History of Sikes Adobe and the Sikes Family

The Sikes Family

Zenas Sikes and Eliza M. Burrell under varied circumstances both arrived in California as a part of the California Gold rush. They were married on July 3, 1853 in Santa Clara County where Zenas and his brothers began farming. In1868, Zenas purchased a 2,400 acre portion of the former Rancho San Bernardo for $2,500. With their six children, they moved onto their property by 1872 assuming their first home was simply the adobe structure.

Additional rooms in the Greek revival style, popular during the Victorian era, were soon added to the one room structure. These additions were of wood frame construction, not adobe. In a letter written by Eliza, the farmhouse was described as having reached its final outer dimensions by 1881 as is seen today.

The year was tragic for the family. Zenas Sikes died in surgery in April 1881 after a second serious accident as a result of being kicked by a horse. Eliza used the insurance payments in part to remodel the house extensively and to upgrade the furnishings. She also continued to farm the land with the help of several of her grown children. The family’s fortunes slowly declined in the decade after Zenas’ death. Wheat became less profitable as competition grew and the land became less fertile.

Debts piled up and in 1897. The property was sold to August Barnett off the mortgages he held on the property. In 1917, the house was purchased along with the buildings in the Bernardo community as part of the Lake Hodges Dam Project, initiated by Col. Ed Fletcher.

For a comprehensive history of the Sikes family, visit: The Sikes Historic Adobe website (link opens in new window).

Farming

This area of North County has a rich agricultural history dating back to the Spanish period. Originally used as grazing land for the San Diego Mission, Joseph Snook, an English mariner, petitioned to acquire the vacant land to graze his cattle on the Rancho San Bernardo. In 1842, Snook obtained approval for the land grant after gaining approval from his neighboring farm and ranch owners, including Juan Largo, the Alcalde representing the Pueblo of San Pasqual. However, Snook had to agree not to interfere with the public road that crossed his land, which was the inland route from San Diego to San Marcos and San Luis Rey.

Just six years after receiving his land grant, Joseph Snook unexpectedly passed away in February 1848. His wife, Maria Antonia, remarried in 1853 to a land surveyor named Henry Clayton. Maria Antonia’s Rancho land claim was approved in 1857, along with the adjacent Rancho Rincon del Diablo that had been owned by her family. After marrying Clayton, Maria Antonia declared herself a “sole trader” and had the right to operate farming-related businesses.

In the late 1860s, ranching and farming in the area began to decline as San Diego County’s economy stagnated. The region faced a series of challenges, including droughts, floods, a smallpox epidemic, fears of secessionists invading Southern California, unrest in Baja California, and the failure of San Diego’s only newspaper.

During this chaotic time, Rancho San Bernardo was not spared. Maria Antonia (Snook) Clayton died from smallpox in 1862, leaving behind a probate record that reflected her success as a skilled ranch owner. However, her personal property, including herds of sheep, cattle, oxen, and horses, were sold for much less than their value. She did not have any children.

In an effort to prevent the ranch from collapsing completely, neighboring ranchers, such as Albert B. Smith of Bear Ranch south of Valley Center, provided hay to Maria’s rancho to ensure the survival of the livestock.

While the economic depression of the 1860s affected many farms and ranches, some neighboring farms owned by Native Kumeyaay, Luiseno, Californio rancheros, immigrant Anglos, and Europeans remained operational.

By the late 1860s, farming was revitalized with the release of Government land for homesteads. During this time, Zenas Sikes purchased 2000 acres in Spring 1869 and began to revitalize Rancho San Bernardo for dry farming. Sikes, a successful farmer in the Santa Clara area and inventor of agricultural equipment, cleared several hundred acres by 1872. The primary crops grown were wheat and barley, which were used as feed for the region’s livestock ranches or for export. Additionally, Sikes developed a new town called Bernardo.

Sikes played a leadership role as the first Grange Master of the Bernardo Grange, an association of regional farmers that he helped organize. The Grange provided a platform for farmers to socialize and exchange news and information. The Sikes farm had access to spring water and the adjacent San Bernardo River. Like other large farms in the area, it also had a small orchard, cows, horses, and sheep. Sikes made a lasting impact as a local leader and excellent farmer until his death in 1881 from complications of a leg injury caused by an agricultural accident. His wife, Eliza, and several grown children continued to operate the farm.

The Town of Bernardo

The Town of Bernardo was a small town site, located about 2,000 feet east of the Sikes Farmhouse on the main road between San Diego and the northern regions of present-day San Diego County. The town consisted of about a half-dozen buildings that included a general store, blacksmith shop, and Grange Hall. The town served a community of about 400 people in outlying areas. The official founding of the community of Bernardo occurred on December 3, 1872 when a post office was established at the Sikes Farmstead, with Zenas Sikes as postmaster.

Zenas was the first master of the Bernardo Grange, a local chapter of a national fraternal association of farmers. The Grange was also important in the social life of the community, organizing picnics and balls. The general store at Bernardo was a landmark in the region for 40 years, serving as the main commercial outlet for Valley Center, Rincon del Diablo (present-day Escondido), San Pasqual, Bernardo, and Poway areas.

The establishment of Escondido in the late 1880s led to the gradual decline of the general store and the town. Bernardo continued to exist as a community until the construction of the Lake Hodges Dam in 1918.

To read more about the history of Rancho Bernardo, visit the Rancho Bernardo Historical Society website (website opens in new window).