Two Carson Valley ranches added to state historic places

Two historic Carson Valley ranches have been added to the state Register of Historic Places.

The board of Museums and History gave its final approval this week to list both the Wilhelm and William Lampe Ranch and the Louis and Elmer Stodieck Ranch on the state’s official list of places that must be preserved.

The Lampe Ranch was first established by Lorens Chrisetnsen in 1872, later acquired by the Lampe family, newly arrived German immigrants, who grew hay and raised cattle on the ranch in the 1880s. Lampe’s son William continued to operate the ranch until 1965. It became one of the only ranches in the Carson Valley to have its own creamery. Most area ranchers used a cooperative facility in Minden constructed by the Dangberg family.

The Lampe family sold most of the 300 acre ranch after 1965 which was developed into what now makes up most of south and eastern Gardnerville. The remaining ranch complex — the main house, barn, creamery and some farmland — is now operated by the Jacobs Family Berry Farm.

The Stodieck Ranch was homesteaded by Peter Lightle in 1860 and passed through several owners before Louis Stodieck bought it in 1904. He and his wife Helene built the ranch into a sizeable hay and cattle operation. It was sold to the P&K Ranch LLC which continues to produce hay on the land.