The inspiration for today’s Mountcrest Ranch comes from an earlier ranch owned by my great-grandfather, Reginald H. Parsons. From 1911 to 1955, his Mountcrest Ranch stretched across more than 1,200 acres along the rugged Oregon–California border.

Under the management of Fred Bayliss, an English rancher, the property gained a reputation throughout the West for breeding exceptional livestock. The ranch raised Morgan horses, Hereford cattle, Southdown sheep, and Leghorn chickens—many of which won blue ribbons at county fairs. The Morgan horses were even purchased by notable figures including William Randolph Hearst, and the sheep stock was imported from the British royal family’s flock at Sandringham.

But beyond the accolades, the ranch was most important as a place of family life and memories. Each summer my mother and her siblings traveled from Seattle to spend weeks on the ranch helping with daily chores and learning the rhythms of ranch life.

They rode horses up to the cabin at Circle P, swam in Cottonwood Creek, and spent long days exploring ridges that looked out toward Mount Shasta. Those summers shaped a lifelong appreciation for land, animals, and the outdoors—values that continue to influence Mountcrest Ranch today.

Long before Mountcrest Ranch existed, this land was home to the Miwok people who lived throughout what is now Sonoma County. They hunted in the surrounding woodlands, fished in nearby creeks, and gathered acorns and other native plants that sustained communities here for thousands of years.

European settlement began in the late 1700s as Spanish explorers moved north from California’s missions while Russian traders approached from the coast. By the early 1800s the region had become part of large Mexican land grants, including Rancho Yulupa, which covered much of what is now Bennett Valley.

Following the Gold Rush of 1849, American settlers arrived in large numbers. One of the earliest was James Bennett, for whom Bennett Valley and Bennett Mountain are named. Bennett purchased land from General Mariano Vallejo and helped establish Santa Rosa as the county seat.

Another early landowner was John Taylor, who purchased large tracts of land including what is now Taylor Mountain. In the late 1800s he developed a small resort called White Sulphur Springs, where visitors came to enjoy mineral waters believed to have healing properties.

The first family to establish a ranch here was Hendrick and Petronella Van Keppel, Dutch immigrants who purchased 275 acres in 1878. Their ranch reflected a typical Bennett Valley farm, with vineyards, orchards, pasture, forest, and livestock. While much of their production sustained the family, their vineyards yielded over 28,000 pounds of grapes annually.

Soon after their arrival, the Bennett Valley Schoolhouse and cemetery were established, becoming central to the rural community.

The ranch remained in the family for more than 80 years. After Hendrick’s death in 1910, his daughter Nellie and her husband Charles Ward took over, eventually focusing on sheep. Despite hardships—including the Great Depression and a house fire—the family maintained a strong connection to the land.

In 1949, after the deaths of Charles Ward and his son Melvin, Nellie sold the property, ending the family’s long ownership.

The ranch entered a new chapter in the early 1950s when Gunther Karl “G.K.” Hardt purchased the property. A German immigrant raised in Santa Rosa, Hardt built a successful auto dealership known for its slogan, “Have a Hardt,” and became a well-known local figure for his generosity and humor.

Around 1953, he renamed the property Circle H Angus Ranch, raising Black Angus cattle. In 1958, he built the modernist home that still stands today, designed for entertaining and featuring a cocktail shaker–shaped pool and a hidden wet bar.

Hardt often hosted gatherings for employees and their families, with children playing and riding ponies across the ranch. He sold the property in 1972. When he died in 2004, he was remembered for his business success and charitable giving; his tombstone reads, “G.K. — Good Kind Hardt.”