| Hamlet | |||||||
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| Name | Jason's Ranch | ||||||
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| Population | 126 | ||||||
| Language(s) | English | ||||||
| Location |  Sylvania; Peace Island
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| Next to | Clave Rock | ||||||
| Nicknames | The Ranch | ||||||
Jason's Ranch is a rural farming hamlet located in the state of Sylvania, near the village of Clave Rock, with 126 inhabitants. It was founded in 1909 by Jason Hicks, an American farmer who had emigrated to Lovia with his family, to set up his own cattle ranch and farm.
Geography[]
A view of the centre of Jason's Ranch
Jason's Ranch is located in rural Sylvania, near to the village of Clave Rock. Despite its proximity to the village, it is at a much lower elevation and is located near the bottom of the Stephen Headland.
History[]
Foundation and early history[]
The cattle ranch at Jason's Ranch
In 1904, Jason Hicks emigrated to Lovia from the USA with his wife Margaret and their five children. The family initially settled in Noble City where Hicks worked as a textiles merchant, although they moved five years later to rural Sylvania to found their own ranch and farm.
Whilst the ranch was unsuccessful at first, it grew in size over the next two decades. In 1926, several more families came from the Hicks' hometown to work on the farm. At this time, several houses were built near the farm, as well as a church and a village shop.
The farms productivity increased in the following years due to the rise of new farming technology. In 1952, Jason Hicks died at the age of 84, and subsuquently left the ranch to his eldest son Geoffrey.
Late 20th century[]
Jason's Ranch apple orchard, built in 1984 to boost tourism
After the death of Jason Hicks, the hamlet continued to expand under the management of Geoffrey Hicks.
The creation of the Jason's Ranch Board came in 1973, to help manage the hamlet's development and other local issues.
In 1984, the hamlet's board decided to encourage tourism to the hamlet, opening a small caravan park near the ranch, and a small apple orchard where visitors can pick and keep the apples. This led to a population increase over the following years, and in 1988, the hamlets population reached 100 for the first time.
Modern day[]
Despite its recent population increase, Jason's Ranch still remains a very small hamlet. The centre of the hamlet is occupied by several small shops, in addition to a church and farmers market. The original ranch is located roughly a mile from the hamlets centre.
The main crops grown on the farm continue to be apples and other fruits, whilst the cattle ranch produces milk and cheese that is sold in the hamlets dairy shop.
Demographics[]
Population[]
The demographics of the hamlet have rarely changed through out its history, except for several small waves of migration to the hamlet in the early 20th century. It is estimated that of its current population of 126, 80% are of American descent with the remaining 20% made up of people of European ancestry. As a result, it is estimated that English is the native language of 96% of the hamlet's inhabitants.
Religion[]
St. John's Church, the biggest place of worship in Jason's Ranch
Throughout the majority of the hamlets history, a majority of its inhabitants have been Anglican. A survey in 2010 estimated that 60% of the hamlet's inhabitants are Anglican or Protestant, with a further 37% having no religion. Much of the hamlet's Anglican population attend St. John's Church, located in the hamlet.
Politics[]
Due to its small size, Jason's Ranch does not have its own town council, however it does have a small organisation, the Jason's Ranch Board which is responsible for several issues affecting the town, including waste disposal, building upkeep and agriculture. It is currently composed of 10 members, who are elected annually and most of which are independent. The current chairman of the board is Ben Hicks, the great-grandson of Jason Hicks, the hamlet's founder.
Trivia[]
Jason's Ranch has two nicknames, The Ranch and Mini Somerset, the latter of which was adopted after a British man who lived in the hamlet in the 1940s remarked that it looked like a rural village in the English county of Somerset.
Despite its small size, residents of the hamlet have a strong identity, and many are extremely proud of their American ancestry.
The hamlet is renowned for its brand of apple cider, which is produced at the hamlet's orchard and sold across Sylvania. The brand, named Jason's Ranch, was sold to the Libertan cider company Peter Haling in 2013.