A mountain like nowhere else in the world
COAST MIWOK
A midden from a Coast Miwok village on Ring Mountain has been dated at 370 B.C.
SPANISH LAND GRANT
Under Spanish rule, Ring Mountain was part of the 7,843-acre Rancho Corte Madera del Presidio rancho. Corte Madera del Presidio translates as "lumber mill of the Presidio." In 1834, the governor of Alta California, José Figueroa, granted Rancho Corte Madera del Presidio to Irish settler John Reed. In 1836, Reed married Hilaria Sánchez (1817–1872), sister to Californios Francisco Sanchez and José de la Cruz Sánchez. Francisco served as 8th Alcalde (Mayor) of San Francisco and Commandant of the Presidio of San Francisco. José served as 11th Alcade of San Francisco.
CEDING TO CALIFORNIA
Mexico ceded California to the United States after the Mexican-American War. A treaty signed in 1848 allowed for honoring Spanish land grants. After several lawsuits, in 1885, the title for all 7,845 acres passed to the heirs of John Reed in four equal undivided parts. Heirs of John and Hilaria Reed grazed horses and cattle on Ring Mountain for the next 150 years.
MOUNTAIN WITHOUT A NAME
As part of the Reed family holdings, Ring Mountain had no formal name. George E. Ring (1841-1911, a settler from New Hampshire, acquired sizable land holdings throughout what is now Marin County, including parcels at the base of Ring Mountain along the Tiburon shore. George Ring rose in prominence to become a County supervisor from 1895 to 1903. A popular figure in Marin, the mountain became associated with his name.
RARE GEOLOGY
Early on, Ring Mountain was recognized for its unique geology. In 1890, a new mineral, named lawsonite, was identified here. Prominent geologist Salem Rice later wrote, “Most of the rare and unusual rock types at Ring Mountain have been found… at other localities. However, it appears that the diverse assortment of such rocks at Ring Mountain is unique and not known to occur elsewhere.”
COLD WAR
In the 1950’s, during the Cold War era between the United States and the Soviet Union, the U.S. Army installed anti-aircraft guns and military structures on the summit of Ring Mountain. The military deactivated this installation in the 1960’s.
PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT
During the mid-1960s, Reed family descendants moved cattle and horses off Ring Mountain, and sold over 400 acres to a developer. The prospect of development triggered a lengthy, multi-year effort to rally support for preserving Ring Mountain.
DEFENDING THE MOUNTAIN
Before moving to Tiburon with her husband George in 1958, Phyllis Ellman served in the U.S. Army, achieved an advanced degree in chemistry, and worked as a biochemist. As a member of the Marin chapter of the Native Plant Society, she became known as “Mother Botany” for her extensive knowledge of Marin wildflowers. She em
DISCOVERY OF THE TIBURON MARIPOSA LILY
In 1972, Dr. Robert West discovered an unusual flower high on Ring Mountain. The Tiburon mariposa lily, along with other rare and endangered plant species such as the Tiburon Indian paintbrush, were catalogued and identified. Fostered by the mountain’s unusual geology, at least nine plant plant species were found to be endemic to Ring Mountain, meaning they grow nowhere else in the world.
NATURE CONSERVANCY ACQUISITION
The Nature Conservancy purchased Ring Mountain in three separate transactions – 1981, 75 acres; 1982, 40 acres; 1984, 270 acres. In 1995, The Nature Conservancy conveyed the title of Ring Mountain to Marin County, while continuing to hold a conservation easement over the property. The conservation easement requires that the Preserve be used for scientific and educational purposes and be managed as a natural area.
NATURE CONSERVANCY AND MARIN COUNTY CONTINUING COLLABORATION
In 1995, The Nature Conservancy conveyed the title of Ring Mountain to Marin County, while continuing to hold a conservation easement over the property. Over the years, The Nature Conservancy has continued to support Ring Mountain in many ways, including donor funds. Most recently, in 2011, The Nature Conservancy received a bequest from Mr. J. Lowell Groves for Ring Mountain conservation. The J. Lowell Groves Trust, via an ongoing grant from The Nature Conservancy, currently funds the Ring Mountain Stewardship and Habitat Restoration Program. The program is designed to be efficient, and outcome-oriented, to serve as a flagship conservation site and management template for Marin County, and maintain long-term continuity in the efforts to preserve Ring Mountain.
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