Stone Piles

Stone Piles

Tim Hauf, timhaufphotography.com

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Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits

Dry stone masonry structures (retaining walls, check dams, stone piles) are found throughout Santa Cruz Island. Over 200 of the structures are located on the east end of the island. These features were constructed by Italian stone masons and laborers between 1880 and 1900 for the Justinian Caire family, which owned the island. Although the work was probably carried out by both skilled stone masons and less skilled workers, as differences in quality can be detected in the various structures, the masonry involved has been examined by experts and has been judged as "good quality work, built to high standards."

"To make better use of the land, workers cleared the fields of rocks; then piled the huge rocks into cairns which remain today as a monument to their labor," wrote Gherini about the large rock piles that can be seen as one hikes along the road to Smugglers Cove. The "better use of the land" Gherini writes about is the planting of a variety of crops such as wheat, corn, potatoes, beans, barley, onions, hay, and alfalfa in these cleared fields between Scorpion and Smugglers. These crops supplied many of the food products and hay for the island operation and led to the east end of the island being known as the "granary."