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Native American
Roots
It is believed that the first settlement of this area occurred
10,000 years ago, when the sea level was 150 ft. lower, and access
to the northern Channel Islands (at that time Island) was easier.
By 1000 B.C.C. the beginnings of the modern Chumash language was
being established in the Santa Barbara region.
500 - 1769 A.D.
Undisturbed by foreign settlers, indigenous civilization thrived.
Tribes of Chumash
(believed to translate as "seashell people") Indians spanned
from the beaches of Malibu to the Oak country of Paso Robles. Chumash
of the region were primarily hunters, gatherers and fishermen, and
distinguished themselves with advanced basketry, stone cookware
and construction of innovative plank canoes fashioned with driftwood
from the North, pine pitch and naturally occurring local tar. A
tiered society developed, ranging from manual laborers to skilled
craftsmen. Men and women both served as the chiefs and priests of
the individual Chumash tribes.
San Marcos Pass, which crosses the Santa Ynez Mountains and is
the path to Laurel Springs Retreat, was once a trading route between
the coastal and inland tribes. It is thought that Laurel Springs,
at it's heightened elevation, was exclusively used by the shaman
priests and astrologers for religious ceremonies and vision questing.
Painted Caves in the area, up to 1,000 years old, depicting supernatural
beings and celestial events support this belief.
1900's
Formerly a chef at the Arlington Hotel, Homer Snyder homesteaded
the 160 and 13/100 acres and with a land grant, signed by President
Theodore Roosevelt, acquired what he would call "Laurel Springs"
in 1902. Originally settled to provide his wife, ailing with tuberculosis,
a space away from the moist coastal air, Snyder built the Laurel
Springs Inn (now called "The Lodge") in 1905 and the
ranch became a Bed & Breakfast vacation resort, well known
for its apple orchards, hand-pressed cider and rose gardens.
Outlasting her husband, Mrs. Snyder built a memorial monument
in Homer's honor after he passed away in 1925. The plaque and
a portion of the monument remain atop our "Gazebo Trail"
which overlooks the ranch and the nearby Painted Cave community.
Mrs. Snyder then sold Laurel Springs to George Knapp, a Chicago
utilities tycoon who owned several other properties in the area.
The remains of nearby "Knapp's Castle" are currently
a popular a hiking location and full moon gathering location.
Knapp who established Knapp's School of Nursing in Santa Barbara
provided Laurel Springs as a retreat site for the busy nurses
of the local Cottage Hospital.
The 80's
In 1977, actress Jane Fonda and her husband Tom Hayden acquired
Laurel Springs Ranch. That same year, our own John Bair was hired
as a ranch gardener. Initially designed as a headquarters for
Hayden's political activities, Laurel Springs soon became home
of Laurel Springs Children's Camp. For 15 years, Fonda ran this
Summer camp using the arts, especially dramatic arts, to foster
new opportunities, self-esteem and communication among children
of varied races and socioeconomic backgrounds.
1997...
In May of 1997, Melissa Keeler first stepped onto the mist-enshrouded
grounds of Laurel Springs Ranch. The fog so thick, that the land's
physical features were nearly invisible, she was moved energetically,
by her perception of the palpably powerful forces of compassion
and healing. She was also struck by a powerful memory...
Two years earlier, while driving in the Eastern Sierras and listening
to "Bridge Over Troubled Water," she had received a
lightning bolt vision of a healing/retreat center so vivid, that
she recognized it as a spiritual direction. Unsure of how to proceed,
she exclaimed out loud "Yes! I will do this work, but you
must show me when, where and how. I have no idea how to do this
on my own, but I promise to watch for the signs..."
After a last-minute pull-out from an established buyer, Melissa
embraced the opportunity to establish and care for our current
Laurel Springs Retreat. Through much trial and error, stubborn
determination and deep surrender, she and partner Michael Morris
accepted a stewardship of this revered land and have guided the
Laurel Springs Retreat to its current glorious incarnation! |
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