The Stone Ranch at Eagle Lake is one of the best known ranches in the basin. However, in a different era, it was better known as the Troxel Ranch. In the mid-1880s on the northeast side of the lake, featured a lot of new residents and area was dubbed the Butte Colony, as these folks came from Butte County, California. The Troxel family was a part of this enclave. On December 12, 1888, William H. Troxel purchased William S. Davis’ 430-acre ranch on the northeast shore of Eagle Lake for $3,000. In 1918, William and Rosanna Troxel, who where in their mid-sixties, opted for retirement and moved to San Diego. They subsequently leased the ranch and on February 15, 1926, they sold the ranch to Coit and Laura Stone.
as a child back in the 1950’s, my parents were good friends of Coit & Laura Stone and their son Sam & wife Gladys that lived on the ranch also. We always spent a week there every October when dad went deer hunting…..What I remember most was the cattle round-ups generally during the week we were there, I would help Sam nightly bring the sheep in, that was always fun. Then the flat land above the upper barn Coit had told me that the Indians would winter there and lots of arrowheads so my sister and I would spend a lot of time “hunting”…….we did find some but mainly just chips. My big find was a Colt 45 that was rusted beyond, well lets just say it was very rusted. I have a lot of good memories there, I always felt they were CA Pioneers and it took me in my young mind back to cowboy & indian days.
In the late 60s I worked for the 5dot cattle ranch which had purchased the Stone ranch I was hired to dismantle the old Stone house which was constructed of hand hewn logs which were saved for reuse. I lived in a small two room house which was between the old barn and house. There was a spring where we got our water and there was no shortage of rattle snakes, it was a highlight in my young life as it was fairly wild country then.