Sudden Ranch Headquarters

USA / California / Lompoc /
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Sea captain Robert Sudden purchased the 14,500-acre Espada Ranch in 1883 from Colonel W.W. Hollister. Sudden raised Clydesdale horses, but development of the automobile suddenly made the horses obsolete in their cargo duties. He later switched to sheep and cattle.

In 1966, the Air Force acquired the land from the Sudden family through a condemnation process and a legal dispute, which landed in federal court, over the amount paid to the family. The Air Force wanted the land to create a larger buffer zone for South Base rocket launches.

Today the site remains a jewel of local ranching history. It is still used for cattle ranching activities, although no one permanently lives here.

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Coordinates:   34°32'13"N   120°31'54"W
This article was last modified 11 years ago