In 1878, the site where Camp Lockett now stands was first chosen as a site for a cavalry camp when sixteen troopers wearing the US Cavalry’s blue uniform set up a temporary outpost for several months here near the border.

In 1879, that incredible duo of multi-talented brothers from Indiana, Lumen and Silas Gaskill decide to construct a ‘monster’ steam engine with the hopes of transporting government mail westward from Campo through the mountains and the sand dunes of the Imperial Valley.  On its trial run, the Gaskills decide that it was too large to supply with enough water and fuel to travel such a great distance. The project was quickly abandoned, but the ingenious brothers were able to later use the machine to power a sawmill. 

In the early 1880’s, over a period of a few years, the Village of Campo gets its first taste of ‘town planning’.  Marion Riley, a local grocery store owner, designs a set of plans for the village.  Riley’s store was located on Star Ranch near the site of the Old Schoolhouse where he sat and sketched the plans for the new town. 

Sheep ranching in Campo begins its decline in 1882 when heavy snowstorms kill thousands of sheep. The sometimes brutal winters of the Campo Valley are too much to maintain a successful sheep ranching operation.  Sugar cane is offered up as a possible cash crop substitute in 1884, but attempts to grow it in the valley fail. 

In 1885, fearful of additional raids, the Gaskill Brothers build the famous “old stone store” as a literal fortress against any possible attacks. The thick-walled stone store was never attacked although various bands of outlaws raided other areas of the Campo Valley.  The famous Gaskill gun battle was the last raid of organized bandit gangs in Southern California. Cattle rustling, however, persisted on an extensive scale for many years to follow despite the ‘Judges of the Plains’.  The stone store was used as a post office, bank, and stagecoach station, and became the social and shopping center of the region. In addition, the army used the stone store as its telegraph office—an ongoing military presence in the Campo Valley.   The Gaskills also used the stone store as a dance hall. Saturday night dances on the second floor became occasional highpoints in the lives of residents from miles around. Not to be outdone, Alphonzo Grigsby also held dances at the property now known as Star Ranch. Today, Star Ranch and the Kiwanis maintain the tradition of the social dance that began with the Judge’s of the Plains’ rodeos and later continued with the Gaskills and Grigsby by holding an annual barn dance each June.

When reporting the history of Star Ranch and Campo, we can’t overlook the effect that the growth of San Diego had on the region and the famous San Diegans that will eventually have an impact on both the ranch and the valley.  While the Gaskills were busy running the stone store, back in San Diego, the City was experiencing rapid growth.  During the 1880’s, the population grew to 40,000; the trains began running to Los Angeles and San Bernardino; gas and telephone lines were installed; electric trolleys ran through the City; John D. Spreckels’ development company built the Hotel del Coronado; and Horton’s plan for a thousand-acre downtown near the wharves is quickly realized.  At that time, Coronado was considered a desolate island where people went rabbit hunting.

In early 1888, a record breaking three-day, four-foot snowfall with wind drifts of 40’-50’ tall hits the valley.  Edmund Lester Wade purchases Riley’s Store on the Star Ranch property and the first presidential election between Grover Cleveland and Benjamin Harrison was held in Campo.  The Gaskills probably had a lot to do with making sure Harrison got elected. President Harrison and the Gaskills were all from Indiana.  Here’s a familiar parallel with recent events--Harrison lost the popular vote, but won the electoral vote. 

By 1890, the land boom in San Diego turns to bust as the City drops in population to 16,000…a loss of 24,000 citizens in just four years.  Hoping to be the direct link to the East, at that time, disheartened San Diego was connected to the rest of the country by just a spur line to Los Angeles.

In 1891, the Kumeyaay Indians of the Campo Valley retreat to the mountains believing that a disastrous rain and floods and powerful earthquake will hit the area.  Their predictions prove to be true.  In 1892, more earthquakes were reported.  The ground in the valley was reported to “shake” periodically for more than three months. 

The Gaskills sell the stone store in 1896, first to Ed Aiken along with the thousand-acre Gaskill’s Campo Ranch. Aiken sells the store to Henry and Murray Johnson and they open four other stores in San Diego County. They change the business’s name to the “Mountain Commercial Company”.  Campo is now birthplace to the area’s first “chain” stores.  Silas and Lumen move their cattle to the Colorado River and turn the operation over to their sons.  Silas, 73, and Lumen, 60, move to the City of San Diego.