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     The Santa Margarita Ranch is one of the longest continually run cattle ranches in the United States. Padre Juan Crespi first recorded the site of Santa Margarita de Cortona on his trip to Monterey, California in 1769. The lush, fertile valley of Santa Margarita was a natural site for the padres to establish an extension to the San Luis Obispo de Tolosa Mission. Built of rock and mortar, the Asistencia, consisted of a chapel with six inner rooms and a granary on the east end. 
    
      Twenty-six year old Joaquin Estrada received a Mexican land grant of 17,735 acres in 1841. Due to rainfall and soil fertility, Rancho Santa Margarita was considered one of the best land grants in California. 
    
     Patrick Murphy acquired the ranch in 1861 and again the ranch flourished with large herds of Mexican cattle. Elaborate fiestas and rodeos took place and the adobe bear and bull fighting arena was often used. The ranch had grown to over 70,000 acres and was among the finest in California.
    
     The Reis family from San Francisco bought the ranch in 1901 and eventually willed it to Stanford University. They held it for a very brief period and sold it to the Robertson family from Texas. 
    
     Between 2000 and 2002, Rob Rossi, Ron Hertel, Karl Wittstrom and Doug Filipponi obtained the ranch. Rossi, Wittstrom and Filipponi remain the current deed holders of the land and legacy of Rancho Santa Margarita.

Rodeo at Santa Margarita Ranch, May 1908

Santa Margarita Ranch Tack Room 2005
Photo courtesy of Londie G. Padelsky ©

Interior walls of the Asistencia, present