contact me. My objective is not to collect original documents and photos, although I will accept them if someone no longer wants them. Rather, I am collecting electronic copies of the originals. Generally, this is best accomplished by scanning the original into an appropriate computer file, and then emailing the file to me. I have also received xerox copies of material and have been successful scanning these, but the quality is somewhat degraded. I will be happy to accept original documents, scan them, and return them to the owners.
If you recall a story you have heard about the ranch, or know something about the life of its former residents or ranch history, and would like to share it with others, please write it down in an email or letter, or record your story on a tape recorder, and contribute it to this project. I will accept contributions in any form that is convenient to the contributor.
I can be reached by telephone seven days a week from 9:00AM through 9:00 PM, or via email anytime.
Steve Thomas
steve@loomisranch.org
925-672-5247 (voice)
925-672-2822 ( fax )