Keller Ranch

Keller Ranch. . As early as 2000 BC, this area was home to the Volvon Miwok Native Americans. Many artifacts of their lifestyle were found when American settlers arrived in the 1800s. Under the Homestead Act between 1862 and 1872, Clayton's founder, Joel Clayton acquired 480 acres of what became the Clayton Ranch were he planted grapes. Joel Clayton died in 1872. , From 1872-1876, vintner Paul de Martini acquired 145 acres of the south western Clayton Ranch from Joel Clayton's estate and built the DeMartini Winery (now Clayton City Hall) and produced prize-winning wines until the 1920s. , Between 1903 and 1910, Charles Henry "Harry" Keller purchased the remainder of the Clayton Ranch from the Joel Clayton estate and named it "Liberty Ranch" (in honor of his wife, Elodia Liberty), which was a vineyard until converted to ranching after passage of the 1919 Volstead Act/Prohibition. , In 1913, the Keller Ranch house, named "Casa Del Sierra," was completed. Harry Keller operated the ranch until his death in 1940. Elodia maintained a life estate here until her death in 1954. , Ranching continued under lease agreements until 1972, when the property was sold by Keller Family heirs for prospective development. In 1987, Presley Homes purchased the property for the Oakhurst Country Club development. Recognizing the archaeological and cultural importance of the property, Presley donated the parcel containing the Keller Ranch house to the city of Clayton in 1991. , The State Historical Resource Commission determined the Keller House to be of significant value in 2001 and it is now listed on the California Register of Historical Resources.