Ranch History

Rancho Sisquoc is located in the region originally inhabited by the Chumash Tribe. Spain’s arrival in California in 1770 marked a turning point for the Chumash, as well as other native tribes. The establishment of missions seeking to westernize the indigenous population devastated their way of life which was compounded by the arrival of homesteaders, soldiers, and ranchers who settled Chumash land.

In 1821, Mexico gained independence from Spain which awarded them the California territory. Governor Pío Pico, the last Mexican governor of California, granted Rancho Sisquoc in its original boundaries to Maria Antonia Domínguez y Caballero, one of the few women to receive such a land grant, in 1845. After California became a territory of the United States in 1848, the land was sold to James Huie of San Francisco in 1851 for $12,500. After Huie’s death, the Rancho was sold to J. B. Stone and Parsons in 1877 before the whole property was acquired by Thomas Bishop and John Porter in 1893. Finally, Edwin Green and Claude Arnold bought Rancho Sisquoc in 1949 before it switched hands for the last time in 1952.

In 1952, James Flood purchased the land, and the Floods continued the legacy of Rancho Sisquoc as a historic cattle ranch before becoming one of the first wineries in Santa Barbara County in 1972. Today, James Flood’s daughters Judy and Elizabeth own the Rancho and operate it as a working cattle ranch, vineyard, and winery with the help of the winery and cattle teams.