RANCHO MURIETA, CA (MPG) - Longtime Rancho Murieta residents Susan Hart Snyder and Patti Sewall have devoted their hearts, souls and pocketbooks to writing a new book: “Along the Banks of the Cosumnes – a History of Sloughhouse, Michigan Bar, and Rancho Murieta.”

The book’s back cover provides the best summary. “Along the Banks of the Cosumnes explores the vibrant history of the determined folk who struggled through floods, drownings, murder, and the riches and ruin of mining, while establishing farms, ranches, and hamlets. It also highlights the development of Rancho Murieta, a community that shares the love of the region with those who came before them – a valley where neighbors are close-knit, vistas are stunning, and tree-studded paths lead to the pristine waters of the Cosumnes River.”

The book came about by chance. Between 2020 and 2023, Snyder wrote 21 articles on local history for the River Valley Times. “I just felt like we have this fabulous history here, and I wanted to capture it,” she said. “I had all kinds of primary sources. We have folks here who descended from people who were here from the pioneer days, like the ranchers.”

Snyder hadn’t considered compiling her articles into a book until 2022. That’s when Carole Kramer, who was helping to organize the Rancho Murieta Country Club’s 50th anniversary celebration, asked if she could write a book about the local history.

Snyder was intrigued. Although she had published several novels and a book of essays, she sought help from Sewall, who had 20 years of experience as the editor of a law enforcement magazine. 

“I would never have taken on a project of this scope without Patti’s help and knowledge of publishing,” Snyder said.

However, when they met with Kramer and the other organizers, they realized the group sought a book explicitly focused on the country club. After the meeting, Snyder and Sewall looked at each other and said, “No.”

“Susan had a bigger vision for the book,” Sewall explained. “She wanted to tell the full history of the valley, including places like Sloughhouse and Michigan Bar.”

Snyder and Sewall also felt uniquely qualified to write about Rancho Murieta’s more recent history, as their families were part of the community before any homes were built on the north. 

“It took a valley to write this book,” they say in their acknowledgment. They held countless conversations with the descendants “of Miwoks, Mormon settlers, pioneers, forty-niners, and one-room school teachers.” They also interviewed Rancho Murieta residents, those who had been in the community since the 1970s and more recent arrivals. Some even provided memorabilia from earlier days.

Snyder and Sewall also reviewed numerous books, newspapers, magazines, newsletters, videos and reports. Their research led them to an 1850s photo of a mining camp in the Library of Congress and a significant 1908 artifact on eBay.

Snyder wrote most of the historical content, drawing from her published articles and incorporating new material, including profiles of several key individuals.

Sewall contributed the introduction to the Rancho Murieta chapter and detailed the development of Murieta Village. She also managed nearly all of the editorial work.

“Patty did a ton of the proofreading and mountains of editing,” Snyder recalled.

Sewall also served as the liaison with the publisher, which was time-consuming due to their meticulous attention to placing more than 180 photographs and the overall layout. Maintaining that level of quality came at a financial cost, which the authors had to absorb themselves as the book continued to grow in length.

The end result was a “coffee-table-looking book” complete with glossy pages and a quintessential cover featuring the Cosumnes River. It includes five chapters and concludes with a gallery of photos showcasing current activities in Rancho Murieta.

The first chapter, titled Slough House, as it was named back then, traces the area’s early history beginning in 1844. That’s when Jared Sheldon was awarded a Mexican land grant and, along with other pioneers, settled along the Cosumnes River. In 1851, a large group of miners gunned Sheldon down after he built an irrigation dam on the river. News of his shocking murder made national headlines. Today, a commemorative plaque marking the site can be found on the path between the river and the South Course.

The second chapter focuses on Michigan Bar, one of several small communities that emerged in the valley during the Gold Rush. Once home to 1,000 and 2,000 residents, the town boasted a Wells Fargo and a post office. In the 1870s, settler Charles Ruman acquired the bridge and surrounding land, becoming the local toll taker. Although the town had disappeared by the 1950s, his descendants still reside in the picturesque setting.

Another notable town was Bridgehouse, situated on the east side of the Yellow Bridge, now part of the golf course. Other small hamlets in the valley that have since vanished included Live Oak, Cook’s Bar, Sebastopol and Katesville.

Although Michigan Bar was larger than Sloughhouse, its post office was closed in 1935 due to partisan politics, forcing residents to travel to the Cosumnes Store and Post Office in Sloughhouse. In 1986, the post office was relocated to its current site in Rancho Murieta.

Chapter Three tells the story of the early ranchers, whose names, Schneider, Mehrten, Grimshaw, and Van Vleck, still echo in the valley, as many of their descendants remain in the area. Another notable early rancher was Francis Edward Connor. After he died in 1990, his wife sold their 420-acre ranch to John Driscoll, whose land bordered theirs.

Driscoll’s grandson, Art Granlees, continued acquiring adjacent properties over the years and was the rancher who sold 2,600 acres that would become Rancho Murieta. The old Connor Ranch was excavated to create Calero Reservoir.

During the Gold Rush, one-room schoolhouses sprang up like mushrooms, a history detailed in Chapter Four, Cosumnes River Valley Schools. The most famous was the Rhoads School, which was eventually relocated to Elk Grove Park.

The remaining schools in the area were Rhoads, Michigan Bar, Stone House, and Wilson. In 1947, they were joined to form Consumnes River Union Elementary School.

Chapter Five, which explores the development of Rancho Murieta, begins with the legend of the community’s namesake, Joaquín Murrieta. During the Gold Rush, he and his notorious band of outlaws roamed the region, robbing and killing with impunity. A novelist later misspelled his name as “Murieta,” a version that endured over time. 

Next is an account of the labor organization that transformed the Cosumnes River Valley landscape and the lives of its residents. 

Rancho Murieta was inspired by a mid-1960s discussion within the Operating Engineers Local 3 Pension Trust Fund about the need for a training facility. Several board members, who were also developers, believed that apprentices should gain hands-on experience by constructing projects as part of their training.

The assistant business manager, Dale Marr, was tasked with finding a suitable property. In 1965, the Operating Engineers brought in Ray Henderson, a developer who had helped shape Cameron Park. Henderson agreed to assist with the purchase and oversee the development of what would become Rancho Murieta.

The Operating Engineers purchased the 2,200-acre former Granlees Ranch for $1.25 million and an additional 1,300 acres from eight smaller farms. Two years after the purchase, their plans were approved, and they also secured the necessary water rights in the next two years.

The grand opening of the Operating Engineers training facility on Nov. 11, 1969, was a momentous event, drawing 1,400 attendees, including then-Gov. Ronald Reagan. 

“After that colorful start, the Operating Engineers took to every manner of heavy equipment and artfully carved out an airport, lakes, a water treatment plant, a golf course, whatever needed doing,” according to the book.

The North Course, designed to feature championship-level terrain, opened on Oct. 10, 1971, with a simple ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The Operating Engineers built the first residential development, Murieta Village, next to the training center in November 1972. Snyder’s parents, Ted and Dixie Hart; and Sewall’s parents, Ed and Margie Sewall, were among the first residents, purchasing two initial lots and ordering new mobile homes.

A 1973 ad in the Sacramento Union offered members unlimited weekday golf for $35 a month. According to the book, they had access to a large, elegant clubhouse and challenging golf course “that was seriously devoid of golfers.”

John McNamee, the country club’s first tennis pro in 1975, recalled that the original developers envisioned Rancho Murieta as a resort destination for snowbirds. Their plan envisioned homeowners flying into the private airport, staying in townhouses without garages, golfing, playing tennis and enjoying the scenic surroundings. Despite having a playground near the entrance, the development was never originally designed with children in mind.

“That’s the reason for the cottage lots and homes without garages,” the book quotes him saying. 

In 1973, renowned horsewoman Barbara Worth collaborated with the Operating Engineers to design and manage the equestrian center. The Operating Engineers sold it to Fred Anderson and his daughter, Carol Anderson Ward, in 1982. 

The grand opening of the South Course on April 28, 1979, was a lavish affair. Guests dined on the Yellow Bridge.

The airport hosted its most significant event in August 1986, drawing 30,000 spectators for an airshow. The opening of Plaza Foods in 1988 was highly anticipated and a welcome development for the community. 

In 1990, Winncrest Homes announced plans for Rancho Murieta South, including constructing 200 residential lots.

The book concludes with a “Gallery of Twenty-First Century Life in the Cosumnes River Valley,” featuring photographs taken by Snyder, Sewall and a half-dozen amateur photographers from the community. The images capture moments of everyday life, including a deer and a golf cart driver peacefully ignoring each other, scenes from Summerfest, pickleball matches, the July 4 parade, the Optimists operating their ice cream truck, and various Kiwanis and Boy Scout events.

Snyder said they ordered 400 limited-edition copies, hoping to sell them directly to the community for $35 each.

Their book launch on Jan. 11 at The Villas Clubhouse drew a modest crowd, mainly people with personal connections to the book. Their next stop five days later at the Murieta Inn wine-tasting event was a much different story when they sold 54 books within an hour and a half.

Since then, their book has been selling briskly at Ace Hardware in Murieta Plaza, thanks to co-owner Julie Davis offering retail space. Snyder and Sewall also plan to sell books at upcoming club meetings. In the meantime, they can be contacted for individual purchases at [email protected].

Although the timing is uncertain, the books will sell online at Amazon.com for $39.95. Snyder explained that the books wont have “Limited Edition” on the front cover and will feature matte pages. 

For Snyder and Sewall, writing the book has been a deeply personal endeavor that preserves the rich history of a community they have been part of for decades.

“We just have faith that the community will appreciate it,” Sewall said. “So far, they have.”