“In 1867, John’s great-grandfather, John William Lacey, traveled from Missouri to prospect for gold and built a homestead in what was then the lush valley near Lone Pine. Neighboring Fort Independence provided protection for the valleyís miners and farmers from marauding Indians. In 1915 John W. sold his property and divided the proceeds among his four children, but not before Los Angeles County, nearly 200 miles to the south, had bought up water rights in the entire region. Son Mark E. Lacey, an ordained Methodist minister, returned to the area in 1923 and purchased land to form what he called the Junction Ranch. Mark fought to grow crops on a 640-acre section using an irrigation network. But even by the mid-1920s, so much of the region’s water was diverted to Los Angeles that Owens Lake dried up, and the valley was nearly impossible to farm for lack of water.”
– Jim Keen, Great Ranches of the West Author & Photographer
This beautiful award-winning 12×11 fine art, hard bound, coffee table book featuring over 30 ranches in 17 states with nearly 600 photographs will make a wonderful addition to any home or office, and be a showing of your support for America’s struggling farm and ranch families.
