The Gehring house reflects the ranch’s growth from a pioneer log cabin to a modern twentieth-century family home. Bartholomew Gehring camped out under his wagon while building the first wing of this ranch house in 1865. In November 1871, he married Jane Auchard, the sister of his friend and neighbor David Auchard. A log addition followed when only son, David, was born in 1873. Soon after, they added a summer kitchen to the rear. Around 1900, a carpenter completed the tricky task of harmoniously joining the two log cabins and the kitchen under one roof and added clapboard siding and a front porch. Bartholomew died suddenly in a ranch accident on July 4, 1900, and Jane passed away in 1912. David married neighbor Ann Hardie in 1913, and children Ruth, Clifford, and Jack arrived over the next eleven years. In 1928, a carpenter enlarged their small cabin with a modern two-story rear addition, including a cellar, kitchen, and upstairs bedrooms. A concrete swimming pool, added at the same time, shows that the Gehrings took time for fun despite the hard work of ranch life.
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