Continuity and Change:
A Photographic History of the Drakesbad Guest Ranch

The Kitchen and Dining Room

1912-1940

Eastman photograph showing kitchen and tent dining room on the right

1914—Kitchen and dining room

1915—"Kitchen help"

1924—Kitchen and dining room

1924—Interior of the dining room

   After the formation of the Drake Spring Company in 1912, the infusion of investment money was used to begin several construction projects among which was a new kitchen and canvas topped 24 by 50 foot dining room, and to purchase quality hotel equipment in San Francisco (Sifford 1994:54). Roy Sifford remembered that the dining room "was a beautiful set up on a nice day. White linens, cut glass, Roger's silverware, and when decorated with local flowers, it was a sort of a beauty" (Roy Sifford interviewed by Les Bodine n.d.).

   "At lunch, we served salad, choice of entree, choice of dessert consistently, in the dining room, white linens, shiny glass and the silver set up on the tables. Pictures of which may be seen in many of the albums. We planned on a choice of salad, fruit or vegetables. We planned on your choice of two or three meats, a cold meat and one hot meat either beef or ham occasionally held over or some roast pork. So we had a salad, choice of meats and we planned on many, many kinds of desserts, serving 40, 50, 90 people it's no more expensive to serve a choice of four pies than it is one pie. It's a little more work and takes a little more care, but we gave them a choice of pie, generally bread pudding or some pudding and of course, the customary coffee, tea or milk" (Roy Sifford interviewed by Les Bodine 5/6/85). At the height of the summer season lunch was served to as many as 150 guests each day (Sifford 1994:54).

Undated photograph probably taken in the 1930s
(EASTMAN'S ORIGINALS COLLECTION, D-51, Department of Special Collections, General Library, University of California, Davis)

1940-1950

1941—The old kitchen now has an attached enclosed dining room

Undated photograph showing newly constructed kitchen

1950-Present

1952—Reconstruction of the dining room after the collapse of the structure in the winter of 1951-52

1952—Reconstructed dining room

1952—Kitchen

1975—Kitchen and dining room

2002—Kitchen and dining room

2002—Dining room and kitchen

2003—Interior of the dining room

2011—Interior of the dining room

2017—Dining room interior

2017—Pacific Coast Trail Hikers enjoying a break from the walk