Page 49 - LLR-Exploration II

Cheesemakers Make Home Here
Notes:

Dan Krieger

Edgar W. Steele

“This is cow heaven.” Marin and San Mateo County dairyman Edgar W.
Steele was seeking inexpensive pasture land in June 1866. After a
devastating, three-year drought, the rains had returned to the Central
Coast. The green grass rose almost to his saddle bags as he traversed
the Corral de Piedra, Pismo, Bolsa de Chemisal and Arroyo Grande
ranches.

He immediately negotiated with the drought stricken owners to
purchase 45,000 acres for $1.10 per acre. That was less than a year after
George Hearst had paid only 75 cents an acre for the Piedra Blanca
Rancho where Hearst Castle now stands.

But “E. W.” knew that he was getting an incredible value. Monterey
County rancher Jacinto Rodriguez had persuaded the sons of his sister, Figure 23: Edgar W. Steele is shown in 1883. He
thought he got a great deal on ranch land, only to
Rafaela Villavicencio, to sell their share of the Corral de Piedra. It had pay much more later.
been granted to their father by Mexico in 1841. The widowed matriarch
and her sons wanted to escape from heavy debts and seemed fine with the deal.

Soon, E. W. and his brother George brought 600 first register milking cows to their Edna Valley ranching
operation. They hired experienced dairymen from Canton Ticino and other mountainous dairy regions
along the new border between Switzerland and Italy. The recent Italian War of Independence had
disrupted the traditional routes of commerce and the younger sons of large dairying families were
forced to emigrate. The green hills of the Central Coast seemed like a good place to settle.

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