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This John Davis ranch barn was built before 1900. This ranch has been in the Davis-Cowan family since 1859. John James Davis came
to California in 1852 by wagon train from Indiana, after stopping in Iowa to learn the cooper's trade. For several years he mined in Placerville, Diamond Springs, and various
other places in the local area of the Mother Lode. In 1959, he filed "Possessory" land claim in Shenandoah Valley. The Homestead Act was not enacted until 1862. He raised
fruit, grapes (Zinfandel and Mission varieties), peaches, apricots, pears, plums, and almonds. In 1869, he and Mary Kane Davis of Ireland were married. They were the parents of seven
children: Stephan, James, John, Joseph, Mary, Thomas, and Robert, all of whom grew up on the farm in the valley.
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This was the Davis family home and was built about 1880. The home was occupied by Miss Mary Davis aftewr the death of her parents.
This home burned down in 1936 and was later rebuilt as a smaller bungalow. She died in 1964.
Since that time, the rebuilt home has been occupied by James and Mary Davis Cowan and later their son, Jim, his wife Debbie, and
their two daighters, Heather and Melissa
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