John Marsh is one of California's greatest adventurers. He was a pioneer on six American frontiers and the first American settler in the San Joaquin Valley. He was California's first medical doctor.

According to historian Kathleen Mero, "John Marsh is a lost treasure found again by Californians who want him restored to his rightful place in our history."

Long before the Gold Rush, John Marsh came to the West and envisioned an opportunity to create an agricultural paradise. He bought 40,000 acres of land in East Contra Costa County, built an adobe and an impressive stone house and established Rancho Los Meganos in the 1830s.

The Stone House has been worn by time, weather and neglect, but the John Marsh Historic Trust (JMHT) is dedicated to saving the house and restoring it to its original condition. The house now stands in a 3,600-acre parcel of open space recently purchased and gifted to the California Department of Parks and Recreation.

Photo Richard Wisdom

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