Green Springs Ranch facts for kids

Green Springs Ranch is a historic piece of land located in El Dorado County, California. It sits about 1040 feet (317 meters) above sea level. This area, once known as The Hitchcock Ranch, has a postal code of 95672, which is for Rescue, California.

History of Green Springs Ranch

The story of Green Springs Ranch goes back a long way. The first people known to own this land were two brothers, John and Nicholas Hobart. In 1850, they were recorded as owning a "Green Springs Hotel" here. They might have been the first to build a hotel on the property. By June 1850, the brothers were already advertising their hotel, which had four rooms on each floor and was served by a stagecoach line.

The Hitchcock Family's Arrival

Rufus Hitchcock and his family came to California around 1849. In 1850, records show them living on the Green Springs property in a hotel. His wife, Nancy, was also there, along with several other people, including young women and laborers. One of the young women was Helen Trombly, who was Nancy Hitchcock's daughter from an earlier marriage. Their closest neighbors were the Hobart brothers, who also ran a hotel.

Rufus Hitchcock was a well-known person in the area. He rented a building at Sutter's Fort in 1848, which he used as a boarding house and a bar. Rufus Hitchcock passed away on April 8, 1851. Family stories suggest he died from smallpox, a serious illness at the time. He was buried at the cemetery at Sutter's Fort.

New Owners and Challenges

After Rufus's death, Nancy Hitchcock stayed at the ranch with her daughter, Helen Trombly. Nancy formally bought the land from the Hobart brothers on November 3, 1851, for $500.

Life at the ranch continued to be challenging. In February 1853, there was a report of smallpox cases in the area, including at Green Springs. Sadly, Nancy Hitchcock was one of the victims of this disease. After her death, her property, which included the Green Springs House and 320 acres of land, along with stables and barns, was put up for sale.

William Dormody bought the property on December 21, 1853, for $6,400. He was born in Ireland in 1796 and lived at the ranch until he died in an accident in 1876. He is buried in Folsom, California. Members of the Dormody family continued to live at the ranch for many years, until 1955, when they sold the land to Howard and Beatrice Greenhalgh.

Green Springs Ranch Today

Today, the descendants of William and Sarah Dormody own a smaller part of the original ranch, about 28 acres. The ranch used to be nearly 1,000 acres!

In 1976, a large part of the ranch, over 520 acres, was divided into 104 smaller properties. This area is now known as The Green Springs Ranch Rural Development, or The Green Springs Ranch Landowners Association.

Some of the land was also used for schools. A 20-acre piece became Pleasant Grove Middle School, located across the street from the historic Pleasant Grove Pony Express station. This station was originally built by Rufus Hitchcock, an earlier owner of Green Springs Ranch. Another 20 acres next to the school is now owned by the El Dorado Union High School District. Finally, 146 acres are owned by Dennis Graham, who is developing The Springs Equestrian Center there.