ejectment, in addition to appealing the district court's decision. The supreme 

 court decided in McMillan's favor on May 31, 1858. Meanwhile, John and 

 Samuel Reynolds had conveyed the land to Stephen Marshall, creating further 

 problems for the litigants, and McMillan sold away part of the property. 60 



On January 14, 1857, before receiving the final judgment, McMillan 

 conveyed a two-thirds interest in his Point Reyes holdings to the law firm that 

 represented him, Shafter, Shatter, Park and Heydenfeldt; the firm paid 

 McMillan $50,000. Then, on April 7 of the same year, they bought the Snook 

 parcel of the original Rancho Punta de los Reyes from Randall's widow at 

 auction for $14,700, or one-tenth of what Randall had paid for it in 1854. The 

 partners then bought out McMillan's third interest for $20,000, and as a result 

 owned almost the entire Point Reyes Peninsula. As Mason wrote: "The total 

 price paid for Point Reyes was $84,700. How much cash the lawyers were out 

 of pocket has fed the fires of speculation on Point Reyes for a century. A good 

 part of the purchase price was undoubtedly written off as legal fees owed by 

 McMillan. How much, who knows?'* 1 



The Shafter firm then successfully beat down challenges by Shaw, holder 

 of Randall's mortgage, and the Reynolds' buyer, Marshall. Oscar Shafter wrote: 



After a series of tremendous fights we have beaten 

 our adversaries at all points and what is more have 

 humbled the strongest and the proudest of them. 62 



The Shatters also personally evicted six or seven people still occupying the 

 point, including Richards and probably Hyatt and Reynolds as well. This action 

 cleared the way for the Shatters' development of what would become the 

 largest dairy operation hi California, in which the partners divided the 

 peninsula into more than 30 ranches occupied by tenants. 63 



60 Lake, "La Punta de Los Reyes"; Deeds Book C, pp. 122, 125-126, MCRO. 



61 Mason, Point Reyes, pp. 33-34; Lake, "La Punta de Los Reyes"; Deeds Book C, pp. 125-129, 

 349, MCRO. 



62 Oscar L. Shafter, Life. Diaries and Letters of Oscar Lovell Shafter. Flora H. Loughead, ed. 

 (San Francisco: The Blair-Murdock Company, 1915), p. 203. 



63 Mason, Point Reves. pp. 36-37; Lake, "La Punta de Los Reyes". 



38 



