Cultural Landscape Report: Cant Ranch Historic District

Taylor, Terri; Gilbert, Cathy

The importance of the John Day Basin as a paleontological resource area is internationally acknowledged. An exceptionally long sequence of biotas represents four consecutive geological epochs spanning most of the past 50 million years of earth history. In addition to these resources, the monument has a number of other natural and cultural resources, including the James Cant Ranch Historic District, which is the focus of this report. The Cant Ranch complex has been used over the years as the primary developed district in the monument providing visitor services, interpretation, maintenance facilities, and administrative offices. The landscape has been modified to accommodate these activities in a manner that promotes visitor safety while retaining the overall organization of the historic ranch. Still, incremental changes over the years have begun to influence the appearance and character of the landscape. Recent planning efforts related to construction of the Thomas Condon Visitor Center have redefined many operational needs and facilities required at the ranch and have the potential to significantly alter the existing landscape with the addition of new parking, trails, a maintenance facility, and a residence. Without a clear understanding of the historic value of existing landscape features, patterns, and relationships, it is difficult to assess the potential impact of new development on the site. The purpose of the cultural landscape report is to meet three primary management objectives: to identify and evaluate existing landscape features and patterns that have historical significance and contribute to the district; to review and assess the potential treatment for agricultural lands associated with the ranch and; to develop guidelines and recommendations that address treatment of all cultural landscape resources in the context of the existing Development Concept Plan. Scoping for this project began in the Spring of 1994. A meeting with park staff and staff from the System Support Office (SSO) was held at the ranch. The purpose of the meeting was to review previous studies, the status of current work, and to develop a specific scope of work (SOW) for the cultural landscape report (CLR). The factors having the largest impact on the CLR centered around planning efforts for the new Thomas Condon Visitor Center, located near the ranch, and a proposed Development Concept Plan (DCP) for the Cant Ranch, prepared in 1992 by the Denver Service Center. This proposal included plans for the adaptive use of the ranch house for administration, construction of a new residence, maintenance facilities, and parking area on the site, as well as a new access road and interpretive trails.

Cultural Landscape Report: Cant Ranch Historic District

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