(re)Instated: Land Acquisition and Use, The Leland Stanford Estate

Felt Lake

Palo Alto Stock Farm

       During this class, I find myself seeking the wide-angle view of nature. Not the macro or zoomed view many classmates capture, but larger land patterns which define our surroundings. From our last field trip to Felt Lake, I became interested in the vast land holdings of Leland Stanford, I will address these first. Secondly, I am interested in the remnants of the Stanford estate which remain visible on the campus today. In this respect, I will address one remnant, the Palo Alto Stock Farm.
Jasper Ridge, Felt Lake, and the main campus are connected by nearby creeks, flumes, pipes, and artificial lakes. Leland Stanford began amassing the land that became Stanford University in 1876 when he acquired property which is now considered the main campus. In 1887 and 1892 respectively Stanford acquired Felt Lake and the Jasper Ridge tract. Soon after acquiring the estate, in 1885, Stanford began transferring his land to what was to become the university. It is important to note that the acquisition of both Felt Lake and Jasper Ridge post-dated this transfer of land. The total amount of land transferred to Stanford University included the estate and the outlying, but contiguous, tracts. In total, the land transferred for the university totaled just over 8,000 acres. It is important to note that today Stanford University maintains over 60% of this land as open space. Research indicates that among colleges and universities around the United States, Stanford ranks #6 in overall acreage. Sitting at #1 is Berry College, Mount Berry, Georgia with 27,000 acres.
FELT LAKE
Constructed in 1876 by Job Johnston Felt to service his adjacent farm and ranch, Felt Lake was acquired by Stanford in 1887 and today irrigates the university golf course and athletic fields. Most of the visible historic layers relate to site after it was acquired by Leland Stanford. Fed by Los Trancos Creek, Felt Lake is home to a variety of large-mouthed bass, sun fish and bluegill. Steelhead trout may also be found in the lake and a fish ladder assisting their movement into the lake is located nearby. A desilting project sponsored by the university restored the lake to its full capacity of 518 Olympic swimming pools.
There is a mystery surrounding Felt Lake. In 1907, Chester Silent, a student at Stanford University, was found dead in the lake. Speculation surrounded the death. Was it murder, suicide, or accident? Investigations proved that Silent’s gun had accidently gone off while he was hunting duck in the lake.
PALO ALTO STOCK FARM
Tucked away off of Electioneer Road behind the golf course and tennis courts, is a one of the few remnants of the Stanford estate—the Palo Alto Stock Farm. Purchased by Leland Stanford in 1876, the tract contained 650 acres of had been Rancho San Francisquito. At the time, the Palo Alto Stock Farm was one of the finest farms breeding trotting horses in the world and Electioneer was one of the most sought-after stallions. Historic photos dating to the late 19th century show the Red Barn, a centerpiece in the contemporary landscape, surrounded by California coast oak. The landscape today is dotted with many palm trees, probably added after the establishment of the university. The second building remaining from the Palo Alto Stock Farm is the red brick stable.
A monument to English photographer Eadweard Muybridge may also be found on the property. Muybridge pioneered work with movement and photography capturing the “horse in motion” on the Palo Alto Stock Farm. At a Stanford Founder’s Day ceremony in 1918, university President David Starr Jordan claimed that it was horses which saved the university.

Gina Haney