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History of the Paicines Ranch
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Clockwise, from top left: Limestone bluffs at the northwest corner of the ranch; view from ranch headquarters; branding; cows graze near the Paicines Reservoir. |
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The Paicines Ranch (or Rancho
Cienega de los Paicines), located in Paicines, California, has been a
working ranch since the mid-1800's. Paicines is located in San Benito County
(just south of Santa Clara County), approximately 10 miles south of
Hollister, CA. |
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The original land grant in 1842
was to Angel Castro and Jose Rodriguez, who sold it to Francisco Villegas,
who in 1867 sold the ranch to Alexander Grogan. Grogan ran a dairy
operation on the ranch from the 1860's until the late 1800's. He built many
of the oldest buildings which stand on the ranch today including the
Victorian house (1880s), the two large barns (1880s) and the cheese house
(1860s). Grogan imported Ayrshire cows for the dairy operation. Grogan
died in 1886, and for the next 20 years the ranch was owned by his sister
and two other owners. |
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Barn built by Grogan, circa 1880’s |
| In 1906, the ranch
was purchased by Kingsley Macomber and George Sykes. Sykes took the land
across highway 25 from the current location of the ranch, and Macomber took
what is today the Paicines Ranch. During his ownership, many structures of
Moorish design were built on the ranch, including stables, a water tank, and
a new residence. Macomber raised horses on the ranch in addition to the
cattle operation. |
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Stables built by Macomber in the early
1900’s. |
| In 1927 Macomber sold the ranch to
Walter Murphy. Murphy was a wealthy industrialist from Chicago and a friend
of the Roosevelts. Eleanor Roosevelt was a guest at the ranch, and their
son, Jimmy Roosevelt spent a year at the ranch recuperating from an illness.
When Murphy died in 1943, Bob and Katherine Law purchased
the ranch. The Law family owned the ranch until 1989 when it was purchased
by Ridgemark Corporation, with the intention of developing a resort hotel,
golf courses and single-family houses. Finally, in 2001, as it became
apparent that the development would not move forward, the ranch was
purchased by the current owners, who intend to keep it a working ranch with
cattle, horse breeding, and general agriculture. In addition, many of the
historical buildings are being restored and/or stabilized so that they will
be preserved. |
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