Rice Barn

This barn, built by John Wesley Rice, has stood on this place at the extreme eastern end of Watts Valley since before 1900. A photo of the Rice Place published in the Fresno Bee April 25, 1920 (published also in Brenda Preston's book on the Firebaughs) shows this barn with the Rice house in the background and two other ranch buildings nearby which no longer exist. John Wesley Rice bought the Firebaugh homestead in 1875. According to family records, the Rices lived in a log cabin for a few years before John built the house that still stands on the property. The Rices sold out in 1917 to the Martins, who in turn sold out to Joe Lassotovich about 1930. Descendants of the Lassotovich family still own the property. Lee Marvin Rice (1892-1984), son of John and Rebecca Jane Rice, became an artist and writer of some note.