What's New on the Ranch and on the Web
 In 2012 the ranch will begin an ongoing project to thin the common forest along Hashknife Road west of the river and selected other locations. The thinning is pursuant to Oregon Senate Bill 360 (the Oregon Forestland-Urban Interface Fire Protection Act) which requires owners to reduce excess vegetation that can fuel fires. Some Vandevert owners have already self-certified defensible space around their individual properties. The thinning will also improve the overall health of the forest. The photo at right shows a sample of thinning near Hashknife Road and the Homestead Trail.
A group of generous owners provided a $25,000 matching grant to the High Desert Museum in the name of the ranch. The grant matched individual donations of $1,000 or more given at the High Desert Rendezvous held on August 20, 2011. An additional incentive to the individual donors was a free copy of the book, Vandevert. The museum raised over $50,000 in less than five minutes.
Mary Vandevert, a niece of William Plutarch Vandevert, wrote a fascinating if not entirely trustworthy memoir of her life that is now on this web site. See especially her description of a 1917 horseback trip that she and Kathryn Grace Vandevert took from the ranch over the Cascades to Cottage Grove and back again. Also see the transcript of a 1953 radio interview with William Plutarch's eldest son, Thomas William.
The recreation section of the web site has recently added photo galleries of excursions to Tyee Creek, Thompson Reservoir, the La Pine Frontier Days Parade on July 4, and the La Pine Rodeo.
The authors of the book, Vandevert, held a well-attended reading and discussion of the book on Friday, July 8 at 3:00 PM at the Deschutes County Historical Society in Bend. Another reading by one of the authors is scheduled for Friday, August 19, at 4:30 PM at Crosswater. The book is available now at the historical society, Sunriver Books and Music, the High Desert Museum, Camalli Books, Books, Boxes, and Business Services in La Pine, and on Amazon.com. The book can also be found at Deschutes County Libraries in Bend and Sunriver
May 1, 2011 - The 98-acre property southwest of Vandevert Ranch, bordered by Vandevert Road and South Century, is listed for sale with Sunriver Realty. 
February 1, 2011 - The Robleda Company published Vandevert - The Hundred Year History of a Central Oregon Ranch by Ted Haynes and Grace Vandevert McNellis. The 208 page book with 70 photos and diagrams, a bibliography, and an index, has won advance praise from Oregon newspapers and authors. It is available at the Deschutes County Historical Society, Sunriver Books & Music, other local bookstores, and at Amazon.com. Personalized, autographed copies are also available.
February, 2011 - Lot 4 has been sold. Only two properties at the ranch are currently listed for sale.
 January 23, 2011 - Warm weather in January quickly melted the heavy snow that fell in December. The result was very high water in the Little Deschutes, almost coming over the road by the bridge. The river usually flows well below the willow in the center of this photo, taken by the ranch wrangler. This January the river rose over its banks and flooded the meadow behind the willow.
 January 17, 2011 - The Vandevert Ranch Association acquired title to the Hashknife brand for horses in the state of Oregon. The brand was used by the Vandevert family for eighty years but ownership lapsed when the developer of the modern ranch moved on. A new four-inch stainless steel Hashknife branding iron is available for the use of owners. See the history section of this website for a history of the brand, once the signature brand of the third largest cattle company in the United States.
November 1, 2010 - The original Developers Marketing Video, produced in the early 1990's and about eight minutes long, is now available in the modern history section of this web site.
October, 2010 - The Upper Deschutes River Coalition thinned trees and cleared underbrush to create a shaded fuel break on the strip of ranch land east of South Century. This improved the view from South Century considerably and reduced the risk of wildfire. The project was supervised and largely executed by the ranch's own former manager.
 September, 2010 - There is another new horse on the ranch. "Doc" is a "dead broke" horse who seems to be very fond of humans. Doc is owned by Osprey.
September 8 - The ranch held a lunch, briefing, and a tour of the ranch for top real estate brokers that was received well. Ranch owners may view a report on the meeting and the book given to the brokers in the Owners Only section.
September, 2010 - Lot 18 has been resold. We now have 21 lots with a different owner on each lot.
August 14 - After the annual meeting, the board set July 9, 2011 as the date for the annual meeting next year.
 August 13 - There is a new horse on the ranch. "Patches", owned by Osprey, is a mellow 13 year-old mare who will be great with children and on the trail.
July 3 - The 2010 annual meeting date was changed from July 31 to Saturday August 14.
July 2 - Escrow closed on Lot 18. We have a new owner! The same couple also bought the house on Four Peaks with escrow due to close in early August.
 June, 2010 - At the request of a Crosswater neighbor, the ranch cleared willows and brush away from the slough at the north end of the ranch. Photo at right is taken from the Crosswater fence.
June 15, 2010 - A three foot by five foot backlit display ad for property at the ranch now appears at the Redmond Airport. The ad was developed by a ranch owner and is funded by Bev Sherrer, local real estate agent, and by owners who volunteered to contribute. There is no cost to the Vandevert Ranch Association. The phone number forwards to a line Bev has dedicated to inquiries about the ranch. A copy of the ad appears below. (Scroll down past ad for more news.)
May, 2010 - The ranch staff is rebuilding the foundation and platform for the teepee for use this summer. See photo to left.
March 30, 2010 - Ted Haynes and Grace Vandevert McNellis are writing a new book titled Vandevert: The Hundred Year History of a Central Oregon Ranch. The target date for publication is February 1, 2011.
March 2, 2010 - The annual meeting of the Vandevert Ranch Association will be held on Saturday, July 31, 2010.
February 12, 2010 - A cougar was sighted at Crosswater, next door to the ranch. The following week, our ranch wrangler saw a small cougar by the bridge. The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office will patrol the area and will try to obtain a tracker to come and pinpoint the animal’s location. If you meet a cougar stand tall, spread your arms, and try to look as big as possible. Shout loudly and act confident. If a cougar attacks, fight rather than play dead.
January 2010 - Margie, the big blond Belgian who has stabled at the ranch since 1995 (or even earlier) and has been beloved by all (equine and human), retired to La Pine. She is in a good place, conveniently across the street from our wrangler.
January 1, 2010 - Ranch Photo Gallery added to web site.
December 27, 2009 - Wikipedia publishes a biography of Michael Pauluzen Van der Voort, a Vandevert ancestor and early settler of Dutch New York (New Amsterdam).
November 12, 2009 - Photos of butterflies caught on the ranch added to web site. |
