Much of the San Ramon Valley has been turned into subdivisions. Forest Home Farms Historic Park, at 19953 San Ramon Valley Blvd., is one of the few places where the valley's farming past is still standing.
A gift instead of a sale
According to the City of San Ramon, Ruth Quayle Boone left the 16-acre Boone family farm to the city in 1997 to become a municipal historic park in memory of her husband, Travis Moore Boone. The city says developers often approached her about buying the land for housing, but she chose to keep the farm intact for the public. Boone died in 1998 at age 94. The city then widened the memorial to honor her as well, and to recognize the role women played in agriculture in the San Ramon Valley.
What's on the grounds
The city says Oak Creek splits the farm into two roughly equal halves. The northern half holds two houses, 14 outbuildings and two pergolas. Among them:
- The Boone House, a 22-room Dutch colonial built in 1900 and remodeled several times since
- A barn originally built sometime between 1850 and 1860
- A 7,000-square-foot building for storing farm equipment and cars
- A three-building walnut processing plant, including a three-story hulling and drying structure
According to Wikipedia, the southern half holds the David Glass House, a Victorian built in the late 1860s or early 1870s. It was moved to the site from Lora Nita Farm and has been restored as a historic home museum. The park was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.
The city's page also mentions a Tractor Museum and a newly installed Railroad Depot Display.
Visiting
The city says the park is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. You can take a self-guided tour using pamphlets from the bulletin board at the parking-lot entrance. On San Ramon Historic Foundation event days, the gates open at 11 a.m., and those events charge a fee. Check the city and foundation pages before you go.